Paradox of Inclusion

I love this post from Chris Corrigan called The Paradox of Inclusion. Read the whole post and the comments, it is very interesting.

I think it is valuable inquiries to periodically ask ourselves, are my actions and thoughts really supporting what I believe? And even, do I really believe what I say are my values?

I am not suggesting his line of thinking so that we can out ourselves as hypocrites. With new knowledge and insights we can choose to make changes that better line things up.

Managers ought to think about where they stand on the topic of inclusion. Many managers use the word inclusion when they talk about the fact that they invited a few more people to a communication meeting. That's PC inclusion, but not real inclusion. Do you welcome inclusion when:

• Ideas are being generated
• Projects are being selected
• Decisions are being made
• You know others do not share your view
• Work systems are being designed or improved
• When the company strategies are being crafted

I have known a few managers who said that they were not looking to be inclusive and had no intentions of trying. This is better - being candid about where you stand - than saying one thing and doing another. That said, these managers will also find that they will lose their best people who demand to be an active partner in the business - this is the new standard.

The biggest farce we managers pull occurs when we get people together and ask for their input and say it will matter when people know that the decision has already been made and the input is viewed as something to get in order to look good. And guess what, we don't look very good at all when we do this.

Where do you stand on inclusion and do your words and deeds line up with your beliefs?

Comments

[Megan]

I have worked with teams that openly joke about asking their people for input , knowing that they have no intention of considering the output. And I have seen managers be openly inclusive - prepared to be challenged on their thinking, interested in others' views, and willing to be flexible about the outcomes. From an outsiders perspective, it seems the team members know when lip service is being paid to inclusion - and it reveals itself in the commitment they show to their organisations.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Megan - yes, I agree, I do think it is very obvious.