The Inclusion Elixir: Making Diversity Work at Work!

Workshop Presentation
Wendy Lundgaard  

Inclusion can be elusive: difficult to pin down and even more complex in embedding as part of the way we do things around here – those unwritten rules which become the hallmark of workplace culture. Inclusion is highly desirable because research shows it boosts diversity outcomes such as engagement and innovation, but are we clear on what it is? And importantly ‘how’ we go about creating inclusive work cultures through learning and development interventions and the like. Participants will be immersed in a series of interactive and stimulating activities, using the 4Mat learning design principles (McCarthy, 1980). The session incorporates reflection through self-assessment, experiential learning by exploring concepts such as identity/identity lens and personal bias formation as well as practical exercises which highlight the power of mind-bugs and cognitive hijacks that disrupt objective decision making. These ‘ah ha’ moments create cognitive dissonance designed to make participants pause and question automatic responses to situations and people which can lead to inadvertent exclusion. Participants will also co-design intentional and inclusive behaviour statements and trial the use of state-of-the-art ‘nudge’ technology used to track commitments and create ‘check-ins’ over a thirty-day period. This tool builds accountability beyond the learning environment. It also provides a way for organisations to measure the impact and ROI on learning interventions. By making it personal, and doing this at scale can shift workplace culture, deliver a more inclusive experience for all to thrive. Bring a wi-fi enabled device to the workshop.