If a seed you have sown fails to sprout as expected, you might believe that the seed itself is at fault. While it’s true that a seed requires certain inherent qualities to grow, sprout, and bear fruit, the seed must also be placed in an environment conducive to its growth.
Every person is similar to a seed. To develop and realize their potential, they need to not only have inherent qualities, but also an environment that supports their growth. This is what is meant by inclusion. And the pressing question is how to cultivate an environment where diverse people, each with unique traits and distinctively different from one another, can grow and flourish together.
Today’s organizations are recognizing the need to include diverse people within their boards, their management, and their teams. Several studies point to the benefits of diverse perspectives to strengthen innovation, decision-making, and profitability. Diversity of viewpoints is a tremendous asset. Conversely, those who continue to operate within a homogenous group exist in a vacuum chamber of their own points of view and make themselves significantly more vulnerable to today’s rapid changes.
Yet bringing a new member to the table simply to change the optics, such as adding a young woman of color to a board of directors made up solely of older white men, can backfire if the only intention is to check the diversity box. If diversity is approached as merely adding individuals who possess different characteristics to the group, the result will be akin to planting a seed but neglecting to give it water and sunlight. What truly matters is how this young female board member feels within the group, what attitudes the other board members have toward her, and how well they work together.
For diversity to be operational, such that differences are recognized as sources of richness, it must be supported by inclusion — or putting the concept of diversity into action so that the group appreciates the diversity they bring. Inclusion involves a fundamental feeling of belonging within one’s environment. Members feel safe and respected, and able to apply their best effort.
In today’s world, diversity and inclusion have become two of the most important concepts within businesses. The dynamics of the business world and the technological and demographic changes affecting it necessitate better, more inclusive collaboration to foster creativity and resilience. In addition, in times of stress, during crises, or even in rapidly changing market conditions, organizations whose employees can speak up freely will distinguish themselves.
The pressing question, therefore, is how can leaders better tend a sense of inclusion in their teams? Here are some tips:
- Get to know your members. One of the best lessons the pandemic has taught us is that we did not know our colleagues and members who bring life to our institutions well enough. However, knowing a person involves foreseeing how they will react under different circumstances. Taking an interest in their values, the dominant emotions shaping their lives, and their thought patterns will enable leaders to better understand why they react in particular ways in different circumstances.
- Treat members equitably. This is not about uniformity but about ensuring each individual feels sufficiently valued and included. These efforts must stem from an appropriately nuanced perspective aimed at fostering a sense of being treated equally well over mere equity.
- Accentuate inclusive behaviors. This approach emphasizes celebrating each other’s virtues and fostering more harmonious communities, which enriches emotional well-being and minimizes the sterile, ineffective competition that so often prevails. The new paradigm encourages the formation of teams that complement each other’s strengths. It focuses on creating environments where members genuinely enjoy collective engagement.
- Share responsibility. Inclusion blossoms not just through visibility and being heard but also by sharing responsibilities. The success of an inclusive culture within an institution cannot hinge solely on one individual. It should be a collaborative endeavor involving all members of the community, rather than directives issued solely from higher management. Shared responsibility also involves appropriately sharing information that enable collective objectives to be met.
- Praise inclusive work. Inclusion thrives through positive examples. Make a point of identifying, showcasing, and promoting instances that enhance communal well-being. Doing so reinforces inclusive behaviors in the organization. The key lies in recognizing and promoting individual and collective strengths and successes.
An inclusive organization benefits from the diversity of its members. Diversity in gender, culture, age, geography, academic disciplines, and more, when synergistically integrated, enhances the resilience of the organization against economic threats. The more organizational leaders honor diverse members and support the viewpoints they bring, the more inclusive and more effective their organizations become.
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