DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
This should be more than what you see on paper. It should inspire a safe, physical space. It should inspire a real culture that celebrates success. It should inspire a willingness to accept and be accepted.
The world needs more of this. For some, it remains a buzz term that a marketing team tossed into the existing vision and values of an organization. DEI will eventually be on the list of great terms that were overused or misused, most likely above ‘unprecedented times.’
The good thing about DEI, there is no minimal benchmark or perfect equation to reach. In its simplicity, it’s about people. Working with the right people to achieve personal and organizational success. Quite often, the qualities of DEI cannot be immediately seen, as people are fluid enough to not appear as their ‘cover may be initially judged.’ Thus, the rush to become ‘DEI compliant’ can often be a paper-based one.
We mention ‘equity of access’ and ‘inclusive learning’ in our values, and we have never balked at providing an opportunity for employment or for a training cohort based on anything other than wanting to be included in our team, or for the equal opportunity to learn as a cohort. Instead, one could say that we base a lot of our design and practices on Core Competencies because regardless of how you self-identify, the most successful people share the same competencies (in our case, leadership competencies) all around the world.
Core competencies are what permeate all levels of our Future Ready Leadership courses. By creating a level playing field for all learners, we provide an opportunity for everyone to learn content equally, inspiring a few new leaders to pursue additional leadership skills, attempting to inspire a diverse group of leaders in all the organizations that we proudly call Partners in Learning. The cool thing is, that most of our Partners in Learning are equally invested in DEI. One could argue that is how DEI should work – across a learning platform shared by like-minded people and organizations.
“What divides us pales in comparison to what unites us.”
~ Edward Kennedy
