D&I Sharing - Accidental Exclusions: Habits that (Unrealizingly) harm inclusion

How can we create a more inclusive environment? 

In a recent Leaders meeting, I gave a sharing about inclusion: how we, as leaders, can nurture a more inclusive environment in our teams and organization. 

I decided to take a different approach to the subject: by highlighting some of our subconscious behaviors that might indirectly have a negative impact to inclusion. 

To me, forming an inclusive environment is not about big campaigns, posters and marketing slogans. The key lies in the habits that we do every day: the moment-to-moment interactions we have with others, and how we respond in different contexts.

Inclusion boils down to two factors: belonging and uniqueness. 

As leaders, we need to ask: How can we make our team feel a sense of belonging, that they are "part of the team", while at the same time recognising and acknowledging their uniqueness and how they can contribute and add value to the team?

The tricky thing is, inclusion is often PERCEPTION through the individuals' human experience - not necessarily objective reality. 

And whether we realize it or not, some of our habits might inadvertently create a feeling of exclusion in others. 

Here are some examples of those habits: 

1. Sticking to our Social comfort zone - as they say, "birds of a feather flock together". We tend to stick to our cliques, and speaking with language we are comfortable with. The side effect, though, is that when we only stick to our clique, it subconsciously creates a divide ("geng2 bosses"), isolation and alienation to the rest. 

2. Overlooking team members and achievements - sometimes we are so focused on our tasks and results, we forget the human beings driving them. Take the time to get to know & appreciate others. 

3. Hierarchical bias / selective respect - I.e. When we are subconsciously "nice" to the bosses, but mean to the people who we consider "lower" - creating a sense of discrimination

4. Avoiding difficult conversations - this only creates negative suspicion & resentment. Procrastinating & ignoring only makes it worse!  

 

5. Separation language - language like "you guys" or "Korang" make people feel like they're separate from us. Try to use more inclusive "we" language. 

When I conducted this sharing with quorums of GM, SGM and VP, I was very careful to say things like "we leaders" instead of just "leaders need to XYZ", so I don't create a sense of divide or blame, and that we are in this together with a collective responsibility. 

There are many others - e.g. Dismissing opinions, failing to cascade info (am I not worthy?), talking trash/backbiting about others (making those around us feel unsafe and a constant sense of suspicion that "are they saying that about me?") - At the end of the day, we should endeavour to be more mindful of our physical and verbal habits, and be more deliberate in creating a more inclusive environment to those around us.