“What is the quality of your intent?”

The late, great U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was known to have asked that question. It was relevant then as it is relevant now.

Intentions matter, but more importantly, do your actions align with your intent? I often intend to workout or intend to eat more healthily, but sometimes my actions don’t necessarily sync with my lofty intentions.

Inclusion and diversity (I&D) require both deliberate intentionality and decisive actions to truly deliver qualitative results in driving progress.

When considering the quality of your organization’s intent, what must be assessed is what I call a “see/say” alignment. Many times, organizations have a stated rhetoric with very little efforts to support their stated commitments. They are more or less saying one thing while something entirely different is seen. So, the question that begs to be answered is how are organizations delivering on that intent.

Intentions can match actions, but steps are required to effectuate those commitments. Organizations can show the quality of their intent by focusing on five inclusionary pillars:

1. Individual Acts Of Inclusion