There’s a secret, universal fear that haunts every leader on any given day. It is not missing something in the mountain of emails. It isn’t the competition or a new opportunity. It’s much simpler and scarier than most executives would ever admit.
One of the biggest concerns of every leader, no matter the industry or sector, is the fear of saying the wrong thing.
We’ve all seen it – 30-year legacies dismantled in a social media comment or the viral clip or quote that cost an organization customers and support by the millions.
The fact of the modern-day C-suite is that currency in language is more important than ever. In tandem with the evolution of the Internet, news cycles, and a new collective awareness about social justice and unrest, leaders are faced with another critical challenge – keeping up with the lexicon of diversity speak.
But, where do you start?
Whether you are new to the C-suite or looking for promising ways to frame your commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, here are five definitions every chief executive should know:
1. What is Inclusion?
Inclusion refers to the intentional acts that promote humanistic values such as: care, empathy, rights and dignity, human flourishing, and justice.
2. What is Diversity?
Diversity refers to our varied identities and the variety of differences that exists among individuals and groups of people.
3. What is Equity?
Equity is not “how you feel” about the differences between people or groups. Equity is how you treat difference. It is an essential concept that ensures fair treatment, equality of opportunity, and fairness is extended to all persons regardless of difference so that they might actualize their potential capacity, abilities, and talents.
4. What is Accessibility?
Accessibility refers to the intentional acts that ensure that people of all abilities and experiences possess the tools to compete and flourish on an equal basis and to actualize their potential capacity, abilities, and talents.
5. What is Inclusion acumen?
Inclusion acumen refers to the mix of experiences, development opportunities, and learnings to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, welcomed, valued, and enabled to do their best work without compromising who they are.
How do we make these more than buzzwords?
Understanding these key concepts are critical for managing diverse talent and developing any strategy that positively impacts companies and employees. But, we all know that progress is much more than “speak.” For more inspiration on how your company and C-suite can help drive change internally, check out en masse’s Products and Tools or contact us today.
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