It’s time to act! Prioritise building inclusive behaviours

In the light of recent events in the US & globally, we’re seeing more leaders step forward to prevent covert racial injustice and systemic racism further infiltrating work environments and workplace behaviour. They realise they need to unlearn any unconscious biases, deal with covert micro-aggressions and relearn new ways to communicate/lead whilst promoting diversity of thought. In essence, they want to prioritise the time and headspace to addressing this important issue across all areas of diversity whether it be culture, nationality, gender, race, religion, sexuality or educational background.

We want to do our part to contribute to the changes leaders need to make in the workplace. As part of our mission, we’re reworking our nudge tool so we can help leaders like you who want to consciously alter or rethink your behaviour. Too often minority groups shoulder the burden of both suffering through oppression and being asked to fix it. It is long past time that we all share this burden. We agree that making small tweaks won’t solve an entire societal problem or deep-rooted mindsets, but we believe this is a small positive step we can all take to build new behaviours and unlearn others.

Current programmes and tools are not enough in isolation so we want to open up our approach for those of you who want to tackle this practically with a focus on the small changes you can make in your interactions and decisions.

• Diversity training is useful as it lays a foundation and provides context but it can provide a false sense of security if it then doesn’t create lasting (measurable) behavioural change. Read more here.
• Structural change is vital but critical systems-level changes will take too long. Our approach helps you start now by taking responsibility for your own behaviour.
• The data shows that training programmes in general just don’t work! As much as 70% of the content is forgotten within days after the participants leave and so even with their best intentions, they are unlikely to follow through with day-to-day changes in their behaviour.
• We believe this shouldn’t only be a top-down approach. More people want to take the responsibility and the initiative to change their own behaviour and growth. They shouldn’t need to rely on the speed of their company’s decision making or procurement processes. You don’t need to wait for your company to use this (however you will need to grant access to your work or principal calendar).
• Our brains are wired for bias. This means that we have to be intentional and systematic about improving our interactions and decisions to be anti-racist and inclusive. This is incredibly hard, our brains are busier than ever, and we end up taking cognitive shortcuts to make faster decisions.

“You are personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society you grew up in.”

— ELIEZER YUDKOWSKY

That’s where we come in. We’ve built a new product. It’s shorter, faster, and more focused on what matters for those of you who want to be proactive about addressing your attitudes when it comes to inclusivity. And it’s not only for ‘bad’ leaders or those working within a broken culture. You can use it if you

• You want to try new ways to communicate and behave
• You are determined to take your leadership skills to the next level
• You understand that we don’t always know the right thing to do and your instincts aren’t always correct, especially when it comes to unconscious bias.

SO WHAT DOES THE PRODUCT DO?

We send nudges* to move the needle in the way you lead, behave and communicate with your teams. The nudges are customised based on your professional goals and are designed according to principles of behavioural science.

You’ll receive your nudge via a real-time calendar integration so you can take action when it really matters. You won’t miss following through with these important actions in the midst of your hectic schedule.

These small, intentional nudges are delivered within the flow of your work and tailored to your role, company and personal development priorities. This process is completely transparent so you are fully in control of the process. The nudges are not mandated.

THIS ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.

• These new behaviours must develop daily, over time. It’s not easy and not automatic. You need to stretch yourself and some of the changes needed may seem uncomfortable.
• A sequence of nudges and a growth plan keep you committed to the process, help you build on previous strengths and ensure this issue is always top of mind.
• To change your behaviour you need a consistent cadence; your work is never done and using nudges builds in deliberate practice.

Acknowledging that you need to make changes is the first step. Don’t let the difficulty of the challenge deter you; now is the time to start the process and build inclusive behaviours that actively promote equality. This is a time that requires each of us to do our part. If you know someone you think might benefit, please encourage them to sign up here.

*Every nudge we send is based on peer-reviewed academic literature, which is then validated by our team. It’s especially important to rely on trustworthy sources. We take this responsibility seriously and are being especially careful to share only advice that is proven to help.

JUNE 12, 2020