In any healthy team of professionals, there will occasionally be disagreement. Team members bring different perspectives, priorities, and risk tolerances, so they will advocate for different paths forward. This discord seems like an annoying roadblock until you realize it’s better than the alternative. Corporate cultures where a single suggestion is mindlessly accepted offer far fewer opportunities for refining and finding the best option available.  

You don't have to give up efficiency or give up having a variety of opinions on the table. Healthy disagreement, respectful conversation, and finding a truly ideal solution are possible when you work toward inclusive leadership.  

Many people have approached the United States' increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in different ways over the past few years. Reading books about lesser-known histories of cultures in the United States has been eye-opening for some. For others, it's more relational, talking to friends, family, and coworkers to see if their experiences can help inform more equitable and positive experiences and relationships in the future. 

It's been true for decades that gender roles in United States workplaces have been changing. While this can sometimes feel jarring if you grew up expecting to interact in one way with men and another with women, culturally, learning these changing norms can be very helpful. Furthermore, the growing inclusion and acceptance of transgender and nonbinary identities in the professional sphere has added additional challenges for those who may not understand these concepts or simply not be aware of how to address their colleagues. 

While the diversity of thought and experience, as well as backgrounds and ethnicities, has been a hallmark of modern workplaces for decades now, many companies still experience uneven inclusion. Inclusivity is focused on making all diverse members of a team feel equally welcomed, valued, heard, and supported in their work. It is not enough to bring in employees who add diversity to the team if they feel ostracized or ignored in the workplace. 

Diana Cutaia co-teaches in VOICES (Visioning Organizations: Inclusive Communities & Equitable Spaces) on the module Compliance:  Research, Interpretation, and Overview of Statutes, Regulations, and Policies.

Brad Fortier teaches in VOICES (Visioning Organizations: Inclusive Communities & Equitable Spaces) in the module on Familial Status. 

Sarah Tillery co-teaches in VOICES (Visioning Organizations: Inclusive Communities & Equitable Spaces) on the module Compliance:  Research, Interpretation, and Overview of Statutes, Regulations, and Policies.

Michele Wilson not only developed the VOICES (Visioning Organizations: Inclusive Communities & Equitable Spaces) program, but she also teaches several modules: Overview of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, Equity Lens: Systematic Equity and Inclusion, Class: Socioeconomics, Religion and Spirituality, Age and Generational Status, Instituting Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace: Strategic Plans, Best Practices, and Assessment, and the Capstone.

Dr. Joseph Accuardi-Gilliam teaches in VOICES (Visioning Organizations: Inclusive Communities & Equitable Spaces) in the module on Disability. 

Jimena Alvarado, Ph.D. teaches several sections in VOICES (Visioning Organizations: Inclusive Communities & Equitable Spaces). She teaches Historical Framework, Identiy: Constructions, Assignments, and Intersections, and Gender and Sexuality.