IDEA Stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accountability

IDEA is all about the expanded concept of D&I… and it is so 2021

It’s always good to start at the beginning, especially when it comes to a robust, rich, and complex subject like Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace. So let me start with answering the question: what is Diversity & Inclusion? It’s known by several names: D&I for short; DE&I for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Diversity & Inclusion & Belonging; Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity; …and my favorite: IDEA: which stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability…

Briefly, here are some of the key tenets of the IDEA philosophy:

INCLUSION

• Inclusion is when we, as individuals of varied backgrounds, are culturally and socially accepted, welcomed, and treated with equity. Variables such as gender, race, age, sexual identity, varied physical and mental abilities, national origin, ethnicity, faith, marital status, parental status, and socioeconomic status are important on their own and when combined (that’s called intersectionality).

• Inclusion is a sense of belonging within a culture or workplace that provides a sense of being respected and valued for who we are and the professional contributions we make. We do our best work when we feel that we’re welcome and supported.

• Inclusion can also mean a shift in an organization’s mindset: proactively creating a culture where it becomes the norm to take notice of who’s invited to participate in meetings, if some of our colleagues are consistently talked over or interrupted, who might be invited to lunch or after-work cocktails, or even how offices are physically organized.

• The process of inclusion engages us all and makes us feel valued and essential to the success of our organization and community.

• When we feel valued, we function at full capacity and feel that we are a part of our organization’s mission and successes. It’s not easy, but working toward this culture shift creates higher-performing individuals and teams where motivation and morale soar!
  

DIVERSITY

• Diversity is what makes us all different in terms of those variables mentioned above: age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, etc...

• Diversity in a work environment allows for the exploration of our differences in a safe and supportive environment.

• It also means moving past implicit biases and simple tolerance and ensuring that we’re valued for the differences we bring, which encourages those rich dimensions of the diversity within each of us and places positive value on our unique perspectives and differences, within our communities and the workforce.

EQUITY

• Equity is different from “equality.” Equity is an extension of fairness - it describes something deeper and more complex than equality because it’s about each of us getting what we need in order to do our job, contribute, or succeed.

• Equity includes access to opportunities, networks, resources, and support based on where we are and where we want to go.

• Here’s a visual that surpasses 1,000 words:

ACCOUNTABILITY

• When we set actions into motion to achieve our company’s objectives, we have to hold our organization and leaders accountable, working to shape and implement strategies that define a positive, future-focused impact and priorities across talent, culture, customers and communities.

• Senior leaders must be involved in the process to raise the collective accountability for organization-wide success.

• This ensures that our D&I strategies directly enable and support the organization’s business ambitions and success by co-creating and implementing a roadmap to include targeted actions, a timeline, success measurements, and named leaders who are accountable for realizing each stage and the overall outcome.

• Accountability wraps it all together: Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity have to be tied to a comprehensive, organization-wide vision and a set of objectives to achieve those outcomes.

So that’s IDEA! Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability - and it’s what I regularly cover on this site. The beauty of IDEA is its complexity and nuances - not unlike individuals. It is an ongoing, iterative evolution that enriches our workforce, our personal lives, our communities and our collective culture.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me. Together we will continue to learn, grow, challenge ourselves (and hopefully challenge others and get into good trouble) - and through that, we will begin to see a future on the horizon that we can only reach by linking arms and charging into the headwinds of change without fear. We are all in this together. I’m so happy to welcome you to join me on this ride. You belong here.