The real reason you’re resisting diversity and inclusion work

Written by Katerina Everard, Community Engagement Executive

Improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace takes time, effort and money, and whilst some businesses are more than willing to make it a priority, others are not so keen…

Now don’t get us wrong, we understand and we hear you. Society has set us up to worry about these things, so finding it daunting does not make you a bad person… However, we’re here to reassure you and advise you on how to take these fears and overcome them, because improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace will always outweigh any costs involved.

Here are some reasons why businesses might not be keen on diversity and inclusion, along with some reasons why these fears should not stop them from improving their workplace….taken first hand from our book, ‘The Inclusion Journey’.

Fear of Change

This is one of the biggest resistances to diversity and inclusion. For as long as humans have existed, we have liked predictability and familiarity, because we associate these things with safety.

However, as the world has gone on, society has moved forward and consequently so have we! Change is no longer so deeply associated with danger, because we have learnt over time that change can bring us new possibilities, innovation, new markets, and help us move forward. Even if change has brought you failure in the past, I can almost guarantee it has taught you beneficial life lessons and helped you progress in some way or another…

So why let change stop you? It’ll only bring you forward, and if it fails the first time, try try try again!

Fear of Status Being Threatened

Many people, specifically white people, worry that implementing diversity and inclusion will mean that they will have less of a chance of securing a job. They think that it’ll mean they have to fight harder due to more competition. This couldn’t be further from the truth…

There is an infinite amount of power, wealth, and space to create new jobs, positions, status, money, the list goes on. Your power or wealth, or whatever it is you’re worrying about being compromised, will not decrease if someone else’s power increases. You don’t deserve less respect, other people deserve more…

Fear of Going Wrong

Some businesses are hesitant to implement diversity and inclusion strategies due to an increase in ‘cancel culture’, where users on social media call out businesses for making mistakes that are considered problematic in society. We know that diversity and inclusion can be overwhelming to begin with, as it’s constantly changing and evolving. There’s always the risk in the back of your mind that you might do something wrong and offend someone or a group of people in the process.

On the other hand, people are much less likely to hold a grudge against you and your business if they can see that you’re trying and putting in the work. There are risks in almost everything, and the outcome of implementing diversity and inclusion will be far greater than any worry you had of it going wrong. So don’t let that stop you, because what if you don’t offend anyone? What if everything goes smoothly? You won’t know until you try…

And one way of reducing the risk of getting ‘cancelled’ or something going wrong is to hire help from a third party… like us! Not only will bringing someone in make it easier and less overwhelming, it will give your employees reassurance, especially those who have had bad experiences in the past.

If these are some of the things you’re worried about as a business professional, but want to improve diversity and inclusion in your workplace, then don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help and guide you along your inclusion journey!

Also, don’t forget to purchase our brand new book, The Inclusion Journey, for everything you need to know about diversity and inclusion training.