How Do You Foster a Culture of Inclusion?

In the July 2017 issue of Incentive Magazine, Rob Danna, VP of Marketing at a prominent engagement solutions supplier, relayed an interesting allegory about inclusion:

“The grocery store near my house recently started selling so-called "misfit" fruits and vegetables. They're otherwise fresh and delicious, but don't meet the cosmetic standards we expect from food: the crooked carrot, the lumpy potato and the misshapen cucumber. Before this, stores just would have pitched this food.

What an incredible waste of potential, and what an important lesson for us.

While tossing out odd-looking tomatoes at the grocery store might unfortunately be the norm, smart HR professionals must take the opposite approach: celebrating and supporting all of their team members. Bringing in a mix of people from all walks of life simply creates a better environment, where people feel welcome and accepted.”

In a recent employee survey by Deloitte,  72% of respondents said they would resign or consider leaving an organization for one that has more of the inclusive aspects they desire, and in fact nearly a quarter of all respondents had already done so. 

Not many organizations will survive in the future when their culture is rooted in the past. 

To change your culture for the future you need a plan to get there, and according to Danna, the plan starts with building a solid culture foundation with these five steps:

1.     Define what you want your culture to feel like

2.     Outline your culture's existing strength

3.     Conduct focus groups and gather intelligence

4.     Define necessary behaviors

5.     Communicate

Easy?  Of course not, change never is.  But when you know your objections you can gain the power to overcome them.  Not having change can result in being just another organization that will no longer be on the future landscape of successful companies. 

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