FountainBlue’s February 19 Front Line Managers’ Online meeting was on the topic of ‘The Urgent Need for Inclusivity’. My thanks also to our panelists for their participation.
- Shobhana Viswanathan, Automation Anywhere
- Ronald Goossens, ASML
- Tejal Thakkar, Rimini Street
We were fortunate to have experienced panelists with original and well-thought-out perspectives on the importance of inclusivity. Below is a summary of their thoughts and suggestions and attached is the deck.
Inclusivity as a Differentiator
- There’s a difference between ‘old-tech’ companies who have been around for more than ten years, and who are not attracting Gen Z talent, ‘old tech’ companies like those who are part of FAGMA who are attracting Gen Z talent, and new companies who have mostly Gen Z talent. Watch for the companies which are in general attractive to that multi-generational workforce.
- Progressive companies are making the question of age matter of fact, profiling senior leaders who are much older and/or much younger than the norm, and opening up discussions questioning our unconscious biases around age (and other qualities).
- Companies that proactively invite original thinking and innovation from every part of the company, independent or role, level, background, ethnicity, geography, orientation, etc., are more likely be more original and innovative, AND also better decision-makers and problem-solvers.
Below are best practices for embracing inclusivity.
- Make It Safe: Develop a culture of psychological safety, openness and transparency so that ideas and thoughts are welcome, errors are accepted at learning opportunities, leaders at all levels think, speak and act in alignment with personal and corporate values.
- Embrace Your Purpose: Collectively make a difference as an organization, and as an individual, contribute to the difference you’re making as an organization.
- Raise the Bar for Yourself and Others: Consciously and gently call each other to a higher moral and ethical standard, while achieving business objectives.
- Adopt a Process which invites input from all, and ethical execution: Invite input from all, clearly, transparently and openly communicate decisions made and rationale for decision
The bottom line is that inclusivity facilitates innovation, leadership, collaboration, and ultimately a business advantage. Moreover, it’s leads to more pleasant and productive working conditions and it’s the right thing to do.
Resources
- Quartz, January 2021, The urgent need for inclusivity is reshaping 3 major workplace trends
- Entrepreneur on MSN, January 2021: How Better Workplace Data Can Help Women Regain Ground Lost In 2020
- Glassdoor, January 2021: Employer Branding Strategy in 2021: 7 Best Practices
- The Independent, January 2021: Businesses have the power to root out disability exclusion in days, while governments might take decades
- Marketplace Business: Top Engagement Strategies That Work with Multi-Generational Workforce Feb 2021: https://marketbusinessnews.com/top-engagement-strategies-that-work-for-a-multigenerational-workforce/256753/
- In the Black, Feb 2021: The secret to a successful multigenerational workforce https://www.intheblack.com/articles/2021/02/01/successful-multigenerational-workforce
- Adam Grant, Think Again, Wharton professor
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