As many organizations continue to engage and create a diverse environment, one variable continues to be overlooked, employees need a platform in which they are empowered and encouraged to speak. As Mr. Khalil Smith from NeuroLeadership Institute eloquently stated, “Diversity is having a seat at the table. Inclusion is having a voice at the table. Bias is part of why some voices are listened to more than others.”Creating an environment that embraces diversity is great. And, to be completely frank, it’s long overdue. However, it’s not enough to just create an environment and leave it unattended. An unattended garden is likely to grow weeds and can adversely affect the other plants in the garden. Likewise, creating an environment that embraces diversity but does little to nothing to move the initiative forward, is likely to lose momentum and die. Organizations must embrace this often overlooked part of inclusion. This is what employees want and need in their work environment – inclusion.Take a moment to think about a time when you were in a meeting or gathering, and while there were many people around, you were never acknowledged. Or, think about the time you had an idea or solution and when you spoke up, no one gave any consideration to your idea. It is this kind of behavior that leads employees to feeling not valued and withdrawing from future conversations and team collaboration.Not only does this not foster an environment of inclusion, it can adversely affect the organization. Think of it this way, many organizations thrive because of the people who work in the business. These people are innovative, problem solvers, visionaries, and much more. These people possess the very thing that organizations need to be competitive and successful in today’s market. However, if these trailblazers feel they don’t matter and don’t have a voice, why would they want to contribute to your success?We must move beyond having a seat at the table to allowing people to speak and be heard. For some organizations, this may be happening organically. Yet for other organizations, there must be an intentional effort to move the needle forward. The one thing that is evident, time waits for no one or no business. Don’t let your most valuable asset walk out the door because you refused to give them a voice at the table.
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