Building a Diverse & Inclusive Creative Workspace in 9 Steps

Contents

1. Acknowledge Diverse Backgrounds

2. Promote Open Dialogue

3. Provide Equal Opportunities

4. Implement Inclusion Training

5. Create Safe Spaces

6. Encourage Cultural Awareness

7. Incorporate Diverse Perspectives

8. Establish Conflict Resolution Protocols

9. Measure and Improve

Building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace is not just a lofty goal—it's a vital part of any successful business strategy. In the creative industry especially, it's important to harness the power of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas to drive innovation and growth. In this blog, we'll walk you through nine practical steps to foster diversity and inclusion in your creative workspace, making it a thriving, vibrant, and inclusive environment for everyone.

1. Acknowledge Diverse Backgrounds

The first step in building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace is acknowledging the different backgrounds of your team members. Everyone brings their unique experiences, skills, and perspectives to the table and it is important to value and respect this diversity.

• Recognize and value differences: Each member of your team has a unique story to tell. Be it their cultural heritage, educational journey, or personal experiences—these differences are a wealth of creativity to tap into.
• Hold regular team-building activities: Organize activities that allow team members to share their backgrounds and experiences. A fun example could be a "Cultural Potluck" where everyone brings a dish from their native cuisine, or a "Walk in My Shoes" day where team members share experiences from their lives.
• Implement diversity-friendly policies: Policies play a big role in fostering an inclusive environment. For example, acknowledging different religious and cultural holidays, or flexible work hours to accommodate different lifestyles or time zones.

By taking these steps, you not only create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard, but also foster a creative workspace that thrives on the richness of diverse ideas and perspectives.

2. Promote Open Dialogue

Building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace goes beyond just acknowledging diversity—it involves promoting open dialogue. An environment where people can express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment or backlash is the cornerstone of an inclusive creative workspace.

• Open up communication channels: Encourage all team members to voice their opinions, ideas, and concerns. This can be in the form of regular team meetings, anonymous suggestion boxes, or digital platforms like Slack, where everyone can participate in the conversation.
• Practice active listening: It's not enough to just have open channels for communication. You also need to listen—really listen—to what your team members are saying. This means understanding their perspective, empathizing with their experiences, and taking action where necessary.
• Encourage feedback: Constructive feedback, both from superiors and peers, is essential for growth. Encourage a culture where feedback is seen as a tool for improvement, rather than a personal attack.

Promoting open dialogue not only helps in building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace but also fosters a sense of belonging among team members. It sends a clear message that every voice matters and that everyone's contribution is valued.

3. Provide Equal Opportunities

When it comes to building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace, providing equal opportunities to all is fundamental. This means ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has an equal shot at success within your organization.

• Hire diversely: When recruiting, make an effort to reach out to candidates from a range of backgrounds. Look beyond the typical talent pools and consider candidates who can bring fresh perspectives to your team.
• Ensure fair promotions: Promotions should be based on merit, not favoritism. This means recognizing and rewarding hard work and talent, instead of basing decisions on personal relationships or biases.
• Support professional development: Provide resources for all team members to learn and grow. This could be in the form of online training courses, workshops, or mentoring programs. Everyone should have the opportunity to develop their skills and advance their careers.

Providing equal opportunities is a key step in building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace. It not only boosts morale and job satisfaction among your team members, but it also enhances your organization's reputation as a fair and inclusive employer.

4. Implement Inclusion Training

As part of building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace, it's important to educate your team about the values of diversity and inclusion. This is where inclusion training comes into play.

• Hold regular training sessions: These sessions should cover topics like unconscious bias, cultural sensitivity, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The aim is to create a space where everyone feels understood, respected, and valued.
• Invite expert speakers: Consider bringing in experts in the field of diversity and inclusion to provide fresh insights and share their experiences. This can be a powerful way to inspire your team and foster a deeper understanding of these issues.
• Encourage participation: Make sure everyone on your team is involved in these training sessions. The more people participate, the more they will learn and the more effective the training will be.

Remember, inclusion training is not a one-off event. It should be an ongoing process that continues to evolve and adapt to the needs of your team. By doing so, you're one step closer to building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace where everyone feels they belong.

5. Create Safe Spaces

Creating a conducive environment for everyone—regardless of their background—is a key step in building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace. Safe spaces are areas where all team members can express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings without fear of judgment or retribution.

• Establish clear policies: Make it known that discrimination, harassment, and bullying are not tolerated. This will set the tone for a respectful and inclusive atmosphere.
• Implement a feedback system: Encourage your team to voice their concerns or suggestions for improvement. Let them know their voices matter and their feedback can lead to positive changes.
• Provide resources: This could be in-house counselors, mental health resources, or mediation services. These resources can provide crucial support when dealing with difficult situations or conflicts.

Remember, a safe space isn't built overnight—it's a process. But it's a process that's well worth the effort when building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace. When everyone feels safe and valued, it fosters a culture of respect and collaboration that can drive your team to new heights.

6. Encourage Cultural Awareness

Now, let's jump into another key aspect of building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace: encouraging cultural awareness. This means fostering an environment where different cultures, traditions, and practices are not only recognized but celebrated.

1. Organize Cultural Events: Consider hosting events that celebrate various holidays, traditions, or cultures represented within your team. You could even invite employees to share something about their culture—like a traditional dish or story. It's a fun way to learn about each other and build stronger bonds.
2. Education and Training: It's important that everyone in the workspace understands the value and importance of diversity. Training sessions or workshops on cultural sensitivity and understanding can be a great way to cultivate this.
3. Encourage Dialogue: Open discussions about culture and diversity can lead to greater understanding and empathy among team members. These conversations might be challenging at times, but they are key to building an inclusive environment.

By encouraging cultural awareness, you create an environment where everyone feels seen, understood, and valued. And who wouldn't want to be a part of such a workspace?

7. Incorporate Diverse Perspectives

As we continue our journey on building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace, let's focus on incorporating diverse perspectives. This means making space for everyone's ideas and input, no matter their background or role in the company.

1. Encourage Participation: Make sure everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and thoughts. This can be as simple as asking for input during meetings, or creating a dedicated channel in your office communication tool for brainstorming and idea sharing.
2. Value Different Approaches: Everyone has unique ways of thinking and solving problems, and that's a good thing! When you value different approaches, you encourage innovation and creativity in your workspace.
3. Create Diverse Teams: Try to ensure that project teams represent a mix of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. The more diverse your team, the more varied and innovative the solutions they come up with will be.

Remember, diversity isn't just about who we are, but also how we think. By incorporating diverse perspectives, you're not only building a more inclusive workspace—you're also setting the stage for unprecedented creativity and innovation.

8. Establish Conflict Resolution Protocols

Even in the most harmonious creative workspace, conflicts will inevitably arise. It's not the presence of conflict that defines your workspace, but rather how you handle it. By building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace, you’re creating an environment where individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives coexist. This diversity can sometimes lead to disagreements or misunderstandings. Therefore, it's important to establish clear conflict resolution protocols.

1. Open Communication: Encourage employees to express their concerns without fear of retribution. This can be done by setting up weekly check-ins or suggestion boxes where employees can voice their thoughts.
2. Neutral Mediation: In cases of serious disputes, consider bringing in a neutral third party to mediate. This could be a human resources representative or an external mediator.
3. Clear Guidelines: Have clear guidelines in place for dealing with conflicts. Make sure these guidelines are communicated to all employees and that they understand the consequences of not adhering to them.

Remember, the goal is not to prevent conflict, but to handle it in a way that respects everyone involved and maintains the inclusive nature of your workspace. By doing so, you're not just resolving issues—you're strengthening the bonds within your team.

9. Measure and Improve

Building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace isn't a one-and-done deal—it's an ongoing process. Measurement is a critical part of this process. Without it, you won't know whether your efforts are working or if you need to adjust your approach. But how exactly do you measure diversity and inclusion? Here are a few strategies:

1. Surveys: Regularly survey your team to gauge their sense of belonging and inclusion. Ask questions that capture their experiences and feelings about diversity in the workplace.
2. Objective Metrics: Look at the numbers. What's the gender, racial, and age diversity of your team? Remember, though, that diversity isn't just about these visible factors. Consider also aspects like educational background, neurodiversity, and more.
3. Employee Retention: If your employees stick around for the long haul, that's a good sign that you’re building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace. High turnover, on the other hand, might indicate that you need to work on your diversity and inclusion strategies.

But don't stop at measurement. Use your findings to make improvements. If your surveys reveal that some team members feel left out, take steps to address this. If your metrics show a lack of diversity, consider how to attract a wider range of talent. Try new things, learn from your mistakes, and constantly strive to do better. That's the key to building a diverse and inclusive creative workplace that truly benefits everyone.

If you're inspired by the idea of building a diverse and inclusive creative workspace, be sure to check out the workshop 'Building A Sustainable Career As A Multidisciplinary Artist' by Rosa van Iterson. This workshop will provide you with valuable insights on how to create a successful and inclusive environment for multidisciplinary artists, fostering collaboration and growth within the creative community.