Strong Communication Strategies are Key to an Inclusive Organization
/In any organization, clear communication is a vital component of success. And although we know the power of communication and connection, many employees report feeling unheard at work. An article published by Inc. last year reports a recent study found over 50% of employees felt their feedback to leaders was left unheard. That brings two questions to mind—what are the reasons why? And what can we do to fix it? It’s a complicated challenge to overcome, but not one without solutions.
Think of it this way: Teams consist of members from different generations and a variety of complex cultural backgrounds, and often because of that, making sure everyone has a sense of belonging can be a struggle. Markets, worldviews, customs, and traditions often become barriers that prevent people from developing cross-cultural relationships. Although cross-cultural communication is a challenge, Outspoken speaker Tayo Rockson can help organizations of any kind elevate their communication strategies, inclusivity, and team wellness.
Tayo is a writer, speaker, consultant, podcaster, poet, professor, and co-founder of a strategic consulting firm that empowers organizations of all kinds to incorporate sustainable diversity and inclusion practices. He shares his expertise with top leaders on how to build and maintain sustainable DEI practices within their organizations, using a cross-cultural approach to effective communication. He is the author of How To Use Your Difference to Make a Difference: How to Connect and Communicate in a Cross-Cultural World, an "innovative and timely guide [that] illustrates how to leverage differences to move beyond unconscious biases, manage a culturally-diverse workplace, create an environment for more tolerant schooling environments, communicate across borders, find and retain diverse talent, and bridge the gap between working locally and expanding globally."
Tayo provides a strategic framework that allows us to overcome barriers to connecting across cultures. According to Tayo, the type of people that know how to effectively connect across cultures do three things: they educate, they don't perpetuate, and they, instead, communicate.
Part of Tayo’s powerful framework is what he calls the “awareness acceptance spectrum.” Understanding where we lie on this spectrum can help us as both individuals and organizations promote more equity and inclusivity. In this Newsweek article, Tayo explains the crux of this process: “Understand your biases, triggers and values, or your BTVs. For your biases, investigate where all of your accepted truths come from and reflect on why you believe them,” he says. “For your triggers, reflect on how your body and mind react to words and situations. Journal them. For your values, identify your five core values and make sure you do something to fill each of your value cups every day. This is on the awareness side of the spectrum. As you can see, it involves a lot of listening — to yourself.”
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