Companies are finding themselves with a more diverse workforce and when managed inclusively, this diversity can be a game changer for productivity, engagement, innovation, creativity, and retention. 

This is because a workforce that represents a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives lends itself to creating a more dynamic and rich tapestry for problem solving, understanding customers better, and thinking creatively. 

However, managing cultural diversity in the workplace can be a challenge – especially for leaders who don’t know how. Because, despite popular opinion, leaders need to learn the skills to be inclusive, and then practice them over and over until they become habit.  

It is therefore crucial to have strategies in place to promote cultural diversity in the workplace and foster an inclusive environment. 

In this article, I’m going to share some tips to help you create a more culturally diverse workplace: 

Tip 1: Embrace diversity 

The first step in promoting cultural diversity in the workplace is to embrace it. This means that you should view diversity as a strength rather than a weakness.  Having diversity policies and procedures in place also helps.

When you have a workforce that is diverse, you have a team that is better equipped to tackle the challenges of a changing workplace. This is because diversity brings different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the table, which leads to new solutions and breakthroughs. 

Tip 2: Promote inclusiveness 

Creating a more inclusive workplace means promoting a culture that values diversity. This starts with leadership and setting an example. 

Leaders need to be vocal in their support of diversity and inclusion, and they need to demonstrate this through their actions. 

This includes creating an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and heard, regardless of their background or culture. 

Sounds easier said than done! 

And there is a pervasive thought out there amongst many leaders that they are already very inclusive in their behaviours – but their staff or team disagree. Why is that? 

Tip 3: Foster communication 

Good communication is key to supporting cultural diversity in the workplace. Encourage open and honest communication between all levels within the organisation. Your staff should have access to yourself, and they should feel comfortable in communicating opening with each other as well.  

Take steps to create a culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their opinions and ideas. This can be achieved through regular team-building activities, holding morning check-ins to see how everyone is tracking, and encouraging cross-cultural interaction. 

Tip 4: Provide cultural training 

Promoting cultural diversity in the workplace can be undertaken through appropriate cultural training such as workshops, online courses, or mentorship programs. 

The goal is to educate employees on different cultures, their customs and traditions, and how to interact with people from different backgrounds. 

This will help employees to understand and appreciate the unique qualities each person brings to a culturally diverse workplace. 

Where possible, I strongly suggest the training is delivered or developed by a person of the same culture so that information is delivered in a culturally sensitive manner. 

Tip 5: Celebrate cultural holidays and traditions 

It is important to celebrate cultural holidays and traditions by ensuring that employees who wish to can take leave for important dates such as Diwali, Chinese New Year, or Ramaden. Celebrate these events in the workplace as well through food, music, or decorations. 

In celebrating cultural holidays and traditions you are helping to bring employees together, promote understanding, and create a more inclusive environment. 

Support your leaders to understand cultural diversity in the workplace 

Promoting cultural diversity in the workplace is crucial for creating a more inclusive environment and to achieve more successful outcomes for your organisation. 

Maybe you’ve seen exclusion in action where someone doesn’t feel like they belong or that they are treated fairly or respectfully? Maybe you’ve felt this yourself. If so, then you can appreciate how impactful the reverse can be. 

Working to create this inclusive environment takes time, and often takes training and constant repetition of micro-actions to embed new habits. 

Everyone deserves to work for an organisation that values and respects who they are as an individual as well as what they can deliver in their everyday workday. 

When employees feel like they are valued and respected they feel like they belong to a greater cause, to a family, or to a community. 

When this happens a ripple effect can take hold and it is powerful for the organisation. 

If you’re ready to make waves to foster a more inclusive organisation that embraces cultural diversity in the workplace, then start today. 

Our Inclusion Habits for Leaders Program is for you! Fill in this questionnaire to find out more. 

Being social at work doesn’t always come naturally to some generations – especially if you’re of the mind where you stick to business topics at work and keep your personal lives for home. 

The shift from one to the other can take a bit of getting used to, which is understandable because it’s essentially adjusting your ingrained behaviour in an attempt to become more socially inclusive.  And as we know, change can be a big step for some.

So, what is social inclusion?

It’s when you demonstrate an inclusive attitude towards your colleagues and employees, socially. It’s when you make people feel like they’re a part of all social conversations, whether they’re work, or non-work related. 

In a recent report undertaken by Inclusive Australia, they found that:

“While Australians are generally satisfied with practices for diversity and equality in their workplaces, some aspects of inclusion could be improved and for particular industries. Only half of respondents strongly believed that their work fitted the definition of a socially inclusive workplace in which people are treated equally.”

So, it seems that there is some work to be done to increase socially inclusive workplaces.

A short word on the impact of Covid-19 on being socially inclusive 

The world is changing, dramatically, and of course the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted how we demonstrate inclusive behaviours. 

Even more so, when it comes to understanding what social inclusion looks like in the workplace! We’re not always face-to-face with our colleagues anymore, so what is social inclusion post-pandemic?

The conversations may still be happening, but they’re happening over different mediums – instant chat, email, zoom meetings, comments in working documents. These informal conversations play a big role in understanding what social inclusion looks like. 

So, during pre-Covid days, you could be talking about a game of footy with some colleagues standing around your corner office desk.

But if you’re only discussing footy with your Australian colleagues, and not your Asian colleagues, you may not be socially inclusive. 

On the other hand, if you talk about footy with everyone at the office, and talk about it as your passion, and let people talk openly about their passions, then you’re being inclusive.  

There should always be a fair exchange of ideas at the workplace!  

While Covid-19 has clearly impacted on our ability to be socially inclusive in the face-to-face context, the basics still apply. 

How social inclusion shapes your workplace culture 

With some workplaces encouraging their employees to return to the office, and the pre-Covid ways of working making a come back, let’s look at all the ways being socially inclusive can shape your workplace: 

Your events will be multicultural  

When you’re socially inclusive, your organisation’s event calendar will look very different to a generic one. You’ll not just celebrate Christmas, you’ll also celebrate Eid, and Diwali.  

The type of events you organise will be very inclusive of the diverse cultures represented within your organisation, which will add a hint of dynamism to the events!  

What’s even better?  

Hosting your events in different languages, or you may hire translators so everyone can understand the cultural nuances that are part of the events you organise. Have you ever considered having an Auslan interpreter at one of your events? Maybe none of your employees are hearing impaired, but are any of their children? Are any of your employees learning or honing this communication skill? 

How do you know? 

Your employees will be more exposed, and open minded  

When you’re socially inclusive, you learn each other’s social graces.  

As a result, everyone learns to socialise with each other and become more open minded to different attitudes, ways of thinking, and ways of being. The more exposed your employees are, the more value they can add to each other’s lives, and the less friction there will be between them.  

Your employees, will learn to work as one cohesive unit through their exposure and open-mindedness, which can help your organisation grow.  

Your workplace will be more innovative  

Innovation happens in informal and relaxed settings. We can’t just shout “Be innovative!” from the rooftops and expect our people to just throw out the new, amazing, never-thought-of-before ideas. 

Formal and rigid settings restrict innovation. Consider when your people have expressed themselves in an uninhibited manner? There’s always elements of trust and mutual respect taking place as well. By all means build these into your workplace environment, but also remember they can occur socially and spontaneously as well. 

By encouraging social inclusion, you’re basically bringing together different ways of thinking. And it’s this amalgamation of differences which sparks creative ideas in the workplace. Therefore, by being socially inclusive, increases those creative, innovative conversations, often resulting in diverse solutions.  

Your employees will start feeling like they’re one big family  

Being a family, or feeling like you’re part of a family is all about inclusiveness.  

The more socially inclusive your employees are, the more everyone will feel like they can share their innermost secrets, their hopes, desires, goals and ambitions with each other.  

That’s exactly what a family does, isn’t it? By enabling each other to talk honestly, your workplace will become like a family. This, in turn, fosters a greater sense of belonging, thereby also building psychological safety.

You’ll minimise instances of exclusion  

Exclusion is the opposite of inclusion.  Seems obvious, but sometimes we need to be explicit when we define inclusive behaviours.

When you exclude someone from being a part of an event, or a conversation, you’re demonstrating a bias in some way. This could be based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability, and the list continues.  

Through social inclusion though, you’ll make your workplace culture more fun, more interactive, and less exclusive. You’ll minimise the chances of any discrimination happening, making your organisation truly diverse and friendly to all.  

You’ll attract top talent into the workplace  

Believe it or not, everyone is curious about each other, especially if they’re different. 

If outsiders notice that your organisation allows an open interaction between all races, and they get along well, you’ll end up attracting employees from different cultures, races and backgrounds to work for you.  

The wider the pool of talent you attract, the more talented your workforce will be!  

Your employees might learn or transfer skills 

By being socially inclusive, your employees might become far more interested in each other’s cultures. An Asian employee might become curious about a Spanish colleague’s culture and language, and vice versa.  

And this curiosity in each other’s culture and language may lead them to learn an additional language, to travel, and explore their social and cultural boundaries. 

When cultures connect, so too do opportunities for knowledge and skill transfers, especially if employees from different departments are encouraged to socialise. 

Be inclusive of all, socially and professionally 

An inclusive organisation values the uniqueness of their employees and encourages everyone to bring their true selves to work.

The need to manage diversity arises when there are boundaries that restrict people from forming deeper connections at work. By being socially inclusive, you’ll just naturally function as a cohesive, well rounded, culturally oiled organisation!  

You’ll be surprised at how your workplace culture can be shaped when social inclusion is encouraged. Lead your organisation down the path of progress, simply by being friendly and open minded with everyone!  

Ready to learn more about inclusion and to help your leaders feel more empowered in the space? Take this 3 minute questionnaire to determine if our programs are a good fit for your organisation’s DEI goals. 

Just like a painting with many different types of colours makes it vibrant, the more unique your people are in every sense of the word, the more solutions, experiences and ideas your organisation will have available to it. 

But diversity in itself, is diverse!  

It’s a phenomenon which has the ability to redefine how you address business problems, serve your customers and treat your employees.  

It’s important you educate yourself about the different types of diversity to learn how you can enrich your organisation’s cultural fabric.  

With that in mind, I’m going to cover off on some of the types of diversity that can enrich your workplace culture to help you grow and become more inclusive of difference. 

Here are seven types of diversity:

Racial diversity 

This is the diversity of race. It refers to differences in race, like the colour of the skin, facial and physical features and more. There are many different types of races: 

• American Indian or Alaska Native 
• Asian 
• Black or African American 
• Hispanic or Latino 
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 
• White 

Different races have different ways of thinking, and therefore, different ways of solving problems which can give your organisation many solutions to a given problem. Not just that, by employing people from different races, you boost your chances of attracting a wider pool of talent when hiring. 

Cultural diversity 

The food you eat, the language you speak, the religion you follow and the customs you abide by makeup diverse cultures.  

Working with people from different cultures can be a very enriching experience since you’re exposed to so many different ways of being and living.  

Adapting to different types of cultures tests the adaptability of your employees and makes them more open minded.  

Personality diversity 

Having different types of personalities can be very enriching for your organisation’s culture.  

You may have those who are quiet and reserved, and then you may have those who are extroverted and outspoken. While we each prefer our own ways of working – and who we work with – understanding difference and the unique qualities everyone can bring to the table is invaluable. 

Physical diversity 

You may hire people with different physical abilities, such as the vision or hearing impaired, as well as physically disabled people. 

Doing this supports inclusion and brings unique perspectives and ideas to the floor. Boost disability inclusivity within your organisation by: 

• Establishing formal ERG processes 
• Partnering with disability advocacy groups 
• Improving accessibility 
• Developing mentoring/sponsorship programs for people with disabilities 

Gender diversity  

Gender, sex, and sexual diversity have nuances and some people may not be clear on their differences.  

Gender diversity is defined by the individual and how they view and expect others to view themselves. While many cultures assign a gender at birth to a child as either a boy or girl, there are a few common non-binary gender identities including transgender, gender queer, gender fluid. 

Some of your colleagues may identify differently from what you perceive. It is courteous to inquire about their preferred pronouns. 

Sexual diversity 

Sexual diversity covers both sexual orientation and a person’s biological sex. Common sexual orientations include heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, and questioning. While biological sex refers to the biological and genetic differences between male and female bodies.  

Create an inclusive workplace that supports gender and sexual diversity by: 

• Educating staff about different identity terms 
• Normalising the sharing of gender pronouns 
• Formalising ERGs to support your LGBTQIA+ colleagues 
• Building habits of inclusion in your every day 
• Understanding your unconscious biases 

Neuro diversity 

Neurological differences need to be recognised as another way in which humans are different from each other – and it’s this difference that brings unique ways of thinking and working to any workplace environment.  

Research shows that neurodivergent people have the ability to recognise patterns, retain information, and excel in design ways of thinking, which are critical skills for any job.  

Other types of diversity 

Apart from the above types of diversity, there is also the diversity of worldview which consists of things like political beliefs, moral values, general outlook on life and other aspects. There is also diversity in citizenship status, age, family and upbringing, ideologies, morals, social roles, education, income, socio-economic status, life experiences and more.  

Being aware of the types of diversity is of course important, but the other part of the equation is being inclusive of all. This means making use of inclusion practices to leverage all types of diversity so that the impact can be felt on the bottom line.  

That’s where the 6 habits of inclusion come in. 

You need to:  

• Acknowledge the uneasiness of difference with all of your diverse employees. Get honest about it and intentionally build a bridge. This involves owning up to the uncomfortable feeling you have because you don’t understand how your diverse employees approach things. It also means acknowledging that your diverse team players have a lot to bring to the team.  
• Communicate as one team. Fight the unfamiliarity of difference, trust and dive in. Always be pulling together the whole team, and know that each person contributes to your company’s success. You must have the courage to create the type of trust that’s at the heart of a family.  
• Be intentional in challenging the status quo. Be ok with failing, learning, and being wrong. Always be willing to try new approaches! 

Being truly inclusive is about having a very high growth mindset, which means you have the confidence to accept that you may not know everything about being inclusive of every person. I can see that the leaders who are most successful at being inclusive have this. They are willing to admit that sometimes they don’t get it right. They also are open and honest when it comes to the difficulties they face with diversity management, which is all about acknowledging the uneasiness of difference.

They understand that they are on a never-ending learning curve and that being inclusive is a journey of discovery that doesn’t have an end.  They can also answer the question – why is inclusion is important? It’s about constant improvement and learning every day! 

Support your leaders to be coming inclusive of all types of diversity 

Take your first step today!

Complete our questionnaire to see if our Inclusion Habits for Leaders Program is a good fit for your organisation. 

Malcolm Forbes says, “Diversity is the art of thinking independently together”.  

Every individual is unique, and the coming together of different perspectives, cultural backgrounds and races is what makes diversity special. 

But when we think specifically with a business lens on, what is it that makes diversity so important? 

Contrary to widespread belief, we need to decouple diversity and inclusion to truly understand the why. I speak about this in this article on the dimensions of diversity. 

Once we understand the fundamentals inclusion, we then bring the diversity back into the picture. I outline more in this article on diversity management.

Here are 7 reasons why this is critically important to your company’s success: 

1. Diversity stimulates creativity and innovation 

When you have people from different backgrounds and experiences working at the same company, it brings together different perspectives, and different ways of solving problems.  

When different perspectives come together, there’s a higher chance of sparking off innovative ideas that make a difference to the bottom line. Basically, diversity builds your company’s knowledge!  

According to research by Deloitte, companies with more inclusive cultures are six times more innovative, eight times more likely to achieve better business results, and twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets than organisations with less diversity. Another study shows that diverse companies were 45% more likely to report annual market share growth.  

2. Diversity increases employee productivity 

Diversity brings together a variety of skills.  

For instance, someone may be lacking in numerical skills, while another employee may be an expert at it. And when we pull together all of these skills, more work gets done, boosting the overall productivity of the workplace.  

Research shows that companies benefit the most when all levels of management are racially diverse. In fact, a 1% increase in racial diversity increases firm productivity by between $729 and $1590 per employee per year, which is a massive shift.  

3. A diverse company attracts top talent 

People want to work for companies that are diverse, and progressive in their thinking.  

If your company culture and job descriptions are more inclusive, you’re more likely to attract top talent, irrespective of their age, sex, background or race.  

The more talented your workforce is, the higher the chances of your company being more efficient, and profitable. In fact, 67% of new job seekers consider workplace diversity to be an important factor when evaluating job offers.  

If the hiring patterns and recruitment strategies at your workplace are geared towards fostering diversity, your company’s talent pipeline will always be robust.  

4. A diverse company attracts diverse customers 

Think about it, if your employees are diverse, they can serve diverse customers.  

Being able to serve customers from multiple backgrounds will also play an important role in boosting your firm’s profitability, since you’ll have the ability to serve new customer segments.  

In fact, having a diverse workforce could also enable your company to launch into a new market, in a new country, which has the potential of increasing revenue and market share.  

5. Reduces costs by hiring internationally 

Being a diverse company means you can hire internationally. For instance, if you’re looking to hire technical staff, you could turn to hiring technical employees in India at half the wages.  

By broadening your horizons, you open up new territories to onboard diverse employees, which can offer a huge cost advantage to your company. You no longer need to restrict yourself to hiring diverse employees from within your territory and can look to other countries and locations.  

6. A diverse workforce is future focused 

Taking a long-term view on how the overall population and workforce will shape up into the future is important for any company.  

When your company reflects the workforce of the future, it can serve the population composition of tomorrow. Not just that, diversity also helps in boosting employee engagement, and reducing employee turnover, because if employees feel included, they’re more likely to feel engaged, and less likely to leave the company in the long run.  

7. A diverse company leads to personal growth 

Diversity in the workplace means that people are compelled to step out of their comfort zone, and embrace new cultures and ways of thinking. Through interacting with diverse employees, people expand their outlook on things, and grow at both a personal and professional level.  

Think about it, if you’re in a team with a mix of Asians, Americans, Europeans, men and women, you’ll be forced to get to know their culture, their religion, their beliefs, and their values, which would all be very different to the ones you hold.  

All of this can contribute to your own personal growth.  

So, why is diversity important? 

Even if your company does embrace diversity, this is only half the equation. 

The strength and power of diversity is harnessed when your leaders and employees are inclusive of the difference that surrounds them. 

That’s why it’s so important for your leaders to build habits that help them leverage diversity. 

A lot of leaders understand the why of inclusion, but it’s the how that can be illusive. Our Inclusion Habits for Leaders program takes away the confusion and teaches leaders how to: 

• Acknowledge the uneasiness of difference 
• Communicate as one team 
• Constantly challenge the status quo while being comfortable with being wrong 
• Get vulnerable with their teammates 
• Are courageously curious and  
• Remain fair at an individual level 

If you’re interested in seeing how the program may be rolled out as a leadership course within your organisation, your first step is to take our disruption questionnaire, here. 

Our team will reach out for your next steps. 

It can train women and minorities to feel supported as they face the challenges of working in a diverse organisation. Following the right mentorship program can result in participants feeling more confident and satisfied with their jobs.  

Moreover, a study found that 32% of minorities found their mentoring relationship to be ‘extremely important’ to them.  

Mentorship plays a big role in organisations looking to boost inclusion, develop talent, and build a progressive culture.  

A structured mentorship program is the key to success.

So, what exactly is a structured mentorship program? 

A structured mentoring program is a program that creates relationships between mentors and mentees by removing the unknowns.

These relationships are there to:

• Support to diverse employees
• Lend a listening ear
• Encourage teamwork
• Increase the visibility of issues related to diversity, and
• Develop the careers of diverse employees.  

Let’s look at some ways a structured mentoring program can operate: 

Reverse mentoring 

Mentoring is not just about a senior leader coaching a junior executive. It can be the other way round.  

A structured mentorship program makes it possible for senior managers and leaders to learn from others; often referred to as a ‘flat’ management structure when mentoring.  

In this way senior leaders benefit from the experiences, knowledge and ideas of their diverse junior employees. While giving junior employees a chance to express themselves freely and bring their unique differences to the forefront.  

Promote diverse employees 

A mentorship program provides support to diverse employees to further their careers and ideas at the workplace.  

Mentors can leverage their authority and influence to help advance the careers of diverse, underrepresented employees. This can be through both informal and formal sponsorship activities, and in both ways, diverse employees benefit. 

Build ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) 

Mentoring helps in building employee resource groups across the organisation.  

An ERG is a group of diverse employees who come together on the basis of their differences. ERGs can be formed for women, or employees with different sexual orientations. The coming together of these employees gives them a voice, and the opportunity to work on the basis of their common ground.  

Use an external coach 

When a program is facilitated by an external coach, they can help catalyse the mentoring relationships across the organisation.  

This format works well to help develop key mentoring relationships internally, as well as guide both the mentor and mentee on how to take things forward.  

The link between mentorship and workplace inclusion 

We’ve discussed the different mentoring models and benefits to those individuals involved, but what about the organisation? 

Why should an organisation invest in a mentoring program at all?  

With many different mentorship models, what are the benefits to the organisation?  

Catalyse cross functional relationships 

Mentoring relationships can be formed across the organisation. You may have a mentee working in the finance department being mentored by someone in marketing, catalysing cross functional relationships and a transfer of knowledge.  

Both the mentor and mentee get to see things from a different angle if it’s a cross functional relationship, leading to a growth of perspectives and relationship development. 

Develop leaders of the future 

A structured mentoring program plays a critically important role in developing leaders of the future. 

Although we would hope that our leaders can lead, what we want are leaders who are inclusive of difference and are comfortable with getting vulnerable with their staff. When we communicate as one team we are all working towards the same goal. 

With the right mentoring program in place, managers are supported to become leaders capable of leveraging diversity. 

Boost bottom line revenue 

An organisation with a mentorship program is more likely to leverage diversity fruitfully, than one that doesn’t.  

Research tells us time and time again that when inclusive behaviours are sustained, staff are more productive, innovative, engaged, collaborative, and psychologically safe. 

And when this occurs on an ongoing basis, an organisation sees the impact on their revenue. 

Don’t forget the data 

As with any other initiative or program, your organisation must measure the data in order to determine the return on investment. 

And when you choose a mentorship program that focuses on inclusive behaviours, and supporting mentors and mentees through a structured approach, the data becomes easier to identify and capture.  

Structured mentoring programs allow organisations to answer questions like:  

• How many women, people of colour, or other minority groups, within your organisation got promoted after the program?  
• Are your diverse employees reporting an increase in work satisfaction levels after the program?  
• What do our attrition numbers look like after rolling out the program across the organisation?  
• What anecdotes are our leaders sharing that indicate an increase in psychological safety and wellness at our organisation?  

Choose an inclusive and diversity coach 

Leverage the knowledge and experience of an inclusion and diversity coach in this field.  

For instance, at Emberin, our structured inclusive workplace mentoring program, has 35,000 participants worldwide, and has achieved significant results for our clients. We know what it takes to boost inclusion at the workplace, and so, engaging our services will help you benefit from our experience. 

We recommend you start by improving the ability of the women in your organisation to develop and advance their core personal and professional skills.  

Get in touch with us today to talk about our women’s mentorship program to start making radical changes at your organisation. 

Despite our best wishes, not all leaders are instinctively or naturally inclusive. Being able to leverage diversity and produce tangible, profitable outcomes for an organisation requires know-how and experience. 

A recent survey by Research.com found that after completing a leadership course, participants reported a:

• 28% increase in leadership behaviours, and
• 20% increase in overall job performance.  

If inclusion is a big part of your leaders’ jobs, you must consider investing in a program designed to embed inclusive behaviours. 

There’s something important to note about leadership courses 

Worldwide, organisations spend about $8 billion per year on diversity and inclusion training with little to show for their efforts.  

It is important to enrol in a course that offers a real return on your investment. Avoid a generic program!

In this article, I want to shine a light on 4 ways an ROI-focused leadership course can increase workplace inclusion. 

1. Increased employee engagement and reduced employee turnover 

According to Gallup’s chief scientist, James K. Harper, at least 75% of employees quit their jobs due to poor management.  

Additionally, according to Officevibe’s 2020 report on employee feedback, 4 out of 10 workers felt disengaged they received no feedback. 

Clearly, there’s a need for leaders to appreciate their employees, and provide them with specific feedback on their performance.  

A well thought out critique is very important to help employees feel valued. It also lets them know how they can improve and make progress.  

Trained leaders who’ve been through a rigorous leadership course will pay close attention to how they’re managing their staff, and provide them with specific feedback.  

They understand the importance of regular check-ins, and devote time to both understanding concerns and providing valuable insights. Doing this can help increase staff engagement, and reduce turnover.  

2. Refined management styles 

Without formal training, leaders would just be following their gut on how they should manage their employees. Without a framework to make decisions, leaders resort to doing things the way they’ve always been done. 

In the realm of diversity and inclusion, this can be counter intuitive. Consider the leader who may not know about, or be aware of, their own unconscious biases. When this occurs, they continue making decisions and interacting with employees without self-reflection, which could lead to suboptimal outcomes.  

Relevant leadership courses bring these unconscious biases to the foreground. They make your leaders more mindful and conscious about their own leadership and management style.  

Ideally, your leadership course will actively mentor your leaders through management challenges and offer feedback on refining their style.  

They provide information and insights to your leaders about their strengths and weaknesses. Leaders will become more self-aware, and therefore, more emotionally intelligent in the way they conduct themselves.  

In this way your leaders will also feel empowered to challenge the status quo, exposing them to fresh perspectives, and giving them the opportunity to apply newly acquired knowledge to the workplace. 

3. Improved organisation culture 

When you invest in an inclusive leadership course, it demonstrates the importance of leveraging diversity to create tangible business outcomes.  

Training your leaders has a ripple effect on your corporate culture.  

Influencing your culture with a top-down approach means you’re directly shaping your organisation’s values, mission, and purpose. In embedding inclusive behaviours, your leaders will champion the change to manage diversity effectively.

A good leadership trainer will create a bespoke program based upon your unique D&I goals.

4. Increased knowledge from experienced leaders 

Choose a leadership program run by leaders who have experience in the field of building workplace inclusion.  

If the leadership program has a proven track record of success, it’s likely that your organisation will experience similar results.

Screen all leadership courses wisely 

At Emberin, we have worked with hundreds of global organisations help grow more inclusive cultures. Our obsession has been to support organisations to get results. 

The approach which we take focuses on 2 simple elements:  

• Push: supporting individuals who feel they don’t ‘fit’ the norm, supporting them with intentional development, and consistent structured mentoring to develop their own toolkit, because they don’t need to be ‘fixed’.  
• Pull: supporting leaders to understand that managing differences is difficult and requires new skills. We help leaders build the habits of inclusion and measure this via their action and experiments, rather than just ticking a ‘training box’.  

Both approaches focus on demonstrating an increased inclusive culture in a team within a short timeframe.  

We have had the privilege of conversations with over 15,000 leaders from every industry all over the globe, and we have mentored more than 35,000 people, many of whom have been members of ERGs.  

Our current diversity and inclusion offering is the culmination of all of those experiences, with our north star being evidence of real impact in creating an inclusive culture.  

So your leaders benefit from our wealth of experience, and the experience of other leaders with a proven track record.  

Don’t just enrol in any leadership course 

Enrol in one that’s perfect for your diversity and inclusion goals, and one that helps you get a good bang for your investment buck.

Take the first step to complete this questionnaire to determine if our program meets your needs.

Such a program helps develop the careers of all your employees, holistically, while helping them retain their differences and bring their voice to the table.  

What type of coaching & mentoring does your company require to be inclusive?  

Leaders need to be trained on specific areas to be more inclusive. And inclusion covers a wide range of different skill sets, which includes: 

Learning how to manage people with disabilities: Leaders may have no background in leading people that have disabilities. This requires specialised training, as it takes a lot of skill, patience, empathy and care to support disabled employees find a working solution that is tailored to their unique circumstances.  

Dealing with gender gaps and other diversity issues: Each person in your organisation is different in their own unique way. You might have employees with a different sexual orientation or have more males than females working for you. Leaders must develop the skills to understand diversity issues in more detail and learn how to leverage them for the company’s greater good.  

Battling racism: An organisation that’s diverse will experience racism among their employees, especially when there are majority and minority groups involved. Because racism is such a sensitive issue, and there are so many ways in which it is ‘masked’, managing it to uncover it, and then minimising it takes a specialised skill set, which requires leaders to be coached in this field.  

Managing other cultural issues: Some cultures have specific cultural problems. While the Australian workplace may exhibit ‘tall poppy syndrome’, the American workplace might be too individualistic. Understanding the nuances of each culture needs leaders to be trained in handling the issues that arise from it.  

How can you coach & mentor your leaders? 

You should first start by embedding a culture of mentorship across the organisation. This could be by involving an external mentorship provider who trains both your leaders and employees, or simply by engaging a facilitator who encourages the formation of mentoring relationships across your organisation. Choose wisely – as the right mentorship program will impact your workplace inclusion.

If leaders are too focused on managing employee performance in isolation of their differences, they might miss out on the gigantic opportunity diversity presents.  

Building mentoring relationships enables leaders to guide and develop their employees, and makes employees feel truly valued and cared for.  

A structured inclusion coaching & mentoring program can help 

Using a structure program as part of your organisation’s mentoring collateral is different because it includes: 

• Online learning modules that your leaders and employees can do from anywhere.  
• Career development plans so your leaders and employees know which direction their career will go in in the future.  

• 1-on-1 peer mentoring circles that facilitate cross-mentoring relationships across your company.  
• Action challenges and inclusion ‘experiments’ that challenge leaders to step into the shoes of your employees and more.  
• Any other tools your leaders might need to be more inclusive.  

As a leader looking to empower the people within your organisation to understand the ‘how’ of inclusion means that you are going one step further than simply “implementing a mentoring program”. 

Not all leaders know how to be inclusive. Most will have an understanding of what it means to be inclusive but many can’t put that theory into practice. 

As in inclusion ally, you’re taking on the role of coaching & mentoring your leaders so that they too step up to champion change. 

What gets measured gets managed 

One of the most powerful ways to influence leaders within your organisation is to present the business case for the change you wish to champion. 

In my many conversations with leaders this has proven time and time again to be a roadblock to implementing a truly disruptive inclusion program. 

This is because leaders don’t know how to measure inclusion nor how to put it into figures that can show an impact on the bottom line. 

It’s important you become a partner to the diversity and inclusion success within your organisation and you can do so by showing leaders how their efforts will translate into tangible business results.  

For inclusion leadership coaching strategies and mentoring initiatives to be successful, you need to measure the ROI from them.  

It’s only what gets measured that gets managed, and that couldn’t be truer for diversity and inclusion training.  

There are a lot of metrics that can be gathered and of course some will be specific to each organisation’s goals, however consider these: 

1. How many women, people of colour, or other minority groups, within your organisation got promoted after the program? 

2. Are your diverse employees reporting an increase in work satisfaction levels after the program?  

3. What do our attrition numbers look like after rolling out the program across the organisation? 

4. What anecdotes are our leaders sharing that indicate an increase in psychological safety and wellness at our organisation? 

Apart from these questions, you can proactively gather feedback from your employees about how they think they’ve benefitted from the programs. 

Go further to embed habitual changes 

We all know how hard it is to break or start a habit. 

As an organisation, consider embedding inclusive behaviours by make diversity and inclusion training a part of your compliance.  

Everyone in the organisation should be made aware of what it means to be inclusive, and complete necessary training modules before they can truly be integrated as part of your workforce.  

Making inclusion solutions and training part of your compliance shows to your employees how seriously invested you are in making your workplace diverse and inclusive. The good thing about compliance training is that it needs to be ‘updated’ or done regularly, and the chances of your leaders and employees developing a more inclusive mindset are a lot higher when they’re continuously trained over a sustained period of time. 

Empower your inclusive leaders to influence strategy and policy direction 

A good coach or mentor can become the eyes and ears of your diversity and inclusion initiatives.  

This is especially so when your inclusive leaders are also coaching and mentoring other talent within your organisation. They have on the ground knowledge about what’s really happening in the day to day lives of your diverse employees and can influence strategy and policy direction. 

To give your inclusion endeavours a solid chance of success, consider enrolling in a structured inclusive workplace mentoring program to help shape your leaders and employees into open minded, inclusive human beings that perform for your company’s greater good.  

While it is admirable to adopt training solutions for employees at all levels in the hopes of developing a more inclusive workplace; from my many years of experience working in the diversity and inclusion arena, I know that these types of programs do not always provide long-term effects. 

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, there are better approaches to generate tangible results.  

And they are through strategic leadership coaching. 

Believe me when I say that developing committed leaders through coaching is not an impossible goal! 

The reality is that a lack of diversity and inclusion in the workplace is often a consequence of a more pressing leadership problem. One that inclusive leadership coaching can easily remedy. 

What is inclusive leadership coaching and why is it important? 

Inclusive leadership coaching entails the most critical aspects required for any leader to be successful in the diversity and inclusion sector.  

It is an essential component of any leader’s learning and development process. It equips leaders with the insights, tools, and expertise they need to solve D&I problems, generate innovative ideas from different perspectives, and to build inclusive teams.  

Coaching differs from other types of training in that you learn by doing. It is an extremely powerful and effective method that allows those in positions of leadership to arrive at their own solutions rather than being told what steps to take. 

The coaching approach to inclusive leadership is effective. According to research by Deloitte, inclusive leaders have the potential to improve overall employee performance. This is significant and a game changer for many organisations.  

A leadership coaching framework is distinctive in that it approaches the conversation about diversity and inclusion in a unique way than with more traditional training programs. 

The “how” of leadership coaching

Leadership coaching is both empowering and centred on the leader.  

When it comes to identifying their own answers to common DEI and other workplace difficulties, leaders develop their own individual goals and learn to build capability instead of reliance.  

Those at the top of an organisation who receive inclusive leadership coaching frequently report a shift in their mindset. They learn how to create strategies that help underrepresented employees. They learn through doing hands-on experiments in real-life circumstances, all of which is both educational and psychologically rewarding. 

What are the leadership coaching challenges faced by organisations? 

There are many challenges that leaders face whilst completing their training, some of which are easier to overcome than others.  

Let us dive into a few leaderships challenge examples. 

Bias blind spots 

Bias for leaders who are untouched by prejudice can be a difficult learning curve during leadership coaching. It can be a challenge for leaders to uncover unconscious and concealed bias in the workplace. Identifying with employees from backgrounds other than their own is difficult.  

This is when awareness comes in. Understanding personal privilege, which is often invisible to many leaders, is critical to effective leadership coaching.  

An effective strategy for removing blind spots is through sharing stories.

When leaders listen to real-life stories from their team members who have faced bias or discrimination, they empathise and are engaged on an emotional level rather than on an intellectual one.  This is often where leaders begin to feel a shift and report those true a-ha moments.  

Lack of comprehension  

Have you noticed that leaders often fit a specific criterion?

They tend to be unsure of how exactly to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace because they cannot relate.  

Leadership coaching overcomes this lack of understanding through open dialogue and experiments in real life scenarios. 

It is through learning and educating, the transfer of knowledge and skills, that inclusive leadership becomes possible.  

The inference being that there must be a willingness to do the work. To change the micro habits and to challenge the knowledge bank. 

Inadequate accountability 

The unconscious and automatic biases of those in leadership positions that perpetuate workplace inequity require more than well-intentioned policies and programs.

To move the leadership paradigm from the typical “employee-fit” to greater diversity and inclusion requires leaders to take accountability.  

Leadership coaching overcomes this habit. Leaders become more aware and comfortable with holding themselves and others accountable.  

Leadership best practices for diversity and inclusion 

I will say this: when your approach to diversity and inclusion is successful you will see it on the faces of your team members around you. Leadership best practice often looks like an environment where employees feel a sense of belonging.  

When leaders establish a sense of belonging, it changes the status quo.  

When diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of a leader’s thoughts, everyone in the organisation has fair and equal opportunity. 

Inclusive leadership success story 

My leadership coaching is pragmatic. As seen in the below video, leaders who engage in my Inclusive Habits for Leaders program learn through hands-on real-life experiments with employees. 

Diversity and inclusion are essential components of every successful organisation. And although there are numerous aspects that need to work in tandem to implement an impactful D&I strategy, the key to its success is inclusive leadership.  

It is critical for leaders to not only build and master their inclusive abilities through leadership coaching, but also to put them into practise.  

The key message is that inclusive leaders interact with the heterogeneity around them, they create interpersonal trust, consider the perspectives of others, and are adaptive.  

All which lead to business growth and employee retention. 

Are you ready to take your leadership skills to the next level?  

My diversity and inclusion program, Inclusion Habits for Leaders, is an award winner.  

My approach employs two tools that are specifically developed to help organisations establish Inclusive Leadership CHAMPIONS.  

The curriculum develops diversity and inclusion champions who know what to do. My program educates at a critical mass to foster an inclusive culture with proven results. 

The first step is for you to discover whether my diversity and inclusion solutions are right for you by completing this 2-minute questionnaire. 

Now, I know that unconscious bias training is one of the biggest buzzwords in the diversity and inclusion training programs space at the moment.  

A decade ago, ‘best practice’ suggested that this training would help address gender balance and other diversity challenges. Although there wasn’t much evidence to show that it worked, frankly, there weren’t any more worthy alternatives available at the time! 

In this article, I’m going to tell you:  

• Why you don’t need to spend budget on unconscious bias training at all, because it doesn’t work. 
• And, what you need to be doing instead, which is proving time and time again to be far more effective than any unconscious bias training will ever be. 

Let’s get into it! 

An introduction to unconscious bias training 

Also referred to as implicit bias training, the origins came about after the introduction of equality and anti-discrimination laws around the world, and started to take shape in the 1960s and 70s. 

Many large-scale organisations have created their own implicit bias training programs in recent years. And there is also a myriad of programs and training available online to support small to medium organisations. 

However, it’s been more recently that researchers have started to take a closer look at whether exposing people to their implicit biases or prejudices is helpful, or in fact, counterproductive. 

So, why the need for bias training at all? 

It stems from what I call the ‘Noah’s Ark’ approach to corporate diversity. 

Organisations ensure they hire multiple, usually two, dimensions of diversity. But the problem is that the diversity and inclusion strategy simply stops there. 

Diversity hires are not valued nor supported, but instead they are often asked to submit to company-wide conformity. The value of the diversity is lost because people are expected to do what’s always been done in the company. 

So, the fall out is that the $8 million spent on diversity and inclusion programs and solutions aren’t being experienced on the bottom line. 

What happens then?  

Well, companies decide that more training is need to ensure that leaders and managers are doing their bit because where else does the buck stop, but at line managers. 

Enter, unconscious bias training. 

Here’s why this training simply doesn’t work 

The idea behind the term ‘unconscious bias’ is that people are often unaware of their prejudices and because of this they undertake discriminatory behaviours, without any conscious intent.  

Unconscious bias training is an interesting one because the main outcome of such programs is to blame and same leaders and managers with rules and re-education. 

Of course, that probably isn’t written in the purpose section of the training notes! But it’s essentially the focus – when you attend the training, we’re going to shine a light on your prejudices to see if you’re unconsciously racist, sexist, ageist, ableist, etc. And because you probably are in some way, shape, or form (albeit with unconscious intent) we’re going to tell you how to behave instead so that it doesn’t impact the way you manage difference in the organisation. 

Doesn’t really sound productive, does it? Let’s take a deeper look though. 

Do people who undergo bias training usually shed their biases? 

Unfortunately, no. 

Insights and research show that this kind of force-feeding can activate bias rather than stamp it out. 

It turns out that while people are easily taught to respond correctly to a questionnaire about bias, they soon forget the right answers. 

The positive effects of traditional diversity training rarely last beyond a day or two, and a number of studies (for details read here, and here) suggest that it can activate bias or spark a backlash. The most popular interventions make organisations LESS diverse, NOT more – because managers resist strong arming! 

Surely there’s some other positive impact on the organisation? 

Again, unfortunately, not. 

Your organisation will become less diverse, not more, if you try to regulate the hiring and promotion decisions, and put in a legalistic grievance system.  

It’s not just opinion, the numbers sum it up – according to Forbes: “a study of 829 companies over 31 years showed that diversity training had no positive effects in the average workplace.” 

What can organisations do instead? 

It’s time to stop telling leaders and managers what they’re doing wrong and start empowering them to be more inclusive, but taking away the focus on dimensions of diversity. 

I’m not saying that we ignore difference altogether – difference is what makes the biggest impact on a company’s bottom line! What I’m proposing instead is that we focus on human interactions first, so that leaders know how to be inclusive. And then we bring diversity back into the equation so leaders know how to manage difference effectively. 

I’ve spoken and met with thousands of leaders across the world about inclusion solutions. And what I hear time and time again is that they GET inclusion, they understand the BENEFITS of being more inclusive – they just don’t know HOW to be inclusive. 

What does good inclusion look like? How do you foster a sense of belonging within your team? How do you encourage innovation and creativity? 

It all starts with creating inclusion habits. 

It’s time to question the status quo 

We’ve been approaching diversity and inclusion the wrong way. Instead of force-feeding leaders and managers with rules of what to do and what not to do, it’s time to encourage them to understand which human interactions can lead to better inclusion practices. 

I call them the 6 habits of being an inclusive leader and they underpin the work that I do with organisations the world over to help them experience the business case for inclusion on the bottom line. 

1. We start by getting intentional about our everyday behaviours and interactions.  

2. We then experiment different ways of doing and being by getting vulnerable and courageously curious.  

3. We make sure to track the results of the experiments so as to see the outcomes on the bottom line. 

When you increase inclusion, you increase a whole range of other areas within the organisation and it’s these areas that we record against to see the impact of our inclusive behaviours. 

Areas such as engagement, productivity, psychological safety, wellness, agility, and of course diversity. 

Are you ready to ditch the unconscious bias training? 

I hope that you are, because the ‘best practice’ of 10+ years ago has got to change if we are expecting our managers to truly become inclusive leaders and leverage the power of diversity within the organisation. 

This free resource is a good first step to understanding the ‘how to’ of inclusion. It provides ideas and provocations of how leaders can be more inclusive in their everyday interactions. 

If the resource resonates, read about our inclusive leadership program. It’s not for every organisation. See if you qualify by telling us a little bit about your goals for inclusion and diversity and we will be in touch directly to talk next steps. 

Creating an inclusive environment is one of the number one priorities of leaders the world over. 

There are a couple of problems though.  

Many leaders think they are inclusive – when they’re not. And while some understand the ‘why’ of inclusion – not all do. And through my thousands of conversations with global leaders, I also know this – not all don’t understand the ‘how’ of inclusion. 

You can skip to other articles to read more on inclusion in the workplace or continue with this piece to find the answer to: why is inclusion important?

I’m also going to answer three other frequently asked questions along the way about inclusion and diversity, including: 

• What are dimensions of diversity? 
• What is a sense of belonging? 
• What does ‘good’ inclusion look like?  

Each of these questions contribute to a greater understanding of the importance of inclusion. 

So, let’s dive in. 

The rise of diversity and inclusion in the workplace 

The wave of solidarity groups supporting inclusion and diversity has exploded over the recent years. Movements such as Black Lives Matter, Me Too, and Let Her Speak have put a global spotlight on social injustices. 

You don’t have to look very far on social media to see threads of conversation aiming to educate about white privilege, the gender pay gap, and ableist language. More people than ever are getting involved in conversations, spreading awareness, and standing up as allies and supporters. 

What we see on our TV screens and smart devices impacts our lives at home – so it’s not at all surprising that they filter down into our lives at work as well. 

Although, to be honest, it didn’t need much of a push. The workplace has been fraught with DEI issues since the 60’s when the importance of inclusion and diversity first came to light. Traditionally we talked about glass ceilings and segregation – more recently, we’re talking about the use of pronouns, parental leave equality, and creating space for transgender rights in sport. 

It’s not surprising then that organisational leaders might be confused when it comes to ensuring that everyone feels included. 

Where can they start? 

It’s time to simplify inclusion for leaders 

Leaders love simplification! 

When busyness and business priorities take over, we all (naturally) defer to habit. This could be when we’re dealing with an unknown, highly pressurised, sensitive, or stressful situation. 

So, to help leaders thrive during these times, I propose that we simplify things by decoupling inclusion and diversity – just for a moment! 

One of my favourite ways to explain inclusion is using the famous quote from Verna Myers, which goes like this: “Diversity is when you’re invited to the party. Inclusion is when you’re asked to dance.” 

Inclusion doesn’t just happen because diversity exists.  

A conscious human interaction needs to take place for someone to feel included, and conversely, to feel excluded. 

So, to support leaders understand the importance of inclusion, I want to help them understand how their human interactions impact inclusion – and to then make small, consistent improvements to these interactions. 

Once leaders get really good at including everyone in their team, they can then move onto understanding each individual’s dimensions of diversity and then managing that diversity. 

What are dimensions of diversity? 

Here is the first of other frequently asked questions. 

The dimensions of diversity are the different traits, backgrounds, and abilities displayed in a diverse workplace. While there are many components, traditionally the dimensions of diversity at work relate to age, gender, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, language, etc. 

If you feel different then you are diverse and you likely align yourself with a particular dimension of your difference. And because you are different your experiences, ways of working, problem solving abilities, levels of creativity and innovation are unique and all come together to contribute to the outcomes of the organisation. 

Issues arise for leaders however, when they feel unsure about how to manage someone who is different from them. In some organisations, leaders are expected to have all the answers, never fail, and stick to the status quo. 

So, it is understandable that some leaders shy away from dimensions of diversity that they don’t understand or resonate with. 

The issue however is that when this happens leaders aren’t harnessing the full power of an individual’s talent that comes because of their diversity. All their different experiences, beliefs, understandings, and ways of being are lost because they are expected to just do things ‘the way they’ve always been done’. Or to ‘fit in’ with the way the team has always operated. 

In this way, the diversity exists, but the inclusion element does not.  

I’m not saying focusing on inclusion is easy, it takes time and perseverance and resilience. Leaders aren’t going to be successful all the time and they may get knocked back or stone walled during the process. 

So, why bother: why is inclusion important? 

Inclusion is important because the size of the prize is greater than you think. 

As an employee if I feel included, I feel like I belong, like I’m a part of the greater whole. That could be my immediate team or the organisation. 

The key here is that when inclusion is prioritised the impact is felt on the individual and that creates waves throughout the organisation and directly felt on the bottom line. 

So, when you focus on increasing inclusion and creating a sense of belonging, you also increase: 

• Diversity 
• Innovation 
• Psychological safety 
• Employee engagement 
• Productivity 
• Agility 
• Talent pipeline 
• Workplace safety and wellness 

What is a sense of belonging? 

Here is that second frequently asked question I spoke of earlier in the piece. 

As an employee when I feel like my uniqueness is valued and that I am fully accepted as a member of my team or unit or organisation, then I feel included and that I belong. 

Research from Better Up found that workplace belonging leads to a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in employee sick days.  

It is clear that there is value in belonging at work and it is the key to inclusion. When I feel safe to be my authentic self, I am more productive, engaged, and mentally well. I bring issues to the table without fear of repercussions. I work to support my team and I am focused on getting a result for the wider organisation. 

So, it’s clear that we need to create a sense of belonging, but how do leaders go about doing that? 

Start by embedding new inclusion habits 

I mentioned earlier that we default to habit when the going gets tough – at home and in the workplace. 

One of the ways that we can set our leaders up for success is by teaching them new inclusion habits. These habits are the small – but mighty! – ways they can interact with their team members to go about making them to feel a sense of belonging.

I have developed the habits during the course of almost 20 years’ work in the inclusion and diversity space and through the implementation of my Inclusion Habits for Leaders Program I have helped organisations reap the benefits of focusing on inclusion. 

Because when leaders know what good inclusion looks like then they are in a better position to implement change.  

What does ‘good’ inclusion look like? 

Here is that third question I get asked a lot – and to be honest, it’s a difficult one to answer. 

Why? 

Well, ‘bad’ inclusion (ie exclusion) is easy to explain because we’ve all been there at some point or other in our working lives. 

Exclusion in the workplace looks like the person who’s never invited to coffee, who’s never asked to contribute to the roundtable conversations, who isn’t involved in the team Lotto draw, who’s singled out in emails, whose name is never pronounced correctly, who doesn’t have a designated place of worship, who’s expected to always work late because they don’t have a young family at home. 

So, is ‘good’ inclusion the opposite? 

According to this article on Forbes, “an inclusive workplace is cooperative, collaborative, open, fair, curious, accountable and so much more.” 

Leaders who work hard to build an inclusive workplace support their team members to be honest, vulnerable, communicate as one team, challenge the status quo and are okay with failing and learning. They harness the power of the team and they’re not afraid of getting curious about their team members. Team members are given everything they need to be successful, on their terms – fairness isn’t equality, it’s adapting the rules for the unique benefit of the individual. 

Above everything ‘good’ inclusion makes me feel like I am valued and I belong and because of that I give my all to the greater good of the team. 

It’s human nature. 

It’s time to prioritise inclusion 

This free resource will help your leaders understand the ‘how to’ of inclusion by giving them ideas and provocations of how they can be more inclusive in their everyday interactions. 

If the resource resonates, read about our inclusive leadership program.

Then see if your organisation qualifies by telling us a little bit about your goals for inclusion and diversity and we will be in touch directly to talk next steps.