Sara Jones wants us to stop talking about diversity.
Did that get your attention? Good, because the CEO of InclusionPro wants us all to start talking more about inclusion. Why? Because, as Jones explains, “Inclusion brings diversity to life.”
Lots of head nodding, Nothing really disruptive about that idea. Practice, though, is more so. The problem, says Jones, is that when companies implement D&I programs: “White men feel unwelcome.”
Jones cites some reasons why white men need to be considered: The majority of CEOs are white men. The majority of tech workers in Utah, where she’s speaking to a Salt Lake City DisruptHR group, are white men. “And most importantly,” she adds, “The white cultural experience is just as valid as any other cultural experience.”
“Inclusion means that every voice matters. It’s time, therefore, to include white men in these programs, says Jones.
There are four things that can make that happen:
- Men themselves need to “lean in to the inclusion conversation.”
- “Create safe learning spaces.” Encourage people to talk to each other and develop relationships.
- “Be all in.” Not just invite people to participate in inclusion programs, get them engaged. Have them involved.
- “Honor the journey.” Listen to white men’s experiences. Empathize with the struggles they may be having adapting to “our rapidly changing social dynamic.”
“We’ve been telling men for years to be allies to other people. We can do the same for them.”
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