Our society should universally embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, but we often overlook this notion rather than promote it. A lot of lip service is associated with this topic, but not a lot of active support. However, this concept is beneficial to building community, expanding business, and developing research.

The lag in actively promoting this concept is possibly attributed to ignorance about what it really means.

The University of Washington’s website provides a good start to explaining the concept: “Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is not just a phrase. Each word speaks to distinct values.”

According to the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion’s website, “Diversity is about the individual. It is about the variety of unique dimensions, qualities and characteristics we all possess. Inclusion is about the collective. It is about creating a culture that strives for equity and embraces, respects, accepts and values difference. Diversity and inclusion is about capturing the uniqueness of the individual; creating an environment that values and respects individuals for their talents, skills and abilities to the benefit of the collective.”

And the University of Toronto’s website states, “Equity is the promotion of fairness and justice for each individual that considers historical, social, systemic, and structural issues that impact experience and individual needs. Diversity is a measure of representation within a community or population that includes identity, background, lived experience, culture, and many more. Inclusion is the creation of an environment where everyone shares a sense of belonging, is treated with respect, and is able to fully participate. It is important to note that while an inclusive group is by definition diverse, a diverse group is not always inclusive.”

With this better understanding of the concept, it’s evident that there are still plenty of opportunities for creating awareness and being more proactive in championing this issue. 

An appreciation of DEI allows us to look past our differences, be it outer appearances or religious beliefs, to create close-knit communities. This practice gives us the opportunity to see the power of everyone’s unique offerings and to understand how we can collaborate to achieve much more collectively than what we offer individually.

By taking a diversified approach to life, we are able to tap into resources that we do not possess on our own. We can take advantage of varied perspectives, skillsets, and capabilities. Doing so adds value to someone else’s life when they are given the opportunity to be included in all areas of society.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion also works well in business. A workplace that creates a culture of DEI will gain from diverse talents, and employees will have more and better advancement opportunities at their disposal. I have experienced first-hand the benefit of having a co-worker translate a document that is written in a different language. The translation was done much quicker than if we had to contract the services of a translator, and, to top it all off, it came at no extra cost. Additionally, staff who speak multiple languages are beneficial for business because the diversity enables a better understanding of a customer base and presents an increased ability to serve the needs of those customers. For example, when customers enter a major bank, they will often see the diversity of a community reflected in that space. This diversity also makes customers happy because there is representation. 

In recent years, there has been an increased commitment to practicing diversity. A 2020 McKinsey & Company report states, “The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is stronger than ever.” In addition, “Our latest report shows not only that the business case remains robust but also that the relationship between diversity on executive teams and the likelihood of financial outperformance has strengthened over time.”

Comprehensive research that includes diverse viewpoints will not be skewed, hence providing more objective results. Having a team of brilliant minds, regardless of nationality, who may contribute immensely to a field of study can produce life-changing outcomes, such as new technology or medical breakthroughs. 

The University of Toronto supports this opinion on their website: “Research and innovation that serves a globally diverse world, must embed principles and best practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion.”

Life should not be considered a zero-sum game where some people win and other people lose. The concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion illustrate a win-win strategy where there are no losers but only winners.