Small but practical changes towards more inclusion at workplaces
Have you ever thought about investing in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) but then turned down the idea because you didn’t have the budget? And how many times did you consider setting up a D&I strategy but ended up abandoning the idea because you didn’t know where to start from? Or are you perhaps a team leader frustrated about the fact that leadership at the top is not taking enough action to move inclusion questions forward? We have been there!
Inclusion efforts don’t need to be expensive
D&I work is often perceived as something only big corporations can afford thanks to their extra resources. With this project, we want to show that:
An inclusive work culture can be inexpensive to obtain
Everybody in the organization can make a contribution
Many small steps lead to big changes
Knowledge is everywhere, we just need to make it more accessible
A bottom up approach is needed alongside strategic moves on the leadership level
We want to encourage teams and organisations to implement small, practical changes that can lead to everyone feeling more heard and included. This is why we have launched the Inclusive Teams project.
COVID-19 as an inspiration
During the first lockdown phase we led a reflection group that looked at how the pandemics affect gender relations and what effects it had on marginalised groups in our current socio-economic system.
The reflection process was accompanied with a constant reflection on resilience, inclusion and ways of working. We thought; while there are many negative consequences to the new normal, many teams across sectors have certainly also come up with creative ideas on how to continue working productively and inclusively. Our aim is now to find these practices and bring them to the awareness and benefit of Swiss organisations and the public. Imagine the amount of knowledge and inspiration for all of us if we manage to bring those treasures to the surface!
Sharing is caring: The Inclusive Teams Project
The purpose of the “Inclusive Teams” project is to share lived and tested, easy to apply inclusive working practices from teams across sectors in Switzerland. These will be openly accessible to everyone and aim to break the idea that inclusion work is difficult and expensive or would only belong to a certain sector or hierarchy level. The practices are presented in short videos accompanied by text and additional resources.
What have we learned so far
Brainstorming together with different organizations about possible practices to share was a great door opener for a dialogue on diversity & inclusion in general and helped to create awareness for the more subtle but equally effective steps to be taken. Especially the recording was extremely helpful for the organizations to further shape and sharpen their inclusive practices. While sharing your practice is good for your image it also holds you publicly accountable about what you are saying. We see this as enabling a positive circle of influence.
What’s next & how can you get involved?
In the near future, we plan to add subtitles in different languages to make the videos more accessible and to offer workshops for teams to develop their own inclusive practices. In order to do all of that, we need your support.
Here’s how you can contribute:
share your inclusive practice with us
point us to further relevant resources
share the videos in your organisation and on your social media channels
contribute with a financial donation
Get in touch! We would love to hear from you!
As the motto of collaboratio helvetica says: Let’s co-create the Switzerland we want to live in. Together.
Further literature and links to the topic
Authors
Anna Krebs is a facilitator and Catalyst for SDG5 at collaboratio helvetica. She firmly believes that human-centredness and inclusion are core qualities today’s workplaces need in order for people to thrive and do meaningful work.
Anne Stammwitz is an Inclusion and Diversity consultant at Diversify. She has a background in social entrepreneurship and history with a focus on sexism and racism.
Johanna Seeliger ist the founder and CEO of Diversify. She loves to be able to work from anywhere and believes in the power of global teams. As an entrepreneur, she aims at finding ways to balance business rationale with impact, relationships and well-being.
Sara Micacchioni is a Diversity and Inclusion enthusiast with a strong passion for travels and other cultures. She loves to envision inclusive digital marketing strategies.