Inclusiveness is a “Be” Thing Not a “Do” Thing

Inclusiveness – put simply incorporating the views of the people that decision’s effect in every stage of the decision-making process – is a great theory but is quite difficult in practice.  Most everyone wants to be able to say “we are inclusive, we do this and that” but actually being an inclusive organization/company/board/community is much more than checking off boxes.  Inclusiveness is a state of being, not simply doing.  It is true that organizations can “do” things to become more inclusive, but doing those things does not make them inclusive.

Inclusiveness is a state of being in that it affects not only what you do, but also how you do those things and who you do them with.  It’s great to seek out the perspectives of your constituents when making decisions, but allowing your constituents inside as peers (as volunteers, staff, board members, employees, etc.) is what inclusiveness is all about.