How can you create an inclusive environment in your community?

Listening is. Key component to being an excellent leader, but. Active listening and emotional listen are seldom done effectively, imagine for a moment, you have a large project due, you employee comes to you with a major problem on some other project. Do you push them off for another day? Or do you dive right in to the problem, thats the difference between a leader and a listener

As a parent to a child with a disability, I’m acutely aware how exclusive our communities are. Right now, inclusion is an afterthought at best, and completely forgotten more often than not. To get to a truly inclusive society, we need to stop trying to put people and needs in neat little boxes and begin from the understanding that all societies, all communities, are made up of people with different needs, different perspectives and different cultures. We need to stop trying to make things one-size-fits all and start embracing the concept success comes from creating environments where everyone feels welcome and enabled to be who they are.

As a Brown girl from the South Asian community there are many barriers we need to start breaking to create an inclusive environment for every girl and woman. I believe the first steps are the conversations we have at home, round the kitchen table with our fathers, grandfathers, brothers and uncles. These conversations lead to education, educating our peers and siblings on the modern day wants and needs for every girl and woman. I am the first female in my family and extended family to openly talk about menopause which led has to openness, understanding and a space for me to have good days and bad days as part of my menopausal journey.

Be open to listening and engaging with people. Don’t assume and make judgments. Ask questions and be curious about what you don’t know. Be thoughtful and respectful. Don’t make it about you feeling like a good person. Do it because it’s right and because it’s one of the times in life that we can truly make an impact in the world. Step up.

The best way to learn IS by listening, but by listening actively. Listen to others perspectives and lived experiences. Be curious. Know that not everyone has the same background, or has had the same opportunities and experiences. We become a better community when we learn from each other.

Language plays a crucial role in promoting inclusivity. Be mindful of the words you use, avoiding derogatory slurs and offensive jokes. Respect individuals' preferred pronouns and identities. When unsure, ask respectfully and avoid making assumptions until you receive guidance.

Communication and collaboration mean accessibility. People ultimately want to feel heard and seen (safety). Once that is accomplished, there is a firm foundation set for an inclusive environment.

Communication and collaboration help everyone feel included by making sure different viewpoints are acknowledged and respected. Working together creates an environment where everyone can contribute, fostering a sense of belonging for all.

It goes without saying that by creating an inclusive environment is the method used to allow great communication & collaboration with community members in a constructive way. This approach allows people from various backgrounds to have a level playing field where everyone is open minded and respectful; learning more about ones culture, building trust which gives room for opinions, knowledge, problem resolution & many other areas to foster a culture of dialogue & cooperation.

Helps if the conversation is initiated & facilitated by the internal communications team, and/or designated inclusivity champions within the company.

When, as a leader, we feel something should be done to help the success of your team advocate! This is thought to reflect the leader being “needy” by some. If you feel like your team needs something chances are your peers feel the same way but are afraid to speak up.

To create an inclusive environment you not only need to open up your mind but also your hearts to people of different backgrounds. Understanding them will help you set aside any unnecessary biases against them, this will help create a connection of trust. And once you are successful in the process of understanding them, you can help others to do the same. This will make it easier to create a more inclusive environment.

Practical ways to creating an inclusive environment includes joining in together in sporting activities . For example AFL and NRL , have shown in their teams a great ability to include players from different migrant groups and Indigenous backgrounds Our Rugby League team at Cairns State High School 1978 included both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who were coached by their own Indigenous mothers and reached the final of the Qld Schools Rugby League senior Foots Cup in Qld . This definitely encouraged students to complete Grade 11 & 12 and also participate in work experience courses . 110 FN students got jobs or went on to tertiary institutions-the Highest number of Indigenous students in Australia completing Grade 11 & 12

- Act with integrity and honesty in all your interactions with clients, colleagues and stakeholders - Advocate for the best interests of your profession, organization and community - Actively seek feedback and opportunities for learning and improvement - Advocate for diversity, inclusion and equity in your workplace and society

Fostering an inclusive community is vital for public health advocacy. Effective advocacy, rooted in active listening and understanding diverse perspectives, is pivotal. Building partnerships with community leaders amplifies impact, ensuring a comprehensive representation of voices. As a physician and sleep health advocate, bridging the gap between science and public health empowers communities through accessible knowledge, contributing to a responsive healthcare system. My active support for causes such as later school start times for teens and abolishing daylight saving reflects a commitment to crucial public health issues. Collaborating closely with local legislators, I aim to turn these advocacy efforts into meaningful policy changes.

This is my favorite. We should celebrate what makes our community members and teams unique. We should lift one another up and celebrate their accomplishments. We can make others feel included by sharing our own stories. We can be role models for others. Let's encourage one another to be the voices of support, compassion, and inclusion within our communities.

By making sure you are including the most marginalised and the smallest voices. If you ignore one group no matter how small you are not inclusive or celebrating diversity.

I have found that it is important to provide space for others to be seen and heard. Everyone loves to help so if you can host activities that makes this easy and fun everyone feels valued and included. I have hosted events where everyone puts their goal on a big post-it note. After writing your goal down, you go around the room and add to each other’s post-it, ways you can help and/or a connection you can make for that person.

- Celebrate your achievements and milestones with your colleagues and clients - Share your insights and feedback with your team and stakeholders - Celebrate and share the success stories and best practices of your peers and partners - Share your challenges and opportunities with your mentors and mentees - Celebrate and share the values and vision of your organization

Use your platform, whether online or offline, to amplify the voices of community. Share their stories, experiences, and achievements to help counter stereotypes and misinformation. By giving visibility to community voices, you contribute to a broader understanding and acceptance of their experiences and identities.

Doing all the necessary steps like the ones mentioned above are great but what really creates an inclusive environment and community is that during times of adversity or difficulty people don’t stop being inclusive and start backtracking. Lets take a look at the situation in Gaza for a second, before Oct 7th organisations were creating inclusive programs to support POC, were celebrating religious holidays, were talking about inclusion for all but as soon as the genocide began to unfold in Gaza, organisations moved away from faith inclusion, remained silent on what is happening, failed to support colleagues during this time and it revealed that many of the inclusive actions were indeed performative and selective.

Self-reflection is an important component here. We ALL have biases whether conscious or unconscious. It’s important to recognize that and be willing to acknowledge and work through them. This work is often uncomfortable yet necessary for us to make meaningful progress in our communities. Allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to admit your own growth opportunities to others who are willing help and support your learning. Doing this helps us work IN community as we work ON community. On the other side of that is us becoming the change we want to be, breaking down biases and barriers one at a time.

- Set SMART goals for your personal and professional growth - Seek feedback from others and learn from your mistakes - Identify your strengths and areas of improvement - Find a mentor or coach who can guide you - Invest in learning new skills and knowledge - Celebrate your achievements and reward yourself

Sure it's hard to initiate something, but what's harder is to sustain it. The key to sustainability is consistency and commitment towards your goals. Don't make inclusivity a day or a month thing. Make it a norm, a culture, a everyday thing in your life. Introduce related policies, foster a culture of respect for all and provide your support. Not only in workplace but even beyond it!

If the above steps are implemented with top-down sponsorship (company culture) effectively. This automatically secures self-sustainability by default, rendering the step of "repeating & sustaining" efforts unnecessary, as diversity, inclusion, & belonging become integral norms & source of pride within the company = Being at the table, Having a voice at the table, AND crucially, Having your voice heard at the table.

Overall when creating an inclusive environment the main point is to listen others to listen. What I mean is most of the time we are listening to reply and when we do that we can only see that person in front of our point and biases, if we want inclusivity we need to look into their point. Learning empathy, active listening, and understand people without disturbing is a good start point. And to understand their side we need to ask what they need and want. Sometimes just being curious and asking questions can take you to the journey of inclusivity.

Very few things happen organically, so having a method and strategy to create inclusive communities is key. Organizations will need to commit their resources (e.g. a team of people) to champion and grow the community over time. We are social animals and the influence of our peers can be enourmous, so I say throw your resources at training a team and see community grow over time.

Empathy. Do your best to understand other peoples’ perspectives….and while this may seem reductive—be inclusive by actually being inclusive—invite different people to things. People that don’t share your same background—invite them to coffee or happy hour. Sharing experiences such as these are invaluable in building relationships—and take the time to know people different from you.