Active listening is all about being attentive to different opinions and points of view. How can this art of listening help individuals of diverse representation come together to promote a sense of belongingness and inclusion?
A panel discussion titled “B-Inclusionist – The art of listening to your colleagues and leaders to drive inclusion” at the third edition of Avtar’s innovative virtual DEI conference – The Power of I delved into the link between active listening and inclusionist mindset.
Moderated by Anju G Parvathy, Assistant Vice President-Research & Solutions, the panel comprised Sanket Atal, SVP & Managing Director, Sites, India, Salesforce, Yatish Shivaprasad, Head – Corporate Functions Technology, India & Romania, Société Générale Global Solution Centre, Smita Menon, Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Talent Development Efforts within Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs Services in India, and Pooja Mehtani, General Counsel, Sun Life Asia Service Centres and Company Secretary, Asia Service Centre India.
Listening is a powerful tool. In an organization, listening to one another can help discover facts, underlying thoughts and subdued feelings. It is about focus, understanding and looking at different perspectives for the greater good.
Here are the key takeaways derived from the insightful sessions:
• Leadership commitment to demonstrating empathy, curiosity, and agility when responding to challenging situations and emerging opportunities drive inclusion.
• Fostering inclusion should be a top-down and bottom-up approach. By visualizing a scenario where you are a diverse element, we consciously think about the infinite dissimilarities that distinguish individuals, thus, creating a spirit of inclusion.
• Innovation and inclusion go hand in hand. The collaboration of diverse thoughts and perspectives builds a shared space for transformation, trust and integrity.
• The aspect of inclusion should be a constant part of an individual’s thought process. They don’t have to be members of inclusion networks to contribute their bit. They can invest their conviction and commitment to be aware and ultimately transform the power of I into the power of We.
• To build transparency and trust in an organization, leaders must create intentional opportunities for diverse voices to be heard. Listening forums and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can be crucial to creating the experience of feeling heard and belonged in the workplace.
• Allyship is required for a much-needed inclusionist mindset.
• Active and deep listening enhances our empathy, deepens our insights and guides our actions.
• Creating a safe space for authentic and courageous conversations amongst identities about shared challenges, is a game-changer.
• Building communities within the organizations and asking people to be part of such communities can act as change agents that promote active listening.
• When leaders don’t listen, they miss out on the opportunities to build an inclusive and connected workplace culture. And to be truly connected in the hybrid world, engaging with everyone from every location is key.
