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CHAPTER SEVEN

From Diversity to Inclusion: An Inclusion Equation

Mary-Frances Winters

For inclusion, you have to start with the heart and then move to the head. For authentic, sustainable, inclusive organizations, leaders have to “get it in their guts” and then commit to becoming competent so their behavior matches their intent.

—FORTUNE 100 FINANCIAL SERVICES CEO

In the past twenty-five years, the field of diversity and inclusion has become more sophisticated, both in its definitions and in articulating what the terms really mean. But multiple definitions of this burgeoning and complex disci- pline still abound, often leading to confusion and even controversy. As I pointed out in a prior review, “[d]iversity has evolved into a rather amor- phous field, where the very word itself invokes a variety of different mean- ings and emotional responses” (Anand & Winters, 2008, p. 356).

Thought leader Dr. Roosevelt Thomas is credited with shifting the paradigm from complying with legal mandates to the business case for diversity. Ac- cording to Thomas, the challenge of diversity was more than ensuring repre- sentation of historically under​represented groups. Data showed overwhelm- ingly that the careers of minorities and women plateaued, and few were breaking into higher-level positions (Thomas, 1990). He said the goal should be to “create … an environment where ‘we’ is everyone” (Thomas, 1990, p. 109). Thomas argued that we needed something else besides affirmative ac- tion: “That something else consists of enabling people, in this case minorities and women, to perform to their potential” (Thomas, 1990, p. 109).While he did not use the term inclusion, the definition commonly put forth is as Thomas articulated it: creating an environment in which everyone has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

It took almost a decade for Thomas's concept to become commonly referred to as inclusion and for it to become paired, routinely, as part of diversity and inclusion.

Distinguishing Inclusion from Diversity Andrés Tapia, president of Diversity Best Practices and author of The Inclu- sion Paradox, offers a simple way of distinguishing between the definitions of diversity and inclusion: “Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work” (Tapia, 2009, p. 12). Or, as others have defined the distinction: diver- sity is about counting heads; inclusion is about making heads count. Another way to distinguish between diversity and inclusion is to define diversity as a noun describing a state and inclusion as a verb or action noun, in that to in- clude requires action. Expanding on these ideas, I define inclusion as creat- ing an environment that acknowledges, welcomes, and accepts different ap- proaches, styles, perspectives, and experiences, so as to allow all to reach their potential and result in enhanced organizational success.

Perhaps the most salient distinction between diversity and inclusion is that diversity can be mandated and legislated, while inclusion stems from volun- tary actions. In an interview I conducted with a Fortune 100 CEO, he cap- tured the distinction highlighted in this chapter's epigraph: that leaders must “get it in their guts” and then match their intent with their behavior.

Inclusion Is Harder to Achieve Than Diversity Lack of advancement of historically underrepresented groups is the prover- bial inclusion quandary. Twenty-five years ago, the common explanation was that these groups had less time in the workforce than White men. As more White women and people of color gained experience, the theory went, the inequities would self-correct. Lack of workforce experience is no longer a valid justification. Current evidence points to organizational cultural norms

P R E V Part Three: Organizational and Societal Perspectives and Practices

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CHAPTER EIGHT: Inclusive Human Resource Management: Best Practices and the Changi… ⏭

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that unwittingly perpetuate exclusive behaviors as a key barrier to advance- ment. Achieving an inclusive culture is a complex endeavor, requiring delib- erate examination of all aspects of the organization and a willingness to make changes to reduce the potential for bias that favors the dominant group.

As an example of the continued difficulty to achieve inclusion in organiza- tions, a 2012 study conducted by the Center for Talent Innovation on the im- pact of sponsorship in advancing multicultural employees found that over one-third of African Americans and Hispanics and 45 percent of Asians re- ported a “need to compromise their authenticity” to conform to their compa- ny's standards of “demeanor or style.” In addition, about one-fifth of His- panics, one-third of African Americans, and 29 percent of Asians in the study reported that a “person of color would never get a top position at my company” (Hewlett, Jackson, Cose, & Emerson, 2012, p. 2).

Achieving an inclusive workplace for women is also challenging. Women make up half of the U.S. workforce yet as of this writing hold only 3.8 per- cent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and 4.0 percent of Fortune 1000 CEO po- sitions (Catalyst, 2012). In 2009, Catalyst reported that almost 30 percent of Fortune 500 companies had no women executive officers at all, and less than 18 percent of companies had three or more women executive officers (Soares, Carter, & Combopiano, 2009).

Another compelling example is that, according to the 2010 Survey of Em- ployment of Americans with Disabilities (“Survey: Em​​ployers Not Doing Enough,” n.d.), disability is included as part of their initiative by only two- thirds of companies surveyed that had diversity programs (70 percent of the total); only 18 percent of responding companies reported having education programs aimed at ensuring inclusive practices for people with disabilities.

Yet another example suggesting we have much work to do to achieve inclu- sion is the Out and Equal Workplace Culture Report (Harris Interactive, 2008), which tracked attitudes about LGBT workers in the U.S. from 2002 to 2008. This survey found that, in 2008, 42 percent of heterosexual respon- dents believed that LGBT people are treated fairly and equally, a proportion unchanged from 2002; 22 percent indicated that it would be very difficult to be openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender at their workplace. Fifty per- cent of LGBT adults reported hearing someone at their current or most re- cent job tell jokes about people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgen- der, and only 30 percent reported never having faced any workplace discrim- ination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.

An innovative study conducted by Bendick and Egan (Bendick, 2008) point- ed to a lack of inclusion as the cause of an organization's lack of diversity, and concluded that a lack of diversity is merely a symptom of the lack of in- clusion. Based on a multiple-regression analysis of HR records for a large fi- nancial services company, key indicators for positive career advancement fell into two categories—demographic and professional (as shown in Exhibit 7.1). There was a higher likelihood of success at this company for people who were White and male, but also for those who had attended the “right” school, had military service, or had other characteristics or experiences that were more valued. While it has long been acknowledged that organizational norms often set up unwritten rules that favor the ingroup, Bendick (2008) and Egan successfully isolated and quantified those factors for their client.

Exhibit 7.1. Bendick and Egan Study Findings of Key Success Factors

Demographic Characteristics

Professional Characteristics

White

Male

Age 36–55

Grew up in US or EU

Native English speaker

Married with kids

Degree from 20 “core” universities

Served in Marines

No degrees outside business

No experience in any other industry

With firm >10 years

No career shifts within the firm

Developing Sustainable, Inclusive Organizational Cultures: The Inclusion Equation While, as previously discussed, there is some consensus on the definition of inclusion (see also Ferdman, Chapter 1, this volume), the concept is open to widely varying behavioral interpretations. The specific behaviors and actions that exemplify inclusion are not consistent or well understood. Too often it is easier to perpetuate habitual exclusive practices rather than adopt new in- clusive ones. To make the shift to an inclusive cul ​ture that will be sustainable over time requires a much broader and deeper approach than what has tra- ditionally occurred in the name of diversity. Inclusion requires addressing both macro, systemic issues and ongoing micro behaviors that impact the experiences of individuals on a day-to-day basis. Inclusion also has to be dri-

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ven both by top-down leadership and bottom-up engagement.

I created the inclusion equation to help depict the interrelated variables nec- essary to create and sustain inclusive cultures (see Figure 7.1). There are two broad components of the inclusion model it depicts: macro and micro inclu- sion practices. The two macro aspects focus on organizational culture and organizational systems. At the micro level, the model identifies individual cultural competence and emotional intelligence as the two core requirements to create and sustain inclusion. The components of the model are interde- pendent and work synergistically. When any one aspect is weak or absent, it severely inhibits the ability of an organization to effectively practice inclusion.

Figure 7.1. The Inclusion Equation Source: Copyright © 2012, The Winters Group, Inc. Used by permission.

At the micro or individual level, inclusion or exclusion involves the day-to- day experiences that individuals have with managers and peers as well as outside vendors and suppliers. This is where microinequities as well as un- conscious bias occur most often. The concept of microinequities was first in- troduced in 1973 by Mary Rowe (2008; see also Haslett & Lipman, 1997), who defined them as “small events which are often … hard-to-prove … often unintentional, frequently unrecognized by the perpetrator, which occur wherever people are perceived to be ‘different’ ” (Rowe, 2008, p. 45). Exam- ples include names mistakenly left off a list, people inadvertently not being introduced at meetings (or erroneously introduced as someone else of the same race), and/or sending out invitations that may be insensitive to gays or women (for example, “Bring your wife”). Rowe (2008) contrasts these with microaffirmations, the small and sometimes hard-to-see behaviors that pro- mote inclusion, such as “tiny acts of opening doors to opportunity, gestures of … caring, and graceful acts of listening” (p. 46). Unconscious bias is also a primary factor in the perpetuation of exclusive cultures. Unconscious bias can be defined as preferences based on perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are deeply hidden in our subconscious. Theorists believe that dis- crimination persists in society because we routinely act on our unconscious biases (see Ross, 2008).

Inclusion requires individuals to become culturally competent. As the first step, individuals must work on becoming aware of microinequities and their conscious as well as unconscious biases. The journey to becoming more cul- turally competent involves ongoing learning to develop the skills and abili- ties to recognize, accept, and adapt to cultural differences and similarities. I provide more detail on the role of cultural competence later in the chapter.

In the next section, I provide detailed examples of how the elements of the model work to either enhance or inhibit an inclusive culture.

Inclusion Equation Macro Element #1: Values- Driven Culture Organizations today are beginning to link diversity and inclusion to the com- pany's values. Here I cite two representative examples, as indicated on the companies' websites.

Microsoft's vision and strategy for the future:

Diversity and inclusion are integral to Microsoft's vision, strategy and busi- ness success. We recognize that leadership in today's global marketplace re- quires that we create a corporate culture and an inclusive business environ- ment where the best and brightest diverse minds—employees with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences—work together to meet global con- sumer demands. The collaboration of cultures, ideas, and different perspec- tives is an organizational asset and brings forth greater creativity and innovation

[Microsoft, 2012, para. 1].

Dell's commitment to diversity and inclusion:

Dell is committed to inclusion and diversity. Our mission is to succeed in the marketplace by fostering a winning culture of Dell employees who are highly talented, committed, reflective of our global customers and recognized as our greatest strength. Diversity is at the core of Dell's values and winning culture. It helps define the kind of company we are and aspire to be. Diversi- ty initiatives tap additional talent, retain employees, strengthen relation- ships, improve our operating results and further our global citizenship ef- forts in the many communities we call home

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[Dell, 2012, para. 1–2].

Inclusion is a value, and as such must be inherent in and integrated into all aspects of an organization's culture. Values are the moral compasses that guide organizational behavior. Like other values that employees are expected to “live,” inclusion must comprise a set of behaviors that are meaningful across a variety of backgrounds and cultures. In Exhibit 7.2, I list a useful set of such behaviors, adapted from Hubbard (2004).

Exhibit 7.2. Developing Inclusive Behaviors Modify your listening skills

Recognize and adapt to the variety of listening behaviors you will encounter among diverse employees.

Recognize and adapt your own listening skills as necessary to understand diverse perspectives.

Listen for value-based cultural assumptions, perceptions, and expectations.

Observe behavior and monitor your interpretations and meanings.

Ask necessary and appropriate questions

Learn about other views, work styles and assumptions, and needs. Encourage others to do the same.

Be comfortable in asking questions about the preferred terminology, pronunciations, and so on.

Be comfortable in asking if you have caused offense, and be open to understanding how to correct it or avoid it in the future.

Ask for clarification of goals, directions, and instructions to ensure common understanding.

Shift the frame of reference when necessary

Demonstrate an understanding that perceptions are relative.

Demonstrate empathy and understanding for other values, attitudes, and beliefs; distinguish empathy from agreement.

Be flexible in your approach to situations. There are many ways of doing things.

Manage conflict constructively

Define the issues in the conflict and focus on interests, not positions.

Make an effort to understand others' perspectives.

Demonstrate an understanding of different cultural assumptions about what conflict is and alternative ways of dealing with it.

Develop a collaborative (“win-win”) problem-solving approach.

Recognize unconscious bias and stereotypes

Know your own culture, why you believe what you believe, your history and early experiences that have shaped your value system.

Be aware of and monitor your own unconscious biases and stereotypes.

Ask people you trust to give you feedback on potential biases that you may not be aware of.

Hold others accountable for their stereotypes.

Learn to distinguish between individual difference and cultural difference.

Show respect for and interest in the other person

Learn about the cultures of those around you (geography, customs, history, and so on).

Be aware that humor is handled differently in different cultures. Something that you think is funny and harmless can be insulting to others.

When talking with those who are more fluent in another language than yours, speak clearly (but not louder or slower) and ensure that there is shared understanding.

Strive to interact meaningfully with those you perceive as “different”

Learn to feel and exhibit comfort with groups and individuals from other cultures (for example, spend time with people from diverse groups both at work and outside of work).

Give cultural information about yourself freely when it is requested.

Be open and accommodating to others' needs to gain information. Do not assume that they know what you know.

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Strive to be nonjudgmental

Continually ask yourself if you are making a value judgment about others, rather than recognizing that others might just do things differently that you.

Remember that we are programmed to make snap judgments. Continuously work on this tendency in order to reduce such behavior.

When judging others' cultural values and norms, refrain from using only your “yardstick.”

Continually check and recheck your perceptions about others.

Make decisions using a “cultural” lens

When making decisions, ask yourself: does this work for most, or am I making assumptions based only on my own world view and cultural frame?

Seek out the opinions of diverse people and test your assumptions.

Integrate different world views into final decisions.

Source: Adapted from Hubbard (2004). Copyright 2004 by Edward E. Hubbard. Used with permission.

Living from the value of inclusion happens one action at a time, and often the little things, such as saying “Good morning,” send a message of inclusion —or exclusion. Just like most values, inclusion is conceptually simple, but complex to implement consistently!

Inclusion Equation Macro Element #2: Inclusive Systems and Programs At a systems level, human resource policies such as recruiting, onboarding, succession planning, high potential identification, leadership development, work-life balance, accommodations for differently abled employees, benefits, rewards and recognition, and performance systems all need to support the goal of inclusion, and many organizations' written policies do so today.

However, many large companies have launched robust diversity and inclu- sion initiatives, only to find their struggles continuing as a result of inconsis- tent implementation. Strong implementation depends on the intercultural capabilities of leadership (see Bennett, Chapter 5, and Gallegos, Chapter 6, this volume), which is responsible for interpreting and executing the poli- cies, as well as on the extent to which those leaders are held accountable. I offer several examples of situations in which the policies are inconsistent with the practices.

R E C R U I T I N G

From the HR policy perspective, a diversity strategy for recruiting may be in place, but individual recruiters sometimes systematically screen out candi- dates based on their own unconscious bias. Here is an example: University of Chicago professor Marianne Bertrand and MIT professor Sendhil Mul- lainathan sent 5,000 resumes to 1,250 potential employers and discovered that White-sounding names—such as Brendan, Gregg, Emily, and Anne— received 50 percent more responses than Black-sounding names like Tami- ka, Aisha, Rasheed, and Tyronne (Bertrand & Mullainathan, 2004). To ame- liorate this problem, inclusive organizations ensure that their recruiters are some of the first to receive cultural competence training and education.

W O R K- L I F E S T R AT E G I E S

Work-life strategies offer another example. Many organizations claim to of- fer flexibility to support work-life balance. However, in conducting focus groups over the last few years for several clients, I discovered a consistent theme. Participants agreed the policies were in place, but they also said it would damage their careers to take advantage of them. Managers often sub- tly discouraged employees from taking time off or working from home. Once again, a policy may be in place, but without consistent implementation it cannot be considered inclusive. To shed light on the disconnect between the written work flexibility policy and its implementation, leaders of one client were shown the focus group results during a training session. Many of them were shocked at some of the sentiments expressed by employees. Another client chose to reinforce work-life policies by holding leaders accountable in their performance evaluations for the extent to which work-life balance was positively perceived by employees.

The rapid globalization of many companies also necessitates an inclusive ap- proach to ensure that policies are adapted to different cultural norms. Many companies try to overlay U.S. policies around the world. However, as an ex- ample, Sodexo, a leading global quality-of-life services company headquar- tered in France, develops inclusion strategies country by country. The com- pany's various diversity leaders do not “customize” French or U.S. policies, but rather start from scratch in each country, understanding the unique is- sues and then determining whether solutions that have been developed for one region can be tailored to another specific geographic region. If not, new diversity and inclusion initiatives are developed under the leadership of the country HR manager.

Programs such as mentoring, employee resource groups, and diversity coun- cils that are integrated into an overall strategy can also be very effective in

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fostering and sustaining inclusion.

M E N TO R I N G

An examination of decades of employment statistics provided by companies to the federal government found that mentorships, particularly for Black women, were very effective in increasing diversity. Notably, they were much more effective in this regard than diversity training. In one example, men- toring increased Black women's numbers in management by 23.5 percent (Dobbin, Kalev, & Kelly, 2007).

What distinguishes inclusive mentoring programs from diversity mentoring programs is that inclusive programs are reciprocal, designed to acknowledge that the mentor learns as much from the mentee as the mentee from the mentor (see Gallegos, Chapter 6, this volume).

For one client, The Winters Group set up such a cross-cultural reciprocal mentoring program pairing senior leaders with someone different from themselves in some significant way. Each month the pair received a lesson on a different topic related to diversity and inclusion and met for a few hours to discuss the lesson. To her surprise, an African American female partici- pant, who thought that as a Black woman she could not learn much more about diversity and inclusion, learned she had misconceptions about White men because she was seeing things only from her own world view. This shared learning experience at the micro level fostered greater intergroup in- clusion in the organization.

“Reverse” mentoring programs are gaining in popularity. In this model the younger or underrepresented employee is set up to mentor a more seasoned leader. However, from my perspective this is still a one-sided concept and not as inclusive as one that acknowledges reciprocity.

S P O N S O R S H I P

Studies have shown that sponsorship is an even more powerful concept than mentoring to create a climate in which more people can reach their full po- tential. Mentors provide advice; sponsors do so as well but also, more criti- cally, serve as advocates: “They elevate a protégé's visibility within the corri- dors of power, win them key assignments and promotions, and place their own reputations on the line for a protégé's continued advancement” (Hewlett et al., 2012, p. 7). According to the study conducted by the Center for Talent Innovation (Hewlett et al., 2012), people of color continue to be undersponsored; only 8 percent of people of color (9 percent of African Americans, 8 percent of Asians, and 5 percent of Hispanics) have a sponsor, compared to 13 percent of Whites. A similar study conducted by the Center for Talent innovation in 2009 found that women are also under-sponsored in corporations. Sponsorship requires a higher level of commitment than does mentoring. Sponsors have to be truly invested in their protégé's career and understand the organizational cultural barriers that they are helping their charge overcome.

To date, sponsorship has not been institutionalized in the same way that mentoring has been in many organizations. Sponsorship is often more infor- mal and even secretive. Formalizing sponsorship as an inclusive practice can boost engagement and retention. According to the Center for Talent Innova- tion study (Hewlett et al., 2012), 53 percent of African Americans with a sponsor are satisfied with their rate of advancement, compared with 35 per- cent of those without sponsors. Similarly, 55 percent of Asians with a spon- sor are content with their rate of advancement, compared with 30 percent of Asians without such support. In addition, people of color with sponsors are less likely than those without sponsors to leave the organization.

D I V E R S I T Y CO U N C I L S

Diversity councils offer an effective means to drive inclusion. This was sup- ported by results of DiversityInc's 2011 Top 50 Companies for Diversity sur- vey, based on data from 535 organizations, which showed that “[c]ompanies with executive diversity councils have almost twice the number of Blacks, Latinos, and Asians, and 47 percent more women in senior management, than companies without executive diversity councils” (“How Effective Diver- sity Councils Get Results,” 2011, para. 2).

Note that the DiversityInc survey focused on executive diversity councils. Well-meaning organizations often set up councils with a cross-section of em- ployees at different levels in the organization in the name of inclusion. Often, visibly “diverse” employees are selected for the role. Such a method may pro- mote diversity but may not be inclusive because councils comprising em- ployees with no decision-making power cannot influence change in the orga- nization. Participants become frustrated and often feel more excluded than included. The most effective approach to establishing inclusion councils is to set up an executive council and also divisional councils with employees at other levels to serve in advisory capacities.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) devised an effective strategy to integrate inclusion at all levels, one “tier” at a time. In the first year of the di- versity and inclusion initiative, Chief Diversity Officer Equilla Wainwright established a Diversity Leadership Council (DLC) comprising senior vice presidents from each business unit. They were charged with developing a three-year strategic plan for the enterprise. The group met monthly, was ex- posed to experiential education to enhance all members' cultural compe- tence, and spent time developing the strategic plan.

The next stage involved identifying Champions, primarily middle managers, who would tailor and implement the enterprise-wide strategy divisionally.

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This new council of Champions had the Diversity Leadership Council mem- bers as advocates and resources to support them in the implementation of their plans.

Divisional plans focused on the more micro elements of inclusion, to ensure that the initiatives were cascading throughout the organization and executed by those closest to the issues. Measurable actions include incorporating di- versity and inclusion into the agenda of every team meeting, requiring a di- verse slate of candidates for every opening, encouraging participation in em- ployee resource groups, devising strategies to ensure that more voices are heard, and increasing team involvement in the community.

BCBSM conducted enterprise-wide surveys (macro-level work) and focus groups to ensure inclusion in the process and also widely communicated progress to all employees, soliciting their input at every major juncture.

BCBSM's top-down and bottom-up approach has ensured that a critical mass of competent diversity advocates is seeding inclusion principles throughout the organization.

E M P LO Y E E N E T W O R K G R O U P S

Employee network, resource, or affinity groups can be instrumental in real- izing inclusion. Sodexo's Employee Network Groups partner closely with Human Resources and the Office of Diversity to drive recruiting, profession- al development, and community outreach. They also partner with the market segments to support business growth. Sodexo not only encourages leader participation in network functions but also holds leaders accountable for supporting and participating in network events. Sodexo surveyed employee network group members and found that as a result of their participation, members were more engaged and more likely to say they will stay with the company.

In addition to conducting diversity and inclusion efforts within a company, employee resource groups (ERGs) can play a business role in providing in- formation about the interests and needs of diverse market segments. For ex- ample, Macy's Hispanic ERG developed an electronic gift card specifically for the Hispanic market to recognize the quinceañera, a coming of age party for Latina girls (Jennifer Brown Consulting, 2010). And Prudential's GLBT ERG was instrumental in urging the company's multicultural marketing team to market to diverse segments, including the untapped LGBT market (Jennifer Brown Consulting, 2010). Employees feel valued and included when their opinions are sought and the company gains valuable insights to enhance marketing efforts: truly a win-win.

Programmatic inclusion efforts are most effective when they are simultane- ously executed at the macro and micro levels. The Office of Diversity, HR, and senior leaders can ensure that policies are consistently followed, and employees should be engaged in providing feedback as to how well the poli- cies are working for them day to day.

E M P LO Y E E E N G A G E M E N T S U R V E Y S

Employee engagement surveys can be an effective way to measure inclusion. Although inclusion is inherently more difficult to measure than diversity, it is not impossible to do so. Employee engagement surveys are very popular today and are used by most large organizations to understand the percep- tions and attitudes of workers (see Church, Rotolo, Tull, & Shuller, Chapter 9, this volume). Employee engagement and inclusion are synergistic con- cepts. A 2005 Gallup Study (Wilson, n.d.) found that employee engagement was much more likely among respondents who perceived their companies as having a stronger diversity focus, compared to those who saw their compa- nies as being in the lowest quartile for diversity focus (60 percent versus 11 percent); in the latter group, 38 percent were actively disengaged, whereas in the first group that was true of only 1 percent.

To measure inclusion, employee engagement surveys should be segmented by demographic and other characteristics to explore differences in attitudes and opinions. Many organizations today do analyze their data by different employee segments, but a large number have not yet made the connection between inclusion and engagement. To do this, employee engagement sur- veys should ask specific questions about inclusion, such as those in Exhibit 7.3, which are examples of those employed by The Winters Group as part of the surveys it conducts for clients. On one such survey conducted for a client, The Winters Group found a correlation of .78 between mean engagement scores and mean inclusion scores.

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Exhibit 7.3. Sample Items to Assess Inclusion

I think our CEO is committed to inclusion.

I think that my immediate manager is committed to inclusion.

I think leadership exhibits inclusive behaviors.

I have the same opportunities for advancement as anyone else at XXX.

I think that employees feel valued and respected for their unique contributions to XXX.

I feel valued and respected for the unique contribution that I make to XXX.

XXX's culture respects and values cultural differences.

Work-life balance policies and practices allow me to balance my personal and work life effectively.

Source: The Winters Group. Used by permission.

Segmenting the data by different demographic groups allows leaders to un- derstand how perceptions of inclusion differ so that policies and practices can be adjusted to be more inclusive. Based on surveys conducted by The Winters Group over the years, in general, employees of color and White women, younger employees, and older employees have less favorable views of organizational inclusion practices. Perceptions of unfairness can lead to undesirable outcomes such as lower productivity, and higher turnover, which is costly to an organization. To effectively analyze results of an em- ployee engagement survey, reviewers should be culturally competent enough to understand the reasons for some of the different opinions and recognize how deep-seated, long-standing perceptions about fairness may drive results.

Employee engagement data should be analyzed at the work unit level, hold- ing unit managers accountable for survey results and for developing im- provement strategies. Some organizations today have developed an inclusion index, and this measure becomes a part of the overall scorecard, which may also include other metrics such as hiring, promotions, manager involvement in diversity and inclusion initiatives, and termination metrics.

Inclusion Equation Micro Element #1: Cultural Competence In my book Inclusion Starts with I (Winters, 2003), I assert that inclusion begins with the individual. An inclusion mindset often requires transforming the way individuals in the workforce think and behave. Eleanor Roosevelt sums up this sentiment for me in her book You Learn by Living (2011): “You must try to understand truthfully what makes you do things or feel things. Until you have been able to face the truth about yourself you cannot be really sympathetic or understanding in regard to what happens to other people” (p. 63).

Over the past twenty-five years, organizations have put substantial effort into training, especially for leaders, with the goal of shifting thinking and be- havior to be more inclusive. However, in my observation, short-term train- ing is inadequate to build skills and shift mindsets. Those with the power to drive inclusion must want to do it. No amount of coaching, coaxing, or coer- cion can convince the die-hard recalcitrant. Leaders have to believe in diver- sity and inclusion, either as part of an altruistic goal and/or because they truly believe that inclusion will enhance business success and in turn make them better off in some way.

S E L F - R E F L E C T I O N

Ultimately, inclusion will not be sustained by leaders who respond to diversi- ty and inclusion initiatives as “check the box” exercises. Leaders need to think about and reflect on their day-to-day behaviors and how they might be perpetuating microinequities and unconscious bias. The Winters Group de- veloped the following set of questions for leader reflection relative to inclu- sive behaviors:

Do I understand my power as a leader, that those I lead are constantly looking for signals from me, both explicit and implicit, verbal and non-verbal?

When it is time to form a team, do I tend to select the same people all the time?

When I am in a meeting, does my body language send positive vibes to certain people and neutral or negative vibes to others?

In one-on-one sessions, does my body language send micro- messages that are inconsistent with my words?

Am I equally comfortable communicating with everyone on my team or do I find myself behaving differently with different members of the team? Do I know my source of discomfort?

Do I have different relationships with people on my team? Is it obvious that I am closer and have more positive relationships with some rather than others?

As I think about those on my team who are not performing as well as I think they could, are there messages that they may be getting from me which may be impacting their results?

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Does my tendency to minimize differences send a micro-message that I find others' uniqueness or individuality to be unimportant? Does this lead to my devaluing of the individual and ultimately to lower engagement by that individual?

Do I understand cultural differences related to communication styles and how certain gestures, words, body language may have different meanings to different groups? Do I respect these other styles as they may be exhibited by members on my team or do I send micro-messages that I expect conformity?

When I interact with people who are different, do I find myself not exactly knowing what to say … not wanting to say the wrong thing and ending up feeling in the end that I had said the wrong thing?

Am I aware of group dynamics among team members? What are the power dynamics? Where is the focus of leadership, both formal and informal? Who seems to be included/excluded? Why?

Do I look for the signs that may say there is a disconnect between words, intent, and execution?

How can I learn to be ever in tune with the micro-inequities that are occurring in my organization?

These questions can help leaders assess their willingness and capability to drive inclusion.

M E A S U R I N G C U LT U R A L CO M P E T E N C E

I believe that cultural competence is the linchpin to ensure inclusion. A focus solely on awareness and sensitivity training will not change behaviors and ways of thinking. To become culturally competent takes study, time, and practice. The first step is assessing one's current level of cultural competence.

The Winters Group uses the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI; Hammer, 2010; Hammer & Bennett, 2003) to measure cultural competence (we typically use this term rather than intercultural competence, though we mean the same thing). The IDI, owned by Dr. Mitchell Hammer and IDI, LLC, and based on Milton Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS; M. J. Bennett, 1986; J. M. Bennett & M. J. Bennett, 2004; see also Bennett, Chapter 5, this volume), is useful in providing a framework for understanding the developmental stages of cultural competence.

Hammer (2009) describes intercultural competence as reflecting “the degree to which cultural differences and commonalities in values, expectations, be- liefs, and practices are effectively [understood,] bridged,” (p. 3) managed, and leveraged in pursuit of an inclusive environment. The IDI provides a baseline for individuals and organizations to understand how they experi- ence difference along a continuum from denial to adaptation. This self- awareness is the first step to learning how to be more culturally competent. Once individuals and organi ​zations know where they fall along the continu- um, it is then possible to shape learning and experiential interventions that help a person move along the continuum and develop greater competency.

Inclusion Equation Micro Element #2: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Modern management theory now widely accepts that effective leaders must possess more than technical expertise to engage employees and achieve busi- ness goals. Daniel Goleman, one of several emotional intelligence (EQ) theo- rists, asserted that one's EQ is a greater determinant of success than one's IQ (Goleman, 1995). Goleman identified the five domains of emotional intelli- gence or EQ as knowing your emotions, managing your own emotions, moti- vating yourself, recognizing and understanding other people's emotions, and managing relationships (that is, managing the emotions of others).

Lee Gardenswartz, Anita Rowe, and Jorge Cherbosque took emotional intel- ligence to another level by forming the Emotional Intelligence and Diversity Institute in 2004 to promulgate the connection between emotional intelli- gence and inclusion. They developed a model focused on introspection and self-governance, intercultural literacy, and social “architecting” (Gar- denswartz, Cherbosque, & Rowe, 2010).

The Winters Group offers an eight-step personal journey model for individ- ual introspection. It is a baseball card-sized reminder of the emotional com- mitment it takes to sustain inclusive behavior. It lists eight steps to inclusion constituting an individual's Personal Diversity Journey, as shown in Exhibit 7.4.

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Exhibit 7.4. Steps in the Personal Diversity Journey 1. Know self first: Who am I? What do I stand for? What makes “me” me?

2. Value self: What are my unique gifts? What is my best self?

3. Acknowledge your prejudices: In what ways do I exclude? How do I contribute to intolerance? What are my blind spots?

4. Open yourself to change: What are my opportunities to grow? To be my best self?

5. Learn about others: How are other individuals/groups different from me? How are they the same?

6. Value differences: How do differences enhance who I am and can become? What can I learn from differences?

7. Include others: Expand your circle to optimize diversity.

8. Embrace personal growth: Constantly ask yourself, Where am I now? Am I growing in my journey to be more inclusive? What do I need to change?

Source: Copyright 2012 by The Winters Group, Inc. Used with permission.

As is inherent in these concepts and the required self-examination, the quest for inclusion is not possible without the willingness to be vulnerable and honest about oneself. Self-awareness and ongoing self-reflection are the foundation for enhancing cultural competence and one's ability to think and behave inclusively.

Summary Diversity and inclusion are interconnected concepts. Many organizations, however, put most of their efforts into diversity, working to increase repre- sentation of historically underrepresented groups, and invest too little effort in creating a culture where all employees can thrive to enhance the achieve- ment of organizational goals.

Fostering and nurturing inclusion must be embedded into an organization's normal business practices from top down and bottom up. Employees have to see, hear about, and, most important, experience inclusion regularly for it to be effective. Inclusion is accomplished when a critical mass of people inside an organization develops and implements policies and practices and rewards behaviors that lead to a sense of belonging, respect, and value. As described in the inclusion equation, inclusion will be sustained only when all of the ele- ments are working synergistically, both at the micro (intercultural compe- tence and emotional intelligence) and macro (systems and values) levels.

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P R E V Part Three: Organizational and Societal Perspectives and Practices

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