September 27: Inclusion Is Something We Practice
Inclusion Is Something We Practice
We often talk about inclusion as though it is something we can put into place and then tick off a list once the right policies, initiatives and commitments are established. And while all of those things have an important part to play, inclusion is not really something we can finish. It is something we practice through the everyday choices we make and the way we respond to the people around us.
A workplace might have a beautifully written inclusion statement, a calendar full of awareness days and a range of policies designed to support people, but the real experience of inclusion is shaped in the moments that happen between all of those things. It is found in how decisions are made, how colleagues treat one another, whose ideas are taken seriously, how flexibility is approached, how mistakes are handled and how people feel able to contribute.
Practice means paying attention
Inclusion might mean noticing that a familiar way of doing something does not work equally well for everyone and being willing to reconsider it. It might mean asking whether a meeting could be made more accessible, thinking about who needs information in a different format or recognising that the person who has always been overlooked may have something valuable to contribute. It can also mean becoming more comfortable with changing our minds.
None of us will get inclusion right all the time. The important thing is what happens next. Do we become defensive, or are we able to listen? Do we dismiss the experience because it was not our intention, or are we willing to understand the impact? Are we prepared to make a small adjustment the next time? We do not need to become perfect at inclusion before we begin. We simply need to remain open enough to keep getting better.
The small choices are where culture grows
Culture is created through daily interactions. It is also the everyday choice to treat people with consideration, particularly when there is no obvious reward for doing so.
These things can seem almost too simple to count as inclusion, but that is precisely why they matter. When inclusive behaviours become ordinary they start becoming part of the way an organisation naturally operates. Over time, those habits tell people that everyone is thinking about how their choices affect everyone else here.
Inclusion asks us to stay curious
One of the reasons inclusion is something we practise rather than something we complete is that people are constantly changing, and workplaces are constantly changing with them.
The needs of a team may look different as people join, leave, grow their families, experience changes in their circumstances, develop new skills or move into different stages of their careers. A workplace that was genuinely supportive five years ago may still have things it could improve today. Inclusion is responsive - it asks us to keep asking questions.
Curiosity encourages us to look at the workplace as something we are continually shaping, rather than something that has already been decided.
We practise inclusion by making room for difference
Consistency matters in the workplace, but treating people fairly does not always mean giving everyone identical experiences. People have different circumstances, communication styles, responsibilities, access needs and ways of working, and creating an environment where people can contribute fully may sometimes require us to approach those differences thoughtfully.
The aim is to recognise that equality of opportunity sometimes requires us to think beyond identical treatment. When we become comfortable with that idea, inclusion becomes less about fitting people into an existing structure and more about asking whether the structure itself can work well for the people within it.
Everyone gets to practice
It is tempting to think of inclusion as belonging to HR, senior leadership or an EDI team, particularly because those roles often carry responsibility for policies, training and organisational strategy. Those functions are incredibly important, but every colleague contributes to the culture around them.
The way we respond to a new idea, the way we talk about someone when they are not in the room, the assumptions we make, the language we use, the opportunities we share and the behaviour we accept all play a part. We all have the opportunity to develop the simple habits that make workplaces more thoughtful and welcoming.
We can practice being willing to learn.
Progress does not have to be perfect
There can sometimes be a sense that if an organisation is serious about inclusion, it needs to have everything figured out. But perfection can actually become a barrier to progress, because it encourages people to wait until they have the perfect policy, the perfect language or the perfect initiative before they take action. In reality, meaningful progress often comes from making a good decision today and then being willing to improve it tomorrow.
There is something encouraging about seeing inclusion this way because it makes it feel achievable.
We do not have to transform everything at once, we can simply begin.
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