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How to Become More Inclusive at Work: The Stuff Nobody Talks About

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Right, let me tell you something that's going to ruffle some feathers. After seventeen years of running training sessions across Sydney, Melbourne, and every industrial estate in between, I've watched companies throw money at diversity consultants while their own managers still can't figure out how to talk to their own teams without causing a workplace incident.

Last month, I was delivering a session to a mining company in Gladstone when their site supervisor - lovely bloke, been there since the Hawke era - asked me point blank: "Mate, what's all this inclusion stuff really about? We've got people from twenty different countries here, they all get along fine." And you know what? He had a point. Sort of.

The Real Problem Nobody Wants to Address

Here's what drives me mental about most inclusion training: it's all theory and no practical application. Companies bring in expensive consultants who've never managed a team in their lives, deliver a two-hour PowerPoint presentation about unconscious bias, tick a box, and wonder why nothing changes.

The truth is, real inclusion starts with basic communication skills. Which most Australian managers are shocking at.

I'm talking about managers who still think giving feedback means having a casual chat by the coffee machine, or who assume everyone processes information the same way they do. Last week, I watched a team leader in Parramatta explain a new safety procedure by rapid-firing instructions while half his crew stood there looking confused. When I asked him afterwards if he checked for understanding, he said, "Yeah, they all nodded."

Nodding doesn't mean understanding. It often means "I've stopped listening but I'm being polite."

What Inclusion Actually Looks Like in Practice

Real inclusion isn't about political correctness or walking on eggshells. It's about creating an environment where different thinking styles, communication preferences, and problem-solving approaches are genuinely valued. Not just tolerated - valued.

Here's something that might surprise you: the most inclusive teams I've worked with often have leaders who are slightly impatient and direct. They don't have time for assumptions or beating around the bush. They ask direct questions, clarify expectations immediately, and create systems that work for everyone.

Take this logistics manager in Perth I worked with last year. Absolute legend. She managed a team of forty-three people from fourteen different countries. Her approach? She standardised everything. Meeting formats, reporting structures, feedback cycles. But within those structures, she encouraged people to contribute in whatever way worked best for them.

Some team members preferred written updates, others wanted face-to-face conversations. Some needed detailed explanations, others just wanted the bottom line. She accommodated all of this without making it complicated or turning it into a diversity workshop.

The result? Lowest turnover rate in the company and productivity numbers that made head office jealous.

The Five Things That Actually Make a Difference

1. Stop assuming everyone communicates like you do

I cannot stress this enough. Your communication style is not the universal standard. Some people need time to process information. Others want to discuss ideas before committing. Some prefer direct instructions, others work better with context and reasoning.

The manager who figures this out and adapts accordingly will get better results from their team. Every single time.

2. Create multiple ways for people to contribute

Not everyone's comfortable speaking up in meetings. Some of your best ideas are sitting quietly in the back row because the person who thought of them doesn't want to interrupt or feels their English isn't good enough for a formal presentation.

Try anonymous suggestion systems. Use small group discussions before large group sharing. Send agendas in advance so people can prepare. Effective communication training teaches you how to create these multiple pathways naturally.

3. Question your hiring criteria

This one's controversial, but I'm going to say it anyway. Sometimes your job requirements are excluding good people for stupid reasons. Do you really need "excellent verbal communication skills" for a data analysis role? Or are you actually looking for someone who can present findings clearly - which could be done through written reports or visual presentations?

I've seen brilliant engineers passed over because they were quiet in interviews, and excellent problem-solvers rejected because their accent was strong. Meanwhile, smooth talkers who couldn't deliver results sailed through the process.

4. Address the small stuff immediately

Inclusion isn't just about big policy changes. It's about stopping the small daily actions that make people feel like outsiders. The jokes that aren't quite jokes. The assumptions about who should take notes in meetings. The way certain ideas get more consideration when they come from certain people.

Call it out. Not in a preachy way, but as a practical business issue. "Let's make sure everyone gets heard before we move forward" or "Sarah, you mentioned something similar earlier - can you expand on that?"

5. Actually listen to your team

This sounds obvious, but most managers are terrible listeners. They're waiting for their turn to talk or already planning their response. True listening means paying attention to what people aren't saying as much as what they are.

When someone says "it's probably fine," that's usually code for "there's a problem but I don't think you want to hear about it." When someone stops contributing to discussions, there's usually a reason.

The Training That Actually Works

Here's where I'm going to be a bit self-serving, but only because I've seen what works and what doesn't. The most effective workplace communication training focuses on practical skills, not theoretical concepts.

Role-playing difficult conversations. Practising active listening techniques. Learning how to give feedback that actually helps people improve. Understanding different personality types and how they prefer to receive information.

I remember delivering a session to a retail chain in Adelaide where the store managers kept complaining about their "difficult" staff. Turns out, most of the "difficulty" was just miscommunication. Once they learned how to adapt their communication style to different team members, half their problems disappeared.

What About the Pushback?

Look, there's always going to be resistance to change. Some people will say this is all "political correctness gone mad" or worry that they'll say the wrong thing and get in trouble.

My response? Good communication benefits everyone. When you're clear about expectations, when you create opportunities for people to contribute their best work, when you actually listen to your team - everybody wins. The business performs better, people are more engaged, and you spend less time dealing with workplace drama.

And honestly? If someone's main concern is that they might accidentally treat people with respect, that says more about them than about the training.

The Bottom Line

Inclusion isn't a nice-to-have anymore. It's a business necessity. Teams that leverage different perspectives solve problems faster and come up with better solutions. Companies that can attract and retain diverse talent have access to a bigger pool of skilled workers.

But here's the thing - you can't mandate inclusion through policy alone. It has to be built through daily practices, consistent leadership, and genuine commitment to helping everyone do their best work.

Most of the professional development training I deliver these days includes inclusion elements because they're inseparable from good management practice. You can't be an effective leader in modern Australia without understanding how to work with people who think differently than you do.

The companies that figure this out early will have a massive advantage over those still arguing about whether it's necessary. By the time the laggards catch up, the smart operators will already have the best talent locked up.

So stop overthinking it. Start with better communication, create systems that work for everyone, and treat people like the individuals they are rather than the stereotypes you might have in your head.

It's not rocket science. It's just good management. Which, unfortunately, is rarer than it should be.


For more insights on workplace communication and professional development, check out our range of training workshops designed specifically for Australian businesses.