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D&I is all about empowering individuals by respecting and appreciating what makes them different, whether it be gender, ethnicity, religion or education. Diversity allows for the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. Regardless of background, individuals should be able to succeed based on merit – giving them the confidence to push boundaries and becoming the best version of themselves and ultimately benefiting the workplace culturally and enhancing their true values. The compound effect of each and every one of us doing something means that incremental steps and change to a more equal, diverse and inclusive world – in all senses – will happen. We’re in a revolution.

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In a world where success in business means greed and status, we need to embrace a broader definition of success.

For us, success includes measures of social justice and equality and making sure these are not stunts but are followed up with honest action.

We want to see inclusive workplaces where not everyone in the boardroom looks the same and attended the same private schools.

The tide is shifting and there will be no place for racist companies that are stuck in the stone age.

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Inclusion for me is about embracing and celebrating uniqueness - Love, respect and acceptance without preconceptions.

As an ethnic minority female in sales, I feel lucky that I’ve always been given a safe platform to confidently progress, earn well and be my authentic self. I’ve organically grown to become a leader in my field and I genuinely feel valued, appreciated and my opinion matters. The sad reality is, I shouldn’t feel ‘lucky’. Everyone on the planet is deserving and entitled and until the core mindset changes, we can’t be truly inclusive.

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As a primary school, being inclusive is a daily practise. Teaching children from all around the world gives me opportunities to share our differences, highlight how these differences make us unique and how being unique is a wonderful thing that should be celebrated everyday.

A quote that really stood out today from one of our 5 years olds when we asked what being inclusive means to them, was: ‘Everyone must have a turn.’

That summed it up quite perfectly.

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Inclusion is where everyone is equal, where every individual and lived experience is valued and recognised. Inclusion in cricket is about creating a culture where people feel welcome and safe to express themselves on and off the pitch. Sport can help shape how wider society adopts an inclusive mindset. Everyone of us has a part to play in creating an inclusive world, and we all have a responsibility to be a part of the change we wish to see.

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The need for inclusivity in the work place, social environment and beyond is more important than ever. Differing views, thoughts and opinions enables change, allows us to understand different perspectives which in turn helps to facilitate change and progress in society. Allowing people to be themselves, by being inclusive helps to bring about the best in people which in turn helps to promote goodness, kindness and a better world.

The increasing global nature of today’s workplace means we need to reflect the global diversity in the way we behave, act and respond to situations-this can only be achieved by encouraging, accepting and requiring diversity in everything we do. This helps to broaden people’s outlook to situations and allows for a dynamic and progressive environment in which everyone can then thrive. Diversity and inclusion need to become the oxygen needed for a thriving, prosperous and fairer world.

In short, D&I cannot be a corporate fad but it needs to become the basic fabric of an evolving society  in which we all live. It needs to become the norm for a thriving workplace, society and indeed an ever growing population.

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Inclusion is complex. It is disruptive. It goes against the status quo. In many cases, it goes against our *instincts*, or more specifically, it is hindered by our biases.

A few years ago, a group of researchers in Barcelona discovered that these biases could be reduced using a technique in Virtual Reality. By literally putting people in a different skin, these researchers changed the way participants saw and felt. They literally reduced their biases.

We believe working in an inclusive workplace is a fundamental right for anyone. The benefits for the organisation are enormous. We celebrate anything that can remove the barriers to creating an inclusive workplace. To allow people to learn, grow and flourish and for organisations to change harmoniously.

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One of the many reasons why Inclusion is such a vital part of today's workplace is solely because of the awareness and recognition that has been generated over the years.
An inclusive organization boosts performance, has more diverse perspectives, and even fosters the development of effective ideas.
At the Bayes Women In Business Club, we strongly believe that women bring something different to the table.
Research has revealed that women are more risk-averse than men as they tend to carefully analyze the situation and then form a conclusion. This avoids negative outcomes and usually leads to a better outcome rather than rushing into things.
Creating an inclusive culture is a process that involves a lot of challenges that need to be overcome by observing the work environment and making the necessary changes.
One of our aims is to create a warm community of diverse members from different backgrounds who feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions.
This is what inclusivity means to the Bayes Women In Business Club!

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For me inclusion is about togetherness, mutual respect and finding common ground. All three of these facets usually lead to an enhanced feeling of self worth and ultimately happiness.   Everybody remembers that feeling in school when teams were being picked.  Noone wanted to be the last one picked and noone should have to feel like that in their life, professionally or otherwise.  Where there is inclusion, there is often success.

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I believe inclusion is about actively seeking to understand and appreciate diversity, such that in work and in life, people feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to every situation. Creation of inclusive cultures, should be an intentional and ongoing process. As humans our differences are what make us interesting - and these differences should be celebrated.

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What often happens when there is no Inclusion? Only one side of the story is told. This can lead to missed opportunities all round, there can also be serious consequences. In research, there are lots of examples where women have not been included either in the research teams or as the subjects of research. The outcome being increased risk to women in a wide range of ways, from car safety designs to the effects of medication. There are examples from other marginalised groups as well. In the end, we all benefit when everyone is included

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Inclusion is a mindset and it’s just as important in daily life as well as the workplace. We have unconscious biases that influence our thought processes. When this is multiplied in a work or social environment it becomes strikingly clear how important it is to recognise and challenge these thoughts as well as being more accepting of the diversity of our communities. In a work environment this has become so much more apparent in many examples: flexible working hours for mums, the benefits of remote working, mental health awareness, physical disabilities, the list goes on. In a social context, I have recently developed a heightened awareness of the conditioning around schooling and academic success, as my child has some additional developmental needs. It’s made me realise all children have potential to succeed and by being inclusive we can empower them to do exactly that!

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Inclusion for me is beyond listening. Not only are you bringing someone into a group but you are also taking their perspectives to shape where the group is going. So going beyond listening is about taking into account those different, new perspectives to shape an outcome.

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At Women in Tech, we believe a diverse and inclusive workforce is so important. It's about creating an environment where everybody feels comfortable and valued, no matter their gender, race, background, age or disability. We believe that promoting a diverse environment results in new skills, experience and perspectives, ultimately creating a more innovative output for the business.

We live in a brilliantly diverse world and we should be celebrating that in every aspect of our lives, including at work. Businesses really do have the power to drive social change by hiring a diverse workforce.

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Inclusion for me is sharing a common goal and objective to work towards together, whilst considering other people's perspectives and different viewpoints. We all bring something new and prosperous to the table and if we open our hearts enough, we can join forces to reach common goals in an even better, stronger and successful way.

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I believe inclusion is about accepting each other for the qualities we each bring to the team, and helping each other where are differences are misunderstood. 

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It is respecting each other’s cultures and customs. Being comfortable to ask questions about things we do not understand but seek to know more about. 

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At MEA Consulting we believe that when inclusivity is prioritised greater diversity can be achieved. For companies and organisations, a more diverse and inclusive workplace is a more curious, engaging and innovative - employees, no matter their identities, are empowered to speak loud contributing their unique perspectives to important discussions. It is no surprise that research (including the 2020 McKinsey report) finds companies who display levels of gender and ethnic/cultural diversity in the top quartile outperform and have far higher profitability than those in lower quartiles. There is not only a moral imperative to develop improved inclusion practices within your organisation but also a business case. We celebrate all our clients, and future clients, who are #UnitedForInclusion.

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When I think of inclusion I instantly think about inclusion in the workplace and for me that is about creating an environment and culture which allows people to bring their whole self to work, without fear or judgement. Long gone are the days where we should be one person outside of work and another in the office. If you can be yourself, you are far more likely to be happier, more confident and ultimately more productive

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See National Inclusion Week 2021 for more resources