By Daniel Washington
Inclusive language is fundamental to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work. It is important because it sets the tone for providing safe spaces for everyone in the workplace. When organizational leaders push for inclusive language, this changes the standards and policies of an organization, and therefore, it changes the overall workplace culture. We need inclusive language because it promotes psychological safety; it promotes psychological safety by ensuring that the language we use in the workplace is free of any racist, sexist, homophobic, or any other biased expressions that denigrate particular groups of people.
If any organization prides itself on fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment, then leaders are going to need to ask themselves critical questions such as, what can be done to create a welcoming work environment for female employees and racial, ethnic, and sexual minority employees? Does the organization have leadership that is well equipped to work with people from diverse backgrounds? Does the organization provide educational tools and resources that are effective in addressing the unique needs of marginalized groups? Is diversity, equity, and inclusion a top priority in the organization’s vision, mission, and values? In what ways has the organization promoted inclusive language? Stimulating these kinds of questions can get organizational leaders to not only think about what they can do to make inclusive language an integral part of their DEI initiative, but they can also think of ways to successfully integrate inclusive language into their workplace culture.
With inclusive language comes inclusive behavior. Like inclusive language, inclusive behavior is about self-awareness and self-regulation. This means that individuals are aware of any biases that they hold and they take accountability for times when they may have let their biases interfere with their words, thoughts, and actions. When accountability systems are being upheld for both leaders and employees, inclusion becomes the forefront of an organization’s mindset and culture. What accountability systems communicate is the expectation that everyone is responsible for creating an environment of openness and fair play, giving others a voice, teaching individuals to become culturally competent, and creating high performing, inclusive teams.
References:
https://www.berlitz.com/blog/inclusive-language-guide
https://www.idealist.org/en/careers/inclusive-language-workplace
https://hbr.org/2020/11/what-inclusive-leaders-sounds-like
Daniel is an accomplished Industrial/Organizational Psychology graduate with experience in Project Management, Market Research, Organizational Change, Talent Acquisition, and Career Development. He received his Master's from Touro College in New York City in 2020 and currently specializes in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). His extensive professional and academic experiences have helped him understand the value of working authentically, forging meaningful relationships with others, and helping organizations define their mission, vision, and values. He joined WWT because of his commitment to being a part of a community where he can help like minded individuals spread awareness on social justice issues as they relate to the systematic oppression of historically marginalized groups and help provide volunteer and career advancement opportunities for anyone who is committed to social justice and DEI work.
