The Voice of Inclusion

The voice of everyone on the team is heard.

That’s what makes a winning team.

Having an outlet for speech or a representative member speak up for them is part of the foundations of our democracy.

Maybe it’s time we bring that democratizing effect to our organizations.

Inclusiveness is not just about diversity — having different cultures, expertise, backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, lifestyles, and viewpoints.

Inclusiveness is about making sure everyone’s opinions count. The combined effect of our wisdom, understanding, and intellect.

The two p’s of inclusiveness are passion and proficiency.

It means putting soul into an organization through efficient technology and empowered processes to create an engaged workforce that is not only data-driven but also people-centric.

Communication and collaboration as a team — participating together on a decision with a shared vision — is crucial to a successful, agile organization.

Cross-functional teams (having teams from different departments or with different expertise) and preventing information silos (the lack of communication and information flow) are key to make sure inclusiveness is a reality on the higher levels and the lower levels of an organization.

Inclusion is especially critical as the heart of technology and the mind of business. Just as user experience and a/b testing is important for user interfaces and mobile and web design, inclusion is the R/X and the U/X of every organization. Opinions should not just shape mobile apps. They should shape organizations across our country and our world. Inclusion should drive both the blue collar and the white collar, mom and pop establishments and Silicon Valley, small business and international organizations.

With all the talk about big data and AI, let’s not forget the voice of the little guy.

With all the focus on being data-driven, let’s not forget to be people-driven.

Inclusion-driven.

Empowering everyone in organizational processes and decisions to know that they count and their ideas matter — that is the essence of the power of motivation.

The power of the voice.

Together, the inclusive culture is the one that will succeed.

That voice is you. That voice is me.

The voice of inclusion needs to heard in every organization today.

Speak up.