Eliminating Tribalism in the Workplace

Especially in the United States, but also at diverse locations around the globe, people are more likely to feel like they belong to a particular tribe than in recent decades. This movement towards forming small groups can make creating an inclusive workplace challenging. As an executive, however, you must succeed at this point or your company to make your corporation thrive. Consider these critical ideas for creating an inclusive company.  

Create a Clear Vision

Part of your company’s vision should be a diversity statement. When 30 of the most diverse companies in the world as identified by Google were analyzed, research showed that these statements were between 25 and 75 words long. You should clearly label the statement so that people can find and identify it. You should craft the report at about the 8th-grade reading level. The best statements tell a story that employees can buy into and internalize.  

Train in Interpersonal Skills

Your employees come in with many diverse backgrounds. Therefore, you cannot assume that everyone has been taught interpersonal skills, like self-confidence, respectfulness, dependability, open to feedback, and many others. You depend on your employees in almost every area to have these skills, so spend time teaching them.  

Facilitate Open Communication

Another skill that you need to develop in your employees is the ability to participate in dialogues without needing to feel like you are winning a debate. Numerous studies found that the top reason that projects fail is the lack of open communication within a company. The leaders of the organization need to set aside a time when they answer the top questions asked by employees. Sometimes, you may even need to trust your employees enough to release proprietary information to them. Actively solicit feedback from a variety of sources. Expect that everyone is honest and transparent.  

Promote Inclusivity in Hiring and Performance Reviews

The first step in creating an inclusive workplace is critically examining your hiring practices. If you are relying on your current employees to recommend their friends, then you are not developing an inclusive workplace. Instead, read each of your job listings to make sure that they are not biased and keep core skills to a minimum. Set up scenarios where you test skills without knowing any personally identifying information about the candidate. Consistently work at expanding your recruitment network to attract the best-qualified candidates.  

Honor Every Individual’s Contribution

Often all the recognition goes to the top employees while those behind the scenes were responsible for making the top employee shine. Take time to thank employees for their hard work personally. Consider sending an email to the head of the company praising the efforts of an employee who worked extremely hard and showing the email to the employee. Encourage them to take classes that interest them that will benefit your company. Give them monetary or other rewards at the end of big projects.  

If you need more help in developing an inclusive workplace, then a business consultant in Orlando can help. Contact Amson Consulting about being your business consultant in Orlando.