Circana Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’s Post

Recently, I came across a compelling Venn diagram from Leader Think Tank that vividly illustrates the close connection between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the concept of belonging. While initially, the idea of creating a sense belonging in an organization felt foreign and unattainable, but diving into discussions and exploring Brene Brown’s perspective helped me grasp its significance in fostering inclusive cultures. This visual beautifully showcases how DEI efforts are integral to creating environments where everyone feels valued and respected. What are your thoughts about creating that sense of belonging in the workplace? #DEI #Belonging #Inclusion #ThoughtLeadership

🚫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 ... ... 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧! 🤝 Diversity is great—it gives us many new perspectives on the world and challenges the way we work and think, but 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 if we invite it in. You might have a diverse workforce—different genders, races, and backgrounds—but if people don’t feel heard or valued, it’s not true diversity. 💡𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝟏. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬 Are you aware of how your decision-making and thinking is influenced? 𝟐. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 Not just to the company Christmas party, but also to speak when you are in meetings, discussing strategic initiatives, or during regular conversations! 𝟑. 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 Are there processes and structures that favor some and hinders others? If diversity isn’t nurtured, it’s just diversity-washing, and leads to a decreases in well-being without adding the all the benefits. ❓𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧? 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬! #DEI #Diversity #Inclusion #Leadership

🌟 Let's talk about INCLUSION 🌟 Inclusive environments allow everyone to shine, regardless of their background, identity, or perspective. 🔹Embrace diversity - it's a key ingredient for innovation and growth in any organization. 🔹Listen actively and with empathy to truly understand different viewpoints. 🔹Create a safe space where all voices are heard and valued. Remember, inclusion is not just a buzzword - it's a mindset that drives positive change and fosters a sense of belonging for all. Let's commit to building a more inclusive world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive! 💫 #InclusionMatters #DiversityInTech #Belonging #Empathy #Innovation #Leadership #LinkedInThoughtLeadership

Inclusion: What does it mean to ME? In my conversations with organisational leaders while authoring #MsHowandMe, some interesting patterns in the trajectory of inclusive leadership emerged. The first goal that these leaders set for themselves was to understand and define the concept of Inclusion. Not just from the varied scholarly definitions available, but to have a #worldview about it. And that was done by primarily seeking an answer to the question “What does #Inclusion mean to ME?” Here are a few questions we could ask ourselves to gauge our mindset for Inclusion: How many friends do I have with a #disability, or who are of a different faith, race or other form of #diversity? Do I engage in their family celebrations, visit their home and eat with them without judgment? Will I marry or otherwise partner a person with these differences, or be accepting of it if my children make these choices? Why should I be #inclusive? Have I experienced #exclusion? These are some core questions which require reflection and candid answers to help us articulate our stance on this fundamental value of Inclusion. In my book "Ms. How and Me", I have shared how I view Inclusion as a #universalhumanright. Thinking of the quote “#Diversity is a Fact, while Inclusion is an Act”, I believe that inclusion needs to be a natural part of our existence, not an action that we need to deliberate upon. We may not have been nurtured with an #inclusive mindset, but we do have the potential to develop and constantly grow it. So how can we create a mindset such that inclusion is no longer something we have to do, but simply is? Personal experiences and inclusive leadership perspectives indicate that an inclusive mindset requires inviting different voices into the conversation, not being afraid of diverse viewpoints and most importantly- being #nonjudgmental. If we can view a difference simply as that without attaching a positive or negative valence to it, we might rid ourselves of discrimination and increase our threshold of tolerance. As an inclusive leader, I need to have a personal definition and #worldviewofInclusion. Mine is embracing all humanity regardless of its differences- gender, (dis)ability, race, language, sexuality, culture, socio-economic status, geography, faith and (oh!) so many others. What is your worldview of inclusion? I invite your voice in taking forward this conversation. #Inclusion #Diversity #inclusivemindset #inclusiveleader #leadership #discrimination

On the occasion of Pride Month, a diversity dimension is very prominently in the spotlight. It's great to support and promote this topic 🌈 But is this enough? I don´t think so! In addition to supporting the topic in the professional and private environment, there is one very important point: self-reflection 🙌 For me, the best starting point was (again) to recognize where I might have a bias. So I carried out some tests on this (there are plenty of them on the internet) 📃 The result showed me two things: firstly, that I am not free of bias and secondly, as a consequence of this, to keep reminding myself how important a change of perspective is 🔄 This is only possible if you are open, listen and consciously surround yourself with people who are not in your daily environment. This is the only way inclusion can succeed and biases can be overcome. How do you see it? When was the last time you reflected on the topic of diversity / bias? #diversity #pridemonth #changeperspective 

A question I get asked a lot: "Why does inclusion matter? Last year, I had the privilege of presenting my TEDxPretoria talk; "Character: The Starting Point of Inclusion." There, I explored the foundation of building an inclusive environment – and it starts with each of us! For me, inclusion is simple - we value the brilliance, passions, and talents in our people beyond tasks AND we create a space where people belong, feel safe, and thrive. I worked in an organization where I experienced this, and I knew I was part of the team. But I also worked in an organisation where I couldn’t say what I meant, and I felt judged because I was of a different nationality. As I worked with leaders and teams worldwide, I noticed it wasn't just me who sometimes felt left out... So let’s shift the focus, why does inclusion matter to YOU? Think about your own experiences. Have you ever felt like your voice wasn't heard, or your unique perspective wasn't valued? The cool thing about inclusion is if we really want to create it, we become better people, leaders, and human beings. There is no disadvantage to it. Let's build a world where we all belong. Watch my full #TEDxTalk: https://lnkd.in/dSVaht6z

‘Great companies are going to create safe spaces for their employees and they're going to enable brave conversations to take place’ I enjoyed reading this from LinkedIn D&I Chief Rosanna Durruthy the connection between bravery and creating the spaces and the conditions for inclusive leadership. As Durruthy describes whilst both cultural and systemic it also asks for personal as well as collective bravery and courage. "There are many times where I've had to be brave. The real bravery of leadership is to create something that didn't exist previously. When we talk about systemic bias, what we're also talking about is the permission that society has given to create unfairness." "no one wants the mental stress of having to be someone that they're not," she added. Finding an easier way to be braver when the realities of our roles, culture and organisations mean it’s the path to success and mental freedom is exactly what the Be Braver mindset offers. An approach, framework, model and set of tools - to travel the path to inclusion and leadership less stressfully. #leadership #inclusion #courage #brave https://lnkd.in/dAB7uNCd

Just finished the course “Advocating for Change in Your Organization”! DE&I is not just a side project for an organization, it is one of the main contributors of growth and profitability. Yes! Profitability in an organization. Share some views on how you drive DE&I in your organization in the comments below! Check it out: https://lnkd.in/dk4eK4fU #LinkedInLearning #Diversity #Inclusion #OrganizationalGrowth