Sector News

Oh, please stop! That is not inclusion

October 25, 2017
Diversity & Inclusion

It is time to have some straight talk about Inclusion. Although it remains the best way to harness diversity for business success, the concept of inclusion is often painfully misconstrued. Because it is a competitive crime to watch companies squander this advantage, we at Borderless felt the need for an inclusion heart-to-heart. So, ready or not, here is our inclusion wake up call.

Keep It Simple: Let’s be honest. Inclusion in the workplace as a concept is not too hard to grasp. All organizations have different kinds of people. To drive business performance, organizations need an environment where everyone is engaged and encouraged to contribute to the best of their ability. This is inclusion. Don’t get caught up in some intangible or ultra-complicated definition.

Voice, Not Vote: Inclusion in the workplace is about voice, not vote. You are not creating a democracy or celebrating everyone’s uniqueness with a giant hug. You are trying to make sure you are harnessing the innovative and decision-making benefits of your team’s diverse perspectives and abilities to have a positive impact on your bottom line.

You Can’t Just Tick-the-Box: Off-site training programs? Carved out events? Individualized computer modules? Get real. These things cannot possibly work. Inclusion is inherently about how we work together. As such, inclusion must be created, nurtured and embraced in the environment where people are actually working together on real business issues. This is just common sense. Inclusion is not a discrete, off-the-shelf training program you check off your list.

It’s a Leadership Competency: If the ability to lead a diverse team in an inclusive way is not one of the competencies required for your leadership hires and promotions, don’t even talk to me about your inclusion initiative. It is nothing but a pipe dream or, at worst, a bunch of hypocrisy. Inclusion is about competitive advantage and business success, and it is a skill set you should be seeking and developing in your leaders. Oh, and in case it is not yet clear, this makes Inclusion a C-Suite issue, not a PR or HR exercise.

Relevant to Your Business: Your employees may all be different, but they have one easily identifiable thing in common: the business. People will embrace an inclusive way of working when they can experience the power of its impact on business success, e.g., whether its developing and producing better brands and products; attracting and retaining the best talent; or creating a work environment that is energizing, engaging and professionally fun.

Customized and Collaborative: There is no such thing as a one size fits all D&I approach. Individuals, teams and businesses present on a continuum. Approaches need to be customized and capable of leveraging existing tools and methodologies

Organizational Vitality: Habitual behavior is our fall back point when we are stressed, short for time, under deadline, or generally drained of energy. This is the biggest danger to inclusive behaviors and processes, and these stressors are ever present in all of our work environments. Even well intentioned, fully D&I value onboard leaders will fall prey to this impact. As result, addressing organizational vitality (at the individual, team and business levels) is critical to support a sustainably inclusive environment.

Got your attention? Come talk to us about our customized and business integrated approaches to Inclusion.

By Rosalie Harrison, Partner

comments closed

Related News

March 25, 2023

Why communicating organizational identity is the first step to get belonging right in the workplace

Diversity & Inclusion

How can leaders integrate belonging into DEI strategies without overreaching or using problematic rhetoric? The answer begins, like so much of DEI work, with getting clear about what exactly you mean by belonging, and articulating your organizational identity—what you do, and how you expect your team to do it.

March 19, 2023

The gender pay gap hasn’t changed in 20 years — here’s what it’ll take, according to Chief members

Diversity & Inclusion

It’s been nearly 60 years since the Equal Pay Act, and while women have made major strides both in the workforce and in higher education, the gains are far from equitable. In honor of Equal Pay Day, four Chief Members share the barriers women face when it comes to earning fair pay, and the policies and practices leaders should implement now to really move the needle forward.

March 11, 2023

More roles for women on boards is great, but what about the c-suite?

Diversity & Inclusion

The good news is that some progress at the board level has been achieved, particularly in the UK and the EU. However, much more work must be done to attain gender-equal boards and c-suites with people from more diverse backgrounds.

How can we help you?

We're easy to reach