What does it mean to practice Inclusion?

Is your organization drowning in the stream of unconscious biases?

Organizations are learning to be inclusive by creating I&D programs. But, in addition to these programs, it is also important to foster inclusion as culture. Without that, you get what I call a stream of unconscious biases. Below are excerpts overheard from real conversations.

• ??“You cannot waste food that’s served to you. Do you know how many children in Africa or someplace like that starve to death without food?” – An aside during a recent virtual meeting.
• “Let us slip quietly away – he cannot see or hear us anyway” – An exchange among a team in one of the work bays in office regarding an employee with disabilities.?
• “They don’t speak or participate and always stick together. I wonder if they’re lesbians?” – At a corporate leadership program.?
• “I’ll be delivering this training in English. Hope you all can understand” – An English-speaking senior trainer to a group of participants from a different region.

?I cringe every time I think of them. And it continues to happen. We have all, at some point, participated in this stream of unconscious bias. It can undermine all the programs we do and alienate marginalized groups irrevocably. So, what must change?

?Seeing inclusion as an attitude, not a program

?What’s the common thread in all those statements? They are not “harmless jokes”. They are negative attitudes and biases, rooted in a fear of difference. Today’s fearful thoughts become tomorrow’s judgemental words. Tomorrow’s judgemental words become next week’s discriminatory actions. Next week’s discriminatory actions harden and evolve into next year’s robustly non-inclusive culture.

?Change can happen only when we edit our own thoughts. This is the only real way we can create a culture where people perceive difference not as a threat but as another valid facet of reality, So how do we begin changing thoughts and words?

1. Reviewing: The first step is to review one’s own thoughts and words, with the intent of identifying gaps in inclusion. On one occasion, a team member, Joe, who has never been good at PowerPoint presentations, presented one to me that was perfect! My instant response was, “This does not seem like your work. Did X do it for you?” He did not honour me with a response.
2. Rebooting: The second step is to pick holes and go back to the drawing board. I needed to reflect and acknowledge my bias. Was that a fair comment? What was the impact on Joe? I realized I hurt his sentiments. That he did not respond to my comment was response enough. I needed to start again.
3. Recrafting: In this third step, recreate the exchange and modify the response or action to be neutral. ?I recrafted my exchange with Joe. “This presentation you shared yesterday, was actually very good. What did you do differently? Did you seek anyone’s help or put in extra effort?”
4. Refreshing: The last and most difficult part is to close the loop. Have the courage to re-reopen the discussion, apologize, and restate your point. I blocked time with Joe for the next morning. I brought the presentation up for discussion again. I used my new script and had a real conversation. The truth was, Joe had burned the midnight oil to create the picture-perfect presentation.

?Conclusion: A journey of a thousand steps…

…starts with a single step. I have been trying to put this to practice with a single step every day. I think about what I said and did. I face the discomfort of being wrong. And I create a cheat sheet for the next day. I won’t lie; this can be exhausting, and it will make us defensive. But the outcome is worth the effort. There are still instances that pass through my radar. But I have begun making the effort.

?A culture that is open to differences is a growing, futuristic culture. Getting there is not a 30-day challenge or just about creating impressive programs but also about committing to a lifelong journey of reforming attitudes.

How do you personally practice identifying and modifying your biases? What’s worked for you and what hasn’t? I’d love to hear insights about your personal journey towards inclusion!