Think of a time when you really felt you belonged in a place. Not when you were merely tolerated, but really included. Like you were seen, noticed and valued. There is a Shona word that encapsulates this feeling – sawubona. It literally translates to ‘I see you’. Seen in all dimensions – seen for the whole person that someone is: their potential, their worth, their character and spirit. I imagine that when you felt this way, you didn’t see yourself as a spare part, a cog in a wheel or a means to someone else’s ends. It showed up in the way someone greeted you as a new employee, or took a moment to have a coffee with you just to hear your story or showed up when you needed some support. There was no professional agenda. No transaction to be had. Just simply being seen. 

Real inclusion is a spirit. By spirit, I mean something intangible. Something that is felt. In our age of data, metrics and spreadsheets, it’s easy to dismiss this as a bit woo-woo or fluffy. As someone who is all too quick to hop into my analytical left brain and ask the critical questions, I might be inclined to be sceptical also. But we know when we’ve felt that feeling of belonging. It’s not empty words which contradict the behaviour of the leaders responsible for upholding and propagating this culture. It’s not in empty conferences which espouse belonging. It’s not in posters with catchy slogans. Neither is inclusion only supported in policies that gather dust over time. Inclusion shows up everyday in the workplace. It’s what keeps us coming back to the office everyday even in the challenging times. With the risk of being cliche, it really is about selfless leadership that puts others first.

But what about profitability and meeting business metrics?

There is a perceived false dichotomy that in order to be successful in business, leaders have to sacrifice compassion and care. Examples abound of the tyrannical CEO who fires people on the spot but is praised because of their business and commercial success. The media also does its fair share of promoting these sexy stories that excite modern readers. 

A different way of doing things…

I recently heard about an organisation led by CEO Bob Chapman of the manufacturing company Barry-Wehmiller. Inclusion lies at the heart of this entire company and this comes down to Chapman’s unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of his employees. This is a CEO who really cares. This shows up not in empty policies and company statements but through a spirit that pervades the organisation. A spirit which says no employee faces mass layoffs in the name of operating margins and profitability. A spirit that says no employee is left to languish in her role without adequate professional development. A spirit that says, here, you are welcome and all of your human potential will be nurtured and cultivated. In this organisation, they understand the true meaning of sawubona. It takes a certain kind of leader to create this culture.

The results of this approach speak for themselves. High productivity, market beating profitability and low employee turnover. 

When staff start to walk out the door in droves, it’s time for leaders to look in the mirror and face the truth about whether they have created an organisation where people truly belong. The question we should all ask ourselves as leaders – what have we done to create a spirit of inclusion?

Postscript

In my next blog, I will share practical strategies on what leaders could (and certainly shouldn’t) do to create cultures of inclusion and belonging. Click the subscribe button and get it directly to your inbox.