Inclusion for Growth

Recently, a friend shared his experience at the company where he worked. He had just started for this organization, which, like many companies throughout the world, was undergoing Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion training.

I could only imagine what it was like when he spoke of it.

He shared a little, and I didn't ask for an exhaustive description of the training.

I got the implication that he and others were being told rather than invited.

Telling doesn't work for my kids…

I have three teenage children. Well, two teenage children and one young adult.

I have seen this play out with them, as I have seen it with my wife: They hate being told what to do, think, or act.

They are much more open to being invited, included, and encouraged.

If it's easy to see with young people, why does force often employ the solution?

Force people to watch videos about DEI.

Force people into trainings and off-sites that meet requirements.

Force people to evaluate their current beliefs.

Force people by shame.

I have learned this from working with cows over the last 40 years of my life; forcing doesn’t work and often leads you to getting hurt or covered in shit!

Forcing causes resentment and a further entrenchment of presently held ideals.

Performance vs. Happiness

Gil Winch, my podcast guest this week, is an author, business owner, and doctor of psychology who has a history of seeing value where others don’t or can’t.

This vision has ingrained in him a perspective that many business owners and leaders tend to reject: pushing for performance doesn’t create a more engaged workplace or increased projects and production.

When leaders challenge workers to return to the office and seek to trim workforces to lower costs and increase productivity per worker, happiness is lost.

I read a report earlier this week that layoffs create a long tail of worker dissent and morale. Company confidence drops 16.9 percent, belief in career opportunities drops 12.1 percent, and confidence in leadership drops 10.5 percent.

So when Gil, who has one of the highest-rated call centers in the world, suggests leaders should push their people to be happier, I take it seriously.

It's not being soft; it's being mindful and empathetic. I don't believe pushing people to be happy means they can't or will not be more productive.

Happier people do better work and are better coworkers.

Out with the Old

One area in which I have seen much unhappiness is the force to make workplaces ‘inclusive,’ imposing quotas and metrics of race, ability, background, or experience.

This force makes people who don't fit the desired inclusionary descriptors feel like they have done something wrong being themselves. Just as those who have been oppressed feel, too many get caught in the crossfire and suffer.

In the full conversation with Gil, you will hear several examples of how forced inclusivity fails our companies, communities, and economy.

He encourages those with greater resources to be benefactors of charity and opportunity, opportunities for those who are most maligned to find meaningful ways to contribute.

Finding ways to help those who don't have such an easy path to contributing makes our organization grow stronger and more productive.

It's no different from the camaraderie and spirit of happiness and joy from a sports team helping their beloved underdog (think Rudy) accomplish something. We can have the same impact on our organizations.

This doesn't come by forcing team members on each other but by seeking the value those who have challenges, difficult experiences, and unique giftings have.

Happiness is productive when we seek to include others through desire and value rather than force and demand.

When we are happier, we are more inclusive of others who can join in the experience and opportunity.

Did you catch this podcast? If not, listen to it here.