Some leaders wonder, “Do we need to explicitly emphasize inclusion in employee messaging?” The answer is yes—make inclusion a clear part of your company culture. If you don’t, team members might feel as if they aren’t welcome or appreciated. As a result, they hold back important parts of themselves that could add value to the business.
A culture rooted in inclusion, however, enables everyone to contribute at a high level. So how can your company become a more inclusive organization? In truth, creating space for full inclusion can be a challenge. You must look for opportunities to include even when it’s more convenient and less costly not to. For example, it’s cheap and easy to ignore out-of-town employees when they visit headquarters. Whereas picking them up from the airport and taking them to dinner requires time and money. However, the latter will improve your company culture and make team members feel included. In turn, they’ll feel more comfortable and secure, which will position them to do their best work.
Executed consistently, inclusion leads to innovation, creativity, and better retention. Above all, it unlocks strong teams and individuals working to their full potential.
