In
my work as an organizational consultant, I have discovered that organizations which authentically embrace creating an inclusive
culture where everyone feels valued are more likely to retain their top talent. With the current war on talent to keep the
brightest and the best, it appears to make good business sense to explore how the power of inclusion supports sustained business
success.
What does inclusion look like?
•Inclusion is the sharing of ideas from all perspectives.
•Inclusion is people working together
despite differences to create success for a common cause.
•Inclusion is the creation of a culture where differences
of thought and opinions are embraced with enthusiasm and celebrated.
What
does inclusion not look like?
•Inclusion is not about creating the
delusion that everyone will always get along.
•Inclusion is not about pretending to agree for the sake of avoiding
conflict.
•Inclusion is not about ignoring the cultural and gender differences that may exist.
Within a truly inclusive environment, it is perfectly okay for people to have different
perspectives. In fact, it is the leadership dynamic of allowing for the creation of diverse thoughts that provides the opportunity
for innovation and high performance results to be achieved. Organizations that want to achieve sustainability understand the
critical need to embrace internal cultural and gender differences, not minimize them.
So
what makes organizational inclusiveness so powerful? An environment of inclusion is present when everyone feels free to offer
their perspective in a professional manner without fear of rejection or loss of position.
I have encountered too many women who are reluctant to express their opinion within a male-dominated culture.
They often fear being ridiculed for having a different opinion or approach.
People
want to contribute to the long-term success of their organizations. Leaders should create a culture where everyone’s
perspective is heard. Common courtesy must always be present because the reality is that not everyone is always going to agree.
Being inclusive means becoming comfortable with allowing the disagreements to surface so that the best strategies can be determined
after all opinions are heard.
Some of the known benefits of creating an inclusive
workplace are:
•When everyone’s opinions are truly valued, the
goals of the organization can be achieved in an accelerated manner.
•An inclusive environment minimizes the opportunity
of an insider vs. outsider culture to gain traction.
•When people feel that they contribute to the greater good,
they are more likely to go the extra mile.
In today’s tough, competitive
business environment people want to feel valued for their contributions. The demonstration of valuing others does not always
have to be monetary. Allowing emerging leaders to take on more responsibility is a good example of creating a win/win inclusive
environment. As people feel engaged in creating tangible results they are more likely to stay onboard.
A combination of fresh thinking and experience is the most powerful ammunition an organization can have in
its arsenal to beat the competition. The more organizations focus on creating an inclusive culture, the better opportunity
they have to demonstrate agility in overcoming today’s economic barriers.
(Note: After I read this piece, I realized there were quite a few quotes that I could extract
from it, so I contacted its author, Ms. Deborah Chambers Chima, and asked her for permission to post it in its entirety here
at Everyone is Included. To the benefit of the many visitors to my quotes pages...by far, Everyone is Included's most popular
pages, by the way...I have obtained her permission. Deborah
Chambers Chima, CEO of Chambers Consultant Group, Ltd. is an author, speaker, leadership coach, and consultant who collaborates
with organizations and individuals to accelerate their productivity. You can visit her website at www.chambersconsult.com.)
