WEBVTT

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Everyone wants to feel
they've been heard

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and taken seriously about what's
important to them, right?

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That's one way to describe inclusion.

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Inclusion is the feeling that
we're part of a team or organization.

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That we're respected.

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Inclusion is a tool...
a strategy or an approach.

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It exists when we create a culture that
makes a space for everybody to be present

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and to participate and contribute  -

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feeling valued.

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When we're working with
someone who is similar to us,

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it's often easier to feel included than
when we're working with someone

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who's different from us.

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This mix of similarities and
differences is known as diversity.

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Diversity can take many
forms to include culture,

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occupation, education, work style
and personality, just to name a few.

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Sometimes I wonder why we can't ignore
these differences and all just get along.

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That's when I remember that

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even when we're similar we
can have different opinions.

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It's these differences in diversity
that can be challenging

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because they are often tied to
strongly held beliefs and values

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that may be fundamental
to our sense of who we are.

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You see,

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the belief used to be that similarity
enhanced teamwork and performance -

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while differences

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create challenges.

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That idea led to the exclusion of many
people based on things like race,

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age, gender, religion, and disability.

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Now we know we need the full
range of available talent

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to be competitive
in a global marketplace.

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When you get right down
to the bottom-line,

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we can't afford to exclude anyone who
can contribute to our success.

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This means we must pay
attention to our words and actions

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and be ready to make adjustments

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when we recognize the effects
are not what we wanted.

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It's pretty simple...

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but it's not easy.

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I've learned it's well worth the effort
in terms of the relationships

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that support productivity,

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teamwork, and customer care.

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Having diversity in the workplace
is just the beginning.

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Without inclusion to support
our workplace differences,

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we could still end up
having discouragement,

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impaired performance, turnover

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or experiences of inequality
and inequity.

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Being inclusive is a conscious
act and intention

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because we are most often
attracted to and comfortable

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with those who share our similarities.

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Diversity without
inclusion is not enough.

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Inclusion is how we optimize

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our diversity potential.