Hello Everyone, it’s been a wee while since you’ve heard from me but it’s great to be back. This month the blog is going to be a little different instead of there being just one blog, to celebrate National Inclusion Week there will be a mini series of 3 posts divulging into different topics that are focused on an inclusive workforce & environment.

 In this first post we are going to start of nice and simple, and look at: What is Diversity & Inclusion and what is the difference?

 It’s a phrase that’s used very commonly in both organisations and society, it’s a well known “buzz word” if you like, but how many of us actually understand what the two actually mean and the differences between them both, we will look into the meaning of both in this post.

What is Diversity?

Diversity is the commitment to recognise and appreciate the variety of characteristics that make individuals unique, within an atmosphere celebrating individual and collective achievement. There is a common misconception that Diversity is only applicable to certain persons or groups when in-fact the exact opposite is true. Individuals could represent more than one National Origin, Race, Religion, Gender, Disability etc.

What is Inclusion?

Inclusion is often described as a sense of belonging, its a welcoming, accepting culture offering access to equal opportunities to groups or individuals from different backgrounds. Inclusion is not just a differentiation in people’s backgrounds, and just because you’re not discriminating against doesn’t necessarily mean that you are being inclusive.

I think it’s really important that organisations strive to implement a suitable and supportive environment for all, everyone should be able to be themselves and be able to bring the best version of themselves to work each day. It goes without saying that no one environment will ever be 100% perfect, D&I is something that should always be at the forefront of our minds and including decision making processes  within businesses.

I hope by reading this article that you’ve been able to bring the thought of D&I to the forefront of your mind and that you’ll stop by for tomorrow’s instalment which will be looking at What is an Inclusive Environment & What are the benefits?