Inclusion is not just confined to policies and procedures in the workspaces. Inclusion is an everyday act we can all practice and do. Here are 50 Micro-inclusive acts you can try today!
- Smile.
- Greet people authentically.
- Listen Actively and Genuinely.
- Introduce yourself.
- Introduce your pronouns.
- Ask for the proper pronouns.
- Make the effort to pronounce names correctly!
- Connect with someone who is different from you.
- Observe the demographic difference around you.
- Acknowledge different cultural holidays and celebrate them if you can!
- Give compliments.
- Show gratitude and thanks.
- Pay attention when someone is talking.
- Put your phone away during a meeting.
- Don’t force an introvert to speak.
- Yet, show your interest and appreciation when they speak.
- Offer various ways of receiving feedback.
- Call out on exclusionary behaviors.
- Don’t humiliate when you call out non-inclusive behaviors.
- Empathize.
- When you lead, offer options!
- Ask about people’s preferences.
- Embrace different ways of working.
- Bear in mind religious or cultural restrictions on certain activities for some.
- Thank that person who shared a different view than the norms.
- Invite the quiet ones to the group if they like.
- Make eye contact and nod to encourage those who are hesitant to speak.
- Speak up about diversity and inclusion.
- Observe how your space (work-home) might be restricting access to some.
- Change that!
- Learn some basic visual cues to support visually impaired or deaf.
- Learn sign language.
- Teach it to your kids.
- Give up your seat for someone who seems to need it.
- Hold the door open to the person coming behind you.
- Stop yourself from judging others. Everyone has their whys.
- Treat everyone with a little more kindness and patience.
- Support minority groups charities.
- Regularly reflect about how inclusively you are behaving
- Appreciate and respect people from diverse cultures and backgrounds
- Appreciate and respect those who have a different style and approach to yours
- Intentionally seek out insights from people who may not look like you.
- If you have a strong reaction to someone, ask yourself why.
- Don’t use jokes that stereotype others.
- Be an advocate!
- Use caption description in your online input.
- Don’t wear strong perfumes.
- Believe that People are created Equal; but not the same.
- Report excluding and restricting policies and practices.
- When in doubt, ask people the best way they prefer to be called and treated.