Spring is finally here! I’m so grateful to see temperatures rising and foliage blooming. Seeing the progression of nature always reminds me that, regardless of the winter from which we’ve just come, there are always opportunities to start fresh and grow something new — especially in ourselves and our workplaces.

For example, several religious holidays are being observed this month — even more so than is typical. These events, which are some of the most prominent holidays in their cultures, are usually more spread out due to reliance on different calendars to establish celebration dates. This year, however, many of these holidays have converged into one month, providing an ideal opportunity for us to grow in our cultural awareness, have impactful conversations, and amp up our inclusion efforts.

Even more, with escalating conflict throughout the world, this month also provides a chance to find ways to acknowledge other religions and facilitate their coexistence in the workplace. One of the best ways to do that is to educate ourselves about the religions and values of those around us.This issue’s Simply Good focuses on Ramadan, a holy month of fasting for Muslims around the world. The article provides several ways that leaders can support Muslims in the workplace, as well as special considerations that are specific to Ramadan. For example, the religious festival Eid celebrates the end of the holy month, but its actual date is typically not known until the night before. Educated leaders are able to consider and anticipate this event to give their Muslim employees the day off, regardless of the short notice. By valuing and respecting the traditions and values of their team, leaders can foster more inclusive workplaces in powerful ways. Self-educating is a great place to start.

Speaking of inclusion efforts, those of us in the DEI-sphere have noticed a chasm between DEI successes that we read online, and what’s actually happening within organizations. In Simply Diversity, Sonya Kaleel and I sat down with five organizational leaders to get an authentic, unfiltered idea of what’s working and what’s not working in DEI. These conversations, which have been compiled into DEI Impact Stories, share what Sonya calls “the good, the bad, the ugly, and the lovely” as a resource to increase transparency and empower effective transformation in your workplace.

Workplace transformation also happens when we implement effective recruitment strategies. Check out What’s Happening to join me for a discussion on that very topic!

With appreciation,

Stacey Gordon, MBA
Rework Work CEO