How do you promote inclusion in your team?

In my experience, involving team members in developing team values is a critical step. Brainstorming about what values are important to each member, discussing the meaning of each value, and then coming to a consensus about which values we want to live by has bonded our team together. And it ensures that the final set of values is relevant to everyone on the team and that everyone understands the importance and meaning of each value.

The essence of effective team values lies in understanding, respecting, and embracing a variety of viewpoints. Much like my own journey of religious and political exploration, values should be formed and refined through careful introspection and open-mindedness. It's important to align these values with regular actions or rituals that represent and reinforce them, creating a living, breathing embodiment of what your team stands for.

T - Together E - Everyone A - Achieve M - More In terms of professional and personal development & Growth. Common organisation Goal achieve through team work, open & perfect communication system etc.

Establishing clear team values is essential for promoting inclusion, recognizing that it may manifest differently for each person. Understanding your team members and their unique perspectives is crucial. Take the time to ask them how they feel included, what makes them feel valued, and what could be improved. By actively seeking their input, you create a culture of openness and respect. This personalized approach fosters a more inclusive environment where individuals' diverse needs and experiences are acknowledged, leading to greater collaboration and productivity.

1. **Encourage open communication**: I encourage team members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly and honestly. 2. **Foster a culture of respect**: I ensure that all team members treat each other with respect and dignity, regardless of their background or beliefs. This helps to create a positive and inclusive work environment. 3. **Provide equal opportunities**: I ensure that all team members have equal access to opportunities for growth and development. 4. **Celebrate diversity**: I celebrate the diversity of our team by recognizing and appreciating the unique perspectives and experiences that each team member. 5. **Lead by example**: I lead by example by modeling inclusive behavior and actively promoting inclusion.

Promote an environment that encourages constructive dissent, much like the approach in a healthy political discourse. All opinions should be heard, respected, and appreciated, fostering a team culture where everyone feels their voice is valued. Inclusion isn't just about diversity of background, but diversity of thought as well.

In a non-inclusive environment, innovation is stifled, and valuable ideas may be lost. Psychological safety plays a vital role in encouraging participation and feedback. When team members feel safe to share their thoughts without fear of judgment or negative consequences, it fosters an atmosphere of trust and openness. Psychological safety promotes diverse perspectives, sparking innovation and creativity. Actively seeking and appreciating feedback creates a culture where every voice matters, leading to improved team dynamics and enhanced performance.

Leveraging each team member's strengths means you need to have a very good idea of where the strengths and weaknesses actually lie. As a leader, it's your job to get to know your team and build strong relationships to understand how you can best support each individual. Not every member of your team will benefit from the same kind of support. Actively listen to understand concerns and requests. Be open to the different needs and the different types of support people need. Encourage your employees to develop by creating a personal development plan and monitoring progress. Don't forget to provide positive feedback on a regular basis. Don't make it a one-way street. Encourage everyone to give feedback to you and to each other.

Drawing from the perspective of parenting, appreciate the unique strengths and viewpoints of each team member. Just as each child brings a unique element to a family, each team member contributes uniquely to the team. A truly inclusive environment encourages and celebrates these differences, fostering a strong, cohesive team.

Leveraging diverse strengths and perspectives is crucial for driving innovation and success within a team. By promoting inclusion, you tap into the unique skills, talents, and viewpoints of each team member. Assigning roles and tasks based on individual strengths and interests maximizes productivity and engagement. Encouraging a culture of curiosity and learning fosters an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected. By celebrating the diversity within the team, you reinforce the idea that different backgrounds and experiences contribute to better outcomes. Ultimately, embracing diversity and inclusion leads to enhanced team performance, creative problem-solving, and improved decision-making processes.

One of the BEST things about London & most Major cities I have worked in, is the diversity we have around us- our communities are melting pots of cultures and ideas, by hiring inclusively and giving forums for the entire base to have a voice we all discover better ways to do business with a wider audience- often in innovative ways that our own experiences and exposures won't have given us the breadth to think about. Diversity, inclusion and collaboration is the way to true innovation and originality. It's win, win, win.

Inclusion involves managing productive conflict within the team. Productive conflict refers to healthy disagreements that lead to better solutions and innovative ideas. Encouraging open communication and constructive debates allows team members to share diverse perspectives and challenge assumptions. By addressing conflict productively, the team can harness the collective intelligence and creativity of its members, fostering an environment of trust and collaboration.

Addressing bias and conflict in a team is akin to the principle of "love your neighbor as yourself." Treat all conflicts and biases with the same respect and attention you'd want to be given. Educate team members about the detrimental effects of bias and provide them with tools to manage and resolve conflicts in a respectful and fair manner.

As a leader you should be focussing on your own bias and assumptions before you begin to address bias within your team. This not only helps to lift the various veils that may have been clouding your perceptions, but also helps to set the right example for team members to address their individual bias.

Inclusion involves managing productive conflict within the team. Productive conflict refers to healthy disagreements that lead to better solutions and innovative ideas. Encouraging open communication and constructive debates allows team members to share diverse perspectives and challenge assumptions. By addressing conflict productively, the team can harness the collective intelligence and creativity of its members, fostering an environment of trust and collaboration.

Modeling inclusive leadership involves demonstrating the same respect, empathy, and openness that is desired within the team. Like the principle of 'Oubaitori', or 'Everyone is a winner', make a concerted effort to acknowledge the unique contributions of each member and ensure they feel valued and respected.

It is very important to understand the timing for opinion request, every culture has a different way to organize and structure information exchange. Also, to make sure not to simply ask about their thoughts, which is very general and leads to a random answer. Opinions need to be specific enough in order build a healthy diverse working environment.

After all of the above has been taken into practise and consideration it all is then implemented in leadership actions regarding recruiting, noticing inappropriate talks and attitudes within organization, having courage to have even difficult conversations and then visibly supporting team members with a constructive inclusive attitude. Having strong instincts for what is going on is important even when team members don't say anything. Always evaluate daily hints about the atmosphere within teams and be genuinely interested. A simple daily example: if some team members tell jokes etc. that are putting some other team members down -> make it clear that it was inapproproate to others and don't close your eyes from it.