Inclusion Revolution

5Nurture a People-First Culture

Years ago at Disney, a new chief of staff, a young woman of color, was making the rounds getting to know leadership. When we met, I was immediately captivated by her curiosity and precision. Then she asked me one question that totally caught me off-guard: “Who is your best friend at work?” “I don't have one,” I replied, disappointed in my answer. I had cultivated good relationships over the years, but I couldn't pick one “best friend” who I truly trusted, a colleague with whom I could freely share my concerns, doubts or fears, where I didn't need to feel on-guard as a woman of color or worried that my truths would cause them to run away, betray me to our managers, or ignore me.

My disappointment wasn't solely about not having a best friend at work but rather that question made me confront a deeply buried feeling that I had never felt fully welcomed, neither in my team nor in the broader organization.

Culture can mean a lot of different things. Culture is not ping pong tables or free lunch; it is how things get done. Its language is how people feel; it's whether they want to be at work, whether they want to engage with their colleagues, whether they feel safe, seen, and valued, whether they're encouraged and driven to create and contribute because they believe in what they're doing. Every single person on a team, from the most junior individual contributor to a senior executive, contributes to a company's culture. And it's up to leaders to take ...