Continuous commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion builds a sense of belonging and drives performance. In National Inclusion Week, Axiom associate and DEI thought leader Jiten Patel makes the case for conscious inclusion.
Is Inclusion just another buzzword to beat leaders over the head with? Almost all of us – and the organisations we work for – would purport to be inclusive. We’d like all our colleagues, customers and other stakeholders to feel valued and respected, and we try to behave accordingly. Who’d argue with that?
While it’s a simple enough aspiration, putting it into practice isn’t easy. We all have a long way to go.
I am reminded of Charles Kingsley’s children’s book The Water-Babies, first published in 1863, in which he introduced Mrs. Do-as-you-would-be-done-by, a character who represents the principle of treating others as you would like to be treated yourself, often referred to as the ‘Golden Rule’, However, if we were to only apply the ‘Golden Rule’, there is a built-in bias, often arising from generations of conditioning, that can prevent us from being inclusive.
A case in point is the recent indignity suffered by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. The 11-time Paralympic gold medallist was forced to “crawl off” a train arriving at London’s King’s Cross when she didn’t get the assistance she had requested and was entitled to by law. It was a very public – and easily avoidable – failure to deliver on inclusion.
That one incident damaged the reputation not just of the train company in question but of an entire industry. It garnered more publicity than all of the recent progress the industry has been making on accessibility – for instance, on the Elizabeth railway line through London.
Right now, it’s National Inclusion Week here in the UK. The theme for 2024 is ‘Impact Matters’. It’s worth taking a few moments to pause and reflect: How inclusive is your organisation? As a leader – whether at the top table, heading up a department or team or even leading yourself – how inclusive are you?
When it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), do you and your organisation really walk the talk?
Building belonging
Let’s start with first principles.
In the workplace, DEI is about creating a culture that includes and treats fairly a wide variety of people of differing backgrounds, identities and abilities. And it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels valued and able to contribute.
In essence, it is high time we graduated from the ‘Golden Rule’ to what I call the Platinum Rule: Do as they would be done by.
When we consciously build a culture of inclusion, we set the stage for belonging. In my book Demystifying Diversity, I framed the concept of the Dynamic Diversity Matrix. It can be summed up in a simple equation:
D x E x I = B
The resulting sense of belonging is what underpins not only the business case for DEI, but the ethical, moral and legal imperatives.
Diagram from Demystifying Diversity, 2020
When diverse perspectives and experiences are encouraged and heard, it fuels creativity and innovation. When colleagues feel valued and treated fairly, their engagement and productivity soar. What’s more, when an organisation really does walk the talk on DEI, it provides a powerful boost to the brand and reputation.
No surprise then that research into the link between DEI and business performance is so compelling. Most notable is McKinsey’s ongoing longitudinal research into the impact of diverse and inclusive boards. It shows that, while many companies have made little or no progress on diversity in recent years, those that have are reaping the rewards in terms of bottom-line performance.
So not only is DEI the right thing to do legally and ethically, it’s also the smart thing to do.
DEI: A never-ending, complex journey
But there’s a common misconception that DEI is something you can achieve, and the job is done. Hire a DEI team, run some projects to drive up diversity, put in place policies that promise equity… and then give yourself a pat on the back. Maybe even, as some companies have mistakenly done lately, you can reduce funding for the DEI programme or even disband the function altogether.
But DEI is not a destination, it’s a never-ending journey and you, the leaders, are driving the train, flying the plane, steering the ship…
Along the way, there are many complexities to navigate.
For instance, take intersectionality. This is the recognition of how overlapping biological and social identities such as race and gender combine to shape unique experiences of discrimination. Simple examples would be a woman on the board who is also a person of colour or a man who is gay and also neuro diverse.
In response to intersectionality, leaders need to recognise that a one size-fits all approach can only set your organisation up to be mediocre at best, and for failure at worst. Organisations need to create policies and systems that consider these intersecting factors, ensuring all employees feel valued, respected and supported regardless of their intersecting challenges and perspectives. Of course, such ‘platinum’ policies and systems will have impact only when they become living, breathing aspects of your organisational culture.
Or there’s the underappreciated issue of ‘onlyness’. Being the only one in a team with any given diversity characteristic – whether in/visible and/or declared – can significantly impact someone’s sense of belonging. Addressing this might require setting up supportive networks and striving for truly representative, rather than tokenistic, diversity.
Another vital consideration is psychological safety. This is the foundation for people – regardless of background – to feel they are valued, they can be themselves and their views and ideas will be heard and respected. A leading light here is European tech giant SAP. It promotes psychological safety through programmes like Autism at Work, creating inclusive environments that value diverse perspectives. The results are evident in the company’s high employee satisfaction and engagement scores.
All in all, the path to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace requires robust scrutiny of self and others, ongoing focus to consistently implement the good intentions and continuous improvement to the way things are done. It means keeping DEI firmly on the agenda – for you as an individual leader and for the organisation.
Inclusive leadership matters
The starting point for becoming a consciously inclusive leader is self-awareness combined with a willingness to be vulnerable.
Vulnerability becomes one of your superpowers when you acknowledge to yourself and to others the structural privileges you have benefited from. There is a common misconception that privilege is about receiving special treatment. Privilege in this context is about being able to take certain things for granted that others cannot.
I have often heard leaders say things like “I had to work hard to get to where I am” as a way to justify a claim that “I had no privilege”. The first claim may well be true, but it certainly does not imply the accuracy of the second. I was attending a conference recently where Shani Danda was speaking. She was named to the BBC’s 100 Women in 2020 and has been named to the Shaw Trust Power 100 on several occasions, earning the title of the UK’s most influential disabled person in 2023. She described her early career experience where, in her CV, she had a statement that she has a disability. After some hundreds of rejections, she deleted that one sentence and landed two interviews right away.
In addition, you need to become cognisant of your own biases as well as the gaps in your knowledge and shortcomings in your actions.
You can get an initial snapshot by taking one of the online self-assessment tools. I often recommend the Harvard Implicit Association Test.
You should also solicit feedback from those around you. Invite your team to point out anything you do that they deem to be exclusionary. Or simply ask, as part of every one-to-one meeting with a direct report: “What can I do to better meet your needs?” You may need to persevere with this until people realise you really do want to know. And then you’ll get some really surprising and useful insights.
Upping your self-awareness can become a springboard for changing what you think, say and do – until inclusivity becomes second nature for you.
Supporting your journey to conscious inclusivity
There are several ways Axiom can help you and your organisation in cultivating a consciously inclusive culture:
- Consultancy: We work with you to evaluate your organisation’s DEI performance and areas for improvement, especially any systemic barriers. We then help you create your DEI strategy and set up a full implementation programme. This can encompass everything from establishing a DEI function through to changing recruitment practices and setting up mentoring for those from under-represented backgrounds.
- Coaching: Many leaders share a deep-seated fear that they’ll say or do the wrong thing when it comes to DEI. An executive coach with a strong understanding of inclusion offers leaders a safe space for candid conversations. Here you can, without fear of judgement, enhance your understanding of DEI issues and think through how to become a consciously inclusive leader.
- Training: We can train your organisation’s leaders and managers in the knowledge and skills that underpin inclusivity. We run a range of workshops – from creating psychologically safe environments through to overcoming unconscious bias.
- Content: To create a consciously inclusive culture, you need to engage employees at all levels. Our skilled communicators help you craft compelling content that changes attitudes and behaviours.
If you want to cultivate a consciously inclusive culture in your organisation, then talk to Axiom today.
Axiom associate Jiten Patel is a thought leader, consultant and coach in the field of equity, diversity and inclusion. He helps leaders and organisations create consciously inclusive cultures. He is the author of Demystifying Diversity (Nomad Publishing, 2016, second edition 2020).
