From the course: Foundations of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

The dance of DEIB

From the course: Foundations of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

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The dance of DEIB

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- You may have heard of a dance metaphor used to describe diversity and inclusion. Its original version was created by inclusion pioneer Verna Myers. The way the story goes is diversity is being invited to the dance. Inclusion is being asked to dance and we've expanded the metaphor to saying belonging is being able to dance how you want and equity is having a turn picking the DJ. So how does this play out in our workplaces? It means that diversity is the fact of our world. And in our organizations, we seek to have representation of that fact on a wide variety of levels whether it's nationality, neural divergence, race, gender identity, or so many other social identity factors. Now, inclusion is a set of practices that govern how we treat people once they are in our organization. Do they have the same opportunities and access as others? What about belonging? Do people feel a pressure to assimilate, to act like they're managers and organizational leaders as a prerequisite to success? Can people bring their authentic selves to work or are they subconsciously penalized for being different from the majority of those in power? And finally, there's equity. Perhaps one of the most important and yet toughest things to achieve. I like to say that just because everyone feels good, doesn't mean they get paid the same. I'm here to walk you through what each of these ideas consist of, actions you can take, and ultimately support you in creating a workplace where people from any social identity or background can thrive.

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