11/03/2021

Use Storytelling to Build a More Inclusive Culture

The conversation around inclusion and diversity needs to be human-centric

Conversations around inclusion are on the rise in 2021 following an intense and unprecedented two years. Converging events like the COVID-19 pandemic; the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery; hate crimes against Asian and Jewish communities; and stalled progress among working women are creating an awakening in many organizations. But is this reinvigorated conversation translating to results? What's the actual impact?

As inclusion consultants, we see more and more companies doubling down on diversity metrics like business cases, scorecards and targets. After all, what matters gets measured, right? These programs track things like workforce demographics, diversity hiring, retention, promotion rates and the utilization of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) resources. While those measures have their place, we've found they're insufficient to create inclusion on their own. In fact, an overly mathematical approach actually deemphasizes the very thing we hope to build in inclusive workplaces: awareness, connection, empathy and mutual respect.

In our attempts to create more awake and aware environments, we're forgetting that numbers typically don't inspire us to change our behavior — people and stories do. With our corporate clients, it's the exchange of human experiences via stories, focus groups and listening sessions that tend to inspire lasting change for people on a personal level.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Harvard Business Review.