STOP telling us how inclusive you are. The person who needs your inclusion needs it done, not said.
Margarita Diaz
How would you feel if I dropped this in an introduction of myself:
“I’m an honest person.”
What about a business that leads with this:
“We believe in fairness.”
Uh . . . Okay.
Now how often are you seeing or hearing some variation of this:
“We are inclusive here.”
Inclusion in Practice
We want to be inclusive, right?
We want people to feel seen, valued, and a part of.
Heck, WE want to feel seen, valued and a part of!
Inclusion is a beautiful ideology in discussions, plans and visions, but in the here-and-now reality, it’s a practice.
💭 Ideology is what we think.
💥 Practice is what we do.
And I’m hearing so many declarations of how “inclusive” we all are that it’s causing me pause.
❗️Inclusion is a practice.
We don’t declare it left and right. We DO it.
And I’m sorry to tell you, it’s not really such a ground-breaking concept.
Examples of Inclusion
Here are some examples of what inclusion really looks like:
📌 Good manners;
📌 Acknowledging everyone;
📌 Noticing someone new or alone and bringing them into the conversation;
📌 Respecting opinions that differ from yours;
📌 Not playing favorites;
📌 Opening your mind or heart to someone you might not have before, without seeking praise for it;
. . . Just to name a few.
Inclusivity isn’t always about the BIG statements. In fact, those mean nothing without the small, daily acts and gestures of kindness that make all the difference.
Meaningful Action
And oh yeah . . .
I’m an honest person 😐.
But what reason do I possibly have to be declaring that left and right 🤨?
Think about it.
Makes you wonder, right?
⚠️ If you truly value inclusion, don’t diminish it’s worth by rendering the term itself meaningless from overuse and use without meaningful action.
