Savania China, Head of Inclusion and Involvement, gives us six top tips for fostering inclusion – both professionally and personally – this National Inclusion Week.
–––––––––––––––––––––
At RCOT, we continue to champion inclusivity, as is outlined in our Equity, Diversity and Belonging (EDB) strategy and related activities.
This year, we've hosted member events to promote inclusivity. In March, we held a session on allyship in times of global conflict, followed by sessions on antisemitism and Islamophobia. Following the racist riots in the UK this summer, we hosted a reflection session – a safe space for members and colleagues to share their experiences on the impact the riots had on their personal and professional lives.
I've also been sharing tips with colleagues to broaden our understanding of inclusion and adopt an inclusive design approach to our work and how we design products, services and experiences for members.
Those are some practical actions we've taken to build a culture of inclusivity. We have also made inclusion a key point of emphasis for our Workforce Strategy. The strategy aspires to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive profession where occupational therapists feel welcomed and get a sense of belonging regardless of their background or other characteristics. This National Inclusion Week, I want to encourage us to do our part to build more inclusive workplaces and societies.
The sum of our individual efforts will lead to real, lasting and sustainable impact.
Ketan Davé, EDB Lead
Here are some top tips on how we can all be inclusive.
1. Be of service to others
Being of service to others is at the core of occupational therapy. And it is vital that we extend that spirit of service to everyone, be it our colleagues or people we encounter outside of the professional context. That means focusing on what we can do for others, what we can give them, and not what we can gain. Doing so forces us to see others as individuals and appreciate their differences and uniqueness.
Focusing on how we can help and what we can do for others generates empathy. It's difficult to judge and exclude people we empathise with and want to help. Thus, we will inadvertently foster a culture of inclusion if we always approach others and situations – whether in our personal interactions or professional interactions – with a desire to add value and serve others.
2. Use inclusive language
Language matters. It is how we communicate our feelings, thoughts and desires. It can bring people together but can also exclude others.
Being mindful of language will go a long way in fostering a culture of inclusivity. Using inclusive language is not only about carefully choosing the words we use, it's also about listening. We should always speak to others as we want them to talk to us. Again, we must start by approaching others and interacting with empathy. Then, we must use language and tone that we would expect from others.
Lastly, we must be mindful of the impact our words have on others. This is not to suggest that we censor ourselves, but to be wary of using language that leads to 'us vs them'. Avoid stereotypes and tropes. Remember, people are individuals, not types. Always use language that respects people's individuality.
3. Celebrate others
In the workplace we can build a spirit of inclusivity by highlighting the work and success of others.
Focussing on others and their achievements means we see them and the value they bring. We should specifically focus on those who are not in our inner circles and those who are different from us.
When we recognise and celebrate others, we make them feel that they belong. There are many ways we can shine the light on others:
- give positive feedback and praise to them directly
- tell others about someone's good work
- highlight where they helped or added value.
Extending gratitude and appreciation to our colleagues, especially those different from us, is a great way to build a culture of inclusivity.
4. Admit biases
We all have biases. There are people we believe are like us or belong to our in-group. This means we put some people in the out-group. We think of them as 'others'. And sometimes, we develop or adopt stereotypes about others which can lead to bias – favouring those in our in-group while having an unfavourable views of others – leading to exclusion.
We are all socially conditioned to be that way. But there is a way we can overcome our biases or not allow them to influence us unduly.
Acknowledging our biases is the first and most important step in overcoming them. Acknowledging our biases does not mean we are bad people, it means we are just like everyone else. But acknowledging them allows us to act on them and others to call us out if and when we display such biases or exclude others.
5. Admit ignorance
We often exclude others because we don't know how to engage with or relate to them. That is because we are often uncertain about the aspects of them that make them different, be it their gender, sexuality, race, culture, belief systems and so on. Avoiding those we don't understand leads to exclusion.
The first step to building inclusive relationships is to admit our ignorance. We must acknowledge that we don't understand others' experiences, habits, beliefs and so on. Admitting ignorance and displaying a willingness to learn will give permission to others to teach us and admit ignorance of their own. That will lead to positive exchange and learning, which will lead to inclusivity.
It is important though, that even as you admit ignorance or not understanding, you validate the experience of others. Just because you have a different experience or don't understand someone else's does not mean their experience is invalid. We must also acknowledge others' pain, suffering, fears and concerns. Doing so makes others feel seen and heard, builds connections and encourages inclusion.
6. Be curious
We can only learn from curiosity. Curiosity compels us to learn about others' lives and things that interest others. It is a great way to gain wide-ranging knowledge and insights, making it easy for us to connect.
Being curious and learning about different topics equips us with the necessary tools to engage and form relationships with others, even those different from us. It means we can relate to a common interests or understanding. These links bring people towards our 'in-groups' and we can engage with them as such.
Genuine curiosity is the most important characteristic of inclusive people. To become curious, develop the habit of asking questions – what, when, where, how, why.
It is also important that we don't start from a position of judgement. Judgement stifles curiosity because when we judge, we believe the information we have on someone or something to be true enough to warrant judgement, closing us off from curiosity to learn more.
Encourage us to see, respect, understand, serve and include others.
Savania China, Head of Inclusion and Involvement
The suggestions above are not exhaustive, but adopting them in our private and professional lives will help us move away from the 'us vs. Them' mentality that often results in exclusion. It will encourage us to see, respect, understand, serve and include others by default. And that will contribute to and lead to a lasting positive impact on inclusion.
–––––––––––––––––––––
If you enjoyed this and would like to start putting these tips into action you may want to explore our first ever Equity, Diversity and Belonging toolkit for critical self awareness. It's designed to give you better awareness of your current level of EDB competence and improve your understanding of the different dimensions of diversity.
Check it out at rcot.co.uk/equity-diversity-and-belonging#toolkit.