Inclusion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)

4

The Importance of Being an Inclusive Colleague

By Juliet Bourke

Already a hot topic, creating an inclusive workplace has become even more critical for organizations seeking to attract and retain talent, and enhance productivity. Historically, companies have focused on putting in place organizational diversity policies. More recently the focus has shifted to inclusive leadership and the powerful role played by leaders in setting the tone, modeling inclusive behaviors, and calling people to account. Both of these strategies are critical, but they overlook the significance of peer relationships.

There’s a good reason for that. In academic literature as well as industry practice, inclusion has been conceptualized as a psychosocial experience between ...