Ways to Make Your Workplace More Inclusive
What’s on the walls of your office, and what does it express not only about you but also about who would be comfortable there?
On Nov. 16, 2018, as part of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group’s program “Diversity in the First Chair: Symposium on Women and Diverse Lawyers in the Courtroom and Boardroom,” Kenji Yoshino, the NYU Law School Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law, spoke to a select group of law firm leaders and managing partners about how to foster more inclusive workplaces. First, Yoshino described “covering” behavior, in which individuals downplay or reject manners, affiliations or activities in order to “fit in” at work, to the detriment of both the individual and the organization. He then offered strategies that firms and legal departments can use to create environments where all employees have a shared sense of belonging. And finally, Yoshino offered practical suggestions that individuals can adopt to create and foster a more inclusive workplace. And assessing your office artwork was just one of them.
