What’s it all about?
Building Inclusion is primarily a book about behaviours, policies, procedures and practices that we need to adopt to consciously build inclusion into our world, otherwise, we’re unconsciously building in exclusion.
If I had to break down what sort of things you will read about, it would be this:
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI): The book emphasises the importance of creating inclusive environments within the built environment sector. It highlights the necessity of equitable practices and diversity to foster a workplace and society where everyone can thrive.
Cultural Intelligence: A significant portion of the book deals with the development and application of cultural intelligence. This involves understanding and appreciating differences, and using this knowledge to drive inclusive behaviours and practices.
Behavioural Change: The book stresses that achieving inclusion isn't just about understanding others' identities but about changing one's behaviours. It advocates for consistent practice and deliberate actions to foster an inclusive culture.
Practical Guidance and Action: The book offers practical advice, strategies, and action plans to help individuals and organizations implement inclusive practices. It provides templates and case studies to illustrate successful EDI initiatives.
Hope and Optimism: Despite acknowledging the challenges and fears associated with implementing EDI, I try to encourage readers to maintain hope and optimism. It frames EDI work as an opportunity to create a better workplace, society, and world.
Personal and Leadership Responsibility: The book calls for personal accountability and leadership in driving inclusive changes. It emphasizes that everyone has a role to play in dismantling systems of discrimination and fostering equity.
Community and Collaboration: There is a strong focus on collective effort and collaboration. The book highlights the importance of working together to achieve common goals in EDI.
Addressing Systemic Issues: The book addresses the need to consciously and continuously work towards dismantling systemic barriers and biases that hinder inclusion and equity.
It’s true that these themes could be relevant to any sector or industry, and you’re right, however, there are fewer more important sectors for me when it comes to needing to embed this kind of behavioural and systems change. Whether you have access to health, or education or technology or not, you will live in a built environment, and we need it to be as inclusive as possible because it fundamentally shapes the human experience in our world.
We really can’t afford for it not to.