Inclusive Infrastructure vs Inclusive Culture – Chicken and Egg Problem?

Inclusive workplace draws in and holds a more extensive variety of abilities. Such a way to deal with recruiting and imparting destroys generalization disposition,changes insights, and establishes the new workplace dependent on arising innovations. This permits to accomplish equivalent, compassionate, and trustful treatment of every representative, from top pioneer to any colleague.

On September 4, 2020 the Global Inclusion Online Forum 2020 Panel "Inclusive Infrastructure vs Inclusive Culture – Chicken and Egg Problem?", moderated by Martiza T. Adonis, J.D.,MCIArb MTA Visions Global, Chief Executive Officer of MTA Visions, gathered the world’s top experts to discuss where inclusion starts, what should the role of government, private sector, NGOs, and individuals be and whether there is a difference in how the developed and developing countries should address the inclusion challenge.

Among the panelists were Andreas Beavor, Co-Founder of Urban Emerge, Monika Navandar, Founder of NeoSeven Solutions, Expert in Diversity and Inclusion, Cross Cultural competence and Talent Management, Anoushka Gunagdin, Founder of Global CQ, Director of Health Tech Company Alleviate, Bobby Umar, CEO and Founder of DYPB (Discover Your Personal Brand) and Juliet Bourke, Deloitte (Researcher).

Maritza T. Adonis is the diplomacy, diversity and political thought leader and executive at MTA Visions. She has been involved in the Global Women and Youth empowerment leaders projects that aim to educate citizens across the globe by elevating women and youth as influencers.

For Maritza, culture is something that she experienced while growing up. She looks at it at a micro level: as people to people interaction. As someone who grew up in a city but went to school in a country, her life has prompted her to seek culture holistically. However, she also values infrastructure and thinks of it at a macro level.

Maritza thinks that Covid-19 is a great example of these two sectors becoming interrelated. According to her, people are being more intentional about working with each other and should become more intentional about inclusion as well. “They need to work in a symbiotic relationship between the public and private sectors”, says Maritza.

Andreas Beavor is the Co-Founder of Urban Emerge, a company that provides consultations to governments and the private sector with a focus on low middle income countries. It is particularly a kind of intersection between sustained and digital technology. 

While defining inclusion Andreas said: ”I look at it from a planning side; it is about the removal of barriers, which allows everyone to participate equally and fully in the society. It includes access to opportunities for education, employment, health care and infrastructure”.

Andreas also explained why infrastructure might be prior to culture. “The role of infrastructure is really important in terms of helping to raise awareness. Once you have the right policies in place, accessible cities and transport, then it is easier for people to understand the value of it”, says Andreas.

Anoushka Gunagdin is the CEO of Australia Channel Commerce and the founder of Global CQ, where she helps employees build cultural intelligence and inclusive leadership. For her, inclusion comes with responsibility for those who are in leadership positions. “It’s our duty to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind”, says Anoushka.

Anoushka also believes that we are as a society responsible for building inclusion around us. She was surprised to see the study showing that girls receive 35% less pocket money at home than their brothers. “If we are not building inclusion there, how can we expect all the sudden to get it in the workplace?”, she wonders. “It all depends on us as individuals integrating it in all spheres of our lives”. 

Bobby Umar is the CEO and Founder of DYPB, who has traveled around the world for the last 15 years and has visited 5 continents and 21 countries. He states that real culture allows people to be treated fairly and respectfully. By making sure they have a voice, we allow them to contribute to the organization. 

Bobby also explains how culture and infrastructure can work together. “Everything starts with people”, he says. Bobby is on team “culture’ and believes that it is the first thing that arises even when there is hardly any infrastructure. Furthermore, each culture is different and we should adapt infrastructure so that it helps inclusion thrive. For Bobby, people are something that matters most. 

Juliet Bourke from Deloitte has seen through her research that inclusion consists of three different parts.

The beginning of inclusion is participation: where people are treated fairly and respectfully, there is no discrimination. According to Juliet, it is just about getting into the game. 

The next level of inclusion is where people start to feel that their uniqueness is valued and they have a chance to participate. They feel appreciated and have the sense of belonging to a group.

The highest level of inclusion is where people feel psychologically safe to contribute ideas, which might be a little risky. This is the level, where your difference is not only valued but you can put it up to challenge the group.

Monika Navandar has sixteen years of HR experience in both emerging and developed markets. She is an expert in diversity and inclusion, cross-cultural competence and talent management. She has led many leadership roles in India, US, Singapore, Dubai, Italy, and South Africa. She is also the founder of NeoSeven Solutions.

According to her, inclusion means having a voice at the table and having environments, where every individual feels accepted, respected, valued, and safe. Monika believes it is everyone's responsibility to drive inclusion like an orchestra: individuals, the private sector, and government need to play in harmony. That’s how we can move beyond our conservative mindset.

“To drive inclusion we also need to go back to the basics, when our elders taught us to treat others the way you want to be treated”, says Monika.

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