Transforming and maintaining diversity , inclusion and equality at work requires all of us to sign up to some basic principles .
In the co-authored book Belonging , by Kathryn Jacob , Sue Unerman and Mark Edwards , the authors stress how important it is that the responsibility for creating a culture of belonging sits with everyone in an organisation .
Their Manifesto for Belonging introduces the book , outlining four key factors that support the creation of a belonging culture .
We are aiming to create a business world where …
• everyone should feel safe to bring their real selves to work .
• everyone should feel that they belong in their workplace .
• everyone should believe that success at their organisation is based on how they can contribute .
To make this a reality , the following has to happen :
• As far as is humanly possible , recruitment and promotion should be made free of bias .
• Decision-making within the organisation should follow a clear process and should be transparent .
• Organisations must create a psychologically safe environment , where people can be themselves ; where they feel free to express opinions , challenge others ( respectfully ) and make mistakes ( occasionally ).
• Organisations should train their people to develop their emotional intelligence and empathy , their self-awareness and their awareness of others . Individuals must also take responsibility to behave in an emotionally intelligent way .
Everyone must be a champion of belonging . It is in our hands to make that change real
Change is never ceasing . Disruption is everywhere . The workplaces that will thrive are those that can combine the best talent to solve problems and drive growth . The only way to achieve this is to ensure that everyone with a contribution to make feels like they belong there . And to do this , everyone must be a champion of belonging . It is in our hands to make that change real .
Kathryn Jacob , Sue Unerman and Mark Edwards , Belonging : The Key to Transforming and Maintaining Diversity , Inclusion and Equality at Work , Bloomsbury , 2020 .