Workforce Mobilisation to Boost a Culture of Respect, Safety, and Genuine Inclusion: Engaging the Critical Mass is Key to Success

Workshop Presentation
Wendy Lundgaard  

Building an inclusive workplace to enable diverse talent to thrive is on most organisations' wish lists. Leaders are encouraged to adopt inclusive practices, however until all employees acknowledge and accept that they too play a vital role in an inclusive workplace culture the probability of success will remain elusive. Research on inclusive leader traits abound, however the critical cohort of mobilised employees is often overlooked. Few ‘inclusion’ initiatives reach the employee level. Yet one’s peers often witness discrimination, harassment through everyday sexism, casual racism, and disrespectful jokes. Employees can struggle to know what to do. This workshop will invite input, ideas, and share commentary from workshop participants on our prototype By-stander Action for Inclusion Model ™. We bring together research on workable, personalised interventions whilst at the same time consider identity and safety of critical allies. It is not a one-size-fits all response. Thus our session involves participants in examining this model using the lens of impact on culture / impact on persons through the lens of passive and pro-active interventions. The session showcases ways to mobilise leaders as champions and engage the whole workforce to adopt by-stander actions as an alternative to high cost re/training. Attendees are encouraged to bring along smart phone with internet connection to experience the technology first hand.