Habits of an Inclusive Culture

For organisations to create inclusive cultures we need to look at our habits, habits that are invisibly fuelling our cultures. Our habits are formed in reaction to the culture, the context, the environment, the ‘smell of the place’, but the culture lives inside every person who adopts the habits of that culture.

To change cultures, we need to change habits.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Inclusion is a culture- If we want people to be whole and human at work, to be themselves at work, then we need to understand what culture is and the power it has to include or exclude. In this blog I share my thoughts about why I believe that inclusion requires us to make it a habit and I invite you to join me next week for a workshop on Cultural Intelligence where you can learn more about the skills of cultural intelligence to create inclusion.

Increase of Multicultural Workplaces
We don’t stay in the places we came from anymore. People move about more, organisations operate across larger territories and this means that the work force is more diverse. Diversity is also about gender, sexual orientation, abilities, personalities, etc and people are more than one thing. Just because you work in an organisation that is global, international or multinational; does not mean that you have a multicultural environment or mindset?

Do you know how many different cultures are there in your organisation? Not only nationalities… but cultures, ways that people can choose to identify.

Demographics mean less than you think!

Demographics like nationality, countries of origin and ethnicity are considered ‘surface-level’ diversity. But a person’s ethnicity does not say much about their story, how they think and who they really are, it can even diminish the complexity and richness of our individuality. Judging people on surface level diversity leads to stereotyping.

‘Deep-level’ diversity refers to our values, attitudes and beliefs. This is where creativity and innovation is born.

Wang et al (2019) conducted a meta‐analysis study and found that surface‐level diversity in a culturally diverse team has a nonsignificant relationship with team creativity and innovation. But with deep-level diversity we see greater team creativity, with a wider pool of knowledge and perspectives and teams are able to generate more novel ideas.

This is important to understand when hiring and building teams to be at their best but also in the popular trend towards hiring quotas. The demographics are not enough and they will fail to achieve the real creativity we need.

Instead let’s look at improving the habits that make up our cultures and create inclusive workplaces, where all diversity is welcome and fostered.

What habits are at the root of your culture?

A habit is something we do often and regularly, sometimes without knowing that we are doing it.

Boost Cultural Intelligence

Cultural Intelligence is a foundational skill set that leaders and managers can learn. Training on bias and cultural difference is most effective when we seek to actually improve the ability of individuals to interact within diverse cultures, not despite it.

A recent Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) research report called for organisations to embrace multicultural teams through cultural intelligence.

“Cultural intelligence (CQ), or the ability to successfully interact among diverse cultures, is one way of embracing multiculturalism in teams and is particularly important for global leaders. Greater CQ is linked to enhanced performance, greater job satisfaction and knowledge-sharing, among other outcomes. Managers highlight the importance of flexibility in approaching cultural diversity in teams, being attentive to individual differences and working styles, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to management. Participants feel the need for formal and informal training on cross-cultural competence. In particular, more implicit, ‘on the job’ learning is perceived as useful for building trust in multicultural teams.”

We need training, but to make a lasting and continually change to our cultures we need to do the work at a human habits and behaviours level. Here are some (just three of many) of the habits that build an inclusive culture:

Habit #1- Bring care and empathy to work

Inclusion comes naturally when you care. When our motivations are rooted in empathy and genuine care, we can be open to experiences that are different to our own. Care is an important part of building cultural intelligence because when we care, our personal discomfort is worth it to be able to understand another’s experiences. Through caring perspective taking we can see the world from another person’s perspective, for that we need to embrace our role as a learner and hold back judgement. If we care more about being right or heard that the other person then can we step into habits that exclude. We don’t need to know all the answers, we can get curious and we can be kind enough to hold back out own opinions. We need to start with care and empathy.

Habit #2 Encourage dessenting opinion

Disagreement is healthy. We naturally find it more comfortable and easier when everyone agrees but this narrow the pool of creativity. Whether we work in a team or manage a team, we can all encourage dissenting opinion. Rather than look for agreement, we can look for disagreement. Asking for your ideas to be challenged strengthens the idea itself, but also reflects positively upon your own character and motivation. Actively seeking advice and perspective from others will improve communication and encourage a more inclusive company culture. When disagreement is a habit, being different, thinking differently and standing out is safe.

Question the obvious and ask about assumptions we might be making. This encourages us and others to observe the invisible rules and restrictions to inclusion.

And of course listen to those different opinions- listen to learn and understand.

Habit #3- Catch your habits and do better

Don’t over intellectualise it- sometimes you just need to stop and do something different, do something better. When we make a mistake, say something insensitive or hurtful; it will make no different to the outcome if we beat ourselves up or ruminate about the good intention you had.

Notice it, Drop it and do better.

Stepping out of our habits begins by catching ourselves in the act and calling it out. When you can- do it better straight away. “Sorry, that was insensitive… what I meant was…” When you don’t know what to do, ask someone? “I don’t think that came out right, can you tell me what you heard.”

Catching yourself and doing better is so simple, but it shifts us toward positive energy and cultural maturity.

Diversity has the potential to divide us, but with cultural intelligence skills we can navigate diversity and bridge the spaces that divide us from people who are different to us. Organisations are ticking the box of mandated training and diversity quotas, yet we have not solved the problem of inclusion. We need spaces in work and life where people feel free to be themselves, to speak and be the best versions of themselves. We can do better, not just enough.

If this made you think and Cultural Intelligence is something you would like to learn more please sign up to the Cultural Intelligence- Introduction - It is a 90 minute workshop to cultivate a mindset of confident cultural humility, to build and grow leaders who use human leadership to do better every day.

Join me on Tue, May 18, 2021 @ 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CEST

References

Wang, J, Cheng, GH‐L, Chen, T, Leung, K. Team creativity/innovation in culturally diverse teams: A meta‐analysis. J Organ Behav. 2019; 40: 693– 708. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2362

https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/diversity/managing-multicultural-teams

https://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Past-News/Overcoming-Monoculture-Keeping-Ideas-Alive

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-organizational-monoculture-death-good-business-chris-smart/