Diversity and team leadership

Creating a workplace where employees feel included is directly connected to worker retention and growth.

Yet many corporate diversity programs focus more on creating a diverse workforce, and too little on the harder job of fostering inclusion. A recent survey of 1,500 workers in six countries showed people feel included when they “simultaneously feel that they both belong, but also that they are unique,”. When managers can achieve that balance, the business benefits are profound.

Employees who feel included are “much more productive, their performance is higher, they are more loyal, they are more trustworthy, and they work harder,” says Christine Riordan, provost and professor of management at the University of Kentucky.

Here’s how to foster more inclusion on your team:

• Set an example
• Don’t diminish differences
• Share the spotlight
• Seek input
• Keep at it

Source: Who’s Being Left Out on Your Team?