Leader: Make everyone feel welcome
As a leader, you set the tone on fairness and equality.
Research from Harvard Business School shows that a leader's words and actions play a significant role in making someone feel like a part of the team at work.
Teams that include everyone are 17% more likely to do a great job and 29% more likely to work together smoothly.
Your team members will carefully watch how you treat people.
A lack of inclusion hurts everyone, while an inclusive environment propels success.
As a leader, your task is to ensure that every team member:
✅ Feels respected and treated fairly
✅ Can speak openly
✅ Stays informed about important updates
As a leader, it's important to recognize your own biases. We all have preconceived ideas that influence how we perceive others.
Two common biases are:
When people prefer others who are similar (affinity bias) and only pay attention to information that confirms their beliefs (confirmation bias), it makes situations where only specific individuals succeed.
How does this happen❓
1️⃣ Affinity bias can influence your choices in giving challenging tasks, offering trust, and providing close guidance. It sort of stacks the deck in favor of certain individuals.
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2️⃣ Confirmation bias makes the situation even trickier. It makes you concentrate on the strengths of those you naturally prefer. This means the ones who already get more support also get extra credit for their accomplishments.
On the flip side, if you're not as at ease with a colleague, you might not spend as much time helping and coaching them. As a result, you could end up evaluating their work more critically.
That causes your organization to miss out on talent and opportunity.
But more critically, it also means you’re perpetuating inequality and injustice.
Understanding how our natural biases function is quite powerful. It lets you intentionally make better decisions.
Take a moment to reflect on team members you might not naturally feel close to and consider the reasons behind it.
Ask yourself:
Key takeaways:
Your leadership shapes the culture of acceptance and appreciation within the team. It's about fostering an atmosphere where every voice is heard, and every perspective is respected.
Remember, the true strength of a team lies in its diversity, and by acknowledging the inherent value in each team member, you not only cultivate a sense of belonging but also unlock the full potential of your collective abilities.
Are you a new or experienced manager looking to level up❓
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Digital & SM Marketing for Growth-Driven Brands | Marketing Freelancer & Founder The Musse Agency | Advocate for Mental Health
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1yThe true strength of a team lies in its diversity, and by acknowledging the inherent value in each team member, you not only cultivate a sense of belonging but also unlock the full potential of your collective abilities 🤗🍀