As an organization, can you say the following with all certainty?  
​More importantly, would your members/employees/customers say it's true?

"We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics such as personality and personal interests that make our employees unique."

Not All Diversity Is Visual.

Diversity these days is defined as something that occurs whenever two or more parties come to a table with different experiences, viewpoints, points of reference or biases.  Just some of the areas of diversity we usually don't think about in addition to the list above are:

• Positions of Power Within an Organization
• Educational
• Caregiver of Others Such As Relatives, Family Associates
• Familial Proximity

All of these can affect one's reference, frame personal unconscious bias, and how we view the world and others.  When multiplied by the number of employees or members an organization has, one can see how diversity can become a significant factor in the success or failure of the organization as a whole.

Diverse voices at the table help to bring about creative ideas, unique perspectives to problem solving; an ability to reach into new markets; challenge old ways of thinking and doing business.  

We need these voices, but how do we balance that with a team's desire to have everyone "fit in"?  How do we create an environment that allows for all to bring their unique strengths to the table and not be seen as weaker/lesser/token/privileged?

Therein lies the work! An outside, engaged but not invested party such as Spirit At Work is in a position to help.
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• Strategically designed surveys
• Focus groups
• Team and one-on-one coaching
• Diversity training
• Strategic diversity, equity, engagement and inclusion planning
  
• Mediation/facilitation of difficult conversations, requests for accommodation and more