Everyone is talking about inclusivity and diversity – as if the mere mention could fix the problem.
We hang it around corporate’s neck like a wreath and say: “You fix it. It is your fault; you need to make sure we are more inclusive and embrace my diversity.”
But it’s not only corporate’s responsibility – they have a huge part to play in it and correct, they also need to rebuild their culture and brand to ensure that they are indeed more inclusive of other’s diversity.
But where it needs to truly start – is at home.

It starts with you and me.
What we tell our children around the dining room table. How we describe other cultures, races, genders, and faiths – and what we don’t say – those little half-winked smiles when we describe others – it is clear that you are not earnest in your remarks.
We are the Noobs in this beautiful country called Scotland. We might look like everyone else, but our accents are different, our way of life is different, and our way of thinking is different.
Our little girl struggled to find a friend that she could call her own. She is the Noob and “invaded” the existing circles of friendships already formed.
We raised our concerns with the school and the next day they started little discussions on how to be a good friend and how to invite a new person into your group.
That same day, she started having the best of friends to play with. That simple.
But this is something we have been teaching our children from a young age. To include the outsiders, if you see a new kid at school, invite them into your circle. They might be awkward, as they will be, just give them some time to settle in and be their natural selves.
Since the dawn of social media – we have become incredibly entitled. Entitled to our own opinions and entitled to what we believe is ours by divine right.
For example:
The same thing happens all the time on social media posts – “Say what you want, but only my opinion matters. I am right because I thought of it and I wrote it on my social media page, therefor it must be true, and your opinion does not matter.”
But those same people will scream from the rooftops: “Corporates are not being inclusive, and you do not embrace my diversity that I bring to the team, you need to change!”
But we never look at ourselves, we never turn the spotlight back onto ourselves and expect ourselves to change – only others must change.