Diversity Is A Reality, Inclusion Is A Choice
Our mantra at Word On The Curb, and anyone who’s seen me speak at a conference, has probably heard me say “Diversity is a reality, Inclusion is a choice”. Sorry to be a broken record but with all of the rhetoric around Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at the moment, now couldn’t be a better time to remind everyone.
Diversity isn't a new conversation from 'the woke left'. The world is naturally diverse. We as individuals are different and therefore are collectively diverse (please stop using the term a 'diverse person').
Whether we allow for diversity to show up in the rooms and spaces we operate in is a choice that only we can all make. Unfortunately, the historical choice in most decision-making rooms has been to not adequately include–whether that’s race, gender, religion, ability, interest etc.
The D&I initiatives and internal changes that were put in place as a response to the murder of George Floyd are now nowhere to be seen. In my opinion, the reasons why ‘they’ve failed’, are due to:
- Incorrect metrics of success
- A lack of understanding of the deep-rooted issues companies are trying to solve within a few minutes
- A lack of genuine employee participation upfront
In many industries, especially in our beloved advertising industry, over-inclusion has given further rise to misrepresentation–a problem which can only be solved by ensuring the right partners are involved in the process.
When 71% of historically minoritised communities find favour in marcomms, where they feel correctly represented, the idea of accurate representation really shouldn’t be an afterthought when attempting to effectively communicate with audiences.
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