millennial moment

Hold those above you accountable. Diversity and inclusion starts with the leaders of an organization -- those on the front-line. Suggest that professional development offerings are reworked to ensure that leaders have opportunities to learn how to better manage diverse work groups. Talk about how to deal with real-life scenarios that people face, such as facilitating an accommodation for a member with a disability or a member who is a single parent juggling child care issues.

Gather a small group of those dedicated to diversity and inclusion and propose the formation of a council. This council should be as diverse as possible, with members representing not only different ethnicities and genders but also different ranking roles within the organization. Ideally, councils should be involved in goal-setting, retaining and advancing a diverse workforce, and in addressing any problems among underrepresented groups.

One of the most important ways to show members of an organization or company that you respect their backgrounds and traditions is to invite them to share those in the organization. Use those traditions and celebrations as a means of uniting members, not dividing them.