Companies with strong workplace cultures of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) have been linked to increased productivity, belonging, engagement, and innovation.
Let’s take a closer look at what DEIB entails and how you can get involved at work.
What is DEIB?
- Diversity: The presence of differences (culture, ideas, ethnicities, skills, gender, age, lifestyle, disabilities, etc.).
- Equity: Ensuring access, procedures, processes, and distribution of resources are impartial, and available for all individuals to succeed and grow.
- Inclusion: Ensuring individuals feel welcomed and supported; inclusion is the outcome of diversity and equity.
- Belonging: One’s perception of acceptance and feeling respected; positive relationships emerging between individuals of various backgrounds; the feeling of belonging is a result of effective diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
By defining diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at an organizational level, it empowers everyone to participate.
As a content marketer, DEIB is an important aspect of the content I create for Express audiences. I’ve had the opportunity to join the DEIB committee at work, and by engaging in DEIB conversations, I’ve been able to learn more about the DEIB initiatives taking place around the company and implement them into my workflow. I’d like to give some tips on how you, too, may be an active DEIB participant at work.
Join the DEIB Committee
If your workplace has a DEIB committee, find out how you can get involved. The DEIB committee could extend a formal invitation to employees to apply; however, if your workplace is more casual about DEIB participation, ask HR about how you can learn more about the initiatives and potentially join meetings. Joining a DEIB committee will allow you to understand how your company defines their vision and goals for DEIB, as well as provide your own perspective and experiences in these meetings. A lot of DEIB committees also hold events and trainings, so if your schedule allows, make some time to volunteer or participate in these activities.
Be an Active Ally
Every employee can identify with a DEIB category, and allies are needed to create a supportive atmosphere. An ally, according to a Forbes article on allyship, is “anyone who actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive, and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.” By positioning yourself as an ally, you can interact and lead with empathy, and have a deeper knowledge of the people you work with every day.
Be Open to Different Ideas
Apply what you’ve learned about DEIB to your own workflow and the workflow of your team. Try embracing ideas from coworkers that are different from your own to challenge yourself. Listening to others and being receptive to viewpoints that are different from your own can inspire creativity.
Does your company promote DEIB? How do you incorporate DEIB into your own workflow? Let us know in the comments section below!
