3 ideas to become more inclusive
Let’s face it – with all of the recent focus on conduct in the workplace, we are at an inflection point for workplace equality.
For years, organizations have been trying to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workforce but the improvements have been incremental at best. While many organizations have made it a point to hire outwardly diverse employees, most organizations struggle to create an inclusive environment that supports and encourages varied backgrounds and perspectives.
Yet it’s so important. Having a variety of different perspectives generates sustainable innovation. Organizations with workforces that reflect the communities they work in and the customers they serve have a competitive advantage. And achieving inclusiveness helps the organization attract and retain high-quality talent.
But saying that you want to be inclusive and actually being inclusive are two different things. An inclusive environment genuinely respects and appreciates people’s differences and uniqueness. People don’t feel like they have to “leave behind” the things that make them unique in order to be accepted at work. But so many organizations inadvertently make employees feel like they have to conform to a set of standards to be successful, which impairs inclusiveness.
I feel like we have a moment in front of us like no other – an opportunity to truly figure out how to take workplace inclusion to the next level. So, what are some things we can do?
start at the top
This one may be obvious—but like most things, it really does start at the top.
Let me give you an example. Several years ago, I went to a leadership meeting to discuss a large project that an organization was tackling. People were flying in from all over the world and gathering in the U.S. And guess what? Nearly every leader looked exactly alike—dressed the same, acted the same, and had the same opinions, thoughts, and reactions to things. Moreover, in the rare instance that a leader expressed a different viewpoint, it was met with mostly silence and blank stares. There was no attempt to engage or ask questions to understand the different perspective. Yet diversity and inclusion was one of this organization’s core values. What happened?
Well, through their actions, the top leadership hired, promoted, and developed people who could behave exactly like the existing leadership team. And through that, there was an unspoken rule that there were only a few paths to success in the organization. The top leadership’s actions prevented employees from feeling comfortable with expressing different viewpoints. They had not made the connection that in order to achieve inclusion, they had to create an environment where employees had the freedom to express something unique and different.
The bottom line? The top leadership had indicated (to paraphrase an old saying), “If you want to be a duck, you need to walk like a duck, act like a duck, and talk like a duck.”
Leaders have to model inclusiveness through their actions. They need to consciously think about the defined and unspoken rules that get in the way and work towards changing those rules. Leaders need to create an environment of trust by taking the time to listen and truly understand a different perspective. They have to constantly seek out the uniqueness of their employees. Otherwise, the benefits of having a diverse workforce can never truly be realized.
What does this look like? Well, imagine this – you are at the holiday party and the CEO comes up to you and introduces herself. She asks you about the work and sincerely listens to your ideas. The CEO is authentic, curious, and listening to each employee as though her life depended on it. She is committed to getting to know each of the employees in the room and hearing their perspectives. Is that inclusiveness in action? You bet it is! And what a powerful way to model it to all levels of the organization.
be intentional
Part of the problem with achieving inclusiveness at an organization is that many of our well-intentioned programs and rules may be perpetuating the problem.
For example, leadership development programs are so important to the on-going success of an organization. But they need to be carefully designed or they can inadvertently result in the participants conforming to a certain style. We may think we’ve done a great job selecting an outwardly diverse cohort of people to go through the program, but what if our curriculum only develops leadership behaviors that conform to a certain pattern of thinking and acting? Is this going to create the inclusive workplace we’re after?
Leadership development programs need to focus on identifying a leader’s unique value and helping the leader grow and develop it. They need to be structured to encourage individuals to find their own path to success.
The same goes for the dress code. It has always bewildered me why everyone must adhere to a code of what is permissible to wear at work. This creates an unspoken rule that you have to behave a certain way to belong to the organization. Is that really necessary? We’ve been getting up in the morning and putting on clothes every day of our lives. And we’re all adults now, so we probably don’t need to be told how to dress in our jobs. I’m pretty sure the majority of the population can figure out what to wear that presents them in the best light possible while still preserving their style.
If an organization feels the need to have a dress code, it needs to be carefully structured so employees don’t feel like they have to sacrifice what makes them unique. Guidelines are reasonable to remind people about good taste, but we should stay away from specific rules that make employees feel like they have to conform to a certain set of standards.
instill an inclusive mindset
To achieve inclusiveness, every single employee needs to have the mindset that it’s their responsibility to seek out opportunities to understand everyone’s unique value.
This starts with the on-boarding plan. Too often, we expect employees to join organizations and “find their way.” But friendships, teams, and cliques are already formed, and the new employee often feels that it’s his mission to understand and conform to the existing workplace norms in order to be accepted.
What if we put the onus equally on the organization to go out of its way get to know an employee’s unique value right from the start?
Imagine this: On your first day of work, your boss is waiting for you in the reception area to welcome you. She escorts you to your work area and spends time with you, going through what your plan is, adjusting it if it doesn’t feel right, and genuinely answering your questions. You never have a moment to panic, because the existing team’s mission for your first few weeks is to get to know you as who you are. As you walk through the halls, your teammates seek you out and approach you, rather than waiting to be introduced. Meetings during this on-boarding phase are focused on the organization understanding your unique value and you understanding theirs. You can really feel that they want to know you as you are, not try to make you conform to their organization.
This is what inclusiveness is all about. For this to succeed, everyone needs to be intentional about seeking to understand and value every employee’s uniqueness.
so now what?
The bottom line is that in order for us to create the truly inclusive workplaces we want, we have to think about what will work for our particular environment. Sometimes the biggest indicators that we have a problem are the things that aren’t being said, and that’s where an astute leader or HR team is going to have to take a hard look and ask some difficult questions to make sure we aren’t inadvertently impacting inclusiveness. Because at the end of the day, when it comes to inclusiveness, actions speak louder than words.
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