Additionally, try and examine what policies might be missing or could be more accessible to collectively enable EDI&A initiatives in your organization. This could start with asking employees what gaps they see. For example, recently our 2SLGBTQIA+ business resource group (BRG) identified for us that a potential travel destination we were looking at for a reward trip (Jamaica) was a country that criminalized LGBTQ+ rights. This instigated a policy around business travel that prevented travel to destinations that criminalize LGBTQ+. Similarly, our BRGs also identified that our policies and HR documents were not gender inclusive which also instigated a full change to all of our policies and HR documents!

Navigating workplace diversity and inclusion policies 1.Encourage your mentee to stay informed about industry best practices, changes in policies, and emerging trends in diversity and inclusion. 2.Encourage your mentee to build a diverse professional network. Connecting with individuals from different backgrounds can provide valuable insights and opportunities. 3.Encourage your mentee to engage in conversations with colleagues, managers, and HR about diversity and inclusion. 4.Encourage your mentee to aspire to be an inclusive leader themselves.

Many organization's have employee social groups that nurture their DEI strategy plans. These groups are great because they adhere to policies and promote a space for sharing stories and experiences, while also offering opportunities for others to get involved.

This also creates bonds of trust and encourages action. Be vulnerable and share your struggles so your mentee can see your growth. Model the behavior you wish to see.

We learn not just through our own experiences, but through the connected experiences of colleagues and community. Your experiences shared may be the key piece of insight or perspective someone may need. Often the beauty of growth within communities is the capacity individuals have to share the failures and successes, moments of growth and moments of vulnerability.

This is a good idea indeed. Sharing experiences help a lot. We might provide answers to many questions that people might be having and sharing a real life story, an experience..... good or not so good, might be a saviour for many.

So often there can be temptation to listen through our our own lens of knowledge and perspective. A key pillar of the mentor/mentee relationship is to listen to their concerns, make space to understand their experiences or views, and support them to work towards refining their view and becoming clear in their expectations.

One tactical thing people can do if they're early in their exploration of DEIB topics is to make a targeted effort to diversify their social media feeds. By finding and following people who have diverse lived experiences and have chosen to talk about their experiences to educate others it can be a way to learn more on an ongoing basis without taxing people in the workplace. By learning from those who choose to talk about topics that may be challenging the mentee can start to build empathy and understanding for others in the flow of their normal engagement with social media or LinkedIn.

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is one technique to help find the areas that require some work. For example, Strengths also the mentee to acknowledge what they are doing well. Weaknesses makes space for honest and candid conversation about what can be improved. Opportunities may include going a DEI committee, or inviting a DEI member to come to a team meeting, to share information and what the business is doing internally to work towards DEI goals. allows a threat might be not accessing a variety of view through media, social channels, book and internal resources, to allow the mentee to have an informed view.

When having any Policy Round D&I, it's extremely important to assess if the organisation ecosystem is ready for it or not. This includes the Founders or Management, the building space or office that u operate in, your current employees including the housekeeping staff etc. Sensitisation of all the stakeholders is so crucial. Now imagine you hiring a transgender but they are being ridiculed at by the building security. Or, you hiring someone who is visually impaired but your office building doesn't have the necessary Braille notations in the lift. Take a stock of the entire ecosystem that you operate in and then formulate policies.

No one person speaks for all diverse folks and experiences. It's ok to acknowledge when someones needs or concerns are outside of your realm of expertise. Having other people and resources available can show you're willing to be supportive but won't put you in the position of speaking for people and experiences that you aren't knowledgable in. If someone expects you to cover all facets of diversity it may be worth seeing what other internal resources are available to support your mentee so you're not carrying their needs alone.