Inclusion in Networks: Beyond Languages, Time Zones and Membership Fees
I have found one of the hardest things in a community or network is to be intentional about diversity.
We are so focused on engagement, technology, fundraising, etc. — investing time, thought, and energy in being inclusive often doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
At the Fito Network, we are thinking very carefully about this, though I have to say: I don’t think we’ve quite cracked it yet.
When we talk about diversity in (global) networks, I usually hear phrases like “we need to include more languages” or “access more time zones”. These are important but, I feel, really only touch the surface.
This past weekend in Milan, I hosted a conversation with ISPCAN, an international network focused on the prevention of child abuse neglect. We started with themes of “financial inclusion” (i.e. membership fees), but as we got deeper, the conversation became much richer.
Here are a few ideas that stood out to me as particularly valuable to create more inclusion in our networks:
- Use human-centered welcoming and invitation processes that allow people to develop relationships (the core of inclusion) and “get a feel” for the network — empowering them with the information to decide if and how to engage
- Have a common set of values and principles that create comfortable, safe, brave spaces. Write and repeat them everywhere.
- Invest time in matchmaking and weaving to “close triangles” with people who are less included.
- Think about language as more than just spoken language, but also the (technical) words we use together.
- Alternate our communication channels and mediums to reach people in different ways (not everyone reads email or will use your platform!)
- Considering engaging entities — or other networks — who can invite in people we might not be connected to ourselves.
- Ensure leadership and decision-making processes are representative of diversity, and inclusion is a topic that is regularly discussed and addressed.
As we were together, we also spent a lot of time co-creating shared visions and goals — using some of my favorite participatory activities like World Cafe, Role Play, Journey Maps, Fishbowl, TRIZ, and Veva la Fevela — with a lot of laughter along the way.
Which also makes me realize: the facilitation practices we use make a huge difference for inclusion, while leaving time for wellbeing and fun also creates highly inclusive spaces where we feel able to interact openly and honestly as humans.
What have you found really helpful to increase network inclusion?
