Inclusion safety

Feeling included is a foundational part of our human D n A. We're actually hardwired to connect, and even our stress response is there to check for danger every few seconds. So creating inclusion in your team as early as possible is a key priority.

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[00:00:00] Pia: Feeling included is a foundational part of our human D n A. We're actually hardwired to connect, and even our stress response is there to check for danger every few seconds. So creating inclusion in your team as early as possible is a key priority. And how to do it is the subject of this week's Connect. I'm Pia.

[00:00:23] Dan: And I'm Dan, and this is Sqaudify Connects.

[00:00:26] Dr. Tim Clark identified that psychological safety allows your team members to feel these four things. One, included, two, safe to learn, three safe to contribute, and four, safe to challenge the status quo. All of those without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.

[00:00:50] Pia: So we are starting today at the first and foundational level. Inclusion. This is a basic human right, and, and a way to demonstrate respect to individuals. So what does that exactly look like in a team?

[00:01:05] Dan: First, knowing everyone's name and how to properly pronounce them is an absolute must. You know, this sounds crazy, but it's not. Getting a name SL wrong, sends all the non-inclusive signals, so just check in with them, make sure you got the pronunciation right and stick with it.

[00:01:22] Pia: Here's the second one. Some team members can use all the oxygen in the room by overtalking. So watching out for this is really important as it can quickly lead to excluding others. So look about how you can invite and encourage quieter members for their opinions and thoughts.

[00:01:42] Dan: Another way to make sure that the share of voice is balanced is in meetings. Aim to ask more than you talk. Asking questions with curiosity that invite others to contribute is key. Make sure they're open questions to gain more information from others and recognize those contributions and ideas even if they may not be perfect.

[00:02:03] Pia: And here's another two. The first one, it's a key one. Avoid comparing people's ideas as this can often lead to internal competition, and it can often feel for some people who don't feel confident about their ideas to feeling like they won't voice them again. The final one is, uh, when someone's new, assign a mentor or a coach to them and they can be their go-to person with all their questions, and it's a great way to transfer knowledge and build relations quickly.

[00:02:35] Dan: I don't know about you, Peter, but when I hear that list, I think, wow, it's so easy to make small mistakes that exclude people. So this is really worth focusing on in any team. But your experiment this week is to take one of these suggestions. To create greater inclusion and to try it out. It may be talking less, asking better questions, recognizing contributions, taking the time to pronounce correctly the newest person in the team. These are all small acts and completely free, but they create the foundation of an inclusive climate in your team on which you can build the next two levels, learning and contributing. Check the show notes to see those ideas written down to help you remember and choose something to focus on.

[00:03:18] Pia: So enjoy trying out these inclusion hacks and see you next week for the next level of psych safety.