Ask people in your organisation “what makes you feel included” and all kinds of answers are given. This tells you a lot about what creates inclusion in the real world. It also tells you that the word inclusion means many different things to different people.
That is both good and bad. Good because it helps us look at inclusion from many different angles. Bad because it highlights a problem – not all leaders know what it takes to create a level of inclusion that improves engagement and performance. This is not judgemental, simply a truth.
Leaders – meeting them where they are
Leaders will naturally fall somewhere on a spectrum from Ignore to Champion around diversity (differences). Without an explicit discussion about the spectrum – they may not know where they are now or understand the implications. We need them to.
How passive and active behaviours play out
Let’s consider a realistic scenario. Company A makes an acquisition. Their press releases highlight the value of the talent coming over with the acquired company B. “The different ideas and experiences they bring will make the combined company stronger and more innovative”. But will they?
Two stars from company B are placed in a large team of people from company A. The A’s have worked together for a long time and have had some success. Immediately after the acquisition, we look in on a meeting where future strategy is being discussed. Going back to the spectrum, look at this scenario from two different places – 1) Ignore/Tolerate (Passive) and 2) Value (Active)
The way the A’s treat the B’s would be quite different. Here are some examples, which we could all add to.
The impact is very real
We can guess how differently our B’s in the scenario would feel after the meetings. These different places on the inclusion spectrum would leave them either deeply demotivated or optimistic and engaged.
Shifting leaders into “active mode”
There is a danger that being polite and tolerant is enough to satisfy some leaders that they are inclusive. That is a very low bar and misses the point of inclusion with purpose – which is to improve performance. The behaviours we see when leaders and peers genuinely Value diversity are all active. Actively inviting contributions, creating opportunities, supporting and engaging different people. This level of inclusion, which delivers results, is not at all passive
Any work with leaders around inclusion must encourage and help them to understand how to move across the inclusion spectrum. The move from active to passive inclusion is win-win-win.
- Individual team members feel supported and valued
- Managers are rewarded by higher levels of staff engagement
- Organisations see many benefits, including greater collaboration and innovation, more informed decision-making and insights into diverse markets.
That is the prize for pursuing inclusion with purpose.
Where are your leaders on the inclusion spectrum?
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