In today’s diverse and dynamic workplace, fostering an environment of trust is paramount for organisational success. Inclusive behaviours: actions that acknowledge, value, and actively engage with the diversity of individuals, serve as the cornerstone for building this trust. By embracing inclusivity, organisations not only enhance employee engagement and productivity but also drive innovation and collaboration.
Understanding Inclusive Behaviours
Inclusive behaviours encompass actions that promote a sense of belonging and respect among all employees, regardless of their backgrounds or identities. These behaviours include active listening, empathy, transparency, fair decision-making, and encouraging diverse perspectives. In the workplace, such behaviours are crucial as they lay the foundation for trust among employees.
When individuals feel included and valued, they are more likely to engage fully, share ideas, and collaborate effectively, leading to a more cohesive and productive work environment.
Importance of Trust in the Workplace
Trust is a fundamental element that influences various aspects of organisational performance. A high-trust workplace fosters improved employee engagement, collaboration, and productivity. Employees who trust their leaders and colleagues are more likely to take initiative, share innovative ideas, and work collaboratively towards common goals.
Moreover, trust is closely linked to psychological safety—the belief that one can express ideas, questions, and concerns without fear of negative consequences. Psychological safety fosters open communication and risk-taking, which are essential for learning and innovation within teams (Edmondson & Lei, 2014). As highlighted by Atuahene et al. (2024), workplaces with high levels of trust report significantly lower turnover rates and higher employee satisfaction.
Key Inclusive Behaviours That Build Trust
Inclusive behaviours are the building blocks of trust in the workplace.
Some key behaviours include:
Active Listening
Active listening involves fully concentrating, understanding, and responding thoughtfully to others’ words and ideas. It demonstrates respect and appreciation for diverse viewpoints, fostering an inclusive environment. Employees feel valued when their perspectives are genuinely considered, which enhances trust.
Practising active listening can be achieved by maintaining eye contact, asking open-ended questions, and summarising the speaker’s points to ensure understanding. Research suggests that active listening increases team cohesion and reduces conflicts, creating a more harmonious workplace (Kark & Carmeli, 2009).
Empathy and Compassion
Demonstrating empathy involves understanding and sharing the feelings of others, while compassion entails taking action to support them. These behaviours contribute to building trust by showing employees that their experiences and emotions are acknowledged and valued. For example, recognising an employee’s challenges and offering support can strengthen interpersonal relationships and trust. Empathy is often cited as a cornerstone of inclusive leadership, with studies showing that empathetic leaders are more likely to foster high-performing teams (Kark & Carmeli, 2009).
Transparency and Honesty
Transparency and honesty in communication build trust by creating an environment of openness. Sharing information, decision-making processes, and being truthful about organisational changes or challenges help employees feel informed and respected. Transparency reduces uncertainty and fosters trust, as employees are less likely to feel excluded or misled.
Fair Decision-Making
Making decisions based on fairness and equity ensures that all employees are treated justly, which builds trust in leadership and the organisation. Implementing unbiased hiring practices and promoting equal growth opportunities are examples of fair decision-making that contribute to an inclusive workplace. Inclusive leaders demonstrate empathy, appreciation, and genuine concern for their employees’ well-being, cultivating a sense of trust and loyalty among the workforce (Atuahene et al., 2024).
Encouraging Diverse Perspectives
Actively seeking and valuing diverse viewpoints encourages inclusivity and innovation. When employees feel that their unique perspectives are welcomed, it fosters trust and leads to more effective problem-solving and decision-making within teams. Inclusive leadership behaviours help mitigate the adverse effects of low status on psychological safety by reducing hierarchical differences (Newman et al., 2017).
Implementing Inclusive Practices in the Workplace
Embedding inclusivity into the organisational culture requires deliberate action:
Conducting Inclusivity Training
Providing training programmes that educate employees about the importance of inclusivity and equip them with the skills to practise inclusive behaviours is essential. Effective training should be interactive, incorporate real-world scenarios, and include measures to assess its impact. Inclusivity training educates employees on the importance of inclusive behaviours, equipping them with tools to foster a respectful and collaborative environment.
Establishing Inclusive Policies and Procedures
Reviewing and updating workplace policies ensures they promote inclusivity and trust. Examples include implementing flexible work arrangements to accommodate diverse needs and ensuring equitable pay practices to eliminate disparities. At the interpersonal level, inclusion requires respect and acceptance, empathy, practical listening skills, dignity, trust, decision-making authority, and access to information.
Creating Safe Spaces for Open Dialogue
Establishing forums where employees can freely express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas without fear of judgment or retaliation promotes open communication and reinforces psychological safety. Inclusive leadership is when leaders’ words and deeds invite and appreciate contributions and feedback from all team members (Newman et al., 2017).
Encouraging Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Supporting groups that represent diverse identities within the organisation provide platforms for underrepresented voices and foster a sense of belonging among employees. Inclusive leadership behaviours help mitigate the adverse effects of low status on psychological safety by reducing hierarchical differences (Newman et al., 2017).
3 Ways to Measure Trust and Inclusivity in the Workplace
Evaluating the effectiveness of inclusivity initiatives is crucial for ongoing improvement. Methods include:
1. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Metrics such as employee engagement scores, retention rates, and diversity statistics can indicate inclusivity levels. High engagement and retention rates often correlate with increased trust and inclusivity within teams (Atuahene et al., 2024).
2. Employee Feedback
Anonymous surveys and focus groups provide qualitative insights into employees’ experiences of trust and inclusivity. Regular feedback ensures organisations can identify areas for improvement and adapt strategies accordingly. Inclusive leadership is positively related to innovative work behaviour, and psychological safety mediates the effect of inclusive leadership on innovative work behaviour (Atuahene et al., 2024).
3. Continuous Assessment and Improvement
Organisations must prioritise ongoing evaluation of their inclusivity initiatives to remain responsive to employee needs and changes in the workplace. A systematic review of factors that enable psychological safety in healthcare teams highlights the importance of supportive leadership and organisational practices in promoting psychological safety (Newman et al., 2017).
Real-World Examples of Inclusive Behaviours
Several organisations have successfully demonstrated the positive impact of building trust through inclusive behaviours. For instance, Google has long emphasised psychological safety as a cornerstone of team success. Project Aristotle, a study conducted by Google, found that psychological safety—the ability to express ideas and take risks without fear of negative consequences—was the most important factor in creating successful teams. By fostering a culture of openness and inclusivity, Google has consistently ranked high in employee satisfaction and innovation metrics (Rozovsky, 2015). Their approach to inclusivity and psychological safety provides a template for other organisations aiming to build trust through similar practices.
Another example is Unilever, which has embedded inclusivity at the heart of its organisational strategy. The company has implemented comprehensive inclusivity training, established employee resource groups, and prioritised transparency in communication. These initiatives have not only increased employee engagement but also improved retention rates and enhanced overall organisational performance (Unilever Annual Report, 2023). By valuing diverse perspectives and encouraging open dialogue, Unilever demonstrates the tangible benefits of inclusive behaviours in the workplace.
A particularly compelling case is that of Microsoft, which has championed inclusive leadership under the guidance of CEO Satya Nadella. Nadella’s leadership style focuses on empathy, active listening, and transparency—key inclusive behaviours that have transformed Microsoft’s workplace culture. By emphasising collaboration and fostering a growth mindset, Nadella has built a culture of trust and inclusivity, driving innovation and significantly boosting employee morale and productivity.
Overcoming Challenges in Building Trust and Inclusivity
Despite the clear benefits of trust and inclusivity, organisations often encounter significant challenges when implementing these changes. One common obstacle is resistance to change. Employees and leaders alike may be hesitant to alter established practices, particularly if they perceive inclusivity initiatives as unnecessary or disruptive. To address this, organisations must communicate the benefits of inclusivity clearly and involve employees in the change process. Providing training that highlights the positive impact of inclusive behaviours on team performance and individual well-being can help alleviate resistance.
Another challenge is ensuring consistency in applying inclusive practices across the organisation. Leaders play a crucial role in modelling inclusive behaviours, but without consistent application at all levels, these efforts can lose credibility. Organisations must provide regular training and hold leaders accountable for practising inclusivity. Establishing metrics to measure inclusivity and linking these to performance reviews can also ensure consistency.
Balancing inclusivity with organisational goals can also be challenging. Leaders may struggle to reconcile inclusivity initiatives with the need to achieve specific business outcomes, particularly in highly competitive or resource-constrained environments. However, research consistently shows that inclusivity and organisational performance are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, inclusive workplaces are more innovative, adaptable, and resilient, making inclusivity a critical driver of long-term success.
The Role of Leadership in Building Trust Through Inclusivity
Leadership is pivotal in fostering a culture of trust and inclusivity. Inclusive leaders demonstrate behaviours such as active listening, empathy, and fairness, which set the tone for organisational culture. Leaders who model these behaviours create an environment where employees feel safe, valued, and empowered to contribute.
Transformational leadership, which emphasises inspiring and motivating employees, has been shown to correlate strongly with inclusivity and trust. Research by Bass and Riggio (2006) highlights how transformational leaders foster trust by prioritising the needs of their employees and encouraging collaboration. Similarly, inclusive leadership involves behaviours that invite diverse perspectives and promote open dialogue. Leaders who exhibit inclusive behaviours not only build trust but also enhance team cohesion and performance.
For example, organisations like Deloitte have incorporated inclusive leadership into their talent management strategies. Deloitte’s inclusive leadership model identifies six traits—commitment, courage, cognisance of bias, curiosity, cultural intelligence, and collaboration—that enable leaders to build trust and foster inclusivity. By embedding these traits into leadership development programmes, Deloitte has enhanced its ability to attract and retain diverse talent, thereby driving organisational success (Bourke & Dillon, 2016).
The Long-Term Benefits of Trust and Inclusivity
Building trust through inclusive behaviours yields long-term benefits for organisations. High-trust workplaces are characterised by increased employee engagement, lower turnover rates, and enhanced organisational resilience. Inclusivity, meanwhile, drives innovation by fostering diverse perspectives and promoting collaborative problem-solving.
Research by McKinsey & Company (2020) underscores the financial benefits of inclusivity. Companies with greater gender and ethnic diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability compared to their less diverse counterparts. Similarly, a study by Deloitte (Bourke & Dillon, 2016) found that inclusive workplaces experienced a 30% increase in team performance and a 20% improvement in the quality of decision-making.
Moreover, trust and inclusivity contribute to employee well-being, which is increasingly recognised as a critical factor in organisational success. Employees who feel trusted and included report higher levels of job satisfaction, psychological safety, and overall well-being. This, in turn, reduces absenteeism and enhances productivity, creating a virtuous cycle of organisational performance and employee engagement.
Conclusion
Building trust with inclusive behaviours is not merely a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity in today’s competitive and diverse workplace. Inclusive behaviours such as active listening, empathy, transparency, and fairness create the foundation for trust, enabling organisations to foster collaboration, innovation, and resilience. By implementing inclusive practices, measuring their impact, and addressing challenges proactively, organisations can create workplaces where trust and inclusivity thrive.
Leadership plays a central role in this process, with inclusive leaders setting the tone for organisational culture and modelling the behaviours that build trust. The benefits of these efforts extend beyond improved organisational performance; they also enhance employee well-being, create a sense of belonging, and drive long-term success.
As organisations navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world, trust and inclusivity will remain critical drivers of sustainable growth and innovation. By prioritising these values, organisations can create workplaces that are not only successful but also meaningful and fulfilling for all employees.
Next Steps
If you’re looking to build trust and support psychological safety in the workplace, then join over 450 organisations who have signed up to take part in Psychological Safety Week, our free, week-long initiative designed to educate and promote the importance of psychological safety at work.
If your organisation needs more focused support, whether through our proven Inclusive Leadership training or dedicated psychological safety audit and workshop offerings, then reach out to our expert team at info@pearnkandola.com
References
Atuahene, F., et al. (2024). Inclusive Leadership and Innovative Work Behaviour: Mediating Role of Psychological Safety. Nature Communications.
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational Leadership. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Bourke, J., & Dillon, B. (2016). The Six Signature Traits of Inclusive Leadership: Thriving in a Diverse New World. Deloitte Insights.
Carmeli, A., Reiter-Palmon, R., & Ziv, E. (2010). Inclusive leadership and employee involvement in creative tasks in the workplace: The mediating role of psychological safety. Creativity Research Journal, 22(3), 250–260.
Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct. Annual Review of Organisational Psychology and Organisational Behaviour, 1(1), 23–43.
Kark, R., & Carmeli, A. (2009). Alive and Creating: The Mediating Role of Vitality and Aliveness in the Relationship Between Psychological Safety and Creative Work Involvement. Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 30(6), 785–804.
McKinsey & Company. (2020). Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters.
Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2017). Psychological Safety: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 521–535.
Rozovsky, J. (2015). The Five Keys to a Successful Google Team.
Unilever Annual Report. (2023). Driving Inclusion and Trust.
