What Organizations Are Getting Wrong about Inclusion

I’ve been thinking a lot about inclusion lately. As organizations focus more on their DEI efforts, there’s been a tremendous focus on the “D” and the “E” parts of the acronym, which is fantastic. As a minority woman, I couldn’t be happier about the increased focus on ensuring that there is diversity in organizations and that people are treated equitably.

However, there hasn’t been the same level of focus on inclusion. Why is that?

Real inclusion isn’t sexy. It doesn’t readily translate to how we typically measure success in the corporate world. Inclusion is difficult to quantify into metrics and it’s difficult to articulate its journey and progression. It most certainly takes much more effort than posting a hashtag in sans serif font over a black box on Instagram.

Inclusion is a series of small decisions and actions that individuals and leaders take to create an environment of equity and belonging. It’s about choosing to ask open-ended questions and be curious about others instead of making assumptions. It’s about being generous and giving recognition and credit when it is properly deserved and giving the benefit of the doubt when the facts are unclear. It’s about reaching out to those who are different from us, knowing very well that diversity makes us smarter, but it doesn’t make collaboration easier. It’s about winning together — knowing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts — and recognizing that we need to leverage what each other has to offer by creating environments where psychological safety and turn taking are the norm.

The secret to high performance in teams and organizations is the elusive thing we aren’t focused on — inclusion. Inclusion is more than creating a sense of belonging. True inclusion is an integration of a diverse team that is motivated to build together. The outcome of inclusion is an environment that fosters psychological ownership, creative problem solving, and holistic decision making to drive business results.

Sure, it sounds like a lot of work, it’s hard to measure, and it requires intention and thought. Yet, pursuing real inclusion is worth it. It’s worth it for your employees, for your potential candidates, your clients, your prospects, and your associates. After all, we’re all people who want the same thing — to belong, to develop, and perhaps to leave the world a little bit better than it was before. After all, as Maya Angelou famously said, “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”