4 Ways to Maintain an Inclusive Team

Many organisations have particularly excelled in spreading awareness and diversifying their teams with different talents, gender, sexuality, race, ages, and abilities entering the workforce. But how to ensure that your team can work seamlessly and well together is what can make or break organisations.

Inclusion is about creating trust in your teams.

Here are 4 strategies to retain your employees and promote inclusion at work.

1. SYSTEMS: Look at practices and process to weed out racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, gender disparities and others

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In today's rapidly evolving workplace landscape, fostering inclusivity and diversity within organisations is not just a moral imperative; it's also a strategic advantage. One key strategy in this endeavour is the emphasis on systems. By scrutinising practices and processes, companies can proactively identify and eliminate biases that perpetuate racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, gender disparities, and other forms of discrimination. This involves a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, and structures to ensure they are equitable and inclusive for all employees.

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2. PEOPLE: Engage and know your people well for shared vision

In the journey towards creating inclusive and high-performing organisations, a crucial strategy lies in profound engagement with people. Understanding and connecting with individuals on a personal level fosters a shared vision that transcends superficial differences and aligns everyone towards common goals. By actively listening to employees, valuing their perspectives, and recognising their unique strengths, leaders can cultivate a culture of inclusivity where every voice is heard and valued.

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3. FAIRNESS: Provide what people need, specifically in equity

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In the pursuit of organisational excellence and inclusivity, fairness emerges as a cornerstone principle. Fairness encompasses more than just equal treatment; it involves providing individuals with what they need to thrive, particularly in terms of equity. By recognising and addressing systemic barriers that hinder equal access to opportunities and resources, companies can create environments where all employees have the chance to succeed on an equal footing.

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Moreover, fairness extends to compensation and recognition. Transparent pay structures and performance evaluation processes help mitigate biases and ensure that individuals are compensated fairly based on their contributions and skillsets rather than factors such as gender or ethnicity.

Actively promote fairness in anti-racism strategies throughout all aspects of the employee experience.

This is what can foster an inclusive culture where diversity is celebrated and valued as a driver of success.

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4. INCLUSION: Create inclusive strategies that foster belonging.

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Inclusion is a must-have, not a nice to have. Therefore, fostering a culture of inclusion is paramount to unlocking the full potential of diverse teams. This goes beyond mere representation; it's about creating environments where every individual feels a sense of belonging and is empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

One effective strategy for achieving this goal is to develop inclusive strategies that prioritise belonging as a foundational principle.

What I see is that often, business focuses on the number four and ignores the others. However, it is critical to consider and account for all four approaches in order to maintain inclusiveness, regardless of the gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, race, or religious beliefs of your staff.

Author of this article:

Gloria Tabi is a High Degree Researcher specialising in Social Analysis on Race, Racism, Inequalities, Anti-Racism and Gender within Humanities, Communications and Arts at Western Sydney University.

Gloria is the author of Inclusive Teams & Workplaces: Everyone Wins!! She wrote this book to assist leaders become aware of the unique racial barriers faced by some of their staff and how to fix it.

Gloria established EVERYDAY INCLUSION to work with leaders to achieve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity for their workplace.

Gloria is also Co-founder of VoiceEverydayRacism which gives a platform for those on the receiving end of workplace exclusion to voice these issues for leaders to learn about.

Gloria is passionate about helping businesses reach inclusivity by supporting people and future-proofing their businesses.

Gloria's family consists of white and Black ancestry by marriage, which gives her a broad understanding and lived-experience of both sides of the spectrum. She brings well-grounded knowledge and experience of the impacts presented in race and gender identities.

Gloria curates these articles to generate discussions about how to be strategic with your workplace DEI efforts and achieve Anti-racism. They are?FREE to subscribe.?Visit her website to learn more about services that can be tailored to your specific needs, or book a FREE 30-minute consultation call to see how Gloria can help you elevate your workplace diversity, equity, inclusion, and Anti-racism efforts.

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Gloria's?utmost and real desire is to see your business succeed in inclusivity. That comes before anything else, and that’s her promise to you.

Download FREE Anti-racism FACT SHEET for leaders. https://www.everydayinclusion.com.au/antiracism-factsheet-downloads and circle back with your feedback and tell us how we can support.