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When authors Laura Morgan Roberts, Alison Maitland and Rebekah Steele began working on their books about diversity, equity and inclusion several years ago, they could not have predicted that they would be contributing to one of the best-selling topics of 2020.
In the weeks following widespread protests over the death of George Floyd, Americans purchased nonfiction books about race and racism in record numbers, trying to gain deeper insight into one of society’s most intractable problems. Maitland and Steele added to the genre with the February release of their book, INdivisible: Radically Rethinking Inclusion for Sustainable Business Results, which offers a framework for leaders to make measurable changes toward DEI. And Roberts saw renewed interest in her 2019 release, Race, Work and Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience, a powerful collection of essays that explores corporate racial dynamics, which she co-edited with Anthony Mayo and David Thomas.
“Despite all of these different attempts to minimize, cloak, disappear, not touch, keep race over in the corner as this taboo topic, it still endures because racism still endures,” said Roberts, a professor of practice at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. “In the context of 2020, I think that’s the conversation we’ve been having.”
Wharton management professor Stephanie Creary, a diversity and identity scholar, invited the authors to join her for a livestream of Leading Diversity@Wharton, an ongoing speaker series. (Listen to the podcast at the top of this page or watch the video lower down on this page.)
The ‘Unfulfilled Potential’ of Diversity
Maitland, a business author and coach, and Steele, a business strategist and innovator, said they wanted to write their book because they saw a persistent gap in their global work with organizations across different industries. Leaders seem to understand the importance of inclusion, but they don’t know how to integrate it into every part of the operations and processes of their firms. They also don’t always grasp the difference between diversity and inclusion.
“If you’re going to achieve all of the impact that inclusion promises, inclusion has to be more than it is at the moment.” –Alison Maitland
“Without inclusion, diversity remains unfulfilled potential,” Maitland said. “They’re not the same thing. We felt inclusion was the poor relation that needed much greater explanation and needed much greater understanding.”
Maitland and Steele define inclusion as systematically cultivating an environment that enables “harnessing the collective superpower of diversity.” Inclusive companies are better positioned to conquer the “three P’s” of performance, preparedness and purpose.
“Organizations are under such pressure now to demonstrate that they have a purpose, and advancing inclusion across society is a really good way to do that,” Maitland said. “Business leaders are really paying close attention to all these things.”
Creary asked the authors a question about meritocracy — a system in which people advance solely based on their skills, abilities and accomplishments. Ostensibly, every qualified employee would have equal opportunities in a merit-based firm, regardless of race or gender. But the real world doesn’t work that way, Roberts said.
One of the first problems with achieving meritocracy is agreeing on the definition of what is fair. A laborer, for example, is paid less for longer hours than an office worker. And a college education is supposed to be an investment for future benefits, but those opportunities don’t always materialize for people of color.
“This is where part of that meritocratic ideal falls apart,” Roberts said, citing research that has found dominant groups are rewarded more and punished less than Black professionals and members of other marginalized groups.
“An unqualified view of meritocracy is problematic because it perpetuates the injustice that we say we’re trying to fight against,” she said. “We have to account for the complexity of calibrating inputs, outputs, rewards and penalties, especially in light of biases, mind tricks and institutional barriers that undermine the meritorious principles we desire.”
“An unqualified view of meritocracy is problematic because it perpetuates the injustice that we say we’re trying to fight against.” –Laura Morgan Roberts
The authors agreed that leaders must make both a moral and a business case for diversity, equity and inclusion if they want to get everyone on board. DEI has to be given the same rigor and commitment as any other aspect of business that drives the bottom line.
“Without that business case, it still gets treated sometimes like a distraction from what’s really important to the business. Or sometimes it gets treated as an addition that’s nice to have if we find time for it,” Steele said. “The moral case or the right-thing-to-do case doesn’t keep it centered as vitally important.”
Roberts also warned companies against pursuing a superficial business case that “profits from a little virtue signaling,” which has been common in 2020. These hollow efforts don’t serve much purpose because they don’t generate resources or rally workers around the mission and values of DEI.
Keep Talking, Keep Sharing
Although their books are different, the authors hope to provide the same guidance for people who want to create a more inclusive world. While both books underscore that building relationships and mutual respect are at the core of DEI, the authors offer complementary areas of focus for readers. In their book, Maitland and Steele present how to take a system-wide approach to inclusion, and Roberts’ book amplifies Black voices that often aren’t heard.
“Without that business case, [DEI] still gets treated sometimes like a distraction from what’s really important to the business.” –Rebekah Steele
“If you’re going to achieve all of the impact that inclusion promises, inclusion has to be more than it is at the moment,” Maitland said. “Everyone has a role to play. Everyone is responsible.”
Roberts, who is an organizational psychologist, said people have to step out of their comfort zones and take risks if they want to build bridges with others. She highlighted research that found professional Black women, for example, often take a nose-to-the-grindstone approach at the office. White and male colleagues can interpret that behavior negatively, thinking the women don’t like them or don’t want to participate in the social activities of the workplace. Roberts said it’s one of the reasons why Black women in mid-career often don’t find support, even though they have excelled in their work. They haven’t developed the personal relationships that are key to mentorship and sponsorship.
“I think what’s really important for us to recognize is just the level of inexposure and uncertainty that breeds anxiety when people are trying to build relationships across difference” she said.
Creary asked the authors what they would add to their books to update them after such a tumultuous year. They said 2020 has highlighted the importance of systemic action to advance DEI. The coronavirus pandemic, divisive politics and other hot-button issues have blurred the lines between headline topics, so everything must be up for discussion.
“My advice is to embrace the social justice imperative that has been illuminated,” Steele said.
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Anumakonda Jagadeesh
Inclusive leadership
How does inclusivity affect the business?
The impact does reach far beyond the office. Inclusion at work benefits everyone, not just the targets of diversity initiatives; it generates jobs, fosters more satisfied people in gainful employment and improves connection between individuals, all of which contributes to economic and social growth.
Why inclusion is good for business?
Inclusion simply is the right thing to do. And, it’s better for the bottom line. A Deloitte LLP study found that inclusive organizations are eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes, six times more likely to be innovative and agile, and two times more likely to meet or exceed financial targets.
What is an inclusive company?
Share. An inclusive workplace is one where people with all kinds of differences and disabilities feel welcome and valued for their contributions. It’s a place where people with disabilities — both visible and invisible disabilities — have the same opportunities for advancement as their co-workers
What are the benefits of inclusion in the workplace?
Creating an Inclusive Workplace is Good for Business
• Higher job satisfaction, especially among staff of color.
• Lower turnover.
• Higher productivity.
• Higher employee morale.
• Improved problem solving throughout the organization.
• Increased creativity and innovation.
What inclusion means?
Inclusion means that all people, regardless of their abilities, disabilities, or health care needs, have the right to: Be respected and appreciated as valuable members of their communities.
How do you promote inclusivity in the workplace?
To that end, here are six practical strategies for creating an inclusive environment.
1. Educate Your Leaders. …
2. Form an Inclusion Council. …
3. Celebrate Employee Differences. …
4. Listen to Employees. …
5. Hold More-Effective Meetings. …
6. Communicate Goals and Measure Progress.
Why diversity and inclusion is important for business?
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is more than policies, programs, or headcounts. Equitable employers outpace their competitors by respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all their team members. As a result, diverse and inclusive workplaces earn deeper trust and more commitment from their employees.
What is the business case for diversity and inclusion?
Much research has been done to demonstrate that when done well, diversity and inclusion in the workplace can lead to increased revenue, reduced costs, greater innovation, and increased employee engagement, productivity, and commitment.
Why should one care about diversity and inclusion?
Businesses should care deeply about diversity and inclusion. A diverse and inclusive workplace is the best way to increase performance and innovation. … Diversity and inclusion matter because the more they are obtained in the workplace and society, the closer we’ll get to a state of true acceptance of one another.
What are the 7 Pillars of Inclusion?
• ACCESS. Access explores the importance of a welcoming environment and the habits that create it. …
• ATTITUDE. Attitude looks at how willing people are to embrace inclusion and diversity and to take meaningful action. …
• CHOICE. …
• PARTNERSHIPS. …
• COMMUNICATION. …
• POLICY. …
• OPPORTUNITIES.
What are the four benefits to inclusion?
Some of the benefits of inclusion for children with (or without) disabilities are friendship skills, peer models, problem solving skills, positive self-image, and respect for others. This can trickle down to their families as well, teaching parents and families to be more accepting of differences.
How is inclusion a strength?
A strong sense of values and purpose are essential tools in galvanizing your workforce and drawing strong customer support. Focusing on diversity and inclusion gives you a chance to not just talk about your values but live them, and in an area that matters to millions of people.
Why is inclusion important in society?
In fact, social inclusion is an important “determinant of health” – without inclusion, people are more likely to experience poor health (including poor mental health), loneliness, isolation, and poor self esteem. Many people with disabilities unnecessarily experience life quite differently.
What is the essence of inclusion?
Full inclusion is a term derived from the sphere of education which aims to bring all students, regardless of their disability, under the regular classroom curriculum. This is opposed to inclusion which extends support services to the concerned child rather than moving the child to the common service platform.
What does inclusion mean in education?
Simply stated, inclusive education means that all students are full and accepted members of their school community, in which their educational setting is the same as their non-disabled peers, whenever appropriate.
What are the 4 qualities of inclusive leader?
Below are 10 characteristics of inclusive leaders:
• Exercise Self-Awareness. …
• Mindful of Gatekeepers. …
• Weave Diversity and Inclusion into Larger Messages. …
• Thaw the Middle. …
• Acknowledge Inclusion Happens in the Everyday. …
• Seek Missing Perspectives. …
• Comfortable Communicating about Diversity and Inclusion.
What are some examples of inclusion in the workplace?
• Celebrate diverse holidays as a team.
• Create a peer-to-peer buddy system.
• Incorporate your team’s diversity into your product.
• Elicit feedback from diverse employees and make recommended changes.
• Use anonymous recruiting.
• Invest in training and development for diverse employees.
• Reprogram any biased AI algorithms.
How do you promote diversity and inclusion?
Ways to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
1. Be aware of unconscious bias. …
2. Communicate the importance of managing bias. …
3. Promote pay equity. …
4. Develop a strategic training program. …
5. Acknowledge holidays of all cultures. …
6. Make it easy for your people to participate in employee resource groups. …
7. Mix up your teams.
How does diversity and inclusion drive business value?
D&I helps increase business value by retaining talent, increasing employee satisfaction, and driving productivity. Your bottom line will thank you for your D&I efforts, as more diverse workforces and executive teams mean more revenue and increased business profitability.
How do you teach inclusion?
Using Principles of UDL as Strategies for Inclusive Teaching
1. Create a welcoming, respectful learning environment.
2. Determine essential course components.
3. Communicate clear and high expectations and provide constructive feedback.
4. Provide natural supports for learning to enhance opportunities for all learners.
What are the 3 common barriers to equality diversity and inclusion?
• Informal mentoring. Formal mentoring pairs often have the best intentions, however, they rely on trust and shared interest being manufactured. …
• Recovering from mistakes. Although everyone makes mistakes, how they are dealt with makes all the difference. …
• Bullying. …
• Insensitivity. …
• Perceived underperformance.
What are examples of promoting inclusion?
10 ways of improving employee inclusion at your organisation
• Inclusion is essential for high performance but too many organisations only pay it lip service, writes Lee Russell of learning consultancy OnTrack. …
• Mission and values. …
• Recruitment. …
• Onboarding. …
• Communication. …
• Leadership. …
• Line managers and HR business partners. …
• Performance management.
Inclusive leadership is a set of behaviors demonstrated by organizational leaders that leverage diversity of thought and experience to positively impact business results. Leaders who wish to employ inclusive leadership value the variation of talents, experiences, and identities of their employees.[1] When employees feel unique and feel a sense of belonging based on shared attributes and goals, organizations increase the chances of reaping the business benefits of a diverse workforce.
Research indicates that inclusive companies increased cash flow per employee by 230% over a 3 year period due to employees’ greater focus on team work and business impact, resulting in improved higher performance as measured by business, financial, and talent outcomes. When effective inclusive leadership is present in a company culture, employees are significantly more engaged, able to work as a team, and capable of better solutions for navigating business priorities. These outcomes cultivate an environment where employees can openly contribute their objections, maintain a sense of belonging, and believe their opinions are valued in the workplace, creating conditions for new insights to emerge and diverse perspectives to be heard, and ultimately benefit the bottom line.
Several studies have identified characteristics of inclusive leaders:
Deloitte has identified 6 personality traits that characterize an inclusive mindset:
1. Commitment: Leaders committed to diversity and inclusion because the objectives align with their personal values and belief in the business case, a combination of emotion and intellect, respectively.
2. Courage: Challenging the status quo or going against the norm, invites vulnerability of a leader who is practicing courage, another extensions of a highly inclusive leader. Feedback is also a component of courage, and should be sought and given on a regular basis.
3. Cognizance of bias: Inclusive leaders are self aware and aware of their environment and how it affects themselves and others. Subtle biases of stereotyping, confirmation, and groupthink can narrow a leader’s vision and reduce objective decision-making.
4. Curiosity: Employ an open mindset, and have a desire to understand how others experience the world. They are also tolerant of ambiguity.
5. Cultural intelligence: Inclusive leaders experience effective, authentic cross–cultural interactions. The ability to communicate well across cultural settings is dependent on one’s understanding of cultural differences and similarities.
6. Collaboration: The process of working together to build on one another’s ideas to produce something new or solve complex problems. The challenge of collaboration is accounting for diverse groups to foster sharing of perspective and thinking, which is critical to effective collaboration.
Catalyst identified 4 leadership behaviors linked to inclusion:[1][edit]
1. Empowering: Enabling direct reports to excel
2. Humble: Admitting mistakes, learning from criticism and different points of view. Acknowledging and seeking outside opinions to effectively overcome one’s limitations. Humility was found to be among the most significant indicators of an inclusive leader.
3. Courageous: Leaders putting their personal interests aside to achieve what needs to be done. Acting on convictions and principles even when it involves personal risk.
4. Accountable: Demonstrating confidence in direct reports by holding them responsible for performance they can control.
Lead Inclusively, Inc. identifies the three R’s of inclusive leadership:
1. Receptive: Curious about the viewpoints of others and welcoming of team member differences. When leaders are more receptive, teams are more engaged and increase ideation toward critical business changes.
2. Reflective: Aware of personal biases that may impact their decisions and interactions. Listening for silence, specifically from quieter employees and considering ways to benefit from increased talent retention and diversity of the talent pipeline.
3. Revitalizing: Keeping decision-making honest and transparent, empowering employee ideas whenever possible, and providing recognition to all team members, especially those who demonstrate learning agility and creative ideation. All of these traits inspire teams to innovate, achieve, and contribute at every level of the organization.
Inclusive Leadership and Innovation
In a study conducted by Boston Consulting Group, researchers found that there is a positive relationship between management diversity and innovation, which they define as revenue from new products and services.[7] The relationship between diversity and innovation is not one to one, instead these factors affect each other in complex ways, including creativity of the Research and Development department, the executives team’s attitude toward risk-taking, and the support that new ventures have among shareholders. The more diversity that is included within those environments and others, the more innovation can occur.
Furthermore, Catalyst research found that when employees feel included they are more likely to innovate, identify opportunities for new products and processes, and try out new ideas and approaches to problems. Specifically, an employee perception of inclusion contributed to more than 40 percent of innovation. This suggests that employing inclusive behaviors has a great impact on innovation within the workforce.
It is important to note that there are various types of diversity that affect innovation. Research by Hermann found that diversity of thought is an emerging focus shaping the conversation surrounding diversity and inclusion, specifically in terms of innovation. Diversity is not the cause of organizational innovation; rather, the extent to which diverse people feel included has the capacity to increase organizational innovation.
Increased innovation is possible when employees at all levels of the organization feel included. [1] Employees that have a sense of belonging and yet set themselves apart from the group as unique individuals are more inclined to take risks and suggest new processes and systems within their working environment. Harvard Business Review reported that employees with inclusive managers are 1.3 times more likely to feel that their innovative potential is unlocked. An environment of diverse informed views, fueled by inclusive leadership behaviors, enables more efficient objections and alternatives to come forth and more innovative solutions to emerge.
Inclusive Leadership and Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is the the extent to which employees are emotionally and psychologically attached to their work and workplace (Gallup). It is an issue that affects companies globally and is a priority for Human Resources. It is linked to to higher levels of individual productivity, increased employee retention and satisfaction, and improved business outcomes. Studies suggest that there is a significant relationship between inclusive leadership behaviors and employee engagement. [9] However, in the U.S. only 33 percent of employees are engaged at their jobs, and 51 percent of employees are actively looking for new jobs. One reason employees do not feel engaged in the workplace is a result of organizations implementing diversity programs without relying on inclusion to create engaged teams. Employing diversity practices alone will become increasingly problematic as the values of diversity and inclusion continue to change due to the influence of millennials entering the workforce.
Millennials, who will comprise nearly 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, define inclusion as “support for a collaborative environment that values open participation from individuals with different ideas and perspectives.” [3] This definition is much different from prior generations’ view of inclusion from a perspective of representation and assimilation. As a result of feelings of empowerment and being true to themselves, millennials report higher levels of engagement when operating in an inclusive culture. [3] Leaders of today and the future will have to employ inclusive leadership as a strategy to retain and attract talent in the new millennial-driven workforce.
Inclusive Leadership and Global Trends
As global shifts affect how organizations do business, it has become increasingly critical for leaders to effectively manage organizational diversity. Understanding and being adept at inclusive leadership will help leaders thrive through increased diversification of their talent pool, customer profile, and supply chain. For example, when leaders are not inclusive, it results in lower revenue, performance, and slower decision making, negatively impacts employee morale and well being and consequently positions organizations to fall behind in global market. Recognition that global trends affect the relationship between diversity and performance will continue becoming more pronounced. While diversity positively impacts key aspects of organizational performance, inclusive leadership provides the support a diverse employee environment needs to effectively approach challenges resulting from global trends.
Deloitte identified 4 global diversity trends that influence organizational business priorities:
• Diversity of Markets: Markets are diversifying on a global scale across cultural, political, and economic segments. These specific markets are characterized by ethnic population growth and increased income levels that present growth opportunities for companies around the world. Because market diversity presents a major growth opportunity, it is important to reach consumers authentically to profit. Leaders who demonstrate inclusive leadership behaviors and adapt a global mindset will be more successful than those that do not.
• Diversity of Customers: Customers are the center of all business. They are technology driven, hyper-personalized, and demand to have a voice in the products they consume. The complex challenge for businesses is personalizing and delivering individualized insights while simultaneously scaling the product. Adapting to better understand the customer is imperative to successful business outcomes.
• Diversity of Ideas: Innovation is at the forefront of business priorities and requires a wide set of ideas from individuals and organizations to achieve business goals. Digital disruption has created a new space for emerging thinkers who are now competition for organizations. Thought diversity is important in order to avoid groupthink and continue generating a range of ideas. Leaders’ understandings of how thought diversity works and ability to effectively manage the diversity is critical to success.
• Diversity of Talent: Changes in the population in areas of age, education levels and migration flows, among others, should be reflected in an organization’s ability to better respond to societal shifts. The increase in diversity of views and attitudes toward work based on generational diversity are shaping organizational cultures, as new views emerge with younger generations entering the workforce. Organizations are challenged with maintaining a diverse talent pool to meet and mirror demographic diversity.
Inclusive Leadership and Diversity
Few organizations distinguish between diversity and inclusion. Many lump the terms together and participate in hiring practices to achieve diversity metrics, but few take the time to cultivate the environment needed for diversity to reach its highest potential. Boston Consulting Group identified participative leadership behaviors as the number one environmental factor that amplifies the impact of diversity in a workforce or team. Inclusive leadership is the bridge that connects diversity and inclusion. When Verna Myers says, “Diversity is being invited to the party, and inclusion is being asked to dance”, essentially the “ask” is the application of inclusive leadership within a diverse workforce. Employing inclusive leadership clearly connects diversity and inclusion by acknowledging it as the driver of the results diverse work environments can yield.
Diversity is representation in the workforce; however, without inclusion, the continued attraction and retention of diverse talent, fostering of innovation, and resulting business outcomes won’t happen. Organizations with diverse and inclusive cultures are 45 percent more likely to improve their market share. Inclusive teams out-perform their peers by 80 percent in team-based assessments. Diverse organizations do not perform well because they have a presence of people who are diverse in gender, ethnicity, generation, and other types of diversity including experiences, perspectives and opinions; it is to the extent to which organizations include employees in key decision-making activities and how they value their contribution that encourages an inclusive environment.
The meaning of diversity and inclusion in practice is changing as more is discovered about their impact on business outcomes. Millennials, who will comprise nearly 75 percent of the workforce by 2025 define inclusion as a collaborative environment that values open participation from individuals with different ideas and perspectives, whereas prior generations, view inclusion as representations and assimilation of diverse peoples in the workforce. For example, 32 percent of millennials are more likely to focus on respecting identities, where as 21 percent of non-millennials are more likely to focus on representation. The dichotomy between millennials and non-millennials’ views of diversity is clear, and employing inclusive leadership to better navigate these perspective shifts can improve business outcomes(EverybodyWiki).
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India