Diversity, Equity & Inclusion For Dummies

Introduction

Welcome to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion For Dummies. As I write this, the timing for this book couldn’t be more perfect given the predictions about the workplace of the future. I can’t tell you what an honor is to write the first-ever book of this type in this series. I’m Dr. Shirley Davis, and I’ve spent over 30 years in Human Resources and as a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, a corporate executive, and now a global workforce consultant. I believe that all my experiences (both professional and personal) have prepared me to contribute this body of work.

Since the 2010s, the global workforce, marketplace, and communities have undergone significant demographic shifts, making workplaces more diverse than ever before. And research reveals that this trend will continue. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have taken a front seat for organizations seeking to capitalize on new talent — more women, greater ethnicity, five generations, and different abilities, backgrounds, experiences, thinking styles, beliefs, and ways of working — and build world-class cultures. They recognize that in order to attract, engage, and retain top talent and new customers, clients, and members, they must have strong leaders who can work effectively across differences, and they must foster a work environment where all talent enjoys a sense of belonging and inclusion and has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Most organizations aren’t there yet, though, and most leaders still aren’t comfortable ...