The Power of Small Acts of Inclusion
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December 24, 2024 Richard Drury/Getty Images Post Post Share Save Print Summary. All too often, traditional DEI programming and policy have focused on how not to behave. This focus on the negative can make people so worried about saying or doing the wrong thing that they disengage or get mad and push back. In this article, the authors argue that a better approach is to focus on micro-inclusions — small but intentional acts that include everyone in the actual process of producing work together. They summarize some of their recent research on the effects of micro-inclusions and then offer some guidance on how to foster a culture of micro-inclusion in the workplace. Leer en español Ler em português Post Post Share Save Print It matters when employees have a strong sense of belonging, or feel like they fit at a company: They’re more engaged, innovative, and productive. To foster that kind of deep inclusion, companies often try to create a warm and welcoming culture, perhaps by supporting employee resource groups or sponsoring company events such as happy hours and team offsites. But it’s not the happy hour that inspires you at work — not really, not deeply, not in the best circumstances. What really matters is whether employees actually feel like they’re contributing to the work at hand.
Read more on Diversity and inclusion or related topic Marginalized groups GM Gregg Muragishi is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington and a DEI consultant. He helps organizations to identify, examine, and remove structural and psychological barriers to increase belonging and inclusion. LA Lauren Aguilar is the CEO and founder of illuceo , an inclusion, fairness, and organizational-effectiveness consultancy. She has conducted social-science research on belonging, inclusion, unconscious bias, and communication for more than 25 years. PC Priyanka Carr has over 20 years of research and technology executive experience. She most recently served as the president of Highlight and as the COO at SurveyMonkey, where she builds scalable teams and sponsors DEI efforts. GW Greg Walton is a professor of psychology at Stanford University. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change with Small Acts . Post Post Share Save Print Read more on Diversity and inclusion or related topic Marginalized groups Partner Center
