10 Do’s And Don’ts For Creating An Inclusive Workplace

Here are 10 things to urgently consider if creating an inclusive is important to you.?

Before we get to that.

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Here are 10 things to urgently consider if creating an inclusive is important to you.?

This will be relevant if:?

1. You want to create a more inclusive workplace but don’t know where to start.?

2. You think you’re making progress but you want something to keep you on track.

3. You want to know some of our signature practices and insights.?

If this sounds like you, then you’re in the right place.?

Here’s what we’re going to cover today:?

1. 10 Do’s And Don’ts for creating an Inclusive workplace

2. 3 activities to give constant attention ?

3. 3 questions to constantly ask yourself and others.?

Before we start, let’s talk about inclusion:?

We think of Inclusion as a systematic business strategy to ensure everyone shares the same advantages and benefits.

This means:?

- Everyone can perform

- Everyone can belong

- Everyone can reach their potential

That’s how we think of it.?

Use this to think of something that works for you:?

Here’s the do’s and don’ts: actually it’s 3 do’s and 7 don’ts.?

3 Things To Do

I’ve learned that organisations experience remarkably predictable challenges as they try to become more Inclusive.

We refer to these challenges as the “3 Biggest Problems”.

1 People: Actively engage the people that they want to include.

Organisations have trouble engaging the people that they want to include.

Too many people make the mistake of thinking Inclusion is about “minority" groups.

In reality it’s about all groups.

It’s not about some people.

It’s about all people.

Too many people think Inclusion is about balancing the needs of people from a defined majority with a defined minority.

It’s a crude starting point but it’s not that simple.

You need to consider people who reject terms like “minority” and “majority” altogether.

I talk about this more on the show including how Tokenism features as a problem you want to avoid.?

Check it out here.

2 Potential: Consider acculturation to ensure everyone can reach their potential

Organisations struggle to create a culture of Inclusion where everyone can reach their potential

Culture is a disputed term.

- Leaders don’t agree on what it means

- Employees don’t agree on what it means.

- Academics don’t agree on what it means.

I hope we can agree that organisational culture influences the outcomes of the organisation.

I like to focus on Culture as a Process.

This is lifted straight from my PhD.

Acculturation refers to a dual process of change when an individual makes contact with a cultural group.

- Think of a person moving to a new country

- Think of a person moving to a new community

- Thing of a person joining a new organisation

Acculturating Individuals face two primary issues:

1 How much they want to keep their personal “culture”

2 How much they want to adopt the culture of the organisation

Too many organisations focus exclusively on their own choices.

It’s smarter for you to consider the choices of individuals too.

3 Performance: You need to find your own “business case”?

Organisations find it difficult to articulate a “business case for diversity” for their specific organisation.

Here’s the inconvenient truth.

The Business Case for Diversity has not been established in the way you have been led to believe.

In 2013, the Government Equalities Office published a report that surveyed the academic literature to assess the current evidence for the business case for diversity and equality.

The report found that firms have reaped business benefits from equality and diversity.

However this was not all firms at all times.

The authors also found conflicting evidence about the benefits of diversity and no single approach to solving the problem.

To add to the confusion, the definition of diversity also varied: some studies discuss gender diversity at board level where others discuss diversity in teams.?

No one tells you this stuff.?

I do.

I'm not trying to be like everyone else.

Those are 3 things you need to do.?

Here are the 7 things not to do.?

We call them The 7 Common Mistakes Organisations Make On Their Inclusion Journey?

We use the acronym BRISTOL to help us remember them.?

Why Bristol??

I completed my undergraduate degree in Bristol.?

I love the place and the people.

My clients find it easy to use.?

I want to protect you from these mistakes:?

1 Don’t talk about the Business Case for Diversity in generic terms

I’ve touched on this already.?

Instead search for a "business case” specific to your organisation.

2 Don’t focus on Awards and Lists or social media likes?

I know your reputation is important to you.?

You want people to believe Inclusion is a priority.?

Presenting yourself as something you’re not can be devastating.?

Better to spend more time on the problem and less on the “optics”?

3 Don’t place your hopes on a single intervention to fix Inclusion?

It’s great to make a big effort to show your intent.?

However no single keynote or training will address everything.?

The challenges you’re facing are persistent.?

Consider committing to an ongoing programme of change.?

4 Don’t rely on "Common Sense" for guidance.?

There’s a temptation to use anecdotes for decision making.

The received wisdom can often lead you astray.

In practice this can do more harm than good.?

Try balancing your judgement with Evidence Based Inclusion

5?Don’t think you can “fix” Diversity one aspect at a time?

I know you’ve got your priorities. ?

Some say "we’ll do Gender, then Race then ...".?

None of us are just one thing.?

Gender Pay gaps can’t be explained? just one thing.

People are nuanced, your solution should be nuanced too.?

6 Don’t use a One Size fits all approach?

There is no cookie cutter solution.

Copying what other organisations do is ineffective.?

What works for Neurodiversity will not work for Race.?

Good to create specific plans that fit the issues you’re addressing.

7 Don’t just focus on Senior Leaders

I understand the thinking.?

Change comes from the top.

This doesn’t work if you ignore everyone else.

Engage the Top, Middle and the Bottom.?

I talk about these in more detail on the show.?

Avoid these mistakes and you won’t have the implementation problems that others have.?

Here are some other considerations

3 reasons you’re making no progress with inclusion

You have no buy in from leadership?

This means no engagement?

Solve this by earning trust as a credible advisor.?

You have ambiguous activities with no impactful results

This means no one cares about what you’re doing.

Solve this by optimising for relevant measurable outcomes.

You rely on generic practices with no longevity

This means your work is not sustainable

Solve this by introducing a systematic process.

Doing this means you will make measurable inclusion progress.?

This is what we do with our clients.

You can achieve the same.?

Everything else is a distraction.?

Let’s pretend you take this seriously and you follow the recommendations I’ve provided.?

When you start speaking to people (especially “experts”).

You'll notice that everyone sounds so convincing and this makes it hard to know who to believe.?

Someone will say:?

“New research means having lots of parties and posting them on social media will create a more inclusive workplace”?

I solve this by asking these questions.?

Every single day.?

1. Is that a claim?

Is this a statement about reality based on your experience?

If so what is that based on?

(I want to see this research to see if it actually says that)?

2. Is that a hypothesis?

Is this an explanation of how or why things happen??

If so, what’s the basis of your thinking?

(I want to know if this is a reasonable conclusion)?

3. Is that an assumption?

Is this a belief or principle that you based other decisions on.

If so, what makes you so sure?

(I want to know if your reasoning is sound and if it can work for us)?

You should apply this to everyone.?

Including me.?

My PhD thesis has 86,979 words.

My podcast has 5,000+ minutes.

My writing here has 2,500+ posts.

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This should give you enough evidence to make your own mind up.?

Send me a message directly if you want to discuss this further.

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As always

I’m cheering you on.

Dr. Jonathan

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