Illusion of Inclusion

Hello, doctor. E here and I want to talk for a minute about the illusion of inclusion. Well, what is inclusion? Inclusion, in one word, is simply influence. How is one? Or how does one have the ability to raise their perspectives and affect decision making if one does not have the ability or the opportunity to do both, that is the illusion of inclusion. Illusion. Simply being or simply meaning. One might be seen, but not necessarily welcome. Or one might be at the table, but not necessarily allowed to voice opinions and perspectives at the table.

And so having space or taking up space doesn't necessarily mean one has power in that space. And so when you think about the illusion of inclusion, how are you inviting and welcoming and supporting folks when they're at the table, when they're raising their perspectives, when they're sharing their experiences? And if you aren't, what are the barriers or the obstacles that are prohibiting you from doing that? If you aren't thinking about inclusion as well as the illusion, then you are making a confusion in terms of your culture.

And I know that rhymed, but I wasn't trying to make it rhyme. Think about this in a really different, practical way. If I'm at the table and I don't feel welcomed at the table, how then are you going to invite me to speak? How then are you going to invite me to share a perspective and an experience that might help a decision or might inform a decision? Removing all of those barriers to communication, removing all of those barriers to welcoming environments, removing all of those barriers to culture and positive reinforcement and welcoming my folks, can really lead to a breaking down of that illusion of inclusion.

So again, think about inclusion in this way. Influence the ability to raise perspective and the ability to affect decision making. And if you aren't doing both, then you are actually reinforcing the illusion of inclusion. See you next time.