Creating psychological safety so people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, learning new things, asking for help, giving and receiving feedback, and challenging the status quo, starts with inclusion.
A sense of belonging where people feel accepted for who they are is something we should all expect from our teams. Everyone has the right to be treated with respect and humanity.
Despite us all wanting and needing this, it can be easy to neglect. Belonging and inclusion happen as a result of all our interactions with one another. And when we’re stressed or disagree or have personality clashes, we can act in ways that make people feel alone or rejected.
Paul Santagata, Head of Industry at Google, leads his team through a reflection called "Just Like Me" to remind people of the importance of belonging and inclusion, and to increase awareness of how we build or destroy them through our words and behaviours.
It goes:
This person has beliefs, perspectives, and opinions, just like me.
This person has hopes, anxieties, and vulnerabilities, just like me.
This person has friends, family, and perhaps children who love them, just like me.
This person wants to feel respected, appreciated, and competent, just like me.
This person wishes for peace, joy, and happiness, just like me.
We've included a poster of this for you and your team. Put it in your meeting rooms, in the breakroom, wherever people congregate. If your team works virtually, send them a copy. Use it regularly before the start of your own meetings as a reminder that colleagues are people first and everyone deserves to be included.
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A TEAM HUMAN CONVERSATION
Fight workplace zombies in your organization and join Team Human! Gather a group of fellow workplace zombie hunters to discuss our most recent blog post. Use the questions below to kick start your conversation.
What impact does feeling included and like you belong have on your work experience? What impact does not feeling included or like you belong have on your work experience?
What can make it hard to ensure your actions and behaviours make people feel included?
What specific things can you be doing as individuals, a team, and as an organization to ensure everyone feels like they are included and belong?
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