8 May 2024 - A tale of two cultures

You arrive at the conference venue, a little apprehensive as you don’t know anyone.

You sign in at the registration desk and then scan the room looking for the coffee station. You are not sure if you want a cup of coffee but it’s what we do, our rite of passage, something familiar to hold on to whilst you search the sea of faces in the hope of finding someone you know.

Everyone in the room appears to be neatly arranged into affinity groups …you stand alone looking at the ceiling, no one notices you ….

Is that experience familiar to you?

Now another conference, but this time you are welcomed by Collette.

She introduces you to a group standing sipping coffee. You are included and are invited to tell your story.

Later in the day you bump into Collette and ask her why she greeted you and made sure you were included. Are you the inclusion officer? Do you have an inclusion plan, you ask?

She replied, “neither, it’s just what we do here.”

Two different contexts, two different experiences, two different cultures.

Now take that thought to your organisation. How do you intentionally welcome people into your room, your business, your team, enabling them to tell their unique story, be heard and welcomed?

In most communities there will be an “in group” and an “out group”.

If you think everyone in your organisation is included you are probably in the “in group”.

Spare a thought for those in the “out group” : then think about ways to intentionally include people, without resorting to a plan, focus group or thinking it’s the job of HR.