How to Become More Inclusive at Work: Real Talk from Someone Who's Seen It All

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The other day I watched a middle manager at a Brisbane consulting firm interrupt the same woman three times in a 20-minute meeting while nodding respectfully at every word the blokes said. Classic stuff, really. Made me think about how far we've come with workplace inclusion – and honestly, how far we still have to go.

I've been training teams across Australia for the better part of two decades now, and I can tell you this: most organisations talk a big game about inclusion but struggle with the actual doing part. They'll spend thousands on diversity workshops (usually featuring some consultant from Sydney who's never worked a real job) then wonder why nothing changes.

Here's the thing that might ruffle some feathers – inclusion isn't about being nice to everyone or walking on eggshells. It's about creating genuine psychological safety where people can contribute their best work without constantly second-guessing themselves.

What Inclusion Actually Looks Like

Real inclusion starts with understanding that everyone brings different perspectives shaped by their background, experiences, and yes, their identity. But it's not just about ticking boxes or having the right mix of faces around the conference table.

I remember working with a mining company in Western Australia where the site supervisor – let's call him Dave – was convinced he was being inclusive because he treated "everyone the same." Dave would invite the whole team to drinks at the local pub every Friday. Seemed fair enough, right?

Except Sarah, the only Muslim on the team, felt completely excluded. Dave's version of "treating everyone the same" actually meant imposing his own cultural norm on everyone else. When we helped Dave understand this, he started rotating social events – sometimes coffee in the morning, sometimes lunch at different venues. Simple change, massive impact.

The point is, treating everyone identically isn't inclusion. It's actually a form of exclusion disguised as fairness.

The Language Trap

Here's where most workplaces mess up spectacularly. They focus so much on avoiding offensive language that they forget about inclusive language. There's a difference, and it matters.

I've sat through countless meetings where someone says "Hey guys" to address a mixed group, or where assumptions get made about people's personal lives. "When your wife packs your lunch..." assumes everyone's married, heterosexual, and follows traditional gender roles. Small things, but they add up.

The fix isn't complicated. Use "everyone" instead of "guys." Say "partner" instead of assuming relationships. Ask people what they prefer rather than guessing. It's not rocket science, but you'd be amazed how many supposedly smart business leaders struggle with this basic courtesy.

Mind you, I'm not talking about becoming the language police or creating some sterile corporate speak environment. Just paying attention to how our words might land with others.

The Meeting Problem

Let's talk about meetings, because this is where inclusion often dies a slow death. I've observed hundreds of workplace meetings, and the patterns are depressingly predictable.

Loud voices dominate. Interruptions go unchecked. The same people always speak first (and longest). Meanwhile, valuable insights from quieter team members get lost in the noise.

Smart organisations are experimenting with structured approaches. Some use round-robin discussion formats. Others implement "no interruption" rules or require written input before verbal discussion. Telstra has been doing some interesting work in this space, creating meeting protocols that actually work.

But here's what really gets my goat – managers who think they're being inclusive by putting someone on the spot. "Sarah, you're a woman, what do you think about this?" Congratulations, you've just tokenised Sarah and made her speak for an entire gender. Brilliant move, mate.

Beyond the Obvious Stuff

Everyone talks about gender and cultural diversity, which is important. But inclusion goes deeper than demographics. What about introverts in a culture that rewards extroversion? What about people with invisible disabilities? What about different working styles and communication preferences?

I worked with a tech startup in Melbourne where they prided themselves on their "collaborative culture." Translation: open office, constant interruptions, and expectation that everyone would thrive in high-energy brainstorming sessions. Their best developer – a quietly brilliant woman who did her best thinking in solitude – was struggling to contribute.

The solution wasn't rocket science. They created quiet spaces, offered multiple ways to contribute ideas, and stopped equating volume with value. Emotional intelligence training can help teams understand these different working styles and preferences.

The Performance Review Minefield

Performance reviews are where unconscious bias runs absolutely rampant. I've seen review comments that would make your hair curl. Women get feedback about being "too aggressive" for behaviours that would be praised in men. People with accents get marked down on "communication skills" despite being perfectly articulate.

The research on this is crystal clear – identical resumes with different names get dramatically different responses. But somehow managers think they're immune to these biases when it comes to performance discussions.

Smart organisations are implementing structured review processes, multiple perspectives, and bias training for managers. It's not perfect, but it's a start.

Getting Leadership Buy-In

Here's the uncomfortable truth – inclusion initiatives fail without genuine leadership commitment. And I don't mean the token statement in the company newsletter. I mean leaders who are willing to examine their own biases and change their behaviour.

I remember working with a CEO who insisted his company was highly inclusive because they had women in senior roles. Fair enough, but when we dug deeper, we discovered those women were earning 15% less than their male counterparts for equivalent positions. The CEO genuinely hadn't realised this because he'd never bothered to look at the data.

Sometimes leaders need a reality check. Gender pay gap analysis, exit interview themes, engagement survey results broken down by demographic groups. Data has a way of cutting through the comfortable assumptions.

The Australian Context

Working across different states, I've noticed regional variations in inclusion challenges. Sydney tends to be more multicultural but can be cliquey. Melbourne prides itself on progressiveness but sometimes mistakes good intentions for good outcomes. Perth can be surprisingly forward-thinking, probably because of the mining industry's need to attract talent from everywhere.

Brisbane sits somewhere in the middle – generally friendly but sometimes a bit behind the curve on inclusion practices. Adelaide surprises people with how innovative some of their organisations are being.

The mining and construction industries deserve special mention here. They've had to evolve rapidly, partly because of skills shortages and partly because younger workers simply won't tolerate the old boys' club mentality. Companies like BHP and Rio Tinto have made genuine progress, though there's still work to do.

Practical Steps That Actually Work

Enough theory. Here's what actually moves the needle:

Start with data. You can't improve what you don't measure. Look at hiring patterns, promotion rates, pay equity, exit interview themes, and engagement scores by different groups.

Fix your recruitment process. Diverse hiring panels, structured interviews, skills-based assessments rather than "cultural fit" conversations that often favour people who remind us of ourselves.

Create multiple pathways for contribution. Not everyone thrives in brainstorming sessions or speaks up in large meetings. Offer written input options, smaller discussion groups, one-on-one check-ins.

Address microaggressions directly. Don't let the "small stuff" slide. It's often the cumulative impact of minor exclusions that drives people away, not dramatic incidents.

Invest in manager training. Most exclusion happens at the team level through poor management practices. Inclusive leadership training can make a real difference when it's done properly.

The Business Case (Since Everyone Asks)

Look, I shouldn't have to make a business case for treating people with respect, but here we are. The research is overwhelming – diverse teams make better decisions, inclusive cultures drive innovation, and organisations with strong inclusion metrics outperform their competitors financially.

Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 25% more likely to outperform their competitors. Ethnically diverse teams are 36% more likely to outperform. These aren't feel-good statistics – they're bottom-line realities.

More importantly, in a tight labour market, inclusion is becoming a competitive advantage for talent acquisition and retention. Good people have choices, and they're increasingly choosing organisations where they can bring their whole selves to work.

What Doesn't Work

Before I wrap up, let me save you some time and money by highlighting what doesn't work:

One-off diversity training sessions that lecture people about bias without giving them practical tools. Waste of time and money.

Diversity targets without changing the underlying systems and culture. You'll hit your numbers temporarily but lose people just as quickly.

Putting the burden of inclusion on the people who are being excluded. If you're asking your only Indigenous employee to lead your reconciliation efforts, you're doing it wrong.

Treating inclusion as an HR initiative rather than a business imperative. When it's seen as "nice to have" rather than essential, it gets deprioritised whenever things get busy.

Moving Forward

Real inclusion takes time, consistency, and a willingness to be uncomfortable while you figure things out. It's not about being perfect – it's about being committed to getting better.

The organisations that excel at inclusion treat it like any other business capability. They measure it, resource it properly, hold people accountable for it, and celebrate progress while acknowledging there's always more work to do.

Start where you are, with what you have. Pick one or two areas to focus on rather than trying to fix everything at once. And remember – inclusion isn't a destination, it's an ongoing practice.

The mining supervisor Dave I mentioned earlier? His team now has the highest engagement scores in the company and the lowest turnover rate. Turns out when people feel valued and included, they do their best work.

Who would have thought?

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Want to improve inclusion in your workplace? Sometimes the best place to start is with professional development training that helps teams understand different communication styles and working preferences.