By Sid Madge, Meee
We should celebrate our own difference, whatever that may be. And we should also make space for difference and diversity in all our cultures. By developing a culture that is inclusive at work, you can create a healthy place that people enjoy being part of.
I love words and I always feel there’s a clue in the word to help us find the meaning. The first thing I noticed about the word ‘culture’ is that there are two ‘u’s’. The first ‘u’ represents you the individual, your knowledge, beliefs, customs, capabilities and habits. The second ‘u’ is everyone else within your group be that family or at work.
Here are three great ways to create a nurturing, supportive and inclusive culture so we can all shine, individually and collectively:
- Celebrate Difference
In his book Wisdom of Crowds, author James Surowiecki states that at the heart of collective intelligence is a “mathematical truism”. If we ask a large enough group of diverse, independent people to make a prediction or estimate a probability, and then average those estimates, the errors each of them makes in coming up with an answer will cancel themselves out. In other words, if we celebrate difference and seek input from a diverse set of independent people, we will always get a better result than we would get by consulting the same type of people or a small set of ‘experts’.
This is counterintuitive because we’ve come to revere the expert, but difference and diversity is where it’s at. No one is smart enough to know everything, but everyone is smart enough to know everything. Together we all add something of value, so we see more of the issue and come up with better solutions.
We should celebrate our own difference, whatever that may be. And we should also make space for difference and diversity in all our cultures. Let’s celebrate the wonderful diversity we have in the world and embrace difference as a learning tool.
Take a minute to think of the last time you met someone from a different country or background – how did you react? We can all learn from each other.
- Don’t be Afraid to Ask
One of the quirks of adulthood is we stop asking. We stop asking questions because we don’t want to look like we don’t know the answer and we stop asking for what we want. This shouldn’t be some selfish temper tantrum, but we all have the right to be in a place that is nurturing and supportive and to speak up when it’s not. Culture isn’t changed overnight, it is often a much slower process that comes about when lots of other ‘u’s’ start to speak up. Mental health is now being taken seriously in business and beyond because people started to speak up and ask for support. They raised the issues and kept raising the issues.
There is an adage that we get what we expect. But I’d go further: we get what we are willing to settle for. The only way to create a better culture is to stop accepting the one we currently inhabit and ask for something better.
Take a minute to think about the culture of your workplace. What stands out about this culture? Is there something specific that really bothers you? If so, speak up. Decide to stop accepting it, and lead by example.
- Be the Best ‘u’ You can Be
Always give your utmost and fully turn up in whatever you are doing. Athletes often say: trust the process and the outcomes will sort themselves. In other words, just do the work, be the person you want to be, hold yourself to a higher standard and the results will follow as surely as night follows day. We can’t always control the outcome. Everything is always changing around us, but we always have control over what we do in that change and who we are. Sure, sometimes we will do our best and it still won’t work out, but there is still a quiet satisfaction to be gained from knowing we did all we could.
No two paths are the same and everyone’s path to happiness, greatness or whatever your ness is, is different. But there are constants: perseverance, passion and principles.
Take a minute to think about the last week. Can you point to at least one example where you were your best self? The more we demand that of ourselves the quicker cultures at work will change around us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sid Madge is a transformation and change specialist and founder of Meee. Meee draws on the best creativity and thinking from the worlds of branding, psychology, neuroscience, education and sociology, to help people embrace change and achieve extraordinary lives.
From pupils to CEOs, we’ve helped thousands find their magic to transform themselves, their communities and their organisations. From leaders of PLCs and SMEs to parents, teachers, students, carers, the unemployed and prison inmates we help people excel.
Sid Madge is also author of the ‘Meee in Minute’ series of books which each offer 60 ways to change your life, work-, or family-life in 60 seconds.
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