What great habits can you create?
LearnX Day: Make your workplace more inclusive and welcoming for all.
Creating an inclusive culture starts with understanding ourselves and our biases, exploring others’ unique experiences, and taking action to ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak, be heard, and be recognized for their contribution. Take a few moments to learn new habits that will help you build a more inclusive culture today.
1. Inclusive Communication
Blind spots: Overcome stereotypes
Stereotypes can unknowingly hinder our communication. Being aware of our biases can lead to inclusive communication with co-workers and customers. Learn more about prototype bias, i.e., our preconceived notion of whom we think is right for a particular position or promotion, how it can backfire, and what we can do about it to make better decisions and build better habits at work. (Beginner · 3:25)
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Blind spots may result in missed opportunities. Don't make assumptions based on your idea of fit because success is not one-size-fits-all. Share the "why" behind your decisions to double-check your objectivity.
Take this quick test: Cover your left eye. Keep your right eye on the + sign while you slowly bring your face closer to the screen. At some point, the black spot will disappear then reappear. That is your blind spot and like this, we all have a Blind spot.
3 ways to create a work culture that brings out the best in people
How can we unblock communication in our work to avoid "checkouts"? We become disengaged or "checkout" when we feel like we are not being heard or feel like we do not belong. Let’s watch the video to learn about how we can help our colleagues bring their life experiences to work for better creativity and productivity. (Intermediate · 12:38)
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Invite people to speak up at work. Ask, "What don't we talk about around here that we should be talking about?". Make these invitations routine in the workplace so that it becomes commonplace.
A guide to using pronouns and gender-inclusive language in the office
A thriving workspace starts when people feel like they can be themselves. Learning and practicing utilizing pronouns will make all the difference. This article shares tips for using and introducing pronouns as the norm in your office. Communication is vital, and "...small tweaks can lead to better communication for everyone—whether you're transgender or simply someone with a name that could be mistaken for a different gender between different languages, cultures, or generations." (Beginner · 6:11)
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Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing to be mindful of, is to not unload your guilty feelings on transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people or expect forgiveness.
i.e. This is Alex, she is on my sales team. (you are corrected because Alex uses they/them/theirs pronouns). Sorry, they are on my sales team. Or Thank you, they are on my sales team.
"Generally if you lead with your own, people who care about you knowing will respond in kind and you don’t need to ask." - Elden Seropian from the article
How to lead inclusive meetings
Are meetings inclusive at your job? Allow employees and colleagues to feel valued and heard in more inclusive meetings. Employees often do not feel empowered to speak up at meetings. According to the From Pledge to Progress survey, employees of color are less likely to feel included than white colleagues. 78% of Asian employees feel like their ideas are heard and acknowledged within their team compared to 86% of white employees. Facilitate meetings where all participants feel safe to contribute. This will create a sense of inclusivity and comfortability in your workplace. (Intermediate · 3:20)
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Take a facilitator role in your next meeting to create a safe space for everyone to share viewpoints and foster discussion. Be aware of your body language so that you are attentive to everyone's contributions. Use this guide to help foster inclusive conversations in your workplace!
2. Inclusive Programming
Why algorithms can be racist and sexist?
Systems can be biased based on who builds them, how they are developed, and how they are used. This is known as algorithmic bias. An Artificial Intelligence System (AI) or an algorithm may be accurate, but it doesn't make them fair or ethical. Transparency into these systems and updated laws that change with the times and with technology is essential to ensuring these biases are brought to justice. It is up to us to confirm that technology is helping us more than harming us. (Advanced · 9:29)
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Reflect on the information from this article. Continue to have discussions surrounding bias awareness and learn about different biases. Find an additional resource about real-life examples of discriminating AI here. In addition, continue your learning by checking out this article about Understanding Bias and Fairness in AI Systems to identify different types of AI biases and best practices to correct them.
Clean code with inclusive language
Racist coding language in the tech industry has been present for decades. The "master" and the "slave" concept within computing is a metaphor used to explain the dependency of one part of technology on another part of technology. In addition, "blacklist" and "whitelist" are used to symbolize evil vs. good. Learn what one tech company did to use inclusive coding terminology in their workplace. (Intermediate · 6:00)
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If you find yourself saying/using a culturally insensitive term, correct yourself. Become familiar with your new terminology. Get in the habit of using inclusive language (when coding and otherwise) to ensure that none of your coworkers ever feel offended or "othered."
3. Accessibility
Make your video calls accessible
Here are some tips for how to make your remote meetings accessible for everyone! Accessible meetings ensure that all employees are getting the most out of collaborative and informational time. (Beginner · 9:30)
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An increase in digital resources in the workplace has brought a heightened awareness of accessibility issues. In meetings, have a note-taker. This way, everyone can pay attention to the meeting and not focus on writing notes. A note-taker will allow for different processing speeds. In addition, it will enable the employees to refer back to notes after the meeting in case they process information at a different rate or need more time to formulate questions or ideas.
Why inclusive tech remains elusive
For the most part, the internet is inaccessible (roughly 97% of websites) to the physically challenged and does not reflect the diversity of global internet users. Many companies think website and user platform accessibility and inclusion take up time and effort, but in reality, it is a step to make all users included in their platforms. We need to shift the development value and focus on real people's lives. (Intermediate · 7:35)
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If you are developing a product or sourcing a product for your team to use, check for accessibility features. Ask yourself, "Will this product support or harm vulnerable groups?"
4. Cross-cultural Collaboration
Low context vs. high context societies
Learn about the delicate balance between societies that communicate with "low context" and those that use "high context." Become proficient and develop helpful habits when navigating cross-cultural complexities. This may help you understand others’ intentions and workplace habits better when working with colleagues around the globe. (Intermediate · 4:05)
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Use this Compare Countries site to compare cultures and get a heads up on communication tips! Note: This is a starting place for research but not an all-encompassing resource. It is constantly being updated.
Effective cross-cultural communication
In today's society, people of different cultures will inevitably interact and work with each other. Cultures will meet, blend, and sometimes clash. It is essential to maintain etiquette to ensure successful communication. (Intermediate · 4:06)
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Practice active listening. If anything in the conversation is unclear, ask to clear up any misunderstandings. At the end of the conversation, it may help to summarize the topics of the discussion. A summary will aid in clarifying any misconceptions or miscommunications that sometimes occur when speaking with people from various cultures.
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