Effective Diversity, Equity, Inclusion And Belonging Strategies Need Good Internal Communication
In this blog post, we want to raise awareness around the importance of strategic communication in the context of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) work within organizations;
We will provide insights on why internal communication is key to the successful execution of DEIB strategies and share more in detail how to design and practice DEIB strategic communication.
Let’s be honest: change is needed, but it can be tough.
Every organization engaging with DEIB work is stepping into the change strategy area and needs to be careful about how it handles the communication and change strategy across its team.
Therefore, at Dr. Mega Consulting, we focus a lot on helping organizations create an internal communication strategy that supports their effort of building a Culture of Belonging in which people and teams clearly understand, participate and shape the DEIB work being done
Why is strategic communication so important when it comes to DEIB work?
Strategic communication plays a key role in facilitating the change management process and supporting the execution of DEIB strategies.
Communication isn’t just about transferring information.
Communication is a powerful bridge to facilitate and often harmonize the emotional experience coming along with the change-by-design nature of the DEIB work.
We help clients understand that communication isn’t just about the transfer of information. Rather it’s about transparency and providing everyone an opportunity to co-create and be part of the conversation (and action).
After all, how can people get excited or involved in DEIB initiatives if they don’t know that something is happening?
How can they hold you accountable to the goals you have set as an organization if they don’t know what those goals are?
How can they provide feedback, suggestions and personal experiences with the interventions or programs rolled out?
Internal communication supports DEIB strategies by helping organizations to:
- Build trust and psychological safety, allowing them to gather self-reported data down the line.
- Raise visibility for existing support structures and creates buy-in for initiatives.
- Gather more volunteers for initiatives and distribute the work on many shoulders.
- Democratize information through transparency.
- Facilitate feedback, which is needed to co-create with all stakeholders and involve everyone in the process.
Good communication nourishes co-creation
We know that change feels less scary when we approach it together!
When we strategize communication around DEIB work, we strategize the creation of bridges. We create space for synergies to arise and for people to become part of the story and path of change inside the organization that they are a central and essential part of.
- Communication facilitates access to information.
- Access to information democratizes knowledge.
- Knowledge empowers diverse stakeholders to participate in DEIB work.
- Participation drives co-creation.
- Co-creation strengthens the movement-building effect.
- Movement and endorsement generate pushes for change at different organizational levels and influence decisions toward change and impact.
What does it concretely look like to create strategic internal communication for DEIB changes within the workplace?
In our experience supporting clients in their DEIB strategy, we identified some steps that support the work of designing and executing strategic communication.
First, we invite our clients to define the purpose of their DEIB internal communication and get clear about the strategic role of DEIB communication.
The second most important step is mapping internal stakeholders to understand who different audiences are, why and how communication can help target them, meet their needs and activate their engagement in the DEIB work.
Third, organizations need to organize and optimize their communication channels and processes to link them to DEIB goals and communication purposes;
Where and how will the communication happen? Which channels are going to be used? Who will lead communication operations?
Last but not least, we suggest organizations create a content and communication strategy including a list of topics that should be shared with each audience group, communication style and tone of voice, the purpose of each content piece and frequency.
Communication engineers community-building.
DEIB work can get exhausting and lonely. No team or individual should be (left) alone in doing it.
A community-driven and strategic approach to internal communication can be powerful in strengthening connections across different purposes and audiences and bringing people together under a shared, change-making mission.
When we curate communication approaches, we are not only democratizing information and fostering participatory practices. We are building communities around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging work and spaces for the co-creation of meaningful change.
Working to overcome oppressive structures and creating equitable opportunities require all of us to benefit all of us and ultimately bring us together.
If you are looking for support to evaluate how you can best foster a sense of belonging in your team or organization, check out our consulting offers and get in touch!
We also invite you to browse some other articles full of actionable advice on our blog.
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