The start's always the toughest, they say. 

This was something I felt very keenly while trying to formulate the first few words of this post. Maybe it has got to do with that tingly sense of generating my very first blog entry…for work.  

But anyway, writer's block aside, hello there, I'm Denise from the Sgcarmart Editorial Team.

It seems I'll be rounding up the relay of introductory posts from my teammates to kick-start 2024 proper!

Who is she?

So who am I? I'm the newest addition and the (only) female in the team. For now. 

I have to confess that being one of the few women in this line of work has been one of the most interesting experiences I've had. 

Apart from sticking out, it's a whole bunch of refreshing 'first times'. It's a first for me working with/on automotives, setting foot in a largely male environment, appearing in videos, etc. 

On many counts, I think these are positive steps towards encouraging more diversity – for myself and for the team. I'd also like to think that I'm part of the change I would like to see in the realm of diversity and inclusion.

This is something I stand for and an area, which (I feel) has much to be done. 

Diversity doesn't always mean inclusion

But first, let's set the record straight: Being diverse doesn't necessarily mean being inclusive. The biggest difference is that diversity exists even without us trying, but inclusivity requires deliberate effort.

Truth is, we're all different in our unique ways. To harmonise the diversity we come by on a daily basis is to agree to disagree, and still exist as one community despite our differences. This in itself is by no means a task that expends energy. This is what it is to practise inclusivity. 

One analogy that's commonly used to distinguish between the two is "the dance". Going by this example, diversity is akin to having an automatic invite to a party. Whereas, inclusion is when the party plays your preferred kind of music to dance to, yet no one judges you for your moves.

There are definitely more everyday examples of diversity and inclusion in our lives than we can imagine. Becoming more aware of them is a baby step closer to putting it into action. 

Why I (and we all should) care

Maybe it's because of my past life in Human Resources; or maybe it's because of experiences I've had that bred an interest in me for diversity and inclusion. 

But at the heart of it all, I care about this because it's about how we make people feel through our choice of words and actions. And because while we easily forget what's said or done, feelings last for longer. 

So here's to us being more diverse and inclusive in 2024!

Photos from: iStockPhoto.com and AdobeStock