Impactful Inclusion Toolkit: 52 Activities to Help You Learn and Practice Inclusion Every Day in the Workplace

Practical, hands-on strategies to increase inclusion, diversity, and equity in your workplace In Impactful Inclusion Toolkit: 52 Activities to Help You Learn and Practice Inclusion Every Day in the Workplace, accomplished diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategist and leader Yvette Steele delivers a collection of practical and hands-on exercises that encourage and promote inclusion in the workplace. The exercises emphasize the development of key inclusive behaviors, including self-knowledge, connecting with others, creating new habits, and experiencing other cultures. In the book, you’ll find: 52 behaviors to practice during the year that will empower you to be more inclusive in the real world Concrete instructions regarding how to become more inclusive, rather than just high-level information about inclusivity generally Actionable strategies to help drive change in your organization and manage the discomfort that sometimes exists around DEI issues An effective and practical resource for anyone who wants to be more inclusive. Frontline and knowledge workers can empower themselves to drive change with weekly activities and resources. DEI and HR professionals, company founders, owners, managers, and other business leaders can better support staff on their inclusion journey. The Impactful Inclusion Toolkit is an essential addition to DEI strategies of any organization whether they are active or aspire to be more inclusive.

Table of Contents:
Foreword xxv Introduction xxix Activity 1 Know Thyself 1 Actions 3 Create Mindful Interactions 3 Consider the Dynamics of Interactions 4 Enhance Your Social and Emotional Intelligence Skills 4 Action Accelerators 4 Sources Cited 5 Activity 2 Connect with Your Why, Find Your Why Now 7 Actions 10 Get Acquainted with Your Why 10 Keep Your Why Top of Mind 10 Go Beyond One-and-Done Training 11 Stay Connected to Your Why 11 Action Accelerators 11 Sources Cited 11 Activity 3 Create New Habits 13 Actions 15 Understand How Beliefs Impact Actions 15 Consider the Impact of Exclusion 15 Plan to Act on Your Inclusion Commitment Daily 16 Action Accelerators 16 Sources Cited 16 Activity 4 Make the Connection 17 Actions 19 Expose Yourself to Difference 19 Connect to the Issues 20 Facilitate Connections 20 Adjust Your Lens 20 Action Accelerators 20 Activity 5 Experience Other Cultures 23 Actions 26 Put Yourself in Spaces to Experience Various Cultures 26 Educate Yourself on the Cultures of Friends and Colleagues 26 Make Curiosity the Default 26 Action Accelerators 27 Activity 6 Remove the Labels 29 Actions 31 Expand Your View of People Beyond Race 31 Test Your Assumptions 31 Discern Whether Your Curiosity Comes from a Good Place 31 Action Accelerators 32 Sources Cited 32 Activity 7 Widen Your Perspective 33 Actions 36 Revisit Your Upbringing 36 Learn from Mistakes 36 Get Familiar with Thought Leaders of Difference 36 Action Accelerators 36 Activity 8 Slow Down Before You React 39 Actions 42 Look for Ways to Identify Your Microaggressions 42 Understand the Stereotypical Beliefs of Groups to Which You Belong and How They Make You Feel 42 Raise Your Awareness of the Impact of Microaggressions 42 Action Accelerators 43 Sources Cited 43 Activity 9 Respect the Beliefs of Others 47 Actions 50 Find Common Ground 50 Understand the Why of Holy Day Observances 50 Break Bread Together 50 Action Accelerators 51 Sources Cited 51 Activity 10 Own Your Education 53 Actions 56 Embrace That Natural Is Natural 56 Reflect When Your Personal Space Was Violated 57 Create Your Black Hair Experience 57 Action Accelerators 57 Sources Cited 58 Activity 11 Focus on Ability 59 Actions 61 Acquire Disability Etiquette 61 Create a Lived Experience 61 Become an Advocate 61 Welcome Feedback 61 Action Accelerators 62 Sources Cited 62 Activity 12 Strive to See the Whole Person 63 Actions 65 Meet Your Biases 65 Stay Current on Inclusion Topics 66 Action Accelerators 66 Sources Cited 66 Activity 13 Aspire to Be an Ally 67 Actions 69 Educate Yourself on Allyship 69 Become an Advocate for Organizational Change 70 Create a Network of Aspiring Allies 70 Support Others in Living Company Diversity Values 70 Make an Ongoing Commitment 70 Action Accelerators 71 Sources Cited 71 Activity 14 Create an Inclusive Experience 73 Actions 76 Recognize Missed Opportunities 76 Participate in the Planning Process 76 Stop Chaos Before It Starts 76 Strengthen the Connection 77 Action Accelerators 77 Activity 15 Disrupt Power 79 Actions 82 Ensure That Everyone Can Be Heard 82 Decrease the Visibility of Power Dynamics 82 Encourage Sharing of Power 82 Action Accelerators 82 Sources Cited 83 Activity 16 Build Equality into the Day-to-Day 85 Actions 88 Create an Equitable System for Completing Menial Tasks 88 Assess Team Norms for Bias 88 Address Imbalanced Communications 89 Elevate and Amplify the Work of Women 89 Action Accelerators 89 Sources Cited 90 Activity 17 Devote Yourself to Critical Thinking 93 Actions 96 Strike a Balance 96 Collaborate with Other Inclusion Champions 96 Lead by Example 96 Develop a Framework for Critical Thinking 96 Action Accelerators 97 Sources Cited 97 Activity 18 Look Beyond Appearances 99 Actions 102 Resist the Temptation to Make a Visual Diagnosis 102 Make Support Ongoing 103 Consider a Day in the Life 103 Action Accelerators 103 Sources Cited 104 Activity 19 Invest in the Success of Others 105 Actions 108 Help Others Achieve Success 108 Reach ’Em While They’re Young 109 Increase Exposure—Create Opportunity 109 Action Accelerators 109 Sources Cited 110 Activity 20 Lead Change One Word at a Time 111 Actions 115 Get to Know the Multigenerational Workforce 115 Mind Your Words 115 Action Accelerators 116 Activity 21 Practice Common Courtesy 117 Actions 119 Make Professionalism a Habit 119 Think Before You Speak 119 Express Gratitude 120 Meet and Greet with Authenticity 120 Self-Reflect 120 Action Accelerators 120 Activity 22 Amplify Voices That Aren’t Being Heard 123 Actions 126 Build Inclusive Meetings 126 Empower Others to Amplify Their Own Voices 126 Explore Reasons That People Remain Silent 127 Seek Accomplices 127 Action Accelerators 127 Sources Cited 128 Activity 23 Engage Remote Colleagues with Intention 129 Actions 132 Develop Trust and Connection 132 Be Aware of Your Online Etiquette 133 Action Accelerators 133 Activity 24 Adopt Gender-Neutral Terminology 135 Actions 137 Increase Awareness of Masculine Terms 137 Help Others Not to Forget 138 Action Accelerators 139 Sources Cited 139 Activity 25 Foster an Environment of Trust 141 Actions 143 Self-Assess 143 Nurture Relationships 144 Model Consistency 144 Action Accelerators 144 Activity 26 If You See Something, Say Something 145 Actions 149 Translate Good Intent and Words into Meaningful Action 149 Learn to Recognize Acts of Exclusion 149 Action Accelerators 149 Sources Cited 150 Activity 27 Avoid Common Terms That Divide Us 153 Actions 156 Develop an Anti-racist and Anti-sexist Vocabulary 156 Resist the Temptation to Resist 156 Anticipate Feelings of Awkwardness 156 Action Accelerators 157 Sources Cited 157 Activity 28 Reframe Difficult Conversations on Polarizing Topics 159 Actions 163 Become Skilled at Having Courageous Conversations 163 Leverage Your Self-Awareness Developed in Activity 1 and Activity 2 163 Say the Unsaid 163 Create Space to Listen to One Another 164 Action Accelerators 164 Activity 29 Embrace Gender Identities 165 Actions 168 Demonstrate Acceptance and Support 168 Recognize Impact Over Intent 168 Celebrate International Pronouns Day 169 Be a Continuous Learner 169 Action Accelerators 169 Sources Cited 170 Activity 30 Make the Workplace Safe for Everyone to Be Themselves 171 Actions 174 Get to Know What You Don’t Know 174 Create Safe Havens to Connect 174 Action Accelerators 175 Activity 31 Don’t Believe Your Lying Eyes—Test Assumptions 177 Actions 180 Be Aware of Occupational Stereotypes 180 Break Automatic Associations 180 Don’t Credential Check 180 Action Accelerators 181 Sources Cited 181 Activity 32 Leverage Your Privilege 183 Actions 185 Know Your Privilege 185 Leverage Privilege Regularly 185 Raise Awareness Through the “Privilege Walk” 186 Action Accelerators 186 Activity 33 Support the Firsts, Fews, and Onlys 189 Actions 191 Be the Welcome Wagon 191 Course Correct Where You Can 192 Realize the Value of Being Inclusive 192 Action Accelerators 193 Activity 34 Cultivate Acceptance 195 Actions 198 Go Beyond Allyship—Be a Friend 198 Respect Identity 199 Learn the Facts 199 Observe Transgender Remembrance Day 199 Action Accelerators 199 Sources Cited 200 Activity 35 Be the Calm in the Storm 203 Actions 206 Acknowledge What’s Happening 206 Remember to Check in Periodically 207 Learn the Why Behind Triggers 207 Action Accelerators 207 Activity 36 Acquire an Education on Race and Racism 209 Actions 215 Understand What CRT Is and What It Isn’t 215 Observe How Race and Racism Are Reflected In Your Workplace 215 Hold Yourself Accountable 216 Action Accelerators 216 Sources Cited 216 Activity 37 Go Beyond Performative Gestures 221 Actions 225 Be Real with Yourself 225 Learn to Recognize Personal Biases and Racist Tendencies 225 Move from a Place of Comfort to Growth 226 Action Accelerators 227 Sources Cited 227 Activity 38 Reconsider the Golden Rule 229 Actions 231 Create a Baseline 231 Honor the Signals 231 Re-evaluate an Encounter Gone Wrong 232 Action Accelerators 232 Sources Cited 232 Activity 39 Eliminate Double Standards 233 Actions 237 Hold the Privileged to the Same Standard That We Hold the Marginalized 237 Become Part of the Solution 238 Always Choose to Do the Right Thing 238 Action Accelerators 238 Activity 40 Remove the (Color) Blinders 239 Actions 243 Peel Back the Blinders to Color 243 Understand Racism Through the Lens of the Oppressed 243 Seek Opportunities to Learn More 244 Action Accelerators 244 Sources Cited 244 Activity 41 Create a Community of Allies 247 Actions 249 Develop a Recruitment Plan 249 Look for Gaps in Expertise 249 Ensure Allyship Community Is Diverse 249 Action Accelerators 249 Activity 42 Pick a Ship and Get on It 251 Actions 257 Don’t Limit Yourself to One Ship 257 Do Your Homework 257 Understand Personal Preferences 257 Action Accelerators 257 Sources Cited 258 Activity 43 Say Their Name 259 Actions 263 Create a Cheat Sheet 264 Double-Check Before Sending 264 Prioritize the Preferred Name 264 Action Accelerators 265 Sources Cited 265 Activity 44 Master Small Talk Across Cultures 267 Actions 269 Get Curious 269 Be Agile in Your Approach 270 Create Space to Connect on a Personal Level 270 Action Accelerators 270 Sources Cited 271 Activity 45 Enable Uncovering 273 Actions 276 Develop Trust 276 Check Yourself 277 Let Vulnerability Show 277 Action Accelerators 277 Sources Cited 278 Activity 46 Diminish the Effects of Microaggressions 281 Actions 284 Facilitate Circles of Trust 284 Understand the Real Consequences of Microaggressions 285 Develop a Habit of Checking In 285 Practice Microaffirmations 285 Action Accelerators 286 Sources Cited 286 Activity 47 Affect Work-Life Balance for All 287 Actions 291 Establish New Personal Norms 291 Make a Collective Effort 292 Look for Warning Signs 292 Action Accelerators 292 Sources Cited 293 Activity 48 Value People Because of Difference—Not in Spite of 295 Actions 298 Get to Know Co-workers and the Skills They Bring 298 Be Mindful of Habits That Exclude 299 Seek Similarities 300 Action Accelerators 301 Sources Cited 301 Activity 49 Evolve from “Not Racist” to Antiracist 303 Actions 306 Reflect and Decide 306 Examine Your Beliefs About Race 307 Action Accelerators 308 Sources Cited 309 Activity 50 Create the Future by Learning from the Past 311 Actions 315 Launch a Truth Investigation 315 Revisit Your Why 315 Commit to the Process 316 Action Accelerators 316 Sources Cited 317 Activity 51 Be Willing to Learn from and Be Influenced by Others Who Are Different from You 319 Actions 322 Examine Equity and Inclusion from Multiple Perspectives 322 Understand Your Power as an Influencer 323 Evaluate Your Influencers 323 Action Accelerators 323 Sources Cited 324 Activity 52 Honor Your Commitment to Inclusion 325 Actions 327 Lead the Way 327 Endeavor to Improve Every Day 327 Plan to Succeed Together 328 Begin Again 328 Action Accelerators 328 Index 331

About the Author :
YVETTE STEELE is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leader whose career spans decades in sales, marketing, and DEI roles within small to mid-sized businesses to Fortune 500 organizations. Commonly the only person of color and/or the only woman at the company or on her team, the challenges faced at the beginning of her career persist today. Boldly committed to improving the lives of the millions of individuals with similar lived experiences, you’ll find her calling out the issues and offering solutions on webinars, podcasts, and news articles. She has served on the DEI Advisory Committee for YMCA-USA, Tech Advisory Board Steering Committee for the National Urban League, and the DEI Task Force for Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.