8 PERSONALquarterly 01 / 24 SCHWERPUNKT_INTERVIEW PERSONALquarterly: Who “does” inclusion? Who should be “doing” inclusion? Lynn Shore: Inclusion can be done by anybody in the organization but is particularly impactful in the workgroup. This immediate environment affects day-to-day experiences. Members of top management play an important role in creating policies and practices that support inclusion, but also role model inclusion through their behavior and decision making. A key responsibility for all managers is to promote inclusion and be watchful of situations that may increase exclusion. PERSONALquarterly: What advice can you give to organizations who want to become inclusive? Lynn Shore: A first step to increasing inclusion is to survey employees to find out about their experiences of inclusion and exclusion in the organization. This provides a basis for understanding what is going well and what changes may be needed to become broadly inclusive. Openness to employee feedback while communicating action steps to address needed improvements will begin the process of inclusivity. Training managers will help with inclusion skill development. In particular, training needs to help managers understand and practice the behaviors that enhance experiences of inclusion, such as listening to others in a respectful manner, and considering a variety of perspectives when making decisions. PERSONALquarterly: What are the critical hurdles in the implementation of inclusion? Lynn Shore: Commitment to creating an inclusionary environment at all organizational levels is essential. Organizations can consider increasing accountability through 360 performance assessments of inclusionary behavior and provide rewards and recognition for improvement. This encourages commitment to being a facilitator of inclusion in the work environment. PERSONALquarterly: What can managers do (or stop doing) concretely to promote inclusion in their interactions with employees? And what role do peers play? Lynn Shore: Managers need to honestly examine their own behavior in relation to their team, or to peers. Playing favorites can be a big problem as other people recognize that they are not as valued or included by their manager or by a colleague. While it is a natural human tendency to favor others who are similar to ourselves, such behavior sends a clear message that some employees are included more than others. This raises concerns of fairness and exclusion. So humbly recognizing the behavior that favors some over others, and seeking ways to address this propensity, will help employees and managers to promote inclusion. PERSONALquarterly: Is artificial intelligence (AI) a threat or an opportunity for DEI in organizations? Do you have an example? Lynn Shore: AI is a threat as it relies on past decision-making, which may in fact be biased and exclusionary. As an example, HR professionals in organizations make predictions of future success based on models derived from primarily white males who succeeded at the organization in the past. Such models need to be carefully examined, with the goal of creating a data base of information about the different ways that a variety or organizational members contribute to success. PERSONALquarterly: What role do mobile and hybrid work play in achieving or hindering DEI? Lynn Shore: Human interactions, whether in person or virtually, are the primary means by which people determine whether they are included or excluded. Being left off email threads or expressions of disinterest are just some of the subtle ways in which people determine that they are not included. Creating inperson meetings and activities, where employees can interact with one another, can provide a foundation for experiences of inclusion. But just as important are the oftentimes “nonhuman” interactions via email and exchange of documents. These need to be carefully crafted and inclusionary in tone and action. Essential to these types of work arrangements is the perception that all parties involved are trustworthy and consistently demonstrate respectful treatment in which the individual feels valued and included. PERSONALquarterly: What will the future of DEI in organizations look like? What novel trends in DEI research do you see coming? Lynn Shore: The world of work is an increasingly global one. People are interacting with others at work who can be quite different than themselves. This trend will continue and requires an appreciation for diversity and inclusion at work. Organizations that create inclusionary environments in which differences are recognized and appreciated will be most successful in this more complex and multicultural work environment. There are many trends in DEI research. These are often driven by the challenges faced by organizations, and the clear need for ways to address those challenges. Given the increasing number of global companies, one trend will be to examine how inclusion practices can enhance the performance of global teams. Another trend will be to examine how inclusion operates between coworkers, the role and impact of the team leader as a source of inclusion, and the influence of organizational leaders on employee experiences of inclusion. Finally, studies of exclusion at work are rare, and yet this painful employee experience has inspired a lot of the
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