Creating a Culture of Belonging
A foundational plan for developing inclusivity in a diverse workforce
Hello and welcome to Inclusive Impact’s first Blog post!
I have been kicking off the year by considering how to develop and implement an organisational plan to deliver a step change in the workforce experience of inclusion and belonging.
Implementing a plan to improve inclusivity in the workplace is crucial for leveraging upon the benefits of creating more equitable and diverse organisations. Inclusivity goes beyond simply having a diverse workforce; it's about creating a culture where everyone feels valued, respected and heard.
In this blog, I will share a three-step plan focused on laying the foundations for improved inclusivity and belonging at work.
The foundational plan aims to:
Provide a structure upon which an improved sense of belonging and inclusivity can be built and measured
Guide and support all employees to contribute towards embodying inclusive behaviours and make others feel included.
Inclusivity in the workplace has a positive impact on employees and an organisation as a whole. By fostering inclusivity, organisations can benefit from their workforce's diverse perspectives and ideas, improve decision-making and innovation, and promote a positive corporate image and reputation.
The following three steps lay the foundations for developing inclusion at work:
Collect the Data – One of the first steps to improving inclusivity in the workplace is to gather data on the feeling of inclusivity and belonging in the workforce. The data will act as a baseline and help identify any organisational disparities.
Invite a Call to Action – Everybody has a role to play. Inviting everyone to play their part in developing a culture of belonging is easier said than done. Invoking a sense of commitment to this task can still be tough. I will share my approach to performance and non-performance-based measures, which incentivise employees to get involved, engage and contribute to creating inclusive workplaces.
Provide Support and Employ Strategic Initiatives – Everyone joins the work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at a different point in their journey, recognising this and providing accessible and qualified resources to support and develop understanding is essential.
STEP 1. Collect the Data
Organisations can collect inclusivity data in a number of ways:
Employee surveys to capture the sentiment around inclusivity and belonging. These types of surveys are often released across an organisation at regular intervals as a means to measure improved or disproved perception.
Group or individual employee engagements through purpose-led conversations or as a result of in-house activities or Employee Resource Group (ERG) work.
Where possible the data collected int hese forms can be correlated across employee demographics to identify patterns or trends. Organisational data is just one type of data to be considered at this analysis stage. Steps should be taken to seek direct stakeholder/employee feedback and review of scientific literature in support of data themes that may be identifiable.
Survey results, insights and recommended actions should be transparent to everyone through direct communication. Sharing the data and its analysis transparently will develop employee trust in the process and increase the likelihood of engagement to support initiatives that can work towards improved inclusivity.
The data analysis stage is imperative in designing targeted strategic initiatives for organisational change that promote inclusion across all levels in the organisation and help steer DEI strategy towards this goal. New initiatives should remain outcome-focused and include specific actions, timelines, and accountability measures developed in the design phase. Practitioners can develop means to share strategic initiatives with the internal audience to build trust and buy-in.
I acknowledge that, as with any progressive aspect of business where change and development is key, mistakes will inevitably be made. Initiatives may not' deliver the anticipated outcome. We recognise that we are all fallible and that this is an important step on the journey towards improved inclusivity.
STEP 2. Invite a Call to Action
When the workforce comes together to deliver common initiatives a strengthening of positive cultural effects can often be observed. It is everyone's job to ensure everyone feels that they belong. The goal is to make sure everyone feels like they have a role to play in creating inclusivity. Everybody will have something to contribute, but the magic will happen when we can help every person identify with the role they can play.
This step is all about initiating a call to action, motivating involvement and support through social accountability and performance-based review. Consider building in tangible actions to improve inclusivity and display inclusive behaviours into employee annual performance reviews.
Two approaches are suggested:
1) Score against Inclusion Performance Indicators
Implement a means to score defined inclusivity behaviours (such as Cultural Intelligence or Collaboration) as part of an annual performance appraisal. Organisations that endorse, promote and measure the development of these behaviours are demonstrating their importance to their cultural values and paying for their employees to adopt the desired actions.
2) Set targets around the development of Employees taking actions
a) Guiding and inviting employees to develop and implement their own Inclusivity Action Plan can lead individuals and Teams towards taking tangible steps towards creating more inclusive environments. A plan can include:
Mechanisms for self-education
Identifying opportunities to raise awareness of the experience of people with different identities to your own
Identifying steps to support others in developing conscious inclusion and inclusive leadership
Working with teams on developing inclusive behaviours, including practising psychological safety in teams and advocating for open and honest dialogue
b) Organisational Departments or Teams can be further encouraged by being supported to deliver against an organisational timetable of established monthly inclusivity contributions. Moments of learning and sharing information led and delivered by one team and shared across an organisation can demonstrate the importance and impact of positive leadership Team-led inclusivity contributions could include topical inclusivity events, nudges or principles through internal communications platforms and other team-related activities.
The expectation is that these performance-based actions will stretch everyone involved; that we encourage employees to put themselves in positions of unfamiliarity, create new conversations and talk about new and different things. The business world we exist in has sometimes over-relied on rewarding competence and expertise, command, control and always having the answers.
The landscape is changing. Inclusive leadership is increasingly expected by many people around us, particularly younger talent. It is the way leadership must evolve, to be more honest, more transparent and more curious. This change is coming, the expectation has already arrived and there is no choice but to embrace it be a positive part of that transformation.
STEP 3. Provide Support
Alongside the implementation of steps 1 and 2, there is a need to provide additional support to an organisation leaning into embracing a shift in inclusivity. It is recognised that focusing on inclusivity will be a step into the unknown for many. Providing a degree of support and resources to those seeking to contribute is imperative for success.
There are many ways support could be provided, including the provision of resources and training events. Organisations that benefit from a centralised online communications platform may have the opportunity to build their own internal DEI Toolkit. A centralised hub for DEI resources that are tailored to the organizational need. The type of resources that could be made available include:
Links to succinct and actionable resources (articles, videos, references) to shift the dial on inclusivity, likely topics may include:
Understanding bias
Building cultures of inclusion
How to run inclusive online meetings
Drivers of belonging
Inclusive language
How to use ‘nudges’ to drive inclusive behaviour
Leading across cultures
Awakening curiosity
The art of being wrong
Understanding your power to contribute to change
2. Voluntary training and skills development.
3. Support on creating an inclusivity action plan, what it could look like and how it can help to develop a more inclusive workplace.
4. Success stories and lived experience sharing.
Development of a centralised resource hub is likely to be delivered by a core DEI Team. It would also benefit from contributions from the wider employee group to assist with support and buy-in. I have recently been impressed with the efforts of Cecilie Rosengreen Kringel, founder of DEI Club– a pan-industry hub for a wide range of DEI resources. If you have yet to check it out, visit DEI Club, the all-in-one online community for DEI professionals and a fantastic resource for all DEI Practitioners.
My Reflections
It is well recognised that everyone embarks on DEI work at a different point in their journey of understanding and skills development. Through this I blog hope that we will be able to share our accountability, mistakes and imperfectionsensuring we are kind to one another and learn together.
It's important to note that improving inclusivity in the workplace is an ongoing process.I It's essential to continuously improve any plan by learning from best practices, feedback, and the outcome of the strategy.
Implementing a plan to improve inclusivity in the workplace requires a clear understanding of the following:
The current state of inclusivity
Specific and measurable goals
The establishment of a detailed action plan
Regular evaluations
Positioning diversity, equity and inclusion a fundamental part of the organisation's culture.
Remember, it's an ongoing process; continuous improvement is key.
Interested to hear more....follow / connect with me on LinkedIn Gemma Littlewood | LinkedIn for all future blog updates. I will further explore the outcomes of implementing this three step approach to shifting the dial on inclusivity later in the year sharing the implementation journey with you.
This simple three step plan is designed to lay the generalised foundational elements to support improved inclusivity. It cannot be taken as professional advice for your specific situation which is always unique.