People like to work in environments that they feel safe to be themselves and voice their opinions. Employers should aim to have their workplace as a space that people like to work, with no risk of discrimination, harassment or bullying. Furthermore, if something like harassment was to happen in their workplace, employees should know that employers are only a phone call away from lawyers such as DhillionLaw.com that will deal with the issue. Exclusion has been a big problem in the past for many companies, and in more recent times, it’s been good to see that issue evolve into a better situation. Management and bosses on the upper side of the chain of command seem to be putting more effort into creating a fun, functional, and inclusive work culture. As Forbes states in How To Create A More Inclusive Workplace Culture, it’s important for leaders to be more purposeful about including others who may have a different perspective as they see things differently. In turn, they will better be able to identify their own unconscious bias.
These are just a few of the ways that your workplace can make the environment more inclusive.
Be Open-Minded
The best way to encourage inclusion is to have an open mind yourself. Whether you’re in management or an hourly worker, having a curious and kind mindset to others who are different from you is important. Not only will this help management and staff form a better bond, but you’ll see lasting positive effects of coworkers between themselves. Open-mindedness is also a great way to learn something new that you may have never heard of otherwise.
Listen and Meet with Employees and Peers
Getting to know each other on a smaller scale can make a world of difference in creating more harmony in the office. You might be surprised how far a little effort goes when it comes to diffusing differences between a variety of personalities. Not only should peers work on building respect and appreciation for one another, but relationships between bosses and employees can be improved greatly by taking a little time out of the day to check in on how everything is going at the cubicle next door.
Create Resource Groups
Having resource groups are important for making employees feel safe in their workplace. Even going so far as bringing in a professional to conduct some diversity and inclusion consulting for your company could help uncover some of the areas that need improvement. Another idea is to build and distribute an anonymous questionnaire for people to speak their minds privately.
Openly Discuss Inclusion
Another great tactic for combating exclusion is to be very open and discuss the issue throughout the workplace. As office meeting rooms might help in interacting with the boss, similarly small private meeting rooms can be created for employees to discuss the ideas and build bonds. In such circumstances, employers can opt to incorporate a defined workplace design strategy in their existing office space. Separate enclosures might assist the employees in getting new ideas. Having conversations on the topic builds up confidence in the office and allows people working there to feel like they have a voice and are being considered. In addition to that, having inclusion as a topic that is freely discussed and made aware of makes it more difficult for the employees to create cliques and exclusive groups.
Celebrate One Another’s Differences
Everyone is different, and that’s a great reason to celebrate. Not only does having a diverse community expose people to new ways of thinking, but it also makes an environment a lot more interesting. After all, those long workdays would seem even longer if you had to work with 15 other versions of yourself. Diversity brings lots of different kinds of people together, and inclusion opens the doors to learning something exciting and intriguing.