According to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Workplace inclusion “is when people feel valued and accepted in their team and in the wider organisation, without having to conform. Inclusive organisations support employees, regardless of their background or circumstance, to thrive at work”
This definition makes perfect sense, so why is it so hard to achieve? I think that inclusion is so hard to achieve because it is fraught with paradoxes. I have outlined just five of them below with some thoughts on how to overcome them this National Inclusion Week.
- The paradox of difference: In order to be inclusive, we need to celebrate difference. But at the same time, we need to create a sense of belonging and community where everyone feels comfortable and accepted. This can be a tricky balance to strike.
However, it doesn’t have to be that hard, as a leader you can create an environment where your colleague can feel accepted wearing their hijab and still feel part of the marketing team. You may need to educate yourself and the team and become aware of your own biases and body language in order to change them though.
- The paradox of equality: We need to strive for equality in the workplace, but we also need to recognize that everyone is different and has different needs. This means that we need to be flexible and adaptable in our approach to inclusion.
We have realized that treating everyone the same just reinforces the status quo, so there is a move to equity, a definition of equity is
“Understanding and giving those from [underrepresented groups] what they need to achieve equal outcomes. This is achieved by considering systems that disadvantage and seeking to overcome them. To do so we need to take an individual approach, to lead, share power and focus on outcomes.”
In the workplace, equity can look like Setting EDI targets, offering flexible working, using skill-based assessment, diverse shortlists, diverse selection panels, increasing transparency of pay and reward, leadership development and much more.
- The paradox of power: In order to be inclusive, we need to give everyone a voice and a seat at the table. But at the same time, we need to be mindful of power dynamics and ensure that everyone feels heard and respected. This can be a challenge, especially in workplaces where there is a lot of hierarchy.
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is key when encouraging everyone to have a voice, so that some voices are not dismissed because of accent, or the way points are communicated. Recognising that some groups may only speak up in certain situations and may be predisposed to be deferential to those more senior, While other’s more direct approach is not a challenge to authority but just a different style. Having multiple channels for communication is important, everything doesn’t have to happen in the one-hour meeting!
- The paradox of time: Inclusion takes time and effort. It’s not something that can be achieved overnight. But at the same time, we need to be mindful of the fact that time is precious and that we need to make progress on inclusion as quickly as possible.
A key for organisations is to move away from short-term initiatives that don’t move the dial on inclusion and move to a long-term strategy with milestones that can be celebrated through measuring progress.
- The paradox of perfection: We should strive for inclusion, but we should not expect perfection. There will always be mistakes made. The important thing is to learn from our mistakes and to keep moving forward.
Embrace an attitude of experimentation by speaking up with an idea in a meeting, challenging the status quo, making a change, or admitting a mistake. This will normalise mistake-making and the recognition that mistakes are an opportunity to learn and grow.
If you’ve been wrestling with these paradoxes, I hope the above tips have helped and if not a few last tips to take action on during National Inclusion Week:
- Be mindful of your language and actions. Avoid using language that is offensive or discriminatory. Be respectful of everyone’s differences.
- Be open to learning about different cultures and perspectives. Ask questions and listen to others with an open mind.
- Speak up when you see or hear something that is not inclusive. Challenge people’s assumptions and biases in a respectful way.
- Get involved in your workplace community and help to make a difference.
