The desire to belong is a fundamental human need and is essential for psychological safety in the workplace and beyond.
Conscious inclusion is a core factor to an individual being able to be authentic, which in turn leads to belonging, which in turn results in greater wellbeing and productivity. Belonging means you are part of a team, and that you are trusted, while being enabled to be yourself.
Forward-thinking businesses recognise the fact that a sense of belonging, in the context of conscious inclusion, drives organisational performance, with 93% agreeing with the latter, according to a 2020 survey on Global Human Capital Trends by Deloitte.
So, what exactly is conscious inclusion and how does it compare to inclusion? Inclusion is the extent to which an organisation values and respects individuals and groups who are different from the majority group or are those who are perceived to be different. An inclusive work culture is one where different voices are heard and appreciated in equal measure and where colleagues, managers, supervisors and leaders actively work to raise awareness of personal and group biases.
Conscious inclusion, however, is where there is a purposeful and considered focus on creating an inclusive environment and a robust strategy behind it. Where there is conscious inclusion, everyone is made to feel welcome, respected and valued. Conscious inclusion means understanding that having a diverse workforce in and of itself is not the way forward. It is where the workplace actively promotes and fosters an inclusive culture where everyone thrives.
It is vital to stress that conscious inclusion is not a passive state, or a status quo that is reached and then left to drift. On the contrary, it is proactive, deliberate and purposefully achieved. Organisations who want to be consciously inclusive must put in place the right strategies and regularly review them, making changes where necessary.
Global law firm, Pinsent Masons, says that consciously inclusive organisations are ‘investing in the development of their leaders to lead inclusively, with the most progressive organisations also strengthening accountability for DEI outcomes at the same time.’
Peter MacDonald Hall, of FAIRER Consulting, agrees, saying, “Today’s best companies understand that to succeed, they need to be consciously inclusive. This means supporting their leaders develop the skills to not only actively promote psychological safety but ensure they are confident and competent to be inclusive, while holding them responsible for making sure everyone is treated fairly. In doing so, these organisations build stronger, more united teams that are ready for success.”
Deloitte’s DEI maturity model is a practical framework that helps organisations to foster a culture of equity while increasing diversity – and is a useful tool for organisations who want to practice conscious inclusion. By evaluating current DE&I practices and strategies, organisations can spotlight what is working and what needs to be implemented.
The model provides a structured approach to understanding where an organisation currently is in its DE&I journey and what is required to progress – it measures DE&I maturity across strategy, leadership, policies and practices, workplace culture, data and analytics and external engagement. When mature, organisations can expect to routinely collect data, interview stakeholders, and review DE&I initiatives.
There are typically four levels to the model, representing stages in the DE&I process. First, is the compliance level, whereby there is some awareness of the importance of DE&I, but there are no formal strategies in place.
Second is the programmatic stage, whereby there are some DE&I initiatives, but they may lack cohesion and consistency. The next stage is leader-led, where DE&I policies align with the organisation’s goals and are consistently applied with leadership backing and rudimentary tracking to assess effectiveness.
The next stage is sustainable DE&I where the policies are part of the organisation’s culture and are regularly reviewed for efficacy and improvement. There are robust reporting and measurement processes in place that can be used to assess the organisation’s progress compared to industry standards, enabling gaps to be identified and any gaps identified.
The highest level of DE&I maturity is known as the integrated stage, where the organisation is a trailblazer not only internally but externally. At this stage, the organisation will champion, as well as meet, DE&I targets, while encouraging ongoing evaluation and improvement of strategies. It is at this point that an organisation can be considered to be contributing to wider social change, which will help it meet its ESG targets while maximising productivity.
If you would like to know more about conscious inclusion at work, register now to watch a recording of our bitesize webinar, Promoting Conscious Inclusion in the Workplace.
And if you would like to explore conscious inclusion and how to embed it into your organisation – or wish to discuss any other aspect of DE&I – please contact FAIRER Consulting – we look forward to connecting with you soon.