Just because an organisation or community achieves a greater level of diversity within its population does not mean it is inclusive. For instance, many organisations put lots of effort into attracting a diverse range of potential employees to join their organisation by promoting the image of a diverse and inclusive external employer brand. However, if the organisation’s internal culture is not inclusive then the experience of those individuals is unlikely to be positive. If those people are not invited to share their unique views, ideas, opinions or to make contributions, then the benefits of diversity will not be reaped. It is crucial for a flourishing, healthy workplace to be made up of diverse mindsets, approaches, influences and ideas.
This scenario reflects the issue of cultural misalignment. Achieving greater diversity can be considered a change to the surface level of culture – the visible manifestations, in this case the numbers of employees belonging to different demographic categories. The organisation appears more diverse, but if the changes do not go beyond the surface to also reflect changes in the deeper elements of culture that really drive outcomes; people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours; then it will not be inclusive, and the benefits of diversity will not be seen. Consequently, many organisations now recognize the importance of ensuring that efforts to increase diversity are coupled with efforts to create an inclusive culture.
What does an inclusive culture look like and how do you go about creating one?
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Establish a relational culture within which people feel proud of their own uniqueness, while becoming socially integrated into a larger group by celebrating the ‘me’ within the ‘we’.
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Maintain an inclusive culture where employees are intrinsically motivated to learn from each other, so that organisational members can discover and appreciate multiple perspectives.
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Incorporate an organisational strategy that capitalises on the multiple perspectives individuals contribute to enhance creativity, productivity, organisational attractiveness, and employee well-being
Where should we start?
Creating an inclusive culture requires embedding DEI behaviours into all areas of the organisation and its decision making.
1. Start by making these behaviours explicit. Often, this is through developing a behavioural framework that offers a practical blueprint for turning this practice of new inclusive behaviours into habits that stick.
2. Encourage your people to reflect on how they operate, the impact of this on inclusion, and then support them in challenging themselves to do things differently.
3. Equip people with new tools and capabilities to integrate conscious inclusion into everything they do.
4. Empower teammates to deliver DEI initiatives, and practice everyday inclusion.
5. Keep the conversation going. Create an honest, supportive feedback culture so that people can speak up when something has made them feel unheard, uninvolved, or unappreciated.
6. Allow others to feel comfortable to enquire and seek to understand others’ differences without fear of saying the wrong thing.
Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you work toward an inclusive workplace culture and embed DEI practices into your organisation.
