Many organizations involve actively in creating a diverse workforce by improving their recruitment and onboarding. By doing so, they create a diverse workforce. However, having a diverse workforce is not the same as being an inclusive organization.
Inclusion is about making your people count and engage. Inclusion means that you acknowledge the relationship and that you experience how your message can change your conversation and evolve your relationship. Inclusion cannot be decided for others nor can it be imposed upon others. We have to do inclusion together, especially when we are collaborating with people we do not agree with.
I  like to share three golden nuggets from a deep conversation that I had about this topic with my peers:
–       To be right is not very useful to improve or deepen a relationship. To be wrong is very useful in a relationship. Admitting this will give all stakeholders something to be brave enough to suck at something new and work towards a better relationship.
–       You don’t have to agree about what the problem exactly is that you disagree about.  Often there is not a “one problem” that lies underneath the disagreement. You don’t even need to agree that you have to get to an agreement in your conversation.
–       The desire to solve a conflict is in everybody. Everybody wants to come to closure. However, my closure might differ from the closure of others. This is why I don’t like to talk about the closure of solutions that solve the problem but prefer to discuss scenarios that are helpful in going forward, in bringing the stakeholders of the relationship closer to each other.
I am fully convinced that inclusion is a skill that can only be learned and developed to its mastery in the day-to-day practice of conversations.
Are you ready to take the leap and learn the true skill of inclusion? I have great news for you!
As a member of C-IQ Europe and in collaboration with my peers, I will be (co-)facilitating several sessions that are related to “Changing Conversations for a Changing World”. 
You can join this interactive online learning event on 9 & 10th September 2020. Take a look at our website here and check out the program for more information. I would be happy to see you there.
0Sonja Vlaar