As a nation, we struggle with the ability to accept the whole individual–the sum of the parts of a person. As globalization introduces people to new traditions, multiple cultures, blended families, and other diverse concepts, we find ourselves struggling to maintain simplicity in our own relationships, our communities, and our workplaces. How do you honor the diverse dimensions each of us holds without watering down the need to include/advance groups who have been historically marginalized? To truly honor yourself you must believe all deserve the same honor no matter the background. Everyone is diverse. Organizations must work effectively to treat everyone equitably—all employees are a part of your culture, work family and team. Ubuntu is the ability to honor humanity through compassion. It is a South African term meaning humanity to others. “I am what I am because of who we all are to others.” “A person is a person through other people.” “Until you see me, I do not exist.” “In order to bring me into exist, you must see me, and I must see you.” If we stay focused on honoring the Ubuntu principle, there will be no need to believe one wins and one loses.
Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you navigate this journey. Being open to seeing how our individual and collective dimensions connect with one another is the power of effective diversity. We have more in common with one another than ever before. Embracing the way, we intersect with one another can facilitate how we discover more common ground. There are two major dimensions of diversity: primary and secondary dimensions.
- Primary dimensions include gender, race, ethnicity, age, past education, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, first language, and more.
- Secondary dimensions are those that can be changed, and include, but are not limited to educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, military experience parental status, religious beliefs, diverse ideas/perspectives, and work experiences.
Based on the dimensions shared, we all have multiple intersections in our lives. Intersectionality is defined as engaging and valuing a full range of dimensions in the workplace. This approach supports all the interwoven dimensions that one encompasses as an individual ensuring that experiences are interlocking and interwoven throughout the organization. This allows for employees to bring their whole self to work. You leverage intersectionality by making sure all employees matter and have a seat at the table. You must spend time leveraging the whole self-paradigm to be effective in reaching greatness in the workplace. You must know who you are and then be allowed to bring your whole selves to work. The work environment must be designed to effectively support who you are so that you can be great in your intentions and interactions. Until work environments allow for intersectional engagement experiences, employees might lose major key drivers of success related to productivity, satisfaction, and retention.
Here are a few ways one can champion workforce inclusion:
- Allyship you do not have to be “one of” to support others. Recognize the opportunities afforded to you and use that to aid in the dismantling of systems and processes that prevent colleagues from having equal opportunities.
- Advocate/mentor/sponsor/champion for others a person who vouches for, supports, advises, or speaks on behalf of others when they are not in the room.
- Empathy walk a mile in the other person’s shoes you cannot understand others until you are willing to walk a mile in their shoes. It is the ability to experience the world from another person’s perspective.
- Cultural Intelligence is the capability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. This approach supports the measuring of a person’s capacity to function effectively in a multicultural environment with individuals who are different. The opposite of cultural intelligence is monoculture, nonculture or living an unenlightened life.
If we choose not to honor all no matter the dimension, we limit our ability to walk in the shoes of others, to understand, and to empathize with workplace conditions or issues that are outside of our own cultural context. Overtime, we will not be able to develop relationships beyond our immediate familiar circle thus preventing us from benefiting and learning from others. Our personal and professional growth will be stunted. Overtime, if leveraged correctly, honoring all dimensions, and enhancing cultural intelligence enables us to adapt effective interactions across cultures to gain new insights and develop better initiatives in the workplace. The choice is yours. We can get there together!
Dr. Andrea Hendricks
CEO/Managing Partner
Authentico
