I recently attended a holiday reception gathering with inclusion at the forefront. Due to the topic, I expected that all the attendees would be welcoming, a core tenet of inclusion. That was not the case. This author experienced an attendee who chose not to respond to a greeting. The lack of response was surprising since the function was a festive holiday gathering. Of course, that’s how assumptions work. Inclusive objectives don’t always mean actual inclusion, so manage expectations accordingly. This article will discuss recommendations and tips for hosts and attendees to support inclusive gatherings, not just during the holiday season.
Host Tips For Creating Inclusive Gatherings
- Provide a cheat sheet for attendees on what a welcoming environment looks like. Don’t assume that everyone knows inclusive norms. Give audience members some scenario-based examples with messaging to remind people what being inclusive looks like. For example, say something like, be inclusive at our event. Here’s how? Start by simply smiling and saying hello to everyone. Avoid leaning into comfortable behaviors where conversations are focused only on known affiliations. Harvard has an inclusive meeting guide that’s worthy of a read upfront.
- Hold guests accountable by providing resources for success. As host, walk the gathering and notice audience members who look excluded. Intervene and engage in conversation to bring seemingly excluded guests into the fold. Notice opportunities to introduce guests to others who excel at fostering inclusive environments. Reviewing the RSVP list and making notes of those who can play that role ahead of time is prudent. Another approach is to leverage the event team to set up an inclusive ambassador system, whereby the role is to mix and mingle and ensure exclusion is non-existent or minimized at the gathering.
- Do a lesson learned by gathering input from team members and audience members. Include an inclusion question on distributed surveys to determine whether anyone felt excluded at the event. Consider also doing informal chats to gauge inclusion success. Ask directed questions about how welcoming the environment was. Monday’s Blog has a downloadable lessons-learned template that could support this process.
Attendee Recommendations For Being Inclusive:
- Understand the audience’s role and ensure it aligns with personal inclusion values. The host is one of many responsible for being inclusive. For leaders who prioritize and commit to inclusive leadership, it means proactively checking mannerisms and striving to lead inclusively (in other words, walk the talk as an inclusive leader) at all times. Yes, there will be bumbles and stumbles. However, smiling and being welcoming of others is a good start and will go a long way on this inclusive leadership journey.
- Always be self-aware, noticing cases where the focus is on singular conversations that are unknowingly closed to others. Verbal and nonverbal cues can signify unwelcoming spaces. Be the person who invites another to join in. Lean into inclusive behaviors like curiosity to learn about someone new. Support the host by engaging with more than known affiliations.
- Craft and maintain a personal, inclusive networking strategy that outlines the behaviors and goals for events. Then, implement the strategy and continue to fine-tune it. Be sure to measure success. Track the diversity of events attended and levels of personal engagement and interaction. Awareness, as previously mentioned, is vital.
Have fun this holiday season, stay on brand, and lead inclusively.