Leadership and an Inclusive Workplace: Why a Healthy and Encouraging Work Culture Needs to be at the Heart of a Company

By Manal Haddad

In the last few years, many organizations have tried to bring in diversity, equity, and inclusion into the fold. With that said, there’s still so much that needs to be done in terms of racial and gender representation in senior leadership, dealing with workplace misconduct, and the widespread omission of under-represented demographics in large conglomerates. This is why inclusive leaders and an inclusive workplace culture are still very much the need of the hour!

An increase in awareness among employees, a will to change and adapt to new times among leaders and executives, and increased advocacy of inclusion from all fronts will continue to be vital in the fight against a non-inclusive company culture.

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to become an active part of the solution and bring some much-needed changes in your organization to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. You are responsible for encouraging discourse and action that pushes the needle of progress and inclusion in the right direction, both within your company and for the world beyond!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716539541

Book preview

Manal_Haddad_ebook.jpg

To my mother

Table of Contents

Introduction

What Does an Inclusive Work Culture Look Like?

The Importance of a Healthy and Inclusive Work Culture

How to Become an Inclusive Leader

How to Create and Sustain an Inclusive Work Culture

Common Barriers That Come in the Way of Inclusion at a Workplace

Workplace Inclusion and Diversity Trends for 2020

Looking Ahead

References

About The Author

Leadership and an Inclusive Workplace

Copyright © 2020 Manal Haddad

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means — whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic — without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal, and it is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-71662-015-7

Disclaimer

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

All the information mentioned herein is based on thorough research and the author’s own experiences. Any mention of certain institutions, public offices, and long-standing agencies is done by name because of their role in the relevant industry and the services they offer.

Any opinions expressed here are not meant to be critical, harmful, or derogatory in any manner. The greatest efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of all factual details in the written content.

All information, ideas, and guidelines presented here are for educational purposes only. Readers are encouraged to seek professional advice when needed.

While the author has taken utmost efforts to ensure the accuracy of the written content, the author cannot be held responsible for any personal or commercial damage caused by misinterpretation of information contained herein.

The advice mentioned in this book is not a substitute for any professional advice given by established professional leaders and consultants in the field.

The book is intended for informational purposes only, and should be treated as such. You should not make any financial decisions based solely on the content of this book without consulting an expert.

Introduction

A healthy, inclusive, and inviting workplace culture has an undeniably crucial role to play in the success of a company. In fact, it wouldn’t be far from the truth to say that an inclusive and progressive culture is important for a company’s foundational values. It is what determines the satisfaction of employees and what drives them to do their very best.

The aim of this book is to throw light on the importance of leaders of companies who are actively trying to establish and nurture an inclusive work culture within their company. I will explore this critical need for a welcoming work culture via its impact on the overall work ethic and motivation of employees and their interaction with their workplace leaders.

My focus will be on how a nurturing and all-encompassing work culture is the driving force for businesses and companies to become employee-focused, creative, technology-driven, and successful in the short and long run.

I also plan to explore the traits of an inclusive leader — one who recognizes and appreciates the value of all of their individual employees and their unique contributions to the company. They are the ones who can make employees feel that their ideas are actually taken into account and their contribution matters.

In this book, I will explore how such innovative and inclusive leaders are able to improve the overall performance of their employees via improved motivation, satisfaction, and engagement. I will also highlight the importance of leaders, promoting virtues such as fairness and equality in the workplace.

Furthermore, I will emphasize the various strategic nuances of workplaces that stay ahead of the curve. This includes equipping leaders with the tools necessary to provide comprehensive support, coaching, and guidance to each individual employee to encourage growth and development.

This way, I hope to elaborate on the different ways that a company and its leader can create and maintain an inclusive workplace culture. I also aim to highlight all the barriers and common practices that often hinder a company’s aim to create and promote a nurturing culture and what you can do to avoid them.

Additionally, I will also explore the common trends of general workplace culture in terms of inclusion and diversity. I wish for companies to adapt and engage with these trends to foster a work culture built on the tenets of fairness, growth, inclusivity, and equality.

What Does an Inclusive Work Culture Look Like?

With the increasing awareness and vocalization of minority rights — be it race, gender, or religion — people are more and more aware of the need for an inclusive workplace culture. In fact, many companies and businesses are actively looking to create and nurture a diverse work culture. However, oftentimes, people confuse diversity with inclusivity and think that they are the same.

Even though it’s true that diversity is a huge part of an inclusive workplace culture, there’s so much more to an inclusive workplace culture than diversity. In fact, there are so many nuanced elements of an inclusive workplace that a workplace needs to work on to sustain a healthy culture.

However, before we delve into what an inclusive workplace culture looks like and its various elements, let’s first take a look at what an inclusive culture actually is.

What Is An Inclusive Culture?

Inclusion entails an environmental and cultural feeling of belonging. You can assess inclusion as the extent to which your employees feel respected, heard, valued, accepted, and supported to engage in the company. Employees in an inclusive work culture feel greatly appreciated for their unique contribution that they bring to their workplace. This motivates them to freely share their ideas and bring their individualistic creativity to the forefront.

An inclusive culture also entails the successful incorporation of diverse groups of people into the workplace. While diversity is an inherent element of an inclusive workplace culture, it does not just boil down to basic representation. Inclusivity involves a culture of respect, impartiality, and an encouraging recognition and appreciation of the differences that individual personalities bring to the table.

An inclusive culture also ensures that the institutional and social response to disability and minority groups, in general, does not pose any obstacles and cause unwanted hindrances for the positive outlook of employees and their experience with their company.

Additionally, an inclusive culture extends beyond the basic or token hiring of individuals from a minority group or disabled employees. It encompasses a wide range of both formal and informal practices and policies to ensure that employees with special needs are heard and treated with as much respect as any other employee.

Here are some core values of an inclusive workplace culture:

Representation: The presence of minority groups and people with disabilities in various employee and leadership positions.

Receptiveness: A deep-seated respect and understanding for the differences that are bound to be there in the working styles of different employees and a flexible stride to tailor different job openings and positions according to the abilities and strengths of existing and potential employees.

Fairness and Impartiality: An impartial access to all opportunities, resources, networks, and decision-making avenues to all employees based solely on their performance and no other merit.

When employees belonging to minority groups or people with disabilities experience the various advantages of an inclusive culture, they are more likely to be completely satisfied with their jobs. This often leads to more loyal, committed, and invested employees who are willing to give their 100% every day at work.

Essential Elements of an Inclusive Work Culture

Now that you have a clear idea of what an inclusive workplace culture entails, let’s take a look at 10 vital elements that an inclusive work culture should have.

1. Inclusion and Diversity