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BEYOND DIVERSITY
The Difference
Between
Diversity and
Inclusion
OUTCOMES, NOT OPTICS, THE KEY TO
A TRULY INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATION
By Kim Tabac
Diversity and inclusion – two words that are becoming in-creasingly
important in the corporate landscape. As HR
professionals, we know that while related, these terms
mean very different things. What we’re seeing, though,
is that too often organizations are still using these words inter-changeably,
confusing their meaning and thereby watering down
their definitions.
Simply put, diversity is about differences, measurable facts
that can be counted, tracked and ultimately reported. Inclusion
is about behaviour, creating an environment where people feel a
sense of belonging and a sense of comfort. As we know, in the cor-porate
landscape, it is significantly easier to count differences than
measure feelings, which is why organizations often fall back on
tracking inclusion by leveraging diversity statistics.
What many fail to realize is that this misrepresented mindset
can create a false sense of progress on inclusion. We know diversi-ty
is a necessary precursor to creating inclusion; however, diversity
alone – without an inclusive culture that creates a true sense of be-longing
– will not unleash the true potential of an organization’s
talent. By focusing on the external appearance of an organization,
and not the internal culture, organizations deliver more in terms
of optics than real outcomes for their people.
UNITE TO INCLUDE: INCLUSION
IN 2018 AND BEYOND
Millennials and Gen Z are considered the “inclusion generation.”
They are more likely to notice the absence of inclusion in a work-place
than when it exists. As such, their viewpoint has shifted what
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