Title: How to Communicate Diversity and Inclusion When You Aren't Quite There Yet
Headings: How to Communicate Diversity and Inclusion When You Aren't Quite There Yet
Marketing and Comms
How to Communicate Diversity and Inclusion When You Aren't Quite There Yet
1. Be transparent.
2. Set aspirational goals.
3. Highlight outcomes, not good intentions.
4. Focus on cognitive diversity.
5. Cultivate a culture of diversity and inclusion.
Shannon Valdes Leiderman
Communiation Strategist
thinkPARALLAX
Topic Channels

Content: Be transparent. Transparency is a key component in all communication efforts, but it’s even more important when you’re talking about an important subject like diversity and inclusion. Regardless of how you’re doing, failing to be transparent — or completely ignoring diversity and inclusion in your communications altogether — could be perceived as shady. Celebrate your accomplishments, own your weaknesses, clearly communicate your challenges, and present a plan for improvement. Not only will your audience appreciate your candor, you will also demonstrate that you are taking your goals and commitments seriously. In 2015, Salesforce performed an internal audit that revealed a pay disparity between men and women, not an uncommon problem for Silicon Valley tech giants. Instead of quietly covering it up, CEO Marc Benioff took this as an opportunity to push the industry forward. Not only did the company spend $3 million in paycheck adjustments at the end of the year, it also launched an equality website and publicly published its full diversity statistics. Although the numbers are still not great (men account for 70 percent of the workforce and 75 percent of the board of directors), transparency holds the company accountable for progress. 2.