Boost Workplace Diversity & Equity in 2023. 15 Powerful Diversity Games to Foster Workplace Inclusion in 2023

How can simple games boost workplace diversity and equity. What activities encourage empathy and understanding among employees. Which exercises address unconscious bias in the workplace. How to cultivate a more inclusive organizational culture through interactive games.

The Marooned Activity: Fostering Empathy and Collaboration

The Marooned activity is a powerful exercise designed to promote empathy and understanding among employees. Here’s how it works:

• Divide employees into small groups
• Provide basic supplies like paper, pens, tape, and string
• Present a scenario: the group is shipwrecked on a desert island
• Challenge teams to use only provided materials to solve survival needs

This activity simulates real-world workplace challenges that arise from diversity. As frustrations emerge during collaboration, participants gain valuable insights into:

• Communication breakdowns
• Power struggles
• Role clarity issues
• Problem-solving under constraints

Why is the Marooned activity effective for promoting workplace inclusion? It encourages employees to:

1. Practice adaptability by finding creative solutions
2. Align goals and leverage diverse strengths
3. Develop perspective-taking skills
4. Experience empathy in action
5. Listen actively and find common ground

By working through challenging scenarios together, teams learn to appreciate different work styles and mindsets. This shared experience builds a foundation for stronger team cohesion and mutual respect.

Two Truths and a Lie: Building Connections and Trust

Two Truths and a Lie is a lighthearted icebreaker that fosters deeper connections among coworkers. The game’s structure is simple:

• Each participant shares three statements about themselves
• Two statements are true, one is false
• The group asks questions and tries to identify the lie

How does this activity boost employee morale and inclusion? It encourages:

1. Active listening and observation of subtle cues
2. Sharing personal details in a non-threatening setting
3. Building trust through vulnerability
4. Discovering unexpected commonalities
5. Viewing colleagues as multidimensional individuals

Can a simple game really improve workplace relationships? Absolutely. Two Truths and a Lie creates opportunities for meaningful conversations that transcend work roles. When employees know their teammates as individuals, it cultivates a spirit of community and belonging.

The Privilege Walk: Uncovering Hidden Inequities

The Privilege Walk is a powerful exercise that addresses unconscious bias in the workplace. Here’s how it unfolds:

• Participants line up side by side
• A facilitator reads a series of statements
• People step forward or backward based on their experiences
• Clear gaps emerge, visually representing privilege disparities

Why is the Privilege Walk so impactful? It provides:

1. A stark visual representation of unequal opportunities
2. Eye-opening revelations about unearned advantages
3. Awareness of systemic barriers beyond individual effort
4. A platform to discuss difficult topics around privilege
5. Motivation to create a more inclusive workplace culture

How does this exercise contribute to diversity and inclusion efforts? The Privilege Walk demonstrates that creating an inclusive culture requires understanding and addressing systemic barriers. It challenges participants to move beyond individual perspectives and consider broader societal influences on workplace equity.

Implicit Bias Training: Recognizing and Mitigating Unconscious Prejudices

Implicit bias training is a crucial component of diversity and inclusion initiatives. But how does it work, and why is it necessary?

Implicit bias refers to attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions unconsciously. In the workplace, these biases can lead to unintended discrimination and hinder inclusivity efforts.

Effective implicit bias training typically includes:

• Education on the science behind unconscious bias
• Self-assessment tools to identify personal biases
• Strategies to recognize and mitigate biased thinking
• Practical exercises to apply bias-reduction techniques
• Ongoing support and reinforcement of learned concepts

Why is addressing implicit bias crucial for workplace inclusion? Consider these benefits:

1. Improved decision-making in hiring and promotions
2. Enhanced team collaboration and creativity
3. Increased employee satisfaction and retention
4. Better understanding and service of diverse customer bases
5. Reduced risk of discrimination-related issues

By tackling unconscious prejudices head-on, organizations can create a more equitable and inclusive environment for all employees.

Allyship Development: Empowering Advocates for Inclusion

Allyship development is a critical aspect of fostering workplace inclusion. But what exactly is allyship, and how can it be cultivated?

Allyship refers to the practice of actively supporting and advocating for underrepresented or marginalized groups, even when one doesn’t belong to those groups. In the workplace, effective allies use their position and privilege to promote equity and inclusion.

Key components of allyship development programs include:

• Education on the experiences of marginalized groups
• Training on active listening and empathy
• Strategies for speaking up against discrimination
• Guidance on using privilege to effect positive change
• Ongoing reflection and self-improvement

How does allyship contribute to a more inclusive workplace? Consider these benefits:

1. Creates a support network for underrepresented employees
2. Amplifies diverse voices in decision-making processes
3. Challenges and changes exclusive workplace norms
4. Fosters a culture of mutual respect and understanding
5. Accelerates progress towards equity goals

By developing strong allies within the organization, companies can create a more supportive and inclusive environment for all employees.

Cross-Cultural Communication Workshops: Bridging Diverse Perspectives

In today’s globalized work environment, cross-cultural communication skills are essential for fostering inclusion. But how can organizations effectively develop these skills among their employees?

Cross-cultural communication workshops aim to enhance understanding and collaboration across diverse cultural backgrounds. These workshops typically cover:

• Cultural dimensions and their impact on communication
• Non-verbal communication across cultures
• Strategies for avoiding misunderstandings
• Techniques for adapting communication styles
• Practice scenarios for applying learned skills

Why are cross-cultural communication skills crucial for workplace inclusion? Consider these benefits:

1. Improved collaboration in diverse teams
2. Enhanced customer relations in global markets
3. Reduced conflicts arising from cultural misunderstandings
4. Increased innovation through diverse perspectives
5. Better retention of international talent

By investing in cross-cultural communication training, organizations can create a more inclusive and globally-minded workforce.

Diversity Storytelling Circles: Sharing Experiences to Build Empathy

Diversity storytelling circles are powerful tools for fostering empathy and understanding in the workplace. But how do they work, and why are they effective?

In a diversity storytelling circle, employees take turns sharing personal experiences related to their identity, background, or challenges they’ve faced. The process typically involves:

• Creating a safe, confidential space for sharing
• Establishing ground rules for respectful listening
• Encouraging voluntary participation
• Providing prompts or themes for stories
• Facilitating reflection and discussion after each story

How do storytelling circles contribute to workplace inclusion? Consider these benefits:

1. Builds empathy and understanding among diverse colleagues
2. Challenges stereotypes and preconceptions
3. Gives voice to underrepresented perspectives
4. Creates connections through shared experiences
5. Fosters a culture of openness and vulnerability

By providing a platform for personal narratives, diversity storytelling circles can transform abstract concepts of inclusion into relatable, human experiences.

As we continue to explore effective strategies for fostering workplace inclusion, it’s clear that interactive games and exercises play a crucial role. These activities not only raise awareness about diversity issues but also provide practical skills for creating a more inclusive environment. From the Marooned activity that builds empathy and collaboration to diversity storytelling circles that share personal experiences, each exercise contributes to a more understanding and equitable workplace.

Organizations that invest in these types of diversity and inclusion initiatives often see significant benefits, including improved employee engagement, increased innovation, and better business outcomes. By fostering an inclusive culture through interactive games and workshops, companies can create an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.

As we move forward, it’s important to remember that fostering inclusion is an ongoing process. Regular implementation of these activities, combined with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement, can help organizations build truly inclusive workplaces that thrive on diversity.

In the next section, we’ll explore additional strategies for embedding diversity and inclusion principles into everyday workplace practices, ensuring that the insights gained from these games and exercises translate into lasting organizational change.

The Marooned Activity: Encourages Empathy & Understanding

Building an inclusive workplace starts with empathy and understanding. The Marooned activity is a simple but powerful exercise that fosters these qualities. To begin, divide employees into small groups and give each group basic supplies like paper, pens, tape, and string. Explain that they are shipwrecked on a desert island and must use only the materials provided to come up with solutions for survival needs like food, water, and shelter.

As the groups work, frustrations inevitably arise as they attempt to collaborate with limited resources. Following the exercise, a facilitated discussion allows participants to share their experiences. Employees reflect on frustrations like communication breakdowns, power struggles, and lack of role clarity. The debrief questions how these issues connect to real workplace challenges that arise from diversity when perspectives clash.

The Marooned activity surfaces key insights about self-awareness, empathy, and problem-solving. By working through constrained scenarios together, teammates learn how to align goals and leverage diverse strengths. Perspective-taking builds understanding of different work styles and mindsets. Employees practice adaptability by trying creative solutions until the team finds an approach that works.

Beyond highlighting the need for inclusion, the shared experience directly models empathy in action. Workers gain hands-on practice listening to each other, finding common ground, and achieving cooperative success. The activity shows that by starting from a place of mutual respect and seeking to understand, team cohesion strengthens.

Boosting Employee Morale with Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie fosters deeper connections in a lighthearted way. For this icebreaker, each person shares three statements about themselves – two truthful facts and one lie. The rest of the group asks clarifying questions and tries to guess which statement is false.

At its core, the activity emphasizes listening actively and observing subtle cues. It encourages coworkers to share personal details and build trust in a non-threatening setting. Participants often discover unexpected commonalities that provide a gateway to stronger working relationships.

For example, through Two Truths and a Lie, a manager might find that a shy employee pursued skydiving in college. The employee is surprised to learn her reserved manager once sang in a rock band. Finding overlaps in hobbies, values, and life experiences allows them to relate as multidimensional people, not just fixed work roles.

Applied routinely, these activities transform work into a more lighthearted space. Morale rises when employees know their teammates as individuals. Two Truths and a Lie sparks meaningful conversations that cultivate a spirit of community, belonging, and fun.

Addressing Unconscious Bias Through the Privilege Walk

Despite best intentions, unconscious biases often permeate workplaces and prevent true inclusion. The Privilege Walk is an impactful technique to uncover hidden inequities.

For this activity, coworkers line up side by side. The facilitator reads a series of statements like, “If you grew up in a single parent household, take one step back.” With each statement, people step forward or backward based on their experience. Eventually, clear gaps emerge in the line.

The stark visual shows that equal opportunity does not lead to equal outcomes. Participants may experience eye-opening revelations about advantages they were handed in life that others did not receive. Internalized feelings of shame or guilt also tend to surface.

Privileged team members often want to distance themselves from discomfort and make declarations that “they earned everything themselves.” It takes compassion to sit with the difficult awareness that systems confer unearned favor and disadvantage. The Privilege Walk demonstrates that creating an inclusive culture requires understanding barriers that exist beyond individual effort.

Additional Exercises to Cultivate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Every organization has a unique context. While foundational principles are universal, each workplace must tailor inclusion training to meet specific challenges. Additional personalized exercises might dig into sensitive local issues or build new skills based on the team’s strengths.

For instance, implicit bias training directly tackles prejudices that arise outside conscious awareness. Workshops teach employees to recognize and mitigate subtle problematic assumptions before they turn into discriminatory actions.

Allyship development is another essential component. Majority group members learn to leverage their position to advocate for under-represented populations. Training helps build capacity as an ally who actively educates themselves, interrupts problematic behavior, and amplifies marginalized voices.

At times, the interpersonal focus must expand to address structural and systemic issues. Policy review through an equity lens examines how informal norms and formal practices might embed inequitable treatment. Analyzing metrics helps reveal gaps in opportunity and growth.

Raw data offers a starting point, but inclusion requires going further through open and compassionate dialogue. Anchored in mutual understanding, personalized education cultivates equitable workplaces where every employee feels welcomed, valued, and able to thrive.

Two Truths and a Lie: Highlights Common Interests & Values

With diversity and inclusion rising as pivotal workplace values, companies strive to foster welcoming environments where employees feel respected, valued, and able to thrive. But moving beyond surface-level efforts requires authentic connection between coworkers. The simple icebreaker game “Two Truths and a Lie” can pave the way.

To play, have employees share three statements about themselves – two true, one false – and challenge colleagues to identify which is the lie. This allows individuals to highlight interesting aspects of their lives and personalities beyond their professional roles. As coworkers guess which statement is untrue, they interact in a lighthearted way that reveals shared interests, quirky tastes, and core values.

For example, someone might share: “I’ve visited over 30 countries, I can speak 4 languages, and I’ve never broken a bone.” The mix of travel adventures, language skills, and health facts provides openings for coworkers to find commonalities. One person might pipe up that they also love travel and have been to many of the same destinations. Another might reveal they speak multiple languages too. And a third might bond over also never having broken a bone.

Even if guessing incorrectly, the experience builds empathy and understanding between employees. This activity humanizes coworkers as more than just colleagues. Playing “Two Truths and a Lie” lays the groundwork for more inclusive relationships moving forward.

Personal Identity Iceberg Shows Hidden Diversity

Under the surface, people’s differences often run far deeper than what meets the eye. The “Personal Identity Iceberg” activity illuminates this hidden diversity in an eye-opening way.

Have each employee draw an iceberg shape and write an aspect of their identity that others recognize at the tip above water – such as gender, ethnicity, age, or department. Under water, ask them to note identity facets that may not be readily apparent like sexual orientation, family status, disabilities, religious beliefs, political views, and more.

Then, invite volunteers to share aspects of their icebergs. This exposes the vast diversity beneath the surface at your organization. It shows how even coworkers who appear similar have unseen differences in experience and perspective. This builds understanding and empathy for diversity.

To debrief, discuss how identity is complex and discuss ways to make unfamiliar groups feel welcomed. Reinforce that you aim to create an inclusive environment where people of all identities feel respected and valued for who they are.

Find Common Ground with ‘I Am, I Have, I Can’

Coworkers often make assumptions and harbor stereotypes about those in different demographic groups. The activity “I Am, I Have, I Can” replaces assumptions with understanding.

Have employees write statements starting with “I am (identities)” – ex. parent, wife, Black, Buddhist, etc. Next, “I have (skills and experiences)” – ex. climbed Mt. Everest, won a pie baking contest, backpacked Europe alone. Finally, “I can (abilities)” – ex. speak 3 languages, salsa dance, sing.

In small groups, employees share statements and compare experiences. They realize people are more than stereotypes. A middle-aged white man might be a single dad who sings in a rock band and makes origami. A young Latina woman may have started a charity organization and be a sci-fi novel buff. This activity builds empathy through shared interests and talents despite differences.

Find Shared Motivations with User Manuals

Getting inside the mindset of diverse coworkers builds understanding. The “User Manual” game makes this easy and fun.

Ask employees to create 1-page manuals summarizing how they like to be motivated, supported, and appreciated at work. Include communication preferences, pet peeves, ideal feedback style, and motivations. Emphasize that diversity is expected and no format is required – get creative!

Then have coworkers swap manuals and read each other’s. This helps empathize with different work motivations – an introvert may despise excess meetings while an extrovert thrives on collaboration. It also reveals universal employee desires: being heard, valued, and empowered. Discuss key takeaways and how to motivate across differences.

Address Unconscious Bias with ‘Cards Against Diversity’

Subtle, unconscious biases sneak into everyday work situations and interactions. But calling them out in a fun, non-threatening way can raise awareness.

Adapted from the popular game “Cards Against Humanity,” create “Cards Against Diversity” decks. Distribute cards with situational prompts like “Making small talk by the coffee maker” or “Reviewing a proposal from a team member.” Employees also get cards with hypothetical biased statements, actions, or assumptions to play in response. Examples: Asking a minority coworker “No, where are you really from?”, commenting “I don’t think of you as old!”, or assuming a woman got her role based on gender versus merit.

Employees discuss how these subtle behaviors reflect unconscious biases. The activity helps sensitize people to biased assumptions so they can catch themselves and act more inclusively. Use it to start conversations on building understanding between diverse coworkers.

Fostering an inclusive workplace goes beyond policies – it requires nurturing empathy. Simple games that reveal similarities, celebrate diversity, and build understanding between employees are impactful steps. Try activities like Two Truths and a Lie, Personal Identity Icebergs, I Am I Have I Can, User Manuals, or Cards Against Diversity. Building connection across differences benefits both workers and the organization.

The Privilege Walk: Opens Eyes to Inequality & Bias

People often remain oblivious to the institutional inequities and societal prejudices that shape lives. The activity known as the “Privilege Walk” creates a visceral awareness of systemic imbalances.

Have participants stand in a line. The facilitator then reads a list of statements like “Take one step forward if you grew up in a two-parent household” or “Take one step back if you or your family ever relied on public assistance.” After each statement, participants step forward or backward based on their experiences.

Within minutes, a spread emerges – some way ahead after accumulating advantages while others lag behind after disadvantages compound. This starkly illustrates how factors like race, gender, class origins, etc. confer privilege or inequality from birth. Seeing positions diverge powerfully demonstrates systemic biases.

After completing the walk, have employees share feelings and discuss insights. Those ahead often express guilt about unfair advantages they hadn’t recognized before. Those behind share frustration over hurdles. But both gain empathy and understanding of different realities.

Use this as a springboard to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion at your organization. Explore ways to mitigate institutional biases and level the playing field so all employees, regardless of background, have opportunities to advance on merit.

Reveal Assumptions with ‘Yes And…’

Unchecked assumptions about groups limit inclusion. The improv game “Yes And” helps people recognize damaging assumptions and rethink them.

Have employees pair up. One makes a broad statement containing assumptions about a group – ex. “Millennials are lazy and entitled.” The partner must accept the statement without arguing by responding “Yes and…” and adding something – ex. “…they also use technology in innovative ways.” After a few rounds, switch roles.

This highlights how assumptions contain some truth but require more nuance. The exercise builds empathy, communication skills, and understanding across differences. It creates awareness of unintended biases that creep into thinking. This is a pivotal step toward overriding assumptions with conscious inclusion.

Stand in Someone Else’s Shoes with Role Reversal

Stepping into someone else’s shoes builds empathy. Have employee pairs role play a typical workplace interaction like a performance review, staff meeting, or presentation. One person acts as normal while the other takes on a non-majority identity, such as different race, gender, age, or ability.

Then, they switch roles and repeat. Debrief about insights into stereotyping, exclusion, communication gaps, power dynamics, and privilege gained from seeing through another’s eyes. Guide discussion toward building inclusion for non-majority groups.

Role reversal creates “aha moments” as people experience subtle ways that cues like body language, word choice, and prior assumptions exclude those different from the majority. This builds empathy and commitment to conscious inclusion.

Remove Barriers with the Disability Experience

Non-visible disabilities often lead to exclusion, as coworkers remain unaware of barriers. Simulating disabilities builds empathy and understanding.

Have pairs take turns wearing blindfolds, earplugs, or gloves while attempting ordinary work tasks like using a computer, taking notes, or having a conversation. Alternatively, have people navigate the office using a wheelchair or crutches.

Debrief on insights gained about daily challenges faced by disabled coworkers, as well as thoughts on removing barriers. This activity fosters awareness that inclusion requires proactively removing obstacles to make the workplace accessible to all.

Spark Empathy with Storytelling

Stories hold power to touch hearts, shape perspectives, and spur change. Invite volunteers from non-majority groups to share personal stories illuminating their experiences at work.

Encourage diverse participation – different races, genders, ages, abilities, etc. Remind storytellers they only need share what feels comfortable. These authentic glimpses into challenges faced – feeling isolated, marginalized, misunderstood – build empathy and inspire action.

Consider recording stories (with permission) to use in inclusion education efforts. Ensure discussion explores tangible steps individuals and the organization can take to become more welcoming and equitable.

Co-Create Visions for Inclusion

Envisioning an ideal future pulls people toward it. This activity does that for inclusion.

Have small groups co-create short skits enacting their vision for an ideally inclusive workplace. Encourage creativity! Groups present skits and describe tangible steps for getting there. Visualizing ideal scenarios motivates people to take ownership for cultivating inclusion day-to-day.

Takeaways provide direction for your inclusion strategy. Where groups align, it indicates shared aspirations to activate. Divergent ideas reveal areas needing more dialogue. This activity enrolls employees at all levels in shaping an inclusive culture.

Simple exercises that foster perspective-taking, empathy and dialogue across differences provide impactful building blocks for workplace inclusion. Try role reversal, storytelling, disability simulations, improv, visioning, and privilege walk-type activities. Moving beyond diversity statistics to growing interpersonal understanding is key to creating a culture where all employees feel welcomed, valued and empowered to contribute their best.

Blind Leading the Blind: Builds Trust & Communication

Navigating unfamiliar situations requires trust and communication between coworkers. The classic team building activity “Blind Leading the Blind” powerfully fosters these skills.

Have employees pair up, with one partner wearing a blindfold. The blindfolded partner must then complete tasks guided solely by verbal instructions from their seeing partner. Start with simple tasks like navigating the room but progressively increase the challenge by adding obstacles, multiple blindfolded people, or complex goals.

Partners must communicate clearly and listen closely to succeed. Blindfolded people must trust seeing partners to guide them safely. Laughs and cheers often erupt when partners finally coordinate to achieve tricky tasks, creating a spirit of collaboration.

Debrief on what strong communication and trust between partners felt like. Discuss insights on giving clear directions, repeating back instructions, handling confusion, etc. Talk about application to collaborating across diverse perspectives. This activity strengthens interpersonal skills vital for inclusion.

Find Commonalities with Venn Diagrams

Uncovering shared interests and experiences forges bonds between diverse coworkers. Have small groups map commonalities using Venn diagrams.

Each person draws a circle representing themselves. Write unique facts like hobbies, background, skills, and interests in your circle. Then, identify commonalities with others and jot where circles overlap. After finding all shared points, discuss highlights with the group.

This simple activity surfaces often unexpected commonalities between individuals. It flips the focus from differences to similarities, building relationship foundations. Use this to seed conversations on valuing diversity while connecting through shared hopes and experiences.

Boost Allyship with “I Will…” Pledges

Commitments made publicly motivate follow-through. Have employees write brief “I will…” pledges on how they will act as allies for inclusion – ex. “I will speak up against biased comments” or “I will educate myself on using inclusive language.”

Gather pledges and randomly redistribute them. Taking turns, each person reads someone else’s pledge aloud to the group. This symbolic gesture builds collective responsibility for cultivating inclusion. Keep pledges visible as reminders.

To reinforce this activity, establish peer support pods of 3-4 coworkers. Pod members check in regularly on how each is living up to pledges and support one another in progressing on inclusion goals.

Find Shared Values with Storytelling

Stories connect us through shared emotions and values. Have employees tell brief stories centered on themes like adversity, achievement, kindness, courage, sacrifice.

Split into small groups. Each person takes turns telling their story and listening without interruption. After everyone shares, discuss commonalities. How did stories evoke similar values, emotions, and life experiences despite surface differences? This storytelling builds bonds that enable authentic inclusion.

Promote Allyship through Reverse Mentoring

Mentoring typically flows top-down, missing chances to learn from below. Reverse mentoring pairs junior employees as mentors for senior leaders.

Pair those from underrepresented groups with leaders. Schedule regular 1-on-1 meetings where mentors share their experiences, perspectives on inclusion, and suggestions. Giving marginalized voices this direct line to leadership combats bias, breaks down barriers, and seeds allyship.

Reverse mentoring also illuminates needs leadership may overlook. It builds understanding both ways and demonstrates your commitment to progressing inclusion from the top.

Learn from Mistakes through Inclusion Bloopers

Mistakes show where we need to grow. Have leaders share lightly embarrassing inclusion missteps that taught valuable lessons.

Invite executives and managers to tell brief stories of gaffes like undervaluing an employee’s idea because of unconscious bias or using offensive language unknowingly. Discuss lessons learned. This shows vulnerability and models how to move forward after mistakes.

Make it clear the goal is learning, not shaming. Showing leaders authentically acknowledge and learn from mistakes makes it feel psychologically safer for everyone. This paves the way for growing inclusion across the organization.

Fostering an inclusive workplace requires building skills, mindsets, and relationships across differences. Activities that enhance communication, vulnerability, and mutual understanding provide impactful building blocks. Try blind leading, venn diagrams, pledges, storytelling, reverse mentoring, and sharing inclusion bloopers. Simple humanizing experiences unlock potential for authentic inclusion and collaboration.

Draw Your Partner: Sparks Creativity & Storytelling

Collaboration thrives when coworkers see each other’s humanity. The simple exercise “Draw Your Partner” ignites creative expression and storytelling to uncover each other’s unique essence.

Pair up employees and have partners sit back-to-back. Hand each person a sheet of paper and pen or pencil. Challenge partners to draw each other’s portrait without peeking or talking. After 5-10 minutes, have partners reveal their artistic renderings to each other.

Expect laughter and amusement at the silly or exaggerated portraits. Then, have partners introduce their colleague to the group, sharing the meaning behind creative choices in their drawings and what they tried to capture about the person’s spirit. The silliness gives way to heartfelt storytelling about partners’ interests, values, and quirks.

Debrief on how creativity and personal expression humanized colleagues and surfaced hidden dimensions. Discuss how this spirit of fun and storytelling can enhance everyday interactions. Creative connection activities like this provide a gateway for authentic inclusion.

Uncover Gifts with ‘Mining for Gold’

Seeing strengths in others powerfully fosters inclusion. In this activity, employees “mine for gold” by identifying each other’s gifts and talents.

Have participants mingle, sharing their diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences one-on-one. During conversations, challenge people to spot talents and strengths in each person they meet. Provide prompts like listening for skills utilized or passions discussed.

Regroup and have each person introduce someone they met and share the “gold” they uncovered in them. The introductions highlight diverse talents, from mentoring ability to artistic flair to problem-solving skills. This builds appreciation for the rich talents each person contributes.

Break Assumptions with ‘Who Am I?’

Assumptions limit how we see colleagues. This activity sparks curiosity to uncover people’s multilayered selves.

Have each person secretly write on a card something core about themselves that colleagues likely don’t know. Pin cards on people’s backs so they can’t see what their card says. Give everyone time to mingle, examining each other’s cards and asking “Who am I?” questions to try to guess their identity. The goal is to learn something new about each person beyond surface assumptions.

Afterward, debrief key insights and takeaways on avoiding snap judgments. Emphasize being consistently curious about each other. Making assumptions invisible boosts authentic relating and inclusion.

Embrace Quirks with ‘Weird Facts’

Qirky details show we all have dimensions beyond professional roles. This activity celebrates those.

Have people take turns sharing unusual facts about themselves – ex. I have a pet lizard, I can juggle, I lived on a houseboat. After everyone shares a weird fact, talk about how these quirks make colleagues more relatable.

Then discuss norms for bringing more authentic selves to work. Challenge people to share their whole selves more, embrace each other’s quirkiness, and not just relate on a superficial level. This lighthearted exercise opens the door to being real.

Get Moving with Creative Introductions

Introductions that involve creativity, play and movement energize people to connect more authentically.

Have people partner up with someone new. Each person introduces their partner to the group in an unusual style – for example, while jumping up and down, striking superhero poses, or with an outrageous accent.

Encourage people to have fun getting creative. The silliness helps everyone open up. Debrief on how this activity generated energy and opened the mind for authentic relating. Discuss ideas for keeping creativity and playfulness flowing in everyday interactions to spark inclusion.

Team Up for Collaborative Storytelling

Storytelling builds bonds, while collaboration models inclusion. Blend them in this team storytelling activity.

Split people into small groups. Invite each group to collaboratively tell a story, with each person contributing a sentence at a time. The twist? The story must incorporate key words you supply, like “cowboy hat”, “banana” or “outer space.”

The whacky, winding stories full of humor and imagination that emerge foster creative thinking and teamwork across differences. Debrief on storytelling tips and the power of collaborating creatively. This primes groups for greater inclusion.

Humanizing activities that utilize creativity, play and storytelling allow coworkers to connect more authentically across differences. Try drawing each other, mining for strengths, breaking assumptions, sharing quirks, getting physically creative, or collaborating on stories. Unlocking creative energy and self-expression taps boundless potential for embracing diversity.

Cultural Bingo: Celebrates Diverse Backgrounds & Experiences

Understanding different cultural backgrounds and life experiences is key for an inclusive workplace. The interactive game Cultural Bingo highlights the unique mix within your organization in a lively, communal way.

Create bingo cards with squares containing statements like “Speaks more than 2 languages”, “Studied abroad”, or “Has lived in 5+ cities.” Distribute cards and have employees mingle, seeking colleagues who can sign squares that apply to them.

The first to complete a row and call “Bingo!” wins a prize. But the real reward is the connections made across differences and the new perspectives gained as people share their cultural journeys and identities.

Debrief by identifying learnings, similarities and differences discovered. Discuss remaining stereotypes or assumptions to unpack. Use this to chart future inclusion education needs. Cultural Bingo sets a tone of celebrating diversity.

Find Commonalities with ‘Me Too!’

“Me too!” is a simple way to spark connections. Ask a fun question like “Who plays an instrument?” All who answer yes call out “Me too!” and high five anyone else who replies the same.

Repeat with questions that reveal hobbies, cultural heritage, childhood memories, favorite foods, travel experiences, etc. Hearing similar shout outs across differences highlights how shared interests unite people. This fast, lively activity quickly builds rapport and inclusion.

Share Perspectives with ‘Talking Cards’

Understanding different viewpoints expands inclusion. Pass out discussion prompt cards like “A time I felt excluded” or “What my culture means to me.” Have people find a partner and take turns sharing responses.

Hearing diverse perspectives, feelings and cultural meanings broadens worldviews. Wrap up by asking for takeaways people gained about including and valuing different voices. Make cards ongoing conversation starters.

Recognize Experts with ‘Teach Me’

We all have unique expertise to share, which builds inclusion. Have people write one skill or area of expertise they can teach peers on cards, like origami, baking, golf, etc.

Collect cards and randomly redistribute. Give people a few minutes to “teach” the skill on their new card and learn from the mini-lesson their peer shares. Recognizing diverse talent breeds respect and inclusion.

Guess Ancestries from Photos

Looks can deceive when it comes to ancestry. Have employees submit baby or childhood photos. Post pix around the room and challenge people to guess each person’s family origins based only on pictures.

Reveal actual ancestries, spurring surprise and discussion about stereotyping. Use this to unpack how we assign identity based on appearances and make assumptions. A simple but powerful lesson in looking beyond the surface.

Spark Storytelling with ‘That Reminds Me’

Stories connect people. After someone shares a detail from their life, a teammate responds “That reminds me of…” and tells a brief related story from their own experience.

Model the first exchange – describing a favorite family holiday tradition and relating it to a Diwali celebration memory a colleague then shares. This storypassing uncovers common themes and experiences across diversity and Models inclusive listening and relationship building.

Activities that uncover connections through shared interests, varied perspectives and personal stories help employees relate authentically across differences. Try cultural bingo, “me too!”, talking cards, teach me, ancestry guessing, and “that reminds me” storytelling. Fostering understanding of each person’s identity and experiences builds an inclusive workplace.

Stereotype Switcheroo: Challenges Assumptions & Prejudices

Unchecked stereotypes and prejudices prevent authentic relating between diverse colleagues. The activity “Stereotype Switcheroo” reveals flawed biases so we can override them.

Have employees write common stereotypes for various groups on index cards – one per card. Prompt them to dig deep to reveal ways stereotypes and prejudice unconsciously creep into our minds, even about our own groups. Collect the anonymous cards.

Read stereotypes aloud, but swap them – ascribing each to a contrasting group they don’t match, ie. stereotypes for old white men to young Asian women. Discuss how it feels to have mismatched prejudices assigned and examine why statements sound so unreasonable when severed from our usual mental categories.

Use this absurdity to start examining how subtle stereotyping colors our perceptions and interactions. Explore ways to catch ourselves indulging prejudices or making biased assumptions so we can replace them with fair, accurate views of each person as an individual.

Celebrate Diversity with ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’

Imagining lives different from our own expands empathy. In this activity, employees creatively depict someone unlike themselves to guess each other’s imaginary dinner guest.

Ask people to visually represent a hypothetical guest with very different life experiences than their own. Encourage tapping into biases, assumptions and stereotypes in order to flip them. People introduce their depictions – through acting, drawing, pantomime – for colleagues to guess their guest’s identity and story.

Debrief about what depicting and guessing across differences revealed about unconscious biases and how to counter them. Use the experience to discuss ways of seeking understanding across diverse experiences at work.

Grow Empathy with ‘Walk a Mile in My Shoes’

Stepping into someone else’s shoes builds empathy. In this activity, employees share an experience then partners express understanding.

Prompt people to recall a time they felt excluded, faced a challenge, or encountered a significant life event. Partners listen closely. The sharing partner then asks: “Without advice or judgment, can you walk a mile in my shoes?” The listening partner describes what they heard about the feelings and meaning of the experience.

Debrief about deepening empathy by striving to see situations through each other’s perspectives before reacting. Discuss applying this mindset of seeking first to understand across differences.

Find Common Ground with Venn Diagrams

A simple Venn diagram can reveal the common ground beneath surface differences. Post two overlapping circles labeled with contrasting groups – like Introverts and Extroverts.

Ask people to silently write ideas, traits, and experiences unique to each group in the outer sections. Then have them call out commonalities to record in the intersecting space. Reveal and discuss insights about shared needs, values, and humanity.

Use this activity to break down “us vs them” thinking and false dichotomies. Understanding shared ground beneath differences lays the path for authentic inclusion.

Highlight Exceptional Colleagues with ‘Who is’ Superlatives

Positive recognition builds inclusion and counters unconscious bias. Have team members privately submit superlatives describing a colleague at their best, like “Who is the most creative?”

Read anonymous descriptions and have the group guess who it describes. Reveal the person and celebrate their skills. Make rounds to highlight different exceptional talents people exhibit, mindfully countering any tendencies people have to overlook contributions from certain groups.

Activities that reveal and challenge subtle prejudices allow authentic relating across diversity. Try Stereotype Switcheroos, imaginative empathy, seeking understanding, finding commonalities, and positive recognition. Countering unconscious bias takes continual self-work – but doing so unlocks inclusion.

Compliment Circle: Spreads Positivity & Appreciation

Positive shared experiences build bonds between diverse people. The simple activity “Compliment Circle” creates uplifting exchanges to foster inclusion.

Gather employees in a circle. Invite someone to start by complimenting the person to their right based on strengths or contributions they appreciate. That person then compliments the next person in the circle. Go around until everyone receives and gives positive recognition.

The momentum of sincere praise flowing around the circle generates a spirit of positivity, unity and appreciation for diversity. People beam as they are noticed. Make Compliment Circles an inclusive ritual after accomplishments or as a weekly booster.

Show Appreciation with ‘High 5s’

Simple acts of positivity can greatly boost inclusion when consistently practiced. Try ending meetings or weekdays with a round of High 5s of appreciation.

Have each person raise their hand and high five coworkers one by one as they pass, offering a different word of thanks each time like, “Great effort!” “So creative!” “You motivate me!” This uplifting ritual demonstrates small actions to spread positivity.

Give Cheers with ‘Applause for Coworkers’

Another way to cultivate a positive, inclusive culture is making cheer-filled applause a tradition. After meetings or events, have employees clap enthusiastically while chanting affirming phrases for each other like, “You rockstar!” “We’ve got this!” and “Dream team!”

Rallying collective cheers breeds encouragement, energizes people to bring their best efforts, and fosters the spirit of “we’re all in this together” that powers inclusion.

Showcase Awesomeness with ‘You Are Awesome Because…’

Highlighting colleagues’ positive qualities counters negativity bias. Have employees complete the sentence “You are awesome because…” about coworkers by writing on a whiteboard or sticky notes.

Emphasize looking for diverse contributions to recognize. Read reasons aloud and celebrate awesomeness. Make this an ongoing inclusion exercise by periodically designating “You Are Awesome Because…” times and posting praise.

Spread Sunshine with ‘Positivity Pals’

Inclusion thrives on positive relationships. Foster that by pairing people as Positivity Pals for a week. Pals secretly perform small acts of kindness for each other like leaving motivating notes or snacks and reporting back on the morale boost.

Switch Pals weekly so connections and uplifting ripples spread wide. Knowing someone has your back breeds comfort and inclusion. Simple practices that generate everyday positivity, care, and connection are key.

Create Inclusive Rituals with Coworker Highlights

Make spotlighting coworkers a warm ritual. At meetings or as an email practice, have someone share brief appreciation for another’s contribution – a high point, achievement, act of inclusion.

The spotlighted employee then continues by highlighting a different peer. Rotate regularly and mindfully shine light on diverse members. Consistent rituals of praise and thanks build inclusive culture.

Inclusion requires actively counterbalancing negatives with positives. Coworker compliments, cheers, high fives, peer praise, and positivity partners generate the affirming experiences needed to foster welcoming diversity. Sincere appreciation is infectious – put that force to work for you.

Equity or Equality?: Distinguishes Fair vs. Same Treatment

Equality and equity are often used interchangeably, obscuring meaningful differences. The simple activity “Equity or Equality?” builds understanding of when each approach promotes fairness and inclusion.

Read scenarios about distributing resources or opportunities among employees. After each, ask people to vote “equity” or “equality” for the fairest approach. Scenarios might include:
– Giving every employee $100 for professional development (equality) vs. giving lower-level employees $300, mid-level $200, and executives $100 based on need (equity).
– Dividing work evenly by giving everyone 10 accounts (equality) vs. allocating accounts based on experience and bandwidth (equity).

Discuss votes after each round. Surfacing diverse perspectives helps distinguish equality (same/equal treatment) from equity (fair treatment considering individual needs). Clarifying when each approach is inclusive allows more purposeful decisions.

Demonstrate Systemic Exclusion with ‘Line Up’

A simple activity illuminates how exclusion stems from systemic barriers more than individual acts. Ask people to line up based on birthdays without talking.

Frustration erupts as people try to sequence themselves with no means to exchange information. Debrief on how unclear criteria, communication breakdowns, and lack of transparency – not unlike broken organizational systems – perpetuate exclusion despite best intentions.

Roleplay Workplace Exclusion Scenarios

Dramatizing real-world exclusion scenarios builds empathy and skills to speak up. Develop roleplays showing subtle workplace exclusion related to gender, race, disability, introversion, etc. Have pairs act out scenarios then discuss feelings, insights and how to handle.

Roleplaying deepens understanding of microaggressions and bias that occur. It provides practice responding in the moment to foster inclusion. Rotate varied scenarios to expand awareness across many perspectives.

Learn Nonviolent Communication with ‘Giraffe’

Marshall Rosenberg’s nonviolent communication model promotes inclusive dialogue, even on hard topics. Introduce the concepts of “giraffe speak” – non-judgmental communication from the heart – versus “jackal speak” – language that judges and blames.

Practice translating insensitive statements into caring giraffe speak. This mindset shift equips people to openly, respectfully discuss diversity, preventing exclusion through better communication.

Promoting authentic inclusion requires understanding nuances like when equality versus equity applies. Roleplaying exclusion, fixing breakdowns, and communicating needs nonviolently builds skills for fairness. Developing these awarenesses unlocks potential to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.

Beyond the Golden Rule: Practices Cultural Sensitivity

The “Golden Rule” says to treat others as you want to be treated. But this principle can promote unconscious bias rather than inclusion. The activity “Beyond the Golden Rule” develops cultural sensitivity.

Introduce the Platinum Rule, to treat others as they want to be treated. Contrast scenarios showing limitations of the Golden Rule across cultural differences versus benefits of the Platinum Rule.

For example, an extrovert may enjoy lively debate so engages colleagues that way, not realizing this could feel confrontational to introverts. Practicing the Platinum Rule means first understanding colleagues’ communication preferences.

Discuss how seeking to understand diverse perspectives prevents assumptions and builds cultural awareness for more inclusive relationships.

Increase Intercultural Savvy with ‘ versatility, vulnerability, curiosity, and openness, according to research by interculturalist Milton Bennett. This activity promotes development of these traits.

Ask employees to recount cross-cultural encounters where they demonstrated each:
– Versatility in switching cultural perspective
– Vulnerability through cultural humility
– Curiosity by asking questions about cultural differences
– Openness to diverse worldviews

Discuss insights gained from showing these qualities even when difficult. Identify growth opportunities to expand intercultural competence through mindset shifts and skill building.

Develop Empathetic Listening with ‘Say More’

Being fully heard fosters inclusion. Practice empathetic listening and curiosity using “Say more about that.” After someone shares, respond only with this probing to uncover deeper feelings and perspectives. Repeat the exchange multiple times.

Debrief on how this listening approach, focused on understanding not advice-giving, makes people feel truly heard and valued. Emphasize cultivating an ongoing spirit of humble listening and openness to support inclusion.

Increase Flexibility with ‘Yes…and’ Improvisation

The improv rule “Yes…and” builds quick flexibility across diversity. One person makes an imaginary suggestion, the partner affirms “Yes…” and adds something building on the idea “…and”. Go back and forth rapidly “yes…and-ing.”

Debrief on how immediately validating ideas different from our own and co-creating requires openness to multiple perspectives – a key inclusion capability. Practicing this flexibility strengthens cultural dexterity.

Moving beyond the Golden Rule to truly understand cultural differences requires versatility, vulnerability, curiosity, and openness. Exercises fostering empathy, deep listening, and flexibility equip people with competencies to genuinely include across diversity.

Identity Iceberg: Reveals Hidden Aspects of Diversity

Fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture is crucial for any organization that wants to thrive in today’s global business environment. However, moving beyond surface-level diversity to truly understand people’s complex identities and lived experiences requires intention and work. Enter the “identity iceberg” – a simple but powerful metaphor that reveals the often overlooked aspects of diversity.

The Visible Tip of the Iceberg

Imagine an iceberg floating in the ocean. The tip sticking out above the water represents the visible aspects of diversity – things you can readily see or know about someone like gender, race, age, or physical appearance. However, this is just a small fraction of that person’s identity and experience.

The Hidden Bulk Below the Surface

The bulk of the iceberg lies unseen beneath the waves – symbolizing all the invisible or less apparent elements of diversity. These can include aspects like nationality, ethnicity, religion, language, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, family status, political views, work style, skills, life experiences, personality, health issues or disabilities, and more.

Two people may appear similar on the surface, while actually having very different perspectives, values, challenges, privileges, motivations, or needs. Uncovering those nuances is key for truly inclusive environments.

Using Games and Activities to Explore Identity

How can organizations peek below the waterline to understand employees’ identity icebergs? Interactive games, exercises, and discussions help get the conversations flowing. Here are 15 simple activities to try:

1. Identity Wheel – Have each person draw a wheel divided into wedges, labeling each spoke with an aspect of their identity. Share in small groups or pairs.
2. Privilege Walk – Have people line up shoulder to shoulder. Read statements like “take a step forward if you grew up in a two-parent household.” Observe people’s different positions at the end.
3. Stereotype Activity – Ask participants to silently write down the stereotypes they associate with various groups like seniors, millennials, etc. Discuss in a judgment-free way.
4. Storytelling – Encourage employees to share personal experiences around identity, diversity, or bias.
5. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner – Imagine you’ve invited someone quite different from yourself to dinner. What would you discuss? What might be challenging?
6. The Privilege Game – In small groups, have people reflect on experiences related to privilege and marginalization.
7. Blindfolded Activity – Have people give simple instructions to a blindfolded volunteer to build empathy. Discuss.
8. Positionality Statements – Participants summarize their background, experiences, biases, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations.
9. Diversity Bingo – Create bingo cards with diversity attributes. Participants mingle, seeking to complete their card.
10. What’s in a Name – Discuss the significance and meanings behind people’s names.
11. Imagine If… – Prompt people to imagine walking in someone else’s shoes with thought exercises beginning “Imagine if…”
12. Who am I? – Employees attach a photo, quote, or object that expresses an aspect of their identity on their backs. Others ask questions to guess who they “are.”
13. Step to the Line – Ask people to step to an imaginary line if a statement applies to them. See the diversity in responses.
14. Story Slam – Invite employees to share brief stories about identity, diversity, cross-cultural encounters, etc. Enjoy the storytelling and perspectives.
15. Culture Box or Show and Tell – Have people fill a box with objects representing facets of their identity. Take turns explaining the significance.

The Value of Exploring Identity Differences

Moving past assumptions by exploring the unseen aspects of diversity builds understanding, empathy, and inclusion. While conversations may feel awkward at first, they get easier with practice. Facilitate with compassion, curiosity, and an open mind.

Keep in mind that diversity goes far deeper than what meets the eye. Use interactive exercises to uncover the unique identity icebergs we each have below the surface. The rich insights that emerge create workplaces where people feel respected, valued, empowered, and able to thrive.

A Day in Your Shoes: Fosters Perspective-Taking

We all have a tendency to see the world from our own narrow perspectives. But walking in someone else’s shoes, even briefly, can profoundly expand our understanding. That’s why perspective-taking activities are powerful tools for building more empathetic, inclusive workplaces.

The Limits of Our Own Lens

Imagine wearing a pair of glasses that only allowed you to see the color blue. Anything red, green, or yellow would be invisible. This illustrates how our personal experiences color and restrict what we perceive. We each have unconscious biases and assumptions that filter reality.

In the workplace, this means we interpret behaviors, evaluate performance, and make decisions in ways aligned with our own worldview. We miss critical context about others’ backgrounds, challenges, motivations and needs.

Stepping Into Another’s Shoes

Simple exercises that ask people to imagine “walking a mile” in someone else’s shoes can work wonders. Rather than judging from the outside, you envision yourself in another person’s circumstance and mindset. Suddenly, behaviors take on new meaning and you gain empathy.

For example, you could imagine:

• Being the only woman in an engineering team meeting
• Having dyslexia and struggling with written reports
• Being a single parent facing morning drop offs and school events
• Joining a new team as the outsider with a different work style

Perspective-taking also builds self-awareness. Envisioning how we might appear through someone else’s eyes often reveals our biases and blindspots.

Games and Activities to Try

Here are some easy, engaging techniques to cultivate perspective-taking in your workplace:

1. Storytelling – Invite employees to share an experience when they felt excluded, misunderstood or like an outsider.
2. Reverse Role Play – Have participants act out scenarios switching roles. A manager plays the employee, an extrovert plays the introvert, etc.
3. Blind Leading – Partners take turns directing each other while blindfolded to build trust and understanding.
4. Day In The Life – Employees document an average day and discuss the context it provides.
5. Six-Word Memoirs – Individuals summarize an aspect of their identity in six words, then share stories behind their memoirs in small groups.
6. Guess Who? – Post anonymous personal profiles, have teams guess the person’s identity and discuss assumptions.
7. What If? Scenarios – Prompt reflection on bias with questions like “What if your VP was 30?” or “What if your manager was a foreigner?”
8. Drawing Identity – Participants visualize aspects of their identity through abstract drawings then explain the meanings.
9. Empathy Interviews – People pair up to interview each other about their background, values, challenges, proudest moments, or hopes.
10. Walking In Another’s Shoes – Individuals wear shoe cut-outs labeled with a bias or trait and describe the resulting interactions.

Expanding Perspectives Builds Inclusion

While it can feel uncomfortable at first, perspective-taking shifts ingrained mindsets. Instead of reacting with judgement, people respond with empathy. Bias and confusion give way to insight and self-awareness.

Make exercises part of meetings and workforce development initiatives. Share stories and encourage reflection. Use games and activities to step outside your own shoes regularly. You’ll be amazed at the new perspectives you’ll gain.

Guess Culture vs. Ask Culture: Highlights Communication Styles

We all have different habits and norms around communication. Becoming aware of diverse styles can prevent misinterpretations and improve inclusion. Understanding “guess culture” vs. “ask culture” is especially enlightening.

Guess Culture Relies on Implicit Cues

In guess cultures, people avoid directly asking for things. Subtle hints and reading between the lines is the norm. You observe implicit cues, make inferences, and take action. Asking outright feels awkward or rude.

For example, mentioning you skipped lunch signals you’re hungry and need a break. Bringing up a chilly office means you want someone to close the window. Guess culture depends on picking up on nuance.

Ask Culture Values Clear Requests

Unlike guess culture, ask culture emphasizes clearly articulating your request or need. Relying on hints seems inefficient and prone to misunderstandings. It feels more respectful to be direct.

In ask culture, you’d say “I’m feeling hungry, can I take 15 minutes to eat a snack?” or “I’m feeling cold, can you please close the window?” Straightforward questions are appreciated.

Miscommunication Between the Cultures

Problems arise when guess and ask cultures interact. To ask culture, hints feel passive-aggressive. But guess culture sees questions asawkward and unnecessary when you could just observe cues.

Likewise, ask culture finds it polite to give direct refusals like “Sorry, I can’t close the window now.” But in guess culture, that seems blunt and unaccommodating.

Bridging the Gap

How can organizations bring guess and ask culture employees together? Some tips include:

• Making styles explicit – Discuss differences in meetings or trainings without judgement.
• Encouraging ask culture – Institutionalize directness to involve diverse preferences.
• Making requests clear – Restate hints as questions, i.e. “It sounds like you’re hungry and want a break, is that right?”
• Avoiding assumptions – Don’t act on hints until checking, i.e. “I want to make sure I understand, are you cold and hoping I’ll close the window?”
• Giving clear responses – Accept or decline direct requests explicitly, i.e. “Yes I can close the window now” or “I’m sorry, I need it open because…”
• Reading cues charitably – If someone is hinting, generously interpret the implied request without judgement.
• Building understanding – Share perspectives to increase empathy for colleagues with different styles.

Improving Inclusion Through Communication Mindfulness

Inclusion means embracing diverse styles, not forcing everyone into one mold. Recognizing guess culture tendencies builds patience. Appreciating ask culture directness prevents misreads.

Model bridge-building by restating hinted requests and giving clear replies. Navigate style differences with empathy. Ensure colleagues feel heard, valued, and respected regardless of communication preferences.

A little mindfulness about guess versus ask culture goes a long way. You don’t have to change your natural style. Simply understanding that cues not requests, or vice versa, enables successful collaboration. Fostering this kind of inclusive communication raises the whole organization.

Color Brave vs. Color Blind: Values Open Dialogue on Race

Many workplaces take a “color blind” approach to increase equality – ignoring or downplaying racial differences. But is overlooking race really the best way to foster inclusion? An alternative approach called “color brave” offers a more nuanced path forward.

The Intention of Color Blindness

Color blind ideology stems from a well-meaning desire to judge people as unique individuals, not through the lens of race. The thinking goes that if we dismiss color altogether, equality will naturally emerge.

Implementing color blind policies often means prohibiting collection of race data, avoiding discussions of racial identity, or claiming not to notice skin color differences between people.

The Shortcomings of Color Blindness

Despite good intentions, color blind approaches have significant flaws. Being blind to race makes it hard to address systemic biases or barriers uniquely faced by people of color. Pretending not to notice race can feel invalidating.

Color blindness also reduces cultural diversity to mere tokenism. And research shows so-called color blind policies often perpetuate subtle biases and worsen racial disparities.

Color Brave Fosters Dialogue

Color brave offers a more nuanced approach. Instead of being blind to race, it means being brave enough to see and openly discuss it.

Color brave leaders facilitate constructive conversations about racial issues. They collect demographic data and analyze it for fairness gaps. They notice race judiciously – not automatically judging, yet acknowledging lived experiences.

The goal is racial literacy – understanding the systemic history, power dynamics, contributions, and perspectives of different groups. This knowledge builds interracial empathy and more equitable policies.

Having Courageous Conversations

Here are some tips for having color brave conversations in your workplace:

• Set expectations of openness, empathy and growth – not blame.
• Start with shared goals and company values to unify people of diverse races.
• Invite people of color to share their experiences and be heard.
• Ask employees to reflect on how race has impacted their life path.
• Discuss examples of subtle bias and racial misunderstandings at work.
• Share data on any race-related gaps in hiring, retention or advancement.
• Solicit input on enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Provide facilitator training on navigating cross-racial dialogue.

Progress Through Brave Conversations

Color blindness aims for equality by ignoring race differences. But color bravery drives change through truth-telling, empathy and justice.

Have the courage to see and speak about race – thoughtfully, critically and constructively. Keep the end goal of unity through deeper understanding. Replace color blindness with color bravery, and make progress through the open eyes of inclusion.

Inclusion Vision Board: Visualizes an Equitable Community

What does an ideally diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace look like? One powerful way to envision and manifest a community where everyone thrives is through a shared inclusion vision board.

The Power of Visualization

A vision board is a visual collection of images, words and quotes representing hopes, values and dreams. Vision boards leverage two key principles:

1. The mind can’t differentiate between visualization and reality. Mentally picturing outcomes activates the same neural pathways as achieving them.
2. Focusing thought and intention attracts related energy. Consciously envisioning something sets the wheels of manifestation in motion.

By visually “seeing” an ideal inclusive culture, organizations begin moving toward that reality.

The Process of Co-Creating

Here are some tips for holding an inclusion vision board workshop:

1. Gather a diverse cross-section of 8-12 employees along with ample art supplies – magazines for clipping images, glue, tape, markers, poster board.
2. Open with a guided meditation where participants mentally envision their ideal experience of belonging, respect, empowerment and opportunity at work.
3. Invite people to flip through magazines, selecting and clipping pictures, words and quotes representing inclusion to them – people collaborating, different races holding hands, groups smiling.
4. Have each person take turns sharing images they selected and what those representations mean about their vision for an equitable community.
5. As a group, co-create an artistic vision board collage on poster boards using all the elements volunteers contributed.
6. Display the finished vision board prominently. Revisit it in future workshops or meetings, recommitting to the vision.
7. Optionally, have each participant also create mini personal vision boards to affirm their roles in inclusion.

Inclusive Vision Themes

To spark ideas, here are some themes commonly highlighted on organizational inclusion vision boards:

• Multicultural faces, hands and symbols
• Words like respect, empathy, justice, belonging
• Nature imagery representing growth, partnership, ecology
• People collaborating on puzzles or goals
• Employees from diverse groups socializing together
• Uplifting quotes from activists, leaders and poets
• Scenes of community volunteering and activism
• Families embracing elders and children
• Illustrations of people with different abilities, appearances, styles etc.

Making the Intangible Tangible

Inclusion vision boards make aspirations for a just, equitable, diverse culture tangible. The participatory co-creation processaligns employees to a shared vision. Displaying the vision board keeps shining a light on the destination of true belonging.

Use the power of visualization to manifest the community you want to be. Let images, words and intuition guide your organization’s journey toward inclusion. Turn dreams into reality through an empowering vision board.