There are organization-wide strategies related to policies and programs that support inclusion. And there are specific actions for individual leaders and teams in Inclusion strategies for leaders.
Overview
The statements below are adapted from the Guarding Minds at Work employee survey. Researchers selected them to show the extent employees feel they belong and are respected at work. To improve inclusion, think about how to improve your employees’ responses for each statement. Use our strategies and free resources to help you take action. You can adapt these approaches for your team or organization.
People treat each other with respect at work.
Start by discussing with employees what a civil and respectful work environment looks like for your team. Consider using the workshop materials, Putting civility and respect on the agenda, to help you lead this.
Sometimes team members are unaware of the negative impact their words and behaviours have on others. The Psychologically safe interactions workshop materials can help them recognize unintended consequences and adjust what they do for more positive results.
To address differences of opinion safely and effectively, share the Resolving personal conflict resource with your team members.
People from all backgrounds receive fair treatment in my workplace.
Identify and understand Implicit bias, microaggressions and intersectionality. Recognizing when it happens is the first step to eliminating it.
You could lead the Implicit bias workshop, which encourages self-reflection. It helps employees explore the attitudes and stereotypes that affect their actions and decisions. It can also help them understand their unconscious bias towards a particular person or group.
It could be that your approach to recognizing and rewarding your employees is not seen as fair. To understand your employees’ perspective, use Putting recognition and reward on the agenda to lead a discussion. Included in these materials is the Recognition preferences form| PDF. Use it separately or as part of the workshop.
Recognition strategies for leaders includes many ideas that might work for your team.
I am part of a community at work.
Your actions as a leader are critical for team members to feel part of a community at work. Psychologically safe orientation strategies helps improve the employee experience from the start and supports inclusion.
By encouraging supportive interactions, you'll foster a culture of inclusion. Consider and address any potential issues of stigma or discrimination.
Putting engagement on the agenda asks employees how their engagement can be supported at work. The optional Creating change workshop can help decision makers take this employee feedback to develop more policies and processes that improve engagement.
Team building activities can also help to improve a culture of inclusion. Most of these activities take only 15 minutes. Do one at the start of every team meeting.
My workplace considers my suggestions.
If this is an area for improvement, start by trying to understand why they don't feel their suggestions are considered. Could it be because of the way their leader communicates, how other team members speak over them or the way the organization acknowledges feedback? You may need to clarify what is not open for change before you ask for suggestions. You may also want to take time to identify where and how suggestions were or are considered.
Putting involvement and influence on the agenda asks employees how to support their involvement and influence at work. The free materials include a slide presentation, facilitator guide and participant handout that can all be downloaded.
Even if you disagree with employee suggestions, you can show that they were taken into account. Use Listening to understand, Distinguish acknowledgement from agreement, and Before you say no, ask why to help your leaders improve their communication skills in this area.
People with mental health issues receive support to do their jobs effectively.
Supporting employee success engages employees and employers to create effective work plans that balance productivity and well-being. Supporting employee success is for any employee, including those needing accommodation.
Employee mental health issues provides more strategies and resources to help with accommodation, return to work, performance or conflict.
There are specific approaches that can help if you’re supporting an employee with an addiction or impairment issue.
People with physical health issues receive support to do their jobs effectively.
Many physical health issues are not immediately visible. This includes chronic pain, side effects of medications or a heart condition. Physical health issues are not always a disability. But they can require the need for privacy or breaks to administer treatments. For example, the need to pump breastmilk, change a colostomy bag, or take insulin.
Discussing what is needed to do their job effectively allows employees with physical health issues to feel supported. If you’re concerned about your ability to provide flexibility, read Before you say no, ask why. It can help you find solutions that work for everyone.
Approaching Performance management in a collaborative and supportive way engages all employees. This approach encourages the employees to come up with their own solutions to do their jobs more effectively.
Supporting employee success engages employees and employers to support productivity and well-being. Supporting employee success is for any employee, including those needing accommodation.
I am able to do my job in a way that aligns with my values.
The Identify your values team activity helps employees recognize their core values. It also helps understand their reactions when they feel their values are challenged. Participants choose their top 3 work-related values and reflect on how they might impact their role.
My employer makes efforts to prevent harm to employees from discrimination.
Discrimination at work is a human rights violation. See Potential legal concerns for some suggestions about how you might address it.
Discrimination prevention and inclusivity can help you better understand how to address these issues.
What you consider discrimination and what your employee may experience can be different. Identify and understand Implicit bias, microaggressions and intersectionality. Identifying it is the first step to eliminating it.
The Implicit bias workshop encourages self-reflection. Use these free materials to help employees explore the attitudes and stereotypes that may lead to discrimination.
It is safe to speak up at work.
There could be several reasons why people feel unsafe to speak at up at work. For example, the way you as a leader respond to them. But you can learn to respond more effectively with Strengthening leadership skills. Or, they may feel unsafe because of how the team interacts. You can address this by using the Psych safe teams workshop materials. If you believe that there are trust issues, explore the information in Building trust for leaders.
The Mistake meeting team activity can also help employees feel safer when speaking up. It requires you as a leader to share mistakes or challenges that you’re dealing with and eventually invite your team to do the same.
My employer makes efforts to prevent harm to employees from bullying. And I am being bullied at work.
If your team members are unaware of the negative impact their words and behaviours have on each other, you may wish to use the Psychologically safe interactions workshop materials to respectfully bring them to a new understanding.
Conflict response for leaders can help you create a more effective way to improve difficult working relationships.
Harassment and bullying protection includes strategies and processes that can help you with prevention and intervention.
I am currently treated unfairly at work because I have a mental illness.
Unfair treatment related to a disability may be a human rights violation. See Potential legal concerns for some suggestions about how you might address it.
Employee mental health issues helps you think about how to fulfill your legal duty to accommodate. It will also provide accommodation strategies and how to manage co-worker reactions.
I am currently being harassed (verbally, physically, or sexually) at work.
Harassment is a Potential legal concern requiring specific procedures for prevention and investigation.
Psychologically safe interactions or On the agenda’s organizational culture can help to further change a negative workplace culture.
Putting psychological protection on the agenda helps you to discuss with employees how you can better protect them from harassment, bullying or discrimination.
I feel lonely when working.
Psychologically safe orientation strategies helps improve the employee experience from the start and supports social connections at work.
Share the content from Loneliness and social connection to open up a conversation without embarrassing individuals. Ask employees what they could do to make a difference for both new and existing members.
One of the risks of isolated or remote work is employees feeling alone while working. Hybrid teams has several suggestions for addressing this.
For non-remote teams, providing more opportunities for social interaction can help. Check out Team building activities or the On the agenda workshop series to start.
I am recognized for good performance.
To understand how your employees want recognition, engage them in a discussion using the workshop materials in Putting recognition and reward on the agenda. The materials include the Recognitions preferences form|PDF which you can also use on its own to learn more about how each employee likes to be recognized at work.
Be aware that negative feedback can sometimes overshadow any positive recognition. Psychologically safe communication and collaboration has information to help you prevent this. Performance management offers an approach to effectively help employees with productivity while being both collaborative and supportive.
Recognition strategies for leaders includes many more ideas to consider.