Why Inclusive Behaviors Matter More than Ever...for Everyone
Reflections from Fred Miller and Judith Katz
Organizations today face constant disruption and increasing complexity. In times like these, some fundamentals remain timeless, and perhaps more vital than ever. That is certainly true for the Conscious Actions for Inclusion.
Sometimes you look back at something you wrote and think, “Life has changed. I would not write that now.” As the authors of the Conscious Actions for Inclusion, we look back and believe this set of behaviors is still needed and must be lived more now than ever. When our clients have embraced them, these behaviors have transformed the quality of their interactions and improved individual, team, and organizational performance.
Brian Unangst (Executive Director, Bristol Myers Squibb Cell Therapy Development and Operations S12 Manufacturing Lead), a leader we know well, often reminds us that these behaviors have made a real difference in his organization and often encourages us to speak about them. Many people talk about creating higher-performing interactions, but the process often feels complicated and cumbersome. We believed that if we made it simple, it would be easier to adopt, and that has proven true with client after client since we first created the list of behaviors in the 1990s. A statement we made then rings true today:
These behaviors collectively ensure that individuals and teams establish direct and clear communication, eliminate waste in interactions, and create a collaborative and higher performing work environment.
The outcome of practicing these behaviors is a workplace where people demonstrate and support behaviors that enable everyone, individually and collectively, to do their best work.
Conscious Actions for Inclusion*
Greet people authentically by saying “hello.”
Create interaction safety for yourself and your team members.
Work for the common good and shared success.
Listen as an ally by listening, listening, listening, listening, and engaging.
Lean into discomfort by bringing your voice and challenging yourself and others.
State your intent and intensity by saying what you mean and how much you mean it, and by clarifying the level of importance; from a passing notion, to a strong stake, to a boulder that is hard to move, to a tombstone that represents a non-negotiable.
Link to others’ ideas, thoughts, and feelings, and return energy to them.
Share Street Corners and strive for 360-degree vision by hearing others’ thoughts and experiences as true for them.
Address misunderstandings and resolve disagreements.
Speak up when others are being made small or excluded.
Ensure the right people are doing the right work at the right time with the right tools.
Build trust by doing what you say you will do and honoring confidentiality.
Why These Behaviors Still Matter Today
In today’s environment of disruption, rapid technological change, and growing complexity, these twelve behaviors are more critical than ever. Yes, they create high-performing interactions that drive efficiency, but they also create the trust, clarity, and inclusion that allow individuals and teams to do their best work. They provide a common language so people can communicate clearly and understand one another’s needs and intent.
When people interact effectively, trust builds. With trust comes speed: people do not second guess one another, they understand each other and can decide and execute more rapidly. Without the foundation and practice of these twelve behaviors, strategies stall, innovation slows, and people disengage.
The behaviors may appear simple, but they address core human needs in the workplace: interaction safety, respect, and connection. They open the door to greater collaboration and innovation. Greeting people authentically, listening as an ally, and creating 360-degree vision reinforce a culture where every voice matters. Speaking up when someone is excluded and addressing misunderstandings builds resilience within teams and ensures that all perspectives are heard. These actions move inclusion from an abstract concept to a lived reality.
We define inclusion as a sense of belonging; feeling respected, valued, and seen for who we are as individuals; and experiencing supportive energy, joining interactions, and commitment from leaders, colleagues, and others so that we, individually and collectively, can do our best work.
As organizations integrate AI, hybrid work, and new technologies, these behaviors ensure that human interaction, collaboration, and joint problem solving remain foundational. Organizations that embrace these behaviors see improvements in collaboration, problem solving, and overall performance. They eliminate wasteful interactions, increase transparency, and foster accountability. Most importantly, they create conditions where people, individually and collectively, have the agency to make decisions, contribute ideas, and lead from wherever they sit.
If organizations are to thrive in these transformational times, they must institute these basics. They are simple, but putting them into practice requires senior leader commitment, consistent reinforcement, and individuals experiencing the benefits firsthand. They are not relics of the past; they are essential tools for today and tomorrow.
*Note: We first presented these in the late 1990s. They have evolved over the years.