Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion

Conversations about diversity and inclusion have heightened in recent years, but I have trouble seeing real changes taking place, especially in my workplace. When I say workplace, I am referring to my own office as I am not fully aware of other parts of my organization. My entire office is females and of those females I am the youngest in the office. Those in my office have been in the same job, working with the same group of people for many years, and so the sense of comfort is there. However, being comfortable leads to lack of diversity in a workplace and in turn results in a lack of inclusivity to those who may come into the office.

Personally, I have been dealing with this since I started my job. I was the replacement for a woman who had been in the position for years, and she worked with the same women I am now working with. Yes, I am a female but I was young and a new face. I found it very hard to connect with my colleagues due to the age gap and lack of diversity in thoughts, age, and gender. In the past I have always had jobs that included males and females, individuals of different ethnicities, ages, and sexual orentations. So, when I left retail and the service industry it was a shock to me the lack of diversity within large organizations, especially when the conversations of both diversity and inclusion are so prominent now. I struggle with this daily, I feel disconnected from those I work with and I feel as though our department needs to focus more on bringing people aboard that offer diverse backgrounds and experiences. If diversity is a focus, then inclusivity will quickly follow suit because all will feel more comfortable and the mix of backgrounds, ethnicities will create more engagement and happier workplaces. 

We all learn from those around us, which is why it is so important to be diverse and inclusive. Diversity allows for different experiences, attitudes, and thoughts to be explored while inclusion highlights equality and access to the things that others have. As someone who views themselves as a leader, not by job title, but by my own actions outside of work and while at work, I believe it is my duty to encourage diversity and inclusion. However, how do I do this when I do not hold a title that allows me to make decisions on who we hire and how those individuals are treated when hired? I would love some suggestions and feedback from those who also struggle with this or who have struggled with this before they were in a leadership position.