What does inclusion actually mean?

The term “inclusion” can be open to personal interpretation, meaning different things to different people. This is an issue, because a shared understanding of inclusion is essential to good communication, evaluating progress, and holding leaders accountable to diversity within an organisation.

According to Deloitte, inclusion has four distinct elements:

1) People are treated “equitably and with respect”
2) People feel valued and have a sense of belonging
3) People feel empowered to grow and do their best work
4) People feel safe to speak up without fear of embarrassment or retaliation

The comprehensive and multi-faceted nature of inclusion means that, in order to fully embrace inclusion, organisations will likely need to transform their cultures. Become fully inclusive requires deep cultural changes that are often underestimated by organisations.

To support leaders and organisations to make these changes, I offer a leadership development program to support leaders to create an inclusive, psychologically-safe environment. Get in touch to learn more!