(HACKENSACK, NJ) -- As Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Yoshida Academy, Minué Yoshida has been a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) expert and consultant worldwide for decades. The concept of DEI has been part of her life starting from birth.
As a result of her global work, she has launched her new book, "Inclusion Is a Verb: 5 Signs That Your Company is Genuinely Inclusive," which is available on Amazon. The book, published by Fig Factor Media, focuses on how and why she started to focus on DEI and its impact on the workplace. She called the word inclusion a verb because it denotes a responsibility to be always active.
“I understand this book might ruffle some feathers, disturb a few people, be uncomfortable, and make individuals question their own companies,” she said. “The intention is not to be disruptive but to create awareness and then provide a starting point to improve on any inclusion initiative your company already has.”
In the book, Yoshida discusses a DEI Scorecard to identify where the workplace is in terms of demonstrating inclusion. If the company wants to move from Point A to Point B, it needs to identify where Point A is. She created the Five Signs of true and genuine inclusion, collected numerous stories throughout her career, and shared them in the book. Those signs or categories are:
* Representation: Diversity is shown at all levels, horizontal and vertical, and everyone has equal opportunities for upward mobility and a successful career path.
* Education: With the implementation of multicultural and multilingual training, learning, and development, the organization shows knowledge and accountability in every department.
* Support: Appropriate DEI funding and top leadership champions demonstrate their commitment to change for good by showing up and walking the walk.
* Impact: Actions tied to return on investment (ROI), key success metrics (KSMs), and key performance indicators (KPIs) show that inclusion is not a trend but a critical growth and profitability factor.
* Freedom: Individuals should feel safe and free to express themselves, speak up, stand up for their rights and have the accessibility to flourish anywhere, regardless of their abilities or circumstances.
“One day, I was invited to open an event at LinkedIn at the Rockefeller Plaza in New York City and, in the end, got a bit passionate,” Yoshida explained. “So, I said, ‘Inclusion is not passive, it’s active. It´s a verb.’ Something clicked immediately! Then I started using the hashtag (#inclusionisaverb) in presentations and publications, and it stuck with me ever since.”
She added: “After being part of DEI for many years, I´ve noticed a pattern in the majority of the corporations I´ve worked for and worked with. DEI was the best initiative, a motor to many of us to keep going, and a beacon of hope for many others. But, in the best cases, it was just a nice conversation and a trendy word. Most of the organizations, institutions, and companies were talking about inclusion, just checking the box, but not demonstrating it with actions.”
For Yoshida, this book is not intended to possess all the answers or solutions to the current DEI challenges but is more like a wake-up call and a call to action.
“Ideally, individuals and companies take this book to the next level and use it during their onboarding programs, distribute it within their DEI departments, use the DEI Scorecard to establish their internal metrics, hold leadership accountable to increase their inclusion, and together, we make this a better world,” she said.
Minué Yoshida is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Yoshida Academy, which provides talent development workshops, multicultural and DEI consulting services, public speaking, and executive coaching. She is also the Global Affairs Committee Chair of the United Nations Association of New Jersey, where she advocates for cultural understanding, justice, and peace. Half Mexican and half Japanese, Yoshida is a multilingual entrepreneur and author who helps people discover who they are, and what they are capable of, embrace their powers with bravery, and leave an impact on the world. From Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Argentina, to Dubai, and back to the United States, she has been the catalyst for change for over 50,000 individuals in the past three decades. In addition to her book, "Inclusion Is a Verb: 5 Signs That Your Company is Genuinely Inclusive," she has authored her story in the book, "Today’s Inspired Latina VIII"; wrote another book, "IKIGAI Finding Your Purpose," in Spanish; and has been featured in national and international magazines, along with multiple interviews and podcasts.
