We know we want to build equity, diversity, and inclusion into our policies and planning, but how do we actually do that?
This is a question we get from clients all the time. Working towards EDI and belonging in your organization isn’t simple – it requires holding a lot of information and perspectives all at once. And, there’s definitely no “one right way” to go at it. Every individual and organization is going to have their own unique EDI journey. Still, there are critical lenses and questions that can help guide you towards equity, diversity, and inclusion when you are engaged in planning or creating policies.
So, we decided to create a cheat sheet that we could share with clients! While researching to create this, we came across a fabulous article, “Ten Guiding Principles for DEI Work” by Michelle Silverthorn, the founder of Inclusion Nation. It is such a great framework that we felt with a good bit of adaptation it could serve as the start for our own “EDI Lenses and Questions for Planning & Policies” document. Some bits we just added on to, while others we changed completely, all while adding guiding questions to help you apply the lens while designing policies and planning.
Below is the cheat sheet – we hope it can be of use to you in growing EDI throughout your organization. Many of these areas deserve their own exploration and expansion, like accountability, which is a huge topic we dive deep into with our Growing Sustainable EDI Accountability Workshop. And, creating a culture of care is an art that deserves a lifetime of practice. Still, this document is a great starting place to help hone your inquiry skills and design practices towards building equity, diversity, and inclusion into your policies and planning.