Simple Tips for Improving DEI
A diverse, inclusive team brings together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and talents. When team members feel seen, heard, and empowered, the whole group benefits from enhanced creativity, innovation, and motivation.
It’s important to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and to foster an inclusive environment that values the diversity of your team members. Here are five great ways to celebrate your team’s diversity.
Cultural Exchange Events
Acknowledge and embrace different cultural celebrations. Take the time to learn about significant holidays, festivals, and traditions outside of mainstays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Encourage employees to share their cultural practices, such as food, music, or clothing, and consider organizing respectful, tasteful team events around those celebrations. Or simply organize a cultural potluck, where employees can bring and share traditional dishes from their cultures. It’s a fun, festive way to show appreciation for each team member’s background.
Diversity Groups
Set up a discussion group to promote open dialogue, understanding, and inclusivity among employees from various backgrounds. Basically, create a safe space where colleagues can openly talk about topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. The group might meet regularly, either in-person or virtually, and can be facilitated by a designated leader or even a trained DEI professional.
Employee Spotlight
Create a platform where employees can share their personal stories, cultural backgrounds, and traditions. That might entail short written pieces, brief video interviews, or live presentations—sort of like mini-TED talks. By highlighting individual experiences, you foster a sense of belonging and encourage empathy among colleagues.
Alternatively, put together a recognition plan or program. Make a point to regularly highlight the contributions of team members from various ethnicities, genders, and cultural backgrounds. Make sure to mark major milestones, professional growth, and personal accomplishments.
Buddy Programs
On a more personal level, pair employees from different cultural backgrounds as buddies or mentors. It lets them connect, exchange cultural insights, and provide support to each other. It promotes relationship building and helps new employees acclimate to the organization’s culture.
Team Building Games
Team building games, such as our many, many team building scavenger hunts and virtual games, break down barriers, encourage collaboration, improve colleagues’ communication skills. While any of our games can do that trick, we also offer a variety of diversity-focused games. They’ll bring your team together and make them think—while still enjoying a fun, fast-paced event. They include:
- Celebrate Pride: The LGBTQ Trivia Game
- Celebrate Black History Month Trivia Game
- Celebrate Diversity: A Virtual Team-Building Scavenger Hunt
- From Hidden Figures to Icons: An African American Museum Scavenger Hunt
- Celebrate Diversity at MoMA Scavenger Hunt
- Celebrate Diversity at the Smithsonian Scavenger Hunt
- Wonder Women in History Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Find More Fun
Get your team together for our team building scavenger hunts and virtual games. Play all sorts of trivia games, travel the world, tackle a game full of death and puzzles, and more.
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Image credits: Group on bench photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash