On a recent trip to Switzerland we were fascinated with the bridges all around Switzerland. The beautiful, strong bridges connected many different towns.

The bridges were a connection to a new world – a gateway to new culture. They introduced new pathways, new perspectives and new ways of being. They provided an opportunity to experience a new culture where people lived differently, ate differently, spoke different dialects and dressed differently. Amidst the differences were commonalities as well. Many of the belief systems were similar. They shared values of growth, love and respect, peace and harmony. The warmth, friendliness and hospitality was palpable across towns. The bridges symbolized the connectedness and richness of the country.

An organization is no different. It embraces people from different generations, different genders, different cultures, different nations speaking different languages, looking different, having different faiths, different belief systems, different perspectives, and different experiences. This diversity enables an organization to flourish with new ideas and innovation. At the same time, the differences could also give rise to ‘exclusion’ or ‘othering’ because people see the world from their own lens. The lens with which we see our world is colored with our past experiences, our beliefs, our cultures influenced by race, gender, spirituality etc. When we fail to see the world from another lens, ‘othering’ happens and conflicts arise.

This was the case in a large company where a fresh graduate Amy worked. Amy was an extremely talented, bright young girl. She was much younger to her boss Jay who had a traditional approach to work, a defined way of doing things and did not encourage new ways of working. He treated Amy like an ignorant child whose opinions didn’t matter. He ignored her ideas quiet often because he felt she was too young to give an opinion. As a result she felt her voice was unheard, work not appreciated, aspirations not considered. “I have no sense of achievement in spite of working more than 50 hours a week and have no idea which direction we all are heading to. I want to contribute and grow but nobody listens. Most of the time these days, I don’t speak up and I sit there feeling disappointed at myself” said Amy. She was considering an exit. The organization was on the verge of loosing a highly talented, competent, hardworking resource.

The gap was visible. Amy felt alienated. Jay was not even aware of the impact his behavior had on Amy. Jay judged Amy because of her young age. He dismissed her ideas assuming that Amy would not have anything meaningful to contribute based on his belief systems and past experiences. It was not grounded on facts. Jay’s unintentional ‘dismissal’ behavior was perceived as belittling by the younger employee. Jay was under the shadow of an unconscious bias which we all have. This resulted in “micro-inequities” and left Amy feeling ‘othered’.

The term “micro-inequities” was coined by Mary Rowe in 1973 to define “microaggressions” toward women and others. Psychologist Derald Wing Sue explains “microaggressions” as “brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership. They happen below the level of awareness of well-intentioned members of the dominant group or culture”.

It’s seen that even talented and kind leaders show episodes of “micro-inequities” unintentionally that arises from the hidden biases we have. Hence it’s important we pay attention to the baggage we carry and replace power with love, compassion and empathy. By choosing to live everyday with intention, we can not only make others feel good but end up feeling good too.

In this case, probably a good coach could have helped Jay bring such unconscious bias to notice. An open empathic conversation with Amy would have helped Jay to understand Amy’s career aspirations, build trust and dismantle the feeling of marginalization. It would have kept the relationship healthy and the organization would not have lost a talented and competent resource. Probably the team could also have gained by leveraging her ideas and by being open to new ways of solving old problems.

Different perspectives play a crucial role in resolving complex problems and contribute to the success of high performing teams.

It requires high level of awareness for leaders to create an inclusive culture.

Self-Awareness helps to recognize our own unconscious biases. Mindfulness is a useful tool to develop self-awareness. By being self-aware of the biases, paying attention to the thoughts that arise due to these biases and being intentional about their choices, leaders can encourage diversity and inclusion. They can act as strong bridges to minimize “microaggressions” and improve team dynamics.

Daniel Goleman a thought leader in Emotional Intelligence, in this article says, Vibrant diverse teams, where strengths are accentuated and weaknesses compensated for, can stem from a manager’s pursuit of diversity and inclusion. He cites the research done by Melissa Schilling and Christina Fang which states that diversity of thought is a reliable predictor of innovation and company success. Leveraging heterogeneity and diversity in teams can offer real competitive advantage to an organization.

Leaders can play a crucial role in bridging the ‘othering’ gap by creating a sense of belonging in a diverse team.

By effectively bridging the gap leaders create a culture of connectedness and inclusiveness that play a pivotal role in the success of an organization.

Until Next..
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