Everything you need to know about an Inclusive Culture
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast ”
We’ve all heard this quote from famous management guru, Peter Drucker. In a very “delicate” way, he explains to us why culture is so important to reach business goals. I have seen many organizations invest a great deal of finances into building a winning culture, where engagement studies and large-scale efforts were initiated in multi-year strategies for change. And there is nothing wrong with that, however, sometimes, it can overshadow some simple ways to create a place where people feel themselves and are inspired to innovate and reach their potential while helping the organization to do the same. Why is inclusive culture important? How to create an inclusive culture? How to promote an inclusive culture? So here it is, we wrote down a few things that you need to know about an inclusive culture in a workplace.
What is an inclusive culture?
You might ask what does an inclusive culture look like? A workplace with an inclusive culture is one that values, appreciates and welcomes employees no matter what their backgrounds and uniquenesses are. An inclusive culture accepts and adapts to differences and various mindsets. Organizations that pose an inclusive culture create an environment where employees feel respected for all their differences and create a standard that everybody follows.
Why is Inclusive Culture Important?
In today’s world where diversity and inclusion is seen and felt everywhere, inclusive work culture is very important for organizational success. There are several studies that show that organizations with inclusive culture benefits from it and show a clear advantage over those that do not:
Two times more likely to exceed financial targets
Three times more likely to be high-performing
Six times more likely to be innovative and agile
Eight times more likely to achieve business outcomes
Therefore, an effective inclusive culture requires commitment from the top leaders as well as from employees at every level. It is not easy to create a culture of inclusion, however, these efforts result in increased retention, greater commitment and input from the workforce, which can lead to markedly improved business outcomes.
How to create an inclusive culture at a workplace?
Make D&I the top management priority – it is not just about writing about D&I or implementing some activities. It needs to be understood and seen in how your top people lead the organization.
Upskill your leaders – some of your leaders might be aware and champion inclusion. But some might need guidance in understanding what it means and looks like to be an inclusive leader.
Recognition is important – when you have buy-in, leaders recognize and communicate the importance of diversity and its impact on the people and organization. But you also need to recognize what might be stopping your organization from being fully inclusive. Therefore:
Recognize your bias – No one is free of bias and as soon as you accept it, the sooner you can work on it. Prejudices always leak into people’s behaviors in the way we treat our subordinates, colleagues, and who we choose for roles and promotions
Recognizing everybody’s achievement – communicating openly praise and reward is vital for making every employee feel validated. No matter what level of an organization an employee works at, their achievements should be recognized.
Recognize and respect individuality – regardless of whether it is race, religion, gender, or any other differentiating traits, it’s crucial that every employee feels they can be authentic and themselves at a workplace.
Increase accountability – people in an organization need to be held accountable for actions that create inclusive behaviors. It is too often we see inclusion statements on companies’ websites that are not lived out by people in the organization. When nobody calls out those behaviors, people don’t engage and follow actions that create an inclusive culture.
Foster a spirit of openness and honesty – it’s essential that everybody feels comfortable speaking up. It can happen through an anonymous form, systematic D&I conversations with HR, or open letters from CEOs to the whole organization. Honesty and openness need to be seen as organizational values and must be emphasized every day.
If you want to know more about I&D strategy, click here.
Inclusionem is a global Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy based in Dubai. We specialize in measuring inclusion, diversity and inclusion strategy, inclusive leadership training programs and inclusive communication. Our diversity and inclusion consultants create an impact daily and help to build inclusive organizations in Dubai, the Middle East and all over the world.
