How situations make people vulnerable at work
‘Culture’ is frequently blamed for biased behaviours – or even more harmful events – that happen at work. But it can be hard to pinpoint what exactly it is about organisational culture that produces inequality or creates the conditions conducive to bullying and harassment.
To foster inclusivity, we must better understand culture so that we meaningfully address its role in perpetuating these behaviours.
Organisational culture is a hot topic
Today we expect organisations to commit to written values. This is the institutional layer of culture, designed from the top-down. Culture is shaped by other layers too: it is determined by the actions and decisions of leaders, teams, and by individuals. These are all helpful lenses through which to examine and improve culture.
But what if we were to consider another perspective: when poor behaviour happens.
Culture shows up in interactions between colleagues. It manifests in the everyday language, behaviours and treatment of individuals in our workspaces. These seemingly insignificant moments of interaction can be critical.
“To truly improve workplace culture, we need to
look our everyday encounters in the eye.”
A failure to extend a warm welcome to a new team member; a disregard for personal preferences or identities; being talked over or ignored in meetings; or being asked only about your difference as if you carry the responsibility for educating others. Moments like these can be highly damaging, especially if experienced repeatedly. They lead to individuals feeling excluded, and can impact on career prospects and even health.
To truly improve workplace culture, we need to look our everyday encounters in the eye. Your approach to ‘vulnerable moments’ reveals the true essence of an organisation – because these interactions directly affect whether team members develop a sense of belonging, or feel they are on the outside looking in.
What are ‘vulnerable moments’?
Our research into workplace culture, discrimination and bullying has surfaced some simple strategies for bolstering inclusion. Basic interventions can make a big difference at these key moments:
When someone starts a job
In meetings
In social situations
If colleagues make the effort to ensure a new team member feels welcome. If we take the time to make proper introductions. If we take care to manage meetings so everyone gets heard. Small, daily changes like these can have a big impact.
Making interactions intentional
Two everyday approaches to encourage in your workplace are observation and action. In practice, this means people noticing the subtle everyday language and behaviour that excludes, then acting intentionally to include their colleagues.
Through simple actions and awareness, we can create a culture that not only rejects bias and harassment, but actively promotes respect, empathy and understanding, transforming our workplaces into beacons of diversity, equality and inclusion.
How to create an inclusive culture
Focusing on ‘vulnerable moments’ is another way to keep exclusionary language and behaviours in check. Combined with other DEI initiatives – equality monitoring, minority representation in leadership, unbiased hiring processes, and supportive work-life policies – we have the best possible chance of creating meaningful cultural shifts.
With this simple new perspective, we can create workplaces that make a positive difference to people’s lives.
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Half the Sky is a specialist consultancy helping organisations put inclusivity at the heart of their culture. We translate cutting-edge thinking into practices that deliver lasting change.
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Where are you on your inclusion journey? Talk to us about Healthcheck, our quick assessment that delivers an evidence-based case for investment.
