Words are like a mirror; they reflect our thoughts outward and convey how we behave.
Even in the virtual world, words are necessary to achieve our goals and meet our needs. At other times, however, they can be weapons and create barriers, especially when it comes to those around us. Sometimes without meaning to (and sometimes on purpose), we can hurt others with our words.
That is why there is increasing discussion of Diversity & Inclusion and the behaviors associated with these values.
What do we mean by Diversity & Inclusion?
By “Diversity,” we mean the promotion—for example, within our workplace— of all forms of “diversity”: ethnicity, religion, gender identity, and sexual orientation, to name a few. The list could be longer, but even these categories alone encompass many people and their stories. Why promote diversity? Because people with different backgrounds, origins, and characteristics bring a wealth of perspectives, enriching our environment and the exchange of ideas. In short, diversity is a resource.
Inclusion is the term we use to describe the actions, initiatives, and behaviors implemented to support diversity and create a corporate culture that provides opportunities and resources without discrimination. More and more companies are moving in this direction by involving every employee and department. The basic idea is that issues such as the gender gap or LGBTQ+ rights, for example, are important not only for the people directly affected, but also for everyone else. Understanding these issues and developing sensitivity toward them is the first step toward changing one’s behavior in a more inclusive direction.
Workshops, events, newsletters, and training sessions are just a few of the strategies that can be implemented to ensure that the entire workforce is engaged and gains knowledge about diversity and inclusion.
D&I in a Coaching Plan
Within a change initiative, D&I can bring about change that goes beyond workflows and collaboration to focus, above all, on people’s values and behaviors.
Hi, the digital coach developed by Digital Attitude incorporates Diversity & Inclusion values into Coaching Plans and uses its interactions to communicate them to users. Through “Tips”—messages that support users on their journey of change—it sends in-depth and interactive materials to explain, for example, what D&I means, what inclusive language is, and how widespread the gender gap is. “Nudges,” on the other hand, are contextual interactions, as users receive them precisely while performing a specific action. This makes it easier to build a new habit because Nudges provide small, practical tips to apply at just the right moment.
Nudges to Support Inclusivity
How can we use nudges to promote inclusion? Through a similar mechanism: we craft nudges using inclusive language and leverage their contextual nature to promote inclusive behaviors.
What are some specific examples of this application?
For example, when a user opens an email or a Microsoft Teams chat, a Nudge reminds them that writing “Good morning, everyone” at the beginning of an email is more inclusive than “Good morning, colleagues.”
A similar example might be a Nudge sent to someone working on a Word document, suggesting tips for inclusive writing that can be applied right away.
Another concrete example could be a nudge that a user receives when opening the Teams or Outlook calendar to create a meeting. In this case, the nudge might suggest creating a workshop focused on LGBTQ+ issues, for example, with the goal of educating the team on these topics. Alternatively, it could remind users to ensure diversity among meeting participants. Realizing, for example, that there is a significant gender imbalance within their team could be the first step toward reducing it.
A nudge aimed at inclusivity can also be more cross-cutting. Here’s an example: a user is about to join a meeting, and a nudge reminds them that one way to communicate inclusively is, for example, to avoid assigning positive or negative values to certain physical or ethnic characteristics. It’s a small, practical tip that sticks in the user’s mind right before they meet others and, for this reason, can be applied immediately, fostering an inclusive habit and behavior.
In a change-oriented coaching plan —where individuals can develop skills and habits related to new values or the adoption of new technological tools—one can also incorporate one or more steps related to D&I, using its tools to support inclusivity.
The great advantage of learning about and taking an interest in “the lives of others”—those who seem distant from our daily lives—is discovering that their stories, in reality, also concern our rights. And they enrich us. Adopting more inclusive behaviors, therefore, means creating an environment ( in the workplace, but not only there) whose benefits are “redistributed” collectively. True change cannot happen without it.
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