Feeling that you belong somewhere is a basic human need. Nobody likes to feel like an outsider. In organizations that are truly diverse — across lines of age, class, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation and world views — creating a sense of belonging can be tricky. It’s definitely harder to achieve than in a team where everyone has similar backgrounds. It requires action on both the company and the individual level.
Many organizations talk about their diversity and inclusivity initiatives. Often, they focus on hiring diverse teams — on getting the minority numbers up, for instance — but they may forget to promote inclusion on a day-to-day basis. For diversity initiatives to work, every employee needs to take responsibility and make sure that everyone in the team feels included.
A diverse workforce is one in which everyone is welcome, but an inclusive working environment is one in which everyone feels welcome every day. Here, we present seven tips for creating such a welcoming situation and look at how the right language can help you become more inclusive.
Promoting inclusion in public
Make inclusion part of your core values and go public about your commitment to it, especially if you are in a position of leadership.
Encouraging participation
Saying that inclusion is a core value won’t make it one. You need to encourage a culture in which everyone feels they can express their viewpoint and that it will be valued. If you have the chance, for instance, don’t let the same people dominate meetings. Also, help to create a culture in which everyone feels they can speak honestly without fear of reprisals. This is especially important when someone needs to talk about sensitive issues.
Being supportive in private
If you notice that someone doesn’t seem comfortable speaking in public, don’t put that person on the spot in the meeting. Accept that the culture that your team has created may not be as inclusive as you thought. In private, show that the individual has your support and that you value their input. This is not something that is the sole responsibility of the team leader. Everyone can help create a working environment that supports honest conversations.
Being respectful
The ideal working environment should be non-threatening to everyone. This means that when you do take issue with someone’s work or contributions, you should be respectful. If you feel people are not showing respect, consider politely calling them out.
Avoiding assumptions
It’s important to be mindful of unconscious bias within yourself and within the members of your team. This means that you should avoid making assumptions about people based on stereotypes or on your past experience. For instance, don’t assume that people share personal interests because you believe they have a common background. Treat everyone as an individual, and not as part of a group. Don’t introduce or describe someone by their race, culture or disability. Instead, use small talk and ask questions to get to know people better, as unique individuals. It’s the best way to discover common interests that can lead to a stronger sense of belonging.
Using inclusive language
Becoming more conscious of how language impacts others can also help prevent people from feeling like outsiders. Inclusive language is free from expressions that show biased, stereotyped or discriminatory views of individuals or groups of people. It should also be free of idioms, jargon and acronyms that other people may not understand or might even find offensive. If you feel someone is not using inclusive language, ask them to use different expressions.
Avoiding gender bias
Use gender-neutral or gender-inclusive terms, such as “chair” instead of “chairman” or “chairwoman”. You can also avoid gender bias in your use of pronouns, for example by using “they” to refer to a singular subject or by using a plural subject, instead of the traditional singular “he”. Most importantly, you should use language that people want you to use. For example, gender-nonconforming people may wish to be referred to as “they”/“them” rather than the gender-specific “he”/“him” or “she”/“her”. Being more inclusive means respecting such wishes.