What is DEIBA?
Diversity. Equity, Inclusion. Belonging, Accessibility.
These words can be daunting, yet in the current landscape of our world, they are ubiquitous—one cannot go very far without hearing at least one of these words, let alone all of them. So I thought I would take a few minutes here and explain what they mean to me:
Diversity is getting everyone in the room. Yes, everyone. If you can’t fit everyone, make a bigger room. Build a bigger table. Everyone deserves to have a voice, but equally important: everyone deserves to see themselves reflected in not only the physical makeup of an organization but also the values of an organization.
Equity is the act of acknowledging how systemic power imbalances affect our daily lives AND making sure that this power is re-balanced to make sure that all have what they need to bring their full voice to the table.
Inclusion is the process of continually welcoming all perspectives to the table, acknowledging that all of these perspectives matter and are heard.
Belonging is encouraging individuals to bring their whole selves. While we have only recently started talking about this in our industries on a more significant and collective level, it is the only way for businesses and other organizations to realize their full potential. You cannot have belonging without all three of the previous processes: diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Accessibility is making sure that everyone has the tools they need in order to succeed—and if there are any barriers to success, dismantling these barriers to entry.
I have gotten questions about these topics for a long time, so I decided that I want to be a part of the solution in getting DEIBA to be a part of people’s everyday personal and professional lives. This can happen in big ways like organizational vision-mapping or smaller ways like changing the way you program and use language as an educator or organizational leader—both make significant impacts. I have built a business to help creatives, organizational leaders, musicians, and other change makers, and I am excited to announce that it launches today! There are no small DEIBA changes, and they can seem daunting but every journey begins with a single step.
And that’s why I’m here to help. There is no shame in not knowing, so long as you are wholeheartedly seeking the information. I have seen people struggle and I am dedicating myself to be a part of the solution. If you would like to connect about this, please feel free to contact me to set up a meeting.
Change happens slowly and over time, but if we don’t commit to starting the conversations and leaning into the discomfort of not knowing, we will fail to change our world for the better—we can be a part of the growth that must happen in order for our world to evolve.
