What will your focus be on 21st March?

• The Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day, supported by The United Nations, or

• Harmony Week, the creation of The Australian Government, with the theme “Everyone Belongs”.

By graphing the implications of the choices on a continuum of Inclusion, I thought it might offer some helpful insights to guide decision making.

Please note: we’ve also written blogs on how to create Cultural Safety in the workplace focussed on organisational systems and policies, Interpersonal Cultural Appreciation, the impact of Cultural Identity on Wellbeing, and Belonging. The common core of wellbeing for all minority groups is a helpful guide to creating psychologically safe and psychosocially safe workplaces.

The Power of Language: to clarify or cloud

The Diversity Council of Australia recently released their new research titled Culturally and Racially Marginalised (CARM) Women in Leadership.

• The use of ‘CARM’ is a deliberate decision to replace the traditional title, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD), to focus in on the nature of the problem. Ie. it’s a move a way from ‘othering’ under-represented groups in our society by labelling them as ‘diverse’, to place the focus on their experience of being marginalised in Australian workplaces.

Unconscious Bias and Conscious Inclusion are another set of terms in the Diversity profession, which have had a powerful impact on the focus of organisational responses. Historically, Unconscious Bias has been a relatively unthreatening term which has enabled bias and discrimination to be called out in a ‘safe’ way within an organisational context. An unfortunate consequence has been that awareness has not lead to action. Conscious inclusion, on the other hand, is language designed to address the gap and focus on action.

• The Australian Human Resource Institute’s recent Diversity and Inclusion Report highlights awareness in Australia has not lead to action.

  • Whilst the report highlights organisations are focusing more on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation, it’s clear, despite the significant sums spent locally and globally on Unconscious Bias training, progress on Gender Diversity has been slow, and little has changed by way of Cultural Diversity in the senior ranks of organisations.

Exclusion and Inclusion is another set of Diversity language which gives organisations an opportunity for choice around their focus and intention.

• Traditionally, organisations prefer to focus on a positive message designed to engage and motivate. For example, creating Inclusive Leadership, Inclusive Teams and Inclusive Behaviour, rather than understanding how the more pointed and confronting language, exclusion, plays out in the workplace.

  • Whilst there is much research about what works in Diversity and Inclusion and what doesn’t, there may be value in further exploring exclusion and the impact of language designed to highlight the nature of the problem, rather than make it more palatable.

‘Language has a powerful impact, and the ability to clarify or cloud a message.’

Travers-Wolf

What will your Focus be in 2024?

“Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect, and creating a sense of belonging for everyone. It is about bringing people together.”

Her Excellency, Mrs Linda Hurley.

It’s a positive message which focuses on the admiral goal of ‘harmony’, with an understandable intention to unify one of the world’s most multicultural nations.

It’s fair to ask whether the intention of positive language is having the desired impact. With DCA’s Inclusion @ Work Index highlighting increasing rates of discrimination and/or harassment at work for many under-represented groups*, it may be time to ask ourselves whether this approach is serving us well.

• With cultural diversity offering organisations an outsize return on their diversity strategies and actions, they would be foolish to ignore the pressing social imperative as well as its commercial value.

The Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day, has a more pointed message however. It addresses the root cause of the issue, ie. racial discrimination, and calls on organisations to take a proactive approach with the word, elimination.

Clarifying the Message during Diversity Days

Whilst many Diversity and Inclusion professionals have mixed feelings about "Diversity Days", international days were adopted by the United Nations to “educate the general public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity.”

It’s an admirable goal, but is it effective?

As contact between people and those from marginalised groups reduces prejudice, and increases empathy,* we can safely say, days of awareness, do have a positive personal impact.

Although cynicism is undoubtedly rising, and ‘Diversity Days’ are no match for funds and strategic focus, there are 3 actions we can take to leverage them more effectively and create action not just awareness.

1. focus our awareness on either problem or solution,

   • by clarifying, not clouding our language.

2. confirm our authentic intentions,

   • by measuring our current state and setting goals for the future.

3. commit to detailed actions,

   • with roles, responsibilities and timelines to support accountability.

In 2024 what will your organisation’s focus be?

Whatever you decide, ensure your language clarifies, rather than clouds the issue.

At I LEAD Consulting we’re on a mission to simplify Diversity and Inclusion for Leaders and Teams.

PRACTICE  INCLUSION | EMBRACE  DIVERSITY | ACTIVATE  ALLIES

*Monash University; The Diversity Council of Australia; Monash University