Sarah Maber, Senior Editor at 7C3, on why every company needs to know about conscious inclusion – and six ways to incorporate it into working life.

If you, like me, are new to the term ‘conscious inclusion’, here’s a quick explainer. Research suggests that the vast majority of our thought processes are driven by the automatic, unconscious part of the brain. This means that, contrary to our beliefs about how inclusive we are, we are unwittingly influenced by our environment from a young age – and we are, therefore, subject to unconscious biases. This is, of course, the foundation of unconscious bias training. But it’s not enough to put in the work to sift through our associations and identify those we need to rewrite; we must consciously change our behaviours to be more inclusive of all aspects of diversity – including race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and parenthood.

‘Conscious inclusion is being cognisant of the fact that all of us are different. And we all have a different life story and different experiences which we bring to the table, personally and professionally,’ says Leila McKenzie-Delis, a champion for equality and inclusion. ‘This is about the empowerment of the unrepresented. Every single human being needs to feel like they belong in order to optimally function; and to feel like they belong, they need to be seen, heard and valued.’

Leila is founder and CEO of DIAL Global, a diversity and inclusion accelerator committed to driving change in the workplace. DIAL (which stands for Diverse Inclusive Aspirational Leaders) has isolated 10 facets of workplace diversity and inclusion. And if 10 sounds a lot, it’s perhaps a sign that you need to give the concept of inclusion further thought. ‘I’ll let you into a secret,’ she says. ‘I’ve never walked into a boardroom in my entire life where the CEO turned around to me and said: “Leila, bad idea. I don’t believe in diversity… get out of my boardroom.” They’ve nodded. And they’ve smiled. And they’ve been very lovely. And in my mind, I’ve thought: I wonder whether this is lip service or whether you are going to put your actions into words, because the only way that organisations can become more diverse, more inclusive, is to have a culture that consciously fosters belonging and inclusion; to be forward thinking and innovative.’

So how can leaders of any type of business be more consciously inclusive and what steps do we need to take?

1. Use inclusion nudges

These can be just as powerful as a large-scale intervention, says Leila. ‘I’m a big believer in inclusion nudges. Sometimes it’s about someone saying: “Oh, do you know what? Sarah might be having a bad day today. She’s going through some difficult times at home.” Little nudges keep us conscious that we are all human and fallible; all of us are doing our best every day. Little nudges can make way more of an impact, in my opinion, than big, grandiose efforts.’ Business leaders should actively promote day-to-day DIBE (Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity) initiatives, she adds.

2. Be vulnerable

‘Without business leaders creating a safe space where they are sharing their stories where they are, and showing to an extent their vulnerability, then we can never move the dial in the right direction,’ says Leila.

3. Gather the data

‘One of my favourite expressions is what gets measured gets done,’ she says. ‘Isn’t it better to be honest about where you’re at in your journey towards DIBE, so you can put interventions in place? Or would you rather just bury your head in the sand and pretend that there’s no problem, whilst knowing that you may well not be competitive enough to survive the modern world?’

4. Put words into action

‘The only way that organisations can become more diverse and more inclusive is to have a culture that fosters belonging and inclusion; and to create that, leaders need to be forward thinking and innovative,’ says Leila.

5. Diagnose the pressing challenges

‘This prevents wasted time and a scattergun approach to problem solving,’ Leila points out. ‘The sooner progress is seen, felt and experienced, the faster your engagement levels will increase. Challenges must be fully understood and investment decisions must be fully embedded in order for the DIBE initiatives to work.’

6. Focus on progress not perfection

‘Realistic expectations alongside consistency with tools such as engagement surveys allow for long-term change to be tracked and addressed systematically,’ says Leila. ‘DIBE is a strategic business imperative and not a “nice to have”, but it does require long-term investment. Think of it as a long-term relationship that needs nurture, food, water and room to develop and thrive.’

At 7C3, we have a team of expert B2C and B2B copywriters to bring the narrative to life for brands as diverse as Sainsbury’s, Allianz Trade and EY. Get in touch if you’d like to know more: hello@seven.co.uk.