Make employees feel more included at work, says Catalyst’s new global report, ‘Inclusive Leadership: The View From Six Countries’, which surveyed over 1,500 employees from Australia, China (Shanghai), Germany, India, Mexico and the United States.
It showed that employees -both women and men - who felt included were more likely to report going above and beyond the call of duty and suggest new product ideas and ways of getting work done. The report also identified four leadership behaviours that predicted whether or not employees felt included (keep reading to find out the four).
Key Findings:
• In all six countries studied, the more included employees felt, the more likely they were to propose new ideas and be more supportive of one another (something researchers call team citizenship). Belongingness and uniqueness are key ingredients for inclusion in most countries.
Employees felt included when they perceived they were both similar to and distinct from their co-workers—meaning that people want to stand out from the crowd and be recognised for what’s unique about them, but they don’t want to stand out too much because this makes them feel like they aren’t part of the group. India was the exception: employees there don’t differentiate between belongingness and uniqueness, but see them as two sides of the same coin.
• In China, employee perceptions of inclusion accounted for 78% of innovation and 71% of team citizenship.
• In Mexico, they accounted for 51% of innovation and 60% of team citizenship.
• In India, they accounted for 62% of innovation and 43% of team citizenship.
• In Australia, Germany and the United States, they accounted for 19% to 22% of innovation, and 29% to 41% of team citizenship.
• The trick for managers is to cultivate belongingness and uniqueness simultaneously, focusing on diverse talents and experiences without stereotyping or alienating employees, or making them reluctant to share ideas that set them apart and lead to ‘groupthink’.
• Inclusive leaders are humble. Humility was one of four altruistic leadership skills that helped employees feel more included in the workplace, in all six countries studied. Inclusive leaders believe their primary obligation is to support and assist direct reports through:
1. Empowerment —Enabling direct reports to develop and excel.
2. Humility—Admitting mistakes, learning from criticism and different points of view, and seeking contributions of others to overcome limitations.
3. Courage—Putting personal interests aside to achieve what needs to be done and acting on convictions and principles even when it requires personal risk-taking.
4. Accountability—Demonstrating confidence in direct reports by holding them responsible for performance they can control.
“Characteristics like humility and courage are absolutely essential for creating more inclusive, dynamic workplaces around the world, where women and men can advance and thrive,” says Deborah Gillis, President and CEO, Catalyst.
“This report shows that small moments can have a big impact on innovation, performance and productivity. Leaders must be mindful of what makes employees feel included, and excluded, and develop skills that can help their companies attain inclusion for the long term.”
Reference: www.catalyst.org and Coach2Coache-newsletter, May 7, 2014
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