🤗 INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES 🤗

Here's a little throwback post...

I'm really honored to share the stage with these amazing speakers Raga D'silva (She/Her) Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Speaker Advisor, Roch Vilo & Wendy Alison Yung (she/her/hers) who have done great work in their communities pushing for LGBTQ+ rights and promoting inclusivity.

Thanks to the #ShhOUT conference for having me, a virtual full-day #PrideMonth event on LGBTQ+ advocacy in Asia organised by Human Resources Online. 

Here are some takeaways and reflection after the session:

- When it comes to true inclusion, everyday interactions with peers and leaders matter as much as organizational policies or formal processes. As an individual, no matter our sexual orientation or gender identity, we should be “that safe space” for our LGBTQ+ employees.

- The first step toward improving the experiences of your LGBTQ+ employees is to understand their challenges. All leaders (or any individual) should stay connected to what it means to be LGBTQ+ at work; this type of learning never ends.

- Do note that a member of the LGBTQ+ community will have to constantly come out throughout their lives. It is a conscious decision that we make day-to-day. Practice empathy with that.

- Education can help ensure that your LGBTQ+ commitment is lived throughout the organization. It can decrease the frequency of microaggressions, root out unconscious bias, promote respect toward LGBTQ+ colleagues, and equip employees to recognize and respond to inappropriate behavior.

Inclusion is a long-term endeavor, and there’s still a long way to go for many companies around Diversity and Inclusion - but it's indeed an exciting opportunity for growth, isn't it?