Different opinions bring fresh ideas...

Written by Siena Taylor.
Mocean is a multi-award winning employee engagement and internal comms agency based in Bristol & London

At the beginning of the year we watched the US presidential inauguration as President Biden set out his vision for a new era of ‘unity and togetherness’. The changes seen to the top level leadership at the Whitehouse was a marker for the rest of the world to step up and change the way we see others.

Diversity and inclusion means being welcome to all people regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification or disability. A diverse and inclusive workforce inspires fresh ideas, different opinions, new vision and enables innovation. A strong commitment to D&I is a fundamental strength of a modern business.

Here at Mocean we believe that success comes when everyone feels included and valued because inclusion is the very foundation of team cohesion. Being part of ‘something’ is energising and inspiring but if one person is ignored then we cannot truly achieve greatness. If someone is different in some way, we shouldn’t feel threatened. We should accept them into our world and celebrate the richness they bring to our culture and everything we can achieve together. By having open minds we can open up a world of possibilities and seeing things differently to others can be hugely powerful.

We did some great work on D&I at the end of last year for our friends at Babcock Marine as part of their culture change programme. Everyone has the right for psychological safety at work and a stronger sense of belonging comes by building a more inclusive culture. The right to feel safe in your working environment, to feel accepted for who you are and to feel respected for your contributions. It's about being valued as a member of the team and it’s great to see traditional companies like this taking a modern and progressive approach to Diversity and Inclusion.

“Inclusion is no longer a mandate, it’s an opportunity instead of mandate, we should consider inclusion as an opportunity to on-board talent without any boundaries and limitations - cross-geography, cross domain, multi-generational and across genders” - People Matters.

D&I makes great business sense especially for employee engagement and experience - employees in diverse businesses are typically happier and more productive, they attract better talent, they are more innovative and are favoured by customers and investors alike. Diverse companies also win more business, grow faster and are more profitable than less diverse businesses. In short, diverse businesses perform better in almost every single way. We need to celebrate our differences and recognise those differences truly make us better as people and as a business. 

We can support your shift towards becoming a more inclusive company so please get in touch to discuss how e can help.