Published
2019
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Like the great equality and inclusion activist Lady Phyll says, "We must "usualise" the conversation about LGBT+ experiences in the workplace" (and in society more broadly).
So the fundamental question businesses should ask on IDAHOBIT and on any other day is: "is LGBT+ Inclusion business as usual in our workplace?" In other words "Are LGBT+ employees recognised, valued, supported and respected in exactly the same way as anyone else?"
Many business leaders will probably quickly jump to a "yes of course" answer, and often they do mean it, but they are unaware of the day to day realities their LGBT+ employees face: the banter, the slightly homo/bi/trans-phobic references and jokes, the micro-agressions, the (un) conscious bias that too often results in LGBT+ employees being treated less favourably and their heterosexual colleagues.
This is the reality for many LGBT+ people, as well as for all other minorities or marginalised groups; it is a usual occurrence.
So the fundamental question businesses should ask on IDAHOBIT and on any other day is: "is LGBT+ Inclusion business as usual in our workplace?" In other words "Are LGBT+ employees recognised, valued, supported and respected in exactly the same way as anyone else?"
Many business leaders will probably quickly jump to a "yes of course" answer, and often they do mean it, but they are unaware of the day to day realities their LGBT+ employees face: the banter, the slightly homo/bi/trans-phobic references and jokes, the micro-agressions, the (un) conscious bias that too often results in LGBT+ employees being treated less favourably and their heterosexual colleagues.
This is the reality for many LGBT+ people, as well as for all other minorities or marginalised groups; it is a usual occurrence.
The single most powerful thing anyone can do to make a real difference is to usualise the experience of LGBT+ colleagues by taking the stigma and the sensationalism out of it.
A gay colleague is not some sex addict, a trans colleague is not an oddity to stare at, a bi colleague is not an indecisive greedy individual. We are all "normal" and often have relatively boring, uneventful lives, like many others.
Asking a colleague about their weekend should be as easy a conversation for a LGBT+ person as for a straight colleague. The former should not feel they need to make a huge effort to avoid gendering their partners for fear of being judged if they happen to be in a same sex relation.
Anyone should feel able to choose the prefix, name and pronoun they'd like people to use, and it should not be a big deal, it should feel "normal" to everyone, business as usual.
But how do we get there?
In the same way that successful businesses, and leaders, get anything done: showing leadership, determination and purpose.
We must make inclusion and respect part of the company's DNA, by creating an environment where homo/bi/trans-phobic behaviours are seen as toxic for the business, as detrimental to the achievement of the company's goals and aspirations.
If we get there, everyone in the workplace will feel able to be their authentic self and will perform much better as a result. Sickness absence and staff turnover will also reduce, and productivity will increase.
The good news is that this is possible and many companies are showing great leadership in this area. However, it must be stressed that, like Rome wasn't built in a day, LGBT+ inclusion as business as usual will not be achieved with one off initiatives. A vision and a long-term plan is necessary to to make homo/bi/trans-phobia "unusual" in workplaces, a thing of thing of the past.
Leaders have a vital role to play to set the right tone and to devise effective strategies to affect positive and lasting change.
And in the spirit of collaboration, here some free advice to end with:
As you embark on this journey, never assume you know what people think or feel: always ask them (e.g. through well structured employees surveys).
And, when you've identified the issues you need to tackle, don't try to reinvent the wheel: look for best practices around you, reach out to other leaders or organisations that have gone through a similar process and learn from them.
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