This process is uplifting, truthful, reconciling and regenerating. I love this work!
It’s not difference that divides us. It’s our judgements about each other that do, writes Margaret Wheatley. And Carl Jung, in a seemingly paradoxical way, reminds us that “we cannot change anything unless we accept it.”
These two ideas sit at the heart of my work in Diversity and Inclusion.
Meaningful inclusion begins with self-acceptance, and self-acceptance is grounded in understanding. This means developing insight into the psychological and neurological processes that shape how we work with people who differ from us in culture, background, experience, and ways of thinking. Such understanding helps explain why we respond as we do – and opens up possibilities for responding more intentionally and effectively.
Change follows acceptance. In my work, this change is supported through an Appreciative Inquiry process that focuses on discovering what enables individuals and groups to feel strong, whole, and able to trust one another across difference. From this shared understanding, we can build on existing strengths and sustain a deeper, more respectful way of working together over time.