Have you ever walked into your office and felt like you didn’t belong? Perhaps your coworkers didn’t say anything to your face, but you heard whispers in the break room or noticed a sideways glance as you walked the hall. If you have ever felt out of place at work — you’re not alone. In fact, a recent survey from the Center for Inclusion and Belonging shows that over 64% of Americans feel like they don’t belong at their workplace.
As workplaces become more diverse, fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging is vital for organizational success. Employees who feel that they belong are not only more likely to stay but are also significantly more engaged and productive. Creating this environment requires a proactive, intentional approach from leadership and every team member alike.
In an insightful conversation with Maureen “Mo” Berkner Boyt — founder and CEO of The Moxie Exchange, and expert in diversity and inclusion — we explored the core pillars necessary to cultivate inclusive environments. Her thoughts offer actionable steps for leaders and organizations to include inclusive behaviors into daily work practices. Below, we’ll discuss her key insights on overcoming bias, building psychological safety, and measuring success in fostering inclusion in the workplace.
Understanding Diversity vs. Inclusion
It’s important to note that there is a distinction between diversity and inclusion. Diversity and equity, Berkner Boyt explains, involve systematic processes such as hiring practices, pay equity, and promotion policies. In contrast, inclusion and belonging are about behaviors and actions that make individuals feel valued. Inclusion isn’t limited to any single role; every member of the organization, from new hires to executives, holds responsibility for fostering a culture of belonging.
The journey to inclusion, she notes, is deeply personal, relying on each individual’s choices, behaviors, and knowledge. Leadership plays a vital role, but inclusion’s impact can be profound across all levels of the organization, driven by the collective commitment to respectful interactions and collaborative engagement.
Overcoming Bias Through Behavior Change
The challenge of overcoming unconscious bias is that it is hardwired into the human brain for survival. This bias often manifests in “fight or flight” responses and quick judgments based on limited information. Although rooted in biology, the problem with unconscious bias is that it’s typically wrong, and this bias often distorts decision-making, particularly when it comes to diversity. Organizations must adopt proactive strategies to counteract these instincts.
Berkner Boyt states that if you have a brain, you have bias. It is not one group doing it to another, it’s all of us all of the time.
To foster a culture of belonging, we have to interrupt that bias. One effective area for bias interruption is in meetings, where ideas are exchanged, and decisions are made. Implementing a “no interruptions” policy, allowing everyone to speak, rotating meeting roles, and setting aside reflection time before decisions are made are practical steps to make meetings more inclusive. By creating structured environments that check biases, meetings become spaces where diverse ideas can flourish. In her experience, these small but consistent interventions significantly impact team dynamics, empowering all voices and ideas.
The Neuroscience Behind Belonging and Inclusion
Understanding the brain’s need for belonging deepens the importance of inclusion in the workplace. Berkner Boyt ties this to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where belonging ranks alongside physical safety. From an evolutionary perspective, individuals are wired to seek connection and tribe-like unity, creating an implicit need for inclusion to feel “safe” within an organization.
She explains that when employees experience microaggressions, they often perceive them as physical threats due to the brain’s neural response. This neurological reaction, known as “amygdala hijack,” can lead to heightened stress and reduced cognitive function. To foster inclusion effectively, organizations need to create systems and cultures where everyone feels a sense of acceptance and value. Leaders must consciously implement practices that offer equal opportunities for diverse voices, reinforcing a unified team atmosphere.
Building Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is essential for fostering a sense of belonging, Berkner Boyt highlights. It’s the belief that one can make mistakes or voice concerns without fear of repercussions. A lack of psychological safety leads to disengagement, costing organizations in productivity and morale. In inclusive organizations, psychological safety allows employees to bring their authentic selves to work, fueling creativity and collaboration.
To build this safety, Berkner Boyt emphasizes that leaders must model vulnerability, honesty, and curiosity. Encouraging open dialogues about challenges, celebrating team resilience, and regularly reviewing team dynamics create an environment where psychological safety is not just encouraged but practiced. Leaders can foster a growth-oriented culture by acknowledging mistakes, discussing lessons learned, and reinforcing a shared commitment to improvement.
Training and Development as Ongoing Choices
Inclusion in the workplace is not a one-time initiative but a daily practice, requiring intentional actions from everyone in the organization. Berkner Boyt compares fostering inclusion to adopting a healthy lifestyle. Just as fitness involves daily choices, inclusivity requires consistent behaviors. Training programs, therefore, should mirror this approach by offering ongoing, real-time resources that reinforce inclusive choices.
For instance, leaders can benefit from scenario-based training and tools that prepare them to navigate diversity effectively. Inclusive training programs need to be accessible and bite-sized to integrate seamlessly into daily workflows, such as a phone app that prompts daily tips. This “in the flow of work” approach ensures that employees can access guidance at their point of need, fostering a learning culture that promotes continuous growth in inclusive practices.
Measuring Success: Windshield vs. Rearview Metrics
For measuring inclusion and belonging, you can’t change the past. Berkner Boyt introduces the concept of “windshield” versus “rearview mirror” metrics. Traditional “rearview” metrics, such as turnover rates and demographic counts, provide historical data but offer limited insight into current practices. In contrast, windshield metrics focus on predictive measures that can influence future outcomes.
Organizations should monitor the inclusion journey by analyzing data on candidate diversity in hiring pipelines, progression rates for marginalized groups, and sponsorship opportunities. These metrics enable leaders to assess and finetune inclusive practices, ensuring that diverse employees receive equitable opportunities for advancement. Berkner Boyt suggests adopting “the rule of two,” where any leadership group, assignment or promotion opportunity cannot include more than two people within the same demographics, to ensure diverse representation.
Additionally, measuring employees’ feelings of inclusion and belonging is crucial. This metric reflects team cohesion and psychological safety, revealing whether employees feel valued. Using simple tools, such as an emoji scale for emotional check-ins, can help leaders gauge the inclusion atmosphere in real-time, allowing for immediate interventions when engagement dips.
Addressing Resistance with Curiosity and Facts
Resistance to inclusion initiatives is a common challenge, but leaders should see it as an opportunity for deeper understanding. Berkner Boyt equates organizational resistance to a bell curve, where 20% of employees are actively engaged, 60% may be on the fence, and 20% will resist entirely. No matter what you do, those 20% of CAVE people (citizens against virtually everything) are never going to get on board. It’s not a good strategy to focus your time and energy on that 20%. Focusing on the middle 60% is often the most effective.
Within that 60% in the middle, you’ll have some that are hesitant and slightly resistant. Engaging with these individuals through curiosity, such as asking them to explain their perspectives, can uncover underlying fears and misconceptions. Often, Berkner Boyt finds that resistance stems from fear of change or misunderstanding the purpose of inclusion. By addressing these fears with facts and transparency, leaders can gradually shift perspectives. Enlisting peer influencers who already support inclusion can further encourage resisters to participate and recognize the value of diversity.
Embracing the Future of Inclusion in the Workplace
Looking forward, Berkner Boyt emphasizes that diversity and inclusion are here to stay. Changing demographics means that the workforce will only become more varied in age, ethnicity, ability, and identity. This shift represents a unique opportunity to cultivate organizations where everyone can contribute their best work. Organizations that commit to creating inclusive environments will see improvements in innovation, team performance, and employee retention.
Fostering inclusion in the workplace is a dynamic, multi-layered process that requires ongoing commitment. As Berkner Boyt’s insights reveal, organizations can achieve inclusion by embedding inclusive behaviors into daily practices, creating safe spaces for all, measuring progress with future forward metrics, and addressing resistance with empathy. By adopting these strategies, leaders can build a workplace culture that values every individual and enables collective success.