In honor of Pride Month, let’s talk about workplace inclusivity.
Feeling a sense of belonging at work is a combination of day-to-day experiences and intentional leadership choices that empower employees to bring their authentic selves to work and openly share their voices.
As a leader, building this type of environment is crucial because when diverse minds and identities come together, research shows it benefits both employee well-being and business outcomes. In fact, diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions and tend to deliver 60% stronger results, according to data from Cloverpop, a decision intelligence platform.
While effectively building an inclusive workplace needs to come from the top, as a manager, there are several actions you can take to create psychological safety and a welcoming environment for your team members of all backgrounds and identities.
8 tips for building an inclusive team:
1. Stay informed
Try to stay up-to-date with what’s going on that may affect your employees from different backgrounds and communities so that you can understand how to offer meaningful support. When there’s been an attack on a community or a new piece of legislation that would affect certain people on your team or at your company, it may influence their general sense of safety and belonging. So, check in, acknowledge the emotional burdens they carry, and remember that you don’t have to personally relate to an experience to understand the feelings that may come with it.
2. Promote authenticity
Convey your commitment to creating a culture in which everyone on your team feels welcome. Try asking your team members individually if they feel comfortable being themselves at work and if there’s anything you can do to make the environment more comfortable. This can open the door for members of minority groups to be honest about their needs and help you identify actions to take in order to promote a greater sense of belonging on your team.
3. Lead by example
As a manager, you set the tone for your team, so when you are an effective ally and support system, you empower others to be as well. It can be as simple as starting group meetings with new joiners by introducing yourself with your pronouns to alleviate any pressure from others in the room. And it can also mean showing up to pride events or any other community initiatives that matter to your team members. The more you show that you care, the more other team members will be inspired to support one another, which really goes a long way in promoting a sense of belonging on your team.
4. Encourage community-building
For team members who may feel isolated or othered, having a sense of community can make all the difference in feeling they have space to express the challenges they face and connect over shared experiences. So, if your company has Employee Resource Groups, encourage your team members to join them or to build their own if they feel one is missing. And if there aren’t formal community groups, try to find opportunities for your team members to get to know each other better and bond on a more human-to-human level. This can be in the form of team lunches, nights out, or even team-building activities.
5. Be present
Get to know your team members so that you can spot when someone seems down or uncomfortable. For example, if you notice a normally vocal team member sitting silently in multiple meetings or seeming tense after a particular conversation, privately check in. Let them be honest with you if something is going on, and make it clear that you’re bringing it up because you want to help support them.
6. Share the mic
Some voices tend to dominate work meetings and projects, which can cause minority team members to feel less comfortable speaking up. So, in group meetings, look out for those who seem like they have something to say but may be lacking the confidence to share. If the meeting is remote, you can message them privately to check in before handing over the floor, and if it’s in person, you can first try making eye contact to gauge the vibe. Small efforts like these to help elevate your team members’ voices really send the message that you see them and value their contributions.
7. Open the conversation
Without putting pressure or pushing a certain agenda, give minority members on your team the opportunity to openly share their experiences and challenges with their colleagues. In these conversations, make sure to preface with phrases like, “If you’re comfortable discussing this” or “Would you like to talk about it” to make it clear that your goal is for them to feel they have the space to open up without forcing them to share. Giving them the opportunity to educate their teammates about the hurdles they face as members of a certain group creates a safer environment and promotes greater awareness across your team.
8. Lead with trust
If your team member comes to you about an experience they had in which they felt disrespected or uncomfortable – whether it be by a teammate, client, or more senior colleague – first and foremost, make it clear that you’re not questioning or doubting them. Rather than trying to justify or defend, listen, validate their feelings, and take relevant action. If needed, reach out to someone on their behalf or step in to make necessary changes. When you do this, you create an environment in which they’ll want to be honest with you going forward because you’ve built that mutually trusting relationship. These are the real moments where culture is defined, so handling it this way can also help inspire other leaders to respond similarly in the future.
