What is inclusion in the workplace?
Many people confuse 'workplace inclusion' with 'workplace diversity', but they're two very separate things. Whereas 'workplace diversity' is all about having a wide demographic of people within your organisation, 'workplace inclusivity' is about making everyone in your organisation feel welcome and a valuable part of your team. There's no point in having a diverse workplace if you haven't already got an inclusive workplace to bring all those diverse people into.
One of the best definitions of ‘inclusion’ I’ve come across is in this article on the Gallup Workplace website:
“Inclusion refers to a cultural and environmental feeling of belonging… simply having a wide roster of demographic characteristics won't make a difference to an organisation's bottom line unless the people who fall into any one demographic feel welcomed.”
For that reason and many others - it's vitally important to have an inclusive workplace culture and take the time to get it right.
What does an inclusive work culture involve?
Workplace inclusivity involves a whole bunch of different factors. Some of the key ones are:
Establishing great lines of communication.
Make sure you look after your staff not just financially but also with benefits, support, and by nurturing their career development.
Management transparency – so that everyone in your workplace, whatever their role, knows what's happening in your organisation. When workers begin to suspect their leaders aren't being honest with them, it's a breeding ground for dissatisfaction, Chinese whispers, and negatively impacted productivity.
Having robust procedures to overcome problems, resolve disputes, and root out any ‘bad apples’.
An open-door policy across the entire management and team leadership structure, so that team members are confident they can approach their supervisors and talk candidly about anything bothering them. Just because your workers aren't complaining and seem happy doesn't mean that they are, and an open-door policy is an essential way to stop minor frustrations from growing into big discontents.
Thinking outside the box
Let’s take an event like a workplace day-out or an office Christmas party as an example.
On the surface, any time a leader gives their team a chance to celebrate and take the pressure off, it's a positive management move. You're showing your people they're valued, encouraging team building, and being a good boss.
But if you don’t consider everybody’s feelings or circumstances when you arrange that party or day-out, your good intentions can easily backfire.
What about the people who won’t be able to attend because they’re scheduled to work while you’re taking everyone else out and having a great time?
What about the people whose personal circumstances or religious beliefs will make it difficult or impossible to participate?
If you're holding a physical activity as part of a team-building event or sports day, are there people in your team who won't be able to participate or won't feel comfortable taking part? (like arranging a 'drive a Formula 1 car' day when there are team members who can't drive or a jet-skiing day when some team members can't swim.)
Don't forget, even seemingly innocent, all-inclusive activities like team drinks or going for a team meal can be a minefield for people who don't drink or have specific dietary requirements. That doesn't mean you can't meet their needs as well, but the fact they can't enjoy things in precisely the same way as everyone else might make them feel awkward about getting involved.
However, if you’ve already established an all-inclusive workplace culture where everybody understands and respects each other before the event, that isn’t likely to be an issue.
Understand who your team members are
There's something called 'Identity Cover', and it can kill workplace inclusivity stone-dead if you're not aware of it.
What’s ‘Identity Cover’?
It's when people don't feel comfortable letting you or their co-workers know who they are for fear they'll be misunderstood or judged harshly or because they don't want to be seen as needing to be treated differently. Team members who suffer from Identity Cover will put a lot of energy into concealing their true nature, which can be very stressful and might also give their co-workers the feeling "there's something not quite right here."
Identity Cover can be as simple as somebody not putting up family pictures on their desk in case it makes them look less work-orientated and impacts on their chance of development or a team member who's afraid of expressing their sexuality or religious beliefs in case it's held against them. It often happens in team-building sessions when people are hesitant to say what they feel or say the thing they think people want to hear.
Whatever the reason, when they conceal an essential part of who they are, it's because they're uncomfortable and afraid of not being included.
What are the best ways to deal with that? By making your workplace a safe space where people can express themselves without fear of judgement and exchange open and honest opinions without fear of coming into conflict over it. An inclusive work culture will ensure that happens.
Take the time to get your inclusive work culture right.
Every organisation has its own needs, and every business is set up differently. However, there are steps every business leader and manager can immediately take to make their work culture more inclusive:
Ensure that everyone in the company knows their voice can be heard, their opinions are valuable, and their concerns will be listened to and acted upon if necessary.
Provide your workers with an open door and a safe space, so they won’t feel nervous about voicing their concerns.
Make sure that everyone in the company understands the true value of their role and the value of everybody else's role.
Train your managers in the importance of inclusivity and hold them accountable for making it happen.
Form a group of managers and employers responsible for taking the inclusivity message out to the broader workforce. Giving inclusivity a face so that team members know it's being taken seriously in your organisation and you're investing time and people in getting it right is one of the most effective ways to bring everybody on board.
Create an environment where people’s differences are valued, and they won’t need to hide behind Identity Cover. Make sure they have the support and resources necessary to make that happen.
A final point to think about
Inclusivity in the workplace is tremendously powerful. Back in 2018, Deloitte published a report detailing the eight transformative truths of diversity and inclusion, and this is what it revealed:
Organisations with inclusive cultures are 2x more likely to exceed financial targets.
They’re 3x more likely to be higher performing.
They’re 6x more likely to be agile and innovative.
They’re 8x more likely to achieve their business outcomes.
That’s how effective and empowering an inclusive work culture can be.
And now it’s over to you to make it happen in your workplace. What steps are you going to take first?
