Tech trailblazer, Frances West, believed that every person can make a difference, “not in spite of, but because of our difference.” She coined the term authentic inclusion to describe giving more than lip service to workplace diversity. I understand it as the difference between being invited and feeling welcomed, which is authentic inclusion. It would be like inviting you to my home to attend a party, but basically ignoring you once you got there.
At work, we invite (recruit) people who are different to work with us. But, we also need to take the extra, but critical, step to help them feel welcome — authentic inclusion.
Bad at inclusion?
Companies have become pretty good at diversity, but not so much at inclusion. A Tactile Group article framed it in this way: “Some organizations got the diversity memo but have continued to fall short. They hire diverse candidates only to have them leave quickly, largely due to a toxic work environment fueled by a company culture in which they aren’t included.” Unless it is intentional, the article states, the inclusion is not authentic.
We see this epic fail exposed in tech, arguably the most burgeoning industry. According to Wired, a 2019 study of tech workforce diversity at successful tech companies shows “there’s a lot more work to do.” The study revealed the companies’ workforces were “overwhelmingly white or Asian men.” The only sign of some reasonable progress is for women.
However, there are signs that employees are fed up, and that more substantive progress might be on the horizon. Enter the millennials.
A Deloitte study claims millennials, who will comprise nearly 75% of the workforce by 2025, believe authentic inclusion is important. “Eighty-three percent of millennials are actively engaged when they believe their organization fosters an inclusive culture, compared to only 60 percent of millennials who are actively engaged when their organization does not foster an inclusive culture.” They also feel more empowered and more authentic. They see inclusion, “not as an abstract ideal that checks a box and makes everyone feel good, but as a critical tool that enables business competitiveness and growth.”
Fostering a new perspective
So, how do we foster this new view? We have to stop doing the diversity dance.
In this column way back in 2012, I wrote about what I call diversity dancing (Cultural Competence or Diversity Dancing? Business Weekly, Oct. 16, 2012). Diversity dancing is “a result of the well-intended, albeit misunderstood, cultural sensitivity training and education we have imposed on our employees that helps bigoted employees know the right thing to say or do, without actually embracing differences.
I went on to say that while I believe that diversity training is important, “the problem is that too often the training intellectualizes the issue rather than hits the heart of the matter — and I mean that literally. Diversity is processed in the heart, not the head.” I believed then, and still do now, that until an individual feels what it is like to be excluded, demeaned or hurt because they are different, they don’t get it. And when that same individual is wanted, recruited, welcomed and enjoyed because they are different, they do.
This is why in next week’s Challenge the Prof, we’ll hear from readers who share their stories about being excluded — why they think they were excluded and how it made them feel and impacted them professionally. I’m hoping that helps build better understanding so instead of diversity dancing, we can practice authentic inclusion!
Next Week: Challenge the Prof — Readers share their Exclusion Experiences at work
Dr. Santo D. Marabella, The Practical Prof, is retired professor of management at Moravian University and hosts the podcast “Office Hours with The Practical Prof … and Friends.” His latest book, “The Lessons of Caring” is written to inspire and support caregivers (available in paperback and eBook). Website: ThePracticalProf.com; Twitter: @PracticalProf; Facebook: ThePracticalProf.
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