What are some effective ways to improve inclusivity in your workplace culture?

I think we have to exercise caution about the potential for bias even at this first step of assessing where we are. Do we have diversity of thought in the first place about what data it would be useful to collect (beyond the standard demographics) and what else we need to take into account. Then there is the more qualitative data about individual experiences, perspectives and opportunities. If we don't ask the right questions and get comfortable really challenging the current state we can end up with a lot of back slapping and self-congratulatory "it's pretty good round here" and no impetus for change.

Here it is important to recognize that every organization's DEI journey is different. Be honest in your assessment knowing that there is room and opportunity to grow. I have seen many organizations skewing the assessments to "make the data look good". That's not the goal here. The goal is to get real data so that you can create actionable plan to get where you want to be.

Data analysis is not ideal when it comes to inclusivity. I always recommend holding a facilitation session with leaders as well as standard workers. @Vertias Culture does a great job of this. Working with ERG's and understanding the true issues at play and getting to the root cause as opposed to symptoms.

Being ‘intentional’ is the key! On Monday/next day 1. Watch out for ques - People talking over someone again and again 2. When someone is not comfortable talking in front of a bigger group 3. When someone wants to make their idea heard 4. Use of non-inclusive language Think of 1. What are you experiencing that I might not be aware of that is impacting you? 2. What are you experiencing that leaves you feeling excluded? Takeaways 1. Understand your own privilege 2. Acknowledge that biases exist, we are all human. Identify, Acknowledge, Act 3. Lead by example 4. In a world where you could be anything, Be an Ally. And find an Ally!

To foster inclusive thinking when it comes to "hiring", it is my belief to start by developing a strong understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the significance within your organization. Conduct an internal assessment to identify any gaps or biases in your current hiring processes and practices. This can involve evaluating job descriptions, interview questions, and selection criteria for potential discriminatory language or unintentional biases.

I don't like the header to this. 'Set Clear and Realistic Goals..' How about SUSTAINABLE goals. A lot of the failure with inclusive practices in workforces is that the programs are specific to the current workforce instead of the future workforce. All plans and business goals should be include check ins every 6-12 months in which leaders review progress and compare the state of the organization now to what it was then. This allows adjustments based on things like attrition, changes to business needs, state of hiring etc. There is way more but this is a good start.

Before formally settling on the goals, I think it is key to get buy-in from employees who are the beneficiaries of the inclusivity work (so all of them). Otherwise it's just top down metrics that people don't own.

I’ve found that goals around diversity can be particularly anxiety-producing for folks when they’re first discussed. Lots of people get questions about where a diversity goal balances other goals a hiring manager has in a role. For me, I start the hiring process by asking “how many (fill in the blank on demographic) exist in the workforce?” From there, I tell my hiring managers that they should absolutely hire the best candidate they interview, but our first step will be to find a slate of candidates that are reflective of the diversity of the talent pool that is out there. If (choose your demographic) are only 10% of the industry, we need to see a candidate pool with at least 10% of candidates from that demographic.

establish and communicate a clear organizational commitment to DEI by Setting measurable goals and holding leaders accountable for progress. Regularly review and update your DEI policies and practices to ensure continuous improvement and adaptability in response to changing societal contexts and workforce demographics. By integrating these steps into your hiring process, you'll be well on your way to fostering a more inclusive and diverse workplace.

'Point it out, Check it out, Work it out' We share a common workspace but not a common reality & Some people can experience the same group very differently. Identify the elephant and mouse dynamics, Bring change inside out Reflect on your ways of working Discuss finding with your team to bring change Focus on one diversity area to start with Listen carefully for verbal & nonverbal cues Create opportunities for strong and quiet voices in ceremonies Practice courage - In the moments of discomfort - 'Point it out, Check it out, Work it out' Be an ally to some and equally important find your ally

For people to feel included, they first need to feel seen, valued, and cared for. At the core of humanity - people need to belong. This is a new frontier in Culture Development and Leadership Training. There are barriers that need to be broken: 1. "We don't share personal information at work." 2. "It's not my place to step in." 3. "I don't know where the boundaries are between work and self." If we don't tackle these basic human needs, no workplace can be genuinely inclusive.

Next, I would suggest we implement comprehensive training programs for HR personnel, hiring managers, and all team members to increase awareness and understanding of DEI issues. This should cover unconscious bias, microaggressions, and the value of diversity in the workplace. Encourage open discussions and provide resources for continued learning.

ASK. It's easy for us to get caught up in metrics and evaluations, but one on one or small-group conversations with stakeholders who have skin in the game of inclusion can inform and encourage those who want to be allies but don't really understand what's going on. Check in periodically and take the temperature of your team. Add their voices to the inclusivity plans.

Ways to build inclusive culture can begin at an individual level. For example as a people manager, I know that I am uniquely positioned to make a real change by ensuring everyone in my team feels included and has a platform to share their opinions and views. From cultivating rapport and psychological safety to setting goals and a team strategy, there are lots of ways I can build an effective team which is collaborative and inclusive

Ongoing reporting and periodic open discussions about the kind of progress being made, as well as frank updates on what's working and what's not working, are key. It's easy to make a big announcement of goals for the year--then say nothing until the next year's announcement. Feedback is key to engagement, and engagement is key to change.

During the 15 years I worked at Google, one of the best ways to show appreciation and celebrate the collaboration and work of my colleagues was to send them a peer bonus. This peer bonus came with a certificate, words of appreciation and a monetary bonus of $175 pre tax. We were allowed to send 3 peer bonuses a quarter. It was a wonderful way to explicitly show appreciation for my colleagues and contributed to a very positive work culture.

By sharing when you win, publicly, you also encourage others in your network to do the same. One great way of easily sharing a positive win is via your main social platform (LinkedIn) through a post, video or image. If you'd like to explain more long-form what the award means to you, then an article is helpful. Others will also see this and be able to share in your success and potentially lead to more clients or recognition at your place of work.

I absolutely believe that for us to know and grow (separately and collectively) is to keep an “win” list. Not only goes that keep your momentum going but it will also allow you to know: 1) Best practices: cultivating a formula to fuel forward. 2) What didn’t work AND why. This might give you insight on how to improve; especially if the team is communicating. 3) Define the strengths while building the apparent struggles. Also those that look to be lagging might get leverage to improve moving forward. 4) Builds synergy. If you aren’t doing an audit of not only where the team is functionally, now can it from to become better? While doing audits like this can be pain tasking, it will allow you to pivot to positions as a better collective.

One of the learnings I’ve embraced is rewarding what you want repeated. This is a great opportunity to look for behaviors of inclusivity in team members and reward them. For example, if a team member stepped in to express that all voices should heard and personally reached out to a community or department that has been historically overlooked, start the next team meeting by recognizing this team member. Don’t allow that behavior to be overlooked. Recognizing and celebrating immediately will have a great impact and will reinforce the goal of inclusivity.

Understanding how people on your team like to be rewarded is an extra step for inclusivity. Some examples of this include: 1) Acknowledging the accomplishment in a 1:1 conversation instead of in a group (or vice versa!) 2) Sharing a physical reward as a memento 3) Providing accountability and mentorship

To create an inclusive workplace culture, try this out: - Ask for anonymous feedback from EVERYBODY, especially those from underrepresented groups. - Encourage open discussion of diversity and inclusion issues. It may get a little uncomfortable but that's the point - Provide mentorship and career development opportunities for underrepresented groups. - Hold leadership accountable for creating an inclusive culture. - Celebrate diversity with events, recognition programs, and other initiatives that highlight accomplishments from underrepresented groups

Additionally, strive to create a more diverse talent pool by reaching out to underrepresented communities, partnering with organizations that support minority candidates, and advertising job opportunities in a variety of channels. Ensure that your interview panels are diverse as well, as this can minimize bias in the decision-making process. Consider using a consultant to help create a plan and process for your talent needs that understands how to connect with various communities representing in your desired pool.

Inclusivity is measure by using data. What gets measured gets done. The critical question, how are your leaders engaging employees and creating inclusion? You can only gauge this by surveying your employees regularly to make sure they feel included. It's not enough to establish polices and procedures - those polices have to be evaluated based on feedback & engagement with your employees. If you say your employees are valued and you value their voice, then the only way to determine how they feel is to ask them. Inclusion starts with asking the right question and having a willingness to hear the answers. A survey without action does nothing. What will you do if your employees don't feel included? The answer is not write another policy.

It takes way more than the "feelings" of empathy and compassion to create culture. There are mindsets, habits, and behaviors that need to be assessed and leveled up in skills. Moving beyond emotional intelligence to social intelligence.

We’re human and make mistakes, acknowledge that you may not know everything. You might be part of a marginalized community and realize you don’t understand everyone’s perspective. Language is everything. Be sure to be careful of your words on how you ask for questions and feedback. Here is a question you can ask if you are not sure how to respond, “I would love to get your feedback. I notice that you felt uncomfortable when I said (insert what you said), can you share with me what I can do to improve? I’m really working on being an ally.” Here’s a sentence you can use when responding to feedback, “Thank you for your feedback. I’m working on being a better ally for (insert community).”