Micro-inclusions for Today: #21-30

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Micro-inclusions for Today: #21-30

For the last few weeks, we’ve been having discussions about micro-inclusions. Lots of you talked about sitting through hours of great training full of tips about being inclusive only to have coworkers say, “But what are the actionable takeaways”--after just sitting through all kinds of actionable takeaways. You’ve said you wanted more of these lists that boil things down real simple. So let’s keep things going!

Big shoutout to all the people who commented. Your ideas for micro-inclusions were inspiring. Many of you pointed out the overlap between what you’ve said, what others said, and what I’ve said–It’s great to find that great minds think alike! So continue sharing your stories! What’s worked for you? What advice has gotten through to others? What tips have you given for reluctant learners eager to ask for actionable takeaways?

Remember, our parameters for micro-inclusions we’ll discuss here: They’ve got to be things individuals can do even with little to no…

Time

• Energy
• Support
• Resources
• Title
• Specialized degree
• Formal experience
• Rank
• Funding

And they do have to be things that…

1. Go beyond internal transformation
2. Benefit others
3. Are proven to be effective in research

With those parameters in mind, remember every mountain is made of pebbles. Thinking about all your great ideas about how to unlock that power, here are 10 more micro-inclusions you can do today!

1. Volunteer. Find an organization related to an underrepresented group. Contact them about volunteer opportunities. Then work with your workplace to volunteer at the organization. Many offices have days where employees get paid for giving back to their community. Have preview sessions where coworkers learn about the community they will serve. Schedule debrief time to reflect afterward. These kinds of programs give people ways to connect with populations beyond their organization. They also give you chances to build belonging between coworkers.
2. Eat somewhere new. Do you cater lunch? Order from a restaurant run by an underrepresented group. Go out to the same burger joint? Check out the Vietnamese place down the way. Eating can be a powerful way to learn new foods, names, language, history, and customs.?
3. Ask a coworker to review you. If you have performance reviews, mix things up by asking a peer to assess you. This will give you a fuller evaluation. But it also gives people a chance to check out someone else’s approach. Even more, when you ask someone to look at your work, you create deep trust, effectively saying you value your coworker’s opinion enough to give them a say in your review process.
4. Offer to peer-review a coworker. The gateway to diversified leadership is more rigorous performance reviews. Affinity bias drives reviewers to score diverse talent more harshly. The key to more accurate reviews is increasing the number of reviewers. Combat bias and give more opportunities for professional improvement by offering to peer-review coworkers.
5. Cross-train. Volunteer to let someone from another department shadow you. Meet to discuss specifics like time, duration, and deliverables. Work with their manager to ensure the trainee will be covered for the day. Convince them by building in opportunities for the trainee to share all the things they learned. These kinds of programs improve retention, feelings of belonging, and advancement, especially for diverse populations.
6. Become an “ambassador.” Think about the organizations you belong to. Find ways to build bridges between them and your workplace. Find mutually beneficial partnerships. Coordinate schedules, and create events. Use this overlap to make new connections for volunteer, internship, mentoring, and recruiting opportunities.
7. Refer people. Love where you work? Refer folks. Think outside of your obvious network. Look for people you know who you wouldn’t normally think of. Get applications for them. Send them links. Talk them up. Encourage them to apply. Having a hard time attracting a diverse application pool? Rethink your social networks. Even if you don’t become a formal “ambassador” between community organizations and your workplace, drive the innovation, flexibility, and growth that comes from diversity by referring diverse people from your own social circles.
8. Use inclusive vocabulary. Listen for what people call themselves. Use those terms. Take time to research inclusive language. Implement it. Retire terms like “crazy, insane,“ and “crippled.” Only use “blind, paralyzed,” or “deaf” when referring to the literal ability status, not as metaphors for difficulty. Watch out for idioms. They’re often full of problematic historical meanings beyond your control. Slow down. Think about your words. Show mindfulness. Demonstrate to others that you care.
9. Use inclusive discussion techniques. Pay attention to the duration, frequency, and volume of your speech. Ensure you leave room for others to speak. When appropriate, match the patterns of those you’re talking to. Be cautious about your diction level, making sure that you’re using language appropriate for your audience. Don’t talk over people’s heads. Don’t talk down. Meet people where they are.
10. Use inclusive non-verbals. Consider what posture means in the context. Does it demonstrate ease, disinterest, aggression, something else? What about your eye contact? For folks from some groups, it’s a sign of respect. For others, too much is a sign of disrespect. Check your hand motions. Is your use of them seen as hostile in the situation? Might your lack of them seem like you don’t care? Check your distance. Social identities like gender, nationality, disability, and religion can all change what it means for you to stand a certain distance from others.

What about you? Let us know what you think. What’s worked for you? What advice do you have? What are other ways to create micro-inclusions?

Some immediate ways Uplifting Impact is overhauling workplace culture:

• Professional DEI Certification Program
• Uplifting Impact Podcast also on Youtube
• “How to Be an Ally” Virtual Summit

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Being an #ALLY is ongoing work. Any uplifting impact we make now, no matter how big or small, will build a better world for future leaders and generations to come. So, let’s keep working together to affect change. Subscribe to continue these Uplifting Conversations!?