You want to create a culture of inclusion in the workplace. What are the best ways to get started?

There is so much that you need to do. Firstly. you need to understand the make up of your workforce, by collecting diversity data. In doing this you can better understand how reflective your workforce is of the local communities where you operate. You need your senior leaders on board to ensure there is a consistent approach to inclusive leadership. Finally, you need to engage with your workforce to understand what's important to them when talking about inclusion.

In my experience, it starts with a leader or leadership team fully investing in determining their personal vision and values about Inclusion. Is it genuine? Is it transparent? Can the vision and values be easily communicated. Are the leaders fully committed? If they answer is YES, then you can move on to bringing it to the team and engaging them in this important conversation and commitment.

As it is International Women's Day, one of the best ways to create a culture of inclusion, is by starting to pay people the same amount for doing the same job. After all, it is 2024 - not 1974.

Focus on creating a psychologically safe workplace for everyone. You can't have an inclusive culture without psychological safety. Yet organisations focus all their attention and resources on inclusion initiatives, which inevitably fail or fall short of their intended outcomes. Redirect your attention onto psychological safety to truly cultivate an inclusive culture.

Inclusion, at its core, is about whether I feel seen, valued, and a part of the community I belong. To build inclusion, try the following: Create the space for your employees to connect and converse outside of the day-to-day tasks at work. To feel inclusion, we must have trust. Recognize your employees for small, everyday acts that show you see them and honor the effort they put forth. Give employees a say in the changes that will impact their life at work. They don't need to own every decision, but they should have the chance to share their voice as much as possible.

To get where you want to go, you need to understand both the route AND the starting point. The latter requires you to identify the "problem" (if it is seen that way), through data analysis. But data needs to be collected thoughtfully, and in such a way as to encourage staff disclosure (which, paradoxically, requires an inclusive culture - and especially inclusion safety) so that the data has integrity and is meaningful. Go beyond mere demographics: cut key demo data with organisational data (eg divisions, levels, pay grades, promotions). Always look at trends rather than one-off snapshots. Do NOT neglect stories: they are just as important as numeric data - the free-from text box is your friend ("the plural of anecdote is data").

Expanding on the assessment phase, it's essential to approach it with sensitivity and inclusivity itself. Ensure that the assessment methods used are culturally competent and accessible to all members of the organization, regardless of background or identity. Additionally, consider involving external experts or consultants who can offer unbiased insights and recommendations. Moreover, make it clear that feedback is valued and will be acted upon, fostering trust and engagement among all stakeholders. Remember, the goal is not just to identify gaps but to create a roadmap for meaningful and sustainable change that benefits everyone within the organization.

hagan ejercicios de lectura del sistema, donde se identifiquen dinámicas, emociones y creencias que harán fluir o limitar el proceso de cambio.

Remember that one perspective is not all perspectives. Marginalized groups are not monolithic, and you may have multiple, sometimes conflicting, views among folks with similar intersections. As you assess your current state, the best tool you can bring to the table is the courage to care for every perspective and person on your team. Without this attitude your table won’t have enough seats for everyone, and those left standing will predictably be the most marginalized.

it is so tempting to focus inclusion assessments on representation and mix (how many folks do we have and what identities do they represent). this is too narrow. and, hot take, it is valueless—when assessing inclusion. to understand whether folks in your business are perceived as integral to your mission and helping to drive value consider assessing: time in seat (how long do folks sit in their current position?), promotions up versus across the business (who is moving up levels versus laterally?), stretch opportunities (who gets tapped for strategic efforts and who doesn’t?). further, how well are we doing in the market place? where does our product/service do well and with whom and do our teams mirror that performance?

Action plans can only be successful if they match what inclusion means for the organization and its people. Many organizations focus on the extrinsic impact without changing intrinsic behavior. This is why it is important to start inclusion programs with the people who are internally impacted by them. Understand what inclusion means to your organization, industry, and beyond before implementing any action plan.

It's vital to embed a culture of accountability and transparency throughout the process. This involves regularly communicating updates on progress and setbacks, celebrating successes, and openly addressing challenges. Encourage ongoing dialogue and collaboration among employees and stakeholders to refine strategies and adapt to changing circumstances. Moreover, prioritize continuous learning and development opportunities to build capacity and resilience within the organization. By fostering a sense of ownership and shared responsibility, you can ensure that inclusion becomes ingrained in the fabric of your organization, driving sustainable change and fostering a more equitable and thriving workplace culture.

Empowering people to leverage their own, and others', inherent differences (of background, lived experience, perspective etc) is THE most essential ingredient in creating a culture of inclusion, by which to unlock the potential value of diversity. All action should be directed at creating psychological safety in the team or organisation. This requires moving from a transactional to a transformational approach: it is NOT enough to roll out mandatory one-off training sessions (eg unconscious bias) without thinking about how this plugs into the wider organisational context - key personnel (esp people managers) need to be equipped, resourced, allowed and actually required to implement learnings in order to bring them to life day to day.

En Latam Business School, desafiamos el status quo a través de programas como el Global CHRO en ciudades como Londres, Dubái, Múnich, CDMX y Nueva York, instando a repensar el mindset en la profesión. La clave no es ver la diversidad e inclusión como meras cuestiones de corrección política; esto puede limitar su verdadero alcance. Nuestro enfoque es retar nuestro mindset profesional y organizacional, asegurándonos de que refleje genuinamente el propósito de nuestra institución y la de nuestros estudiantes. Creemos en una inclusión que vaya más allá de lo superficial, para representar verdaderamente los propósitos, valores y objetivos de las organizaciones.

Listen to the voices of those with lived experience, then HEAR what they're saying and most of all, accept their words. There can be no "I hear what you're saying, but..." because but means your words aren't validated or actually accepted, despite your lived experience. BUT diluted entirely the truths the individual with lived experience has bravely decided to share with you...and will potentially cause them to recoil, so there can never be any growth or change.

En adición a la educación, el construir una cultura de inclusión requiere un compromiso continuo y acciones concretas de todos los niveles de la organización

An alternative viewpoint on the fourth step is to emphasize the importance of creating a learning ecosystem that encourages continuous growth and development in inclusion efforts. Instead of solely focusing on formal training sessions, integrate inclusion principles into various aspects of the organizational culture. This can include incorporating inclusive practices into performance evaluations, project assignments, and decision-making processes. Additionally, foster a culture of mentorship and peer learning where individuals can share experiences and insights on how to promote inclusion effectively.

another hot take, stop being paternalistic. what do i mean by that? well, stop solving on behalf of the org. stop bringing in companies that offer cookie cutter, off the shelf solutions and then plugging and playing them into yours. invest the time and energy to truly seek out and understand what your teams are craving. work to understand their unique needs as they work in service of your mission—create culture differentiation with the same gusto you do in the marketplace. consider applying the same thinking and tools internally to create solutions that stick as you would for your customer/consumer.

En realidad entiendo él sentido que se pretende dar a este punto enfocando al concepto de inclusión como necesario en la creación de una cultura organizacional. Sin embargo, no es buen comienzo que una cultura creado se vea jerarquizada porque en su esencia se ha trabajado en la inclusión. Desde mi perspectiva la cultura debe jerarquizarse por su robustez en términos de diversidad. Con estos rasgos no se requiere inclusión. Inclusión podría interpretarse como que se toma un decisión conveniente y se decide incluir lo que está afuera. Con qué criterio? Cuando? A quien? Para que? Apoyo una cultura en la cual la diversidad es un valor en su esencia, ni siquiera en lo formal, en su esencia.

Designing processes and policies starting from a place of inclusion and accessibility, rather than trying to design for the lowest common denominator, is the easiest way to make sure there's space for everyone. There are so many organizations, consultants, and experts who have shared countless tips, tricks, and best-practices online for free; inclusion is not expensive. We want to be included! Just invite us in, and believe us when we tell you what we need.

Avoid the assumption trap! Do not assume the most salient aspect of one's identity is the aspect you see. For example, a wheel-chair user [visible aspect] might not be challenged by the accessibility accommodations at work as much as the lack of mental health support services because this person struggles with PTSD[invisible aspect]. Similarly, an Asian employee [visible aspect] may be less concerned about xenophobia and more concerned about their LGBTQ+ identity [invisible aspect] because negative company culture threatens perceived safety. Inclusivity requires an intersectional lens. Do not assume the most visible traits of an individual are the most salient. It is critical to explore the diverseness of the team before creating policy.

Es fundamental reconocer y celebrar a las personas que ejemplifican y modelan estos comportamientos correctos. Esto se puede lograr mediante la implementación de programas de reconocimiento que destaquen ejemplos específicos de inclusión y diversidad en la práctica diaria.

Start with yourself. demonstrate inclusion in your workplace, interactions, engagement with partners, stakeholders. sensitize your colleagues, partners and coach them on importance & practicing of inclusion as way of life.

Include people for who they are, not what they look like, not for what they believe, not what they prefer to be seen as or like in their personal bedroom. This is all the lowest and most shallow form of recognition. Imagine being able to see a human soul and treat it how it wants to be treated... now we are REALLY being inclusive. The current inclusion measures are actually dividing people further and I will debate, challenge, chat with anyone on a live stage and ask them to prove me wrong. The world is currently back to front and inside out, let's level the field and treat everyone how they want to be treated and not how we want to treat them.

Paciencia, paciencia y más paciencia. Tolerancia a quienes tienen creencias fuertemente arraigadas. Recordemos que el sistema tiende al status quo, hagamos un proceso más gradual que de shock.

Inclusive exists with mutual respect. This is based on respect as fellow humans. This criteria is the foundation to create and sustain inclusion in your culture. Changing the way people interact and connect with others in their organization is a very powerful way to achieve inclusivity.

The level of maturity and experience and the personalities of the team is one consideration for practicing inclusion. In many Asian context, when new and inexperienced professionals come together, many may choose to play safe and be quiet especially the introverts. So pacing with the team is key. Sharing your thoughts and dream of building an inclusive team sets the tone.