Taking Steps Toward Inclusion

If you want your team to perform better, create an inclusive culture and climate.

Research shows that when team members develop a shared understanding of the team's goals and align each team members' contributions to the shared goals, those teams outperform teams that don't. Research also shows that when all team members feel like they belong and when they feel valued for the uniqueness that they bring to the team, and when they feel safe, the team members are work harder, smarter, and more together.

When a team has the right climate and culture, it can outperform other teams. How do you know if you have the right culture, what do you do if your culture needs to improve, and what do you do if you already have a strong and inclusive culture?

Assess Your Current Climate

The first step to shaping an inclusive culture and climate is to assess the current levels of inclusiveness of your climate. Observe your team so that you can plan your strategy for how you can communicate inclusion standards and so that you can have the greatest impact. Look for evidence of inclusion and exclusion, and be willing to see the truth.

Ask yourself and your teammates, "Are we being inclusive enough? Are we including and engaging everybody that needs to be included and engaged? Are we leaving anyone out?"

Identify Barriers and Inhibitors While you are assessing and evaluating your current climate, identify inhibitors and barriers. Know what is holding your team back from everybody feeling like they are valued and belong. Three questions that can drive your assessment are:

1 - Does anyone feel like or look like they don't belong?

2 - Does anyone feel like or look like they aren't valued and appreciated?
3 - Does anyone feel like they don't get the same opportunities and chances as their teammates?

Once you find these barriers, ask yourself and your teammates:
- How do these inhibitors hold us back and keep us from doing our best work?
- How can we benefit from undoing or reversing these patterns?
- What can we do to break down barriers and undo inhibitors?

Praise and Reinforce Look for examples of inclusive behaviors because these are the behaviors and interaction patterns that you can and want to praise and reinforce immediately in our to grow and strengthen the inclusiveness of the climate and culture.

INCLUSION: WHEN EVERYBODY HAS A STRONG SENSE OF BELONGING AND WHEN EVERYBODY FEELS VALUED FOR THE UNIQUENESS THAT THEY BRING TO THE TEAM

Evolving Climate

The way we act and interact with each other is a cyclical process so the experience of inclusion and belonging is an ever-evolving process. Stay tuned in so that you can notice changes in your team's climate.

How Does This Help Us Win

The goal of the leader is to motivate their team members so that they too want to change the climate because they see how everybody can benefit. Remember, when everybody feels like they are valued, appreciated, and belong, the research shows that your team members are happier, more engaged, and perform better.

TOOL: A CHECKLIST OF BEHAVIORS