It can be both thrilling and overwhelming to realize we have much capacity to continue our journey of awareness when it comes to anyone different from ourselves. March brings an intentional and unified awareness surrounding the topic of disabilities as National Disabilities Awareness Month and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (DDAM).

As we celebrate Black History month, this year’s focus is surrounding the topic of Black Health and Wellness. Not only do we look to the past and acknowledge the legacy of medical scholars and practitioners within black communities who have been instrumental in the progress of medicine, but we also look to the future, seeing how black health and wellness is such a worthy theme to devote regular time and effort toward.

With a focus on Black History this month, we’d like to give your team tools and ideas for intentional ways you can make space for conversation and celebration within your work community! The best place to start is to realize this is not a month-long endeavor. It’s a life-long endeavor. While February is singled out as a special awareness month, our jobs in creating safety and empathy within this conversation is definitely not limited to 28 days of the year.

If you desire to pave a path toward healthy culture, inclusive leadership, and supported employees, it’s time to get practical with a game plan for how you can best incorporate storytelling within your organization as it pertains to race.

One of the top priorities of an inclusive leader should be to ensure their team members are valued. Doesn’t this sound great? We can tend to err on the side of simply talking about value while lacking practical application. We can nod our heads in agreement, but until we find tangible ways to incorporate it in our leadership, the effects will be hit-or-miss. One of those tangible methods in your inclusive leadership is storytelling.

The idea of “collaboration,” especially cross-culturally, can seem like an abstract idea at times. We like the sound of it. Many would admit to the need for it. But few seem to grasp the tangible ways we can achieve it.

The beauty of inclusive leadership is its positive effects on both employer and employee. While employees working in a healthy and inclusive environment will feel a sense of value, belonging, and respect, the employer also reaps the benefits of elevated work performance within the organization. Before we can know how to get there, we need to understand what we’re aiming for.

Diversity is a hot topic in today’s culture. There is a growing interest in diversity within organizations, and it can be challenging to understand not only the path to get there successfully but also what diversity is in the first place.