Moving Forward with Inclusion

What does it feel like to give a talk at an inclusion conference the day after this US election? I just did it at the SHRM Inclusion Conference in Denver, so I can tell you. First, it felt challenging to know what to even say. I had prepared the talk ahead of time, assuring myself that the work of inclusion is consistent, no matter who is in government.

Then I completely rewrote it when I heard the final election results. Maybe cathartic for me, but not appropriate for the public. I put the talk together for a third time, oriented toward actionable steps that organizations can take to create a culture of inclusion and safety, while also being real about what’s coming in this new era.

Delivering the talk felt hard. Navigating my own emotions on stage was hard enough, let alone trying to be mindful and gentle with all the other strong emotions in the room. But speaking to that group also felt good, to be so connected to people in that space – to be able to share the pain, the fear, and the resolve.

Workplace inclusion efforts can become tangled when politics get involved.  How can we be inclusive of different political viewpoints, while also figuring out what to do when people express exclusionary ideas that parallel political sentiments. What do we do when people repeat harmful words spoken by party leaders?

As thoughtful business leaders and colleagues, we must untangle what is good and right for our organizations and our employees from what is politically powerful but exclusionary. We must be inclusive, appropriate, and powerful ourselves.  

Here are some inclusion guidelines for organizations in this challenging time:

1.        The work that organizations need to be doing is the same as it’s always been – we must create a culture where everyone feels inclusion and safety, where everyone has the same opportunities to thrive, and where everyone is free from discrimination and from harm. To be committed to these guiding principles does not require us to allow space for harmful words or actions in misguided attempts at being inclusive of political viewpoints. Inclusion principles are non-negotiable. Without inclusion, people will suffer, they may quit, collaboration will fail, innovation will be stifled, and performance will suffer. If you want the best for your organization, you must not be swayed by reactionary, manipulative “anti-DEI” rhetoric, even if you decide to stop using that particular polarizing acronym.

2.        Now is a good time for an organization’s leadership to embark on a process of clarifying and committing to their core values and what they want their culture to be – what will be tolerated and what will not be tolerated. These commitments can’t be vague and performative. They must be concrete and foundational. Once agreed-upon, leaders need to communicate these commitments to the entire organization in an effective way, not just directing people to a web page, but really disseminating the information, through discussions, workshops, town halls, onboarding for new hires, etc. While an organization cannot dictate what employees must believe, they can dictate acceptable behaviors, words, and ways of interaction.

3.        A prerequisite to a lot of this work is leadership commitment. You know the difference between a leader who will say the right things in a performative way and one who is really committed. Without buy-in at the top, inclusion efforts are not likely to get the resources necessary to be truly effective. It is not always easy to get this real commitment from executive leaders (many of whom carry the privilege that protects them from lifetimes of exclusion) but it can be done.

4.        There has never been a time when everyone has felt equally safe in workplaces in this country. Research shows that nearly half of the people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are not open about that part of their identity at work. Research shows how some Black women are struggling with return-to-work policies because of the barrage of subtle acts of exclusion they face in the office; preferring to work at home where they can avoid the discomfort and pain. This pain, I suspect, will become more intense for many groups – with deportations, travel bans, limitations on women’s freedoms, challenges to gay marriage and gender affirming care, etc. This incoming administration has committed itself to these changes. People are going to struggle, and organizations must figure out ways to take care of their employees and members as thy feel the impacts.

5.        If you are someone taking on some of this work or if you are experiencing exclusion, you are going to need to take care of yourself too. Set boundaries, find support in the organization and outside of it. Find the people you do trust enough to vent, cry, laugh, be vulnerable, and stay connected.  

6.        Even as the explicit, intentional exclusions become more pronounced, don’t ignore the subtle acts of exclusion – those times when people might be trying to compliment or to help or to bond but they still make people feel bad. Subtle acts of exclusion happen frequently, often fly under the radar, and also erode psychological safety for people.

7.        It is more important than ever that we practice true allyship and promote allyship in the workplace. That involves building up relevant skills – helping everyone understand more about what others experience, practicing speaking up and educating others so that those most marginalized don’t have to be the ones taking on that risk / burden / discomfort, using privilege wherever possible to stand with our colleagues and to advocate proactively.  If this allyship feels easy and safe, it’s probably not enough.

8.        People managers especially need skill-building for the incoming challenges. Are your people managers equipped to respond to subtle acts of exclusion, especially when they happen in a group setting? Are they equipped to mediate conflict across differences, including ambiguous political differences that may arise in the coming years? Are they equipped to clearly, confidently, and calmly be the stewards of the values and the culture that you have set out? Are they able to handle the intense emotions that come with all of this? They are the ones on the front lines, and they often get very little training for these sorts of things. Take their training seriously.

 It will be a lot, friends. Organizations can’t necessarily do it all at once. Phase this work. Do it in a way that follows an overall vision and strategy. Communicate about the journey with all your employees. This kind of work is hard. It doesn’t always happen in a straight line. Mistakes happen and balls get dropped. Expect occasional setbacks, and stay committed, together with your allies and supporters at all levels. And recognize the power that organizations have to create their own distinctive cultures, ones that resolutely promote the values and the behaviors that can make every employee feel valued, respected, supported, and safe.