Further Resources

Stop Making Inclusion So Bloody Complicated: A Real Person's Guide to Actually Getting Along at Work

Three weeks ago, I watched a perfectly capable marketing manager explain why she couldn't hire someone because "they wouldn't fit our culture." The candidate was brilliant. Had fantastic references. But apparently didn't laugh at the right jokes during the team lunch.

That's when it hit me: we've turned workplace inclusion into this mystical, overcomplicated beast that requires consultants, workshops, and acronyms nobody remembers. Meanwhile, we're still making the same basic mistakes we made twenty years ago.

After fifteen years running training programs across Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, I've seen enough diversity initiatives to wallpaper my office. Most fail because they treat inclusion like it's rocket science instead of basic human decency with a business case attached.

The Problem Nobody Talks About

Here's what nobody wants to admit: inclusion isn't hard because people are inherently terrible. It's hard because we've built workplaces that reward conformity while pretending to celebrate difference.

Take dress codes. Most Australian companies claim they're relaxed about appearance, but watch what happens when someone shows up in traditional cultural dress or has visible tattoos. The uncomfortable glances. The subtle comments. The mysterious lack of client-facing opportunities.

I've worked with companies that spent $50,000 on inclusion training while simultaneously requiring "cultural fit" interviews that basically meant "do you remind us of ourselves?"

The cognitive dissonance is staggering.

What Actually Works (From Someone Who's Tried Everything)

Let me save you some time and money. Here's what I've learned actually moves the needle:

Stop hiring for "culture fit" and start hiring for "culture add." This isn't just semantics. When Atlassian made this shift, their diversity numbers improved dramatically. Instead of asking "will they fit in?" ask "what unique perspective will they bring?"

The difference is enormous.

Make inclusion part of performance reviews. Not just for managers—for everyone. Include specific behaviours like "actively seeks diverse perspectives" or "creates space for others to contribute." Make it measurable. Because what gets measured gets managed, as the old saying goes.

And here's where I might lose some people: stop celebrating inclusion weeks and start building inclusive systems.

International Women's Day morning teas don't fix pay gaps. Pride month rainbow logos don't create psychological safety for LGBTI+ employees year-round. These gestures feel good but they're often substitutes for real change.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Bias Training

Most unconscious bias training doesn't work. There, I said it.

Harvard Business Review published research showing that diversity training can actually increase bias in some cases. People walk out thinking they've been "fixed" when bias isn't something you cure in a two-hour session.

What works better? Skills-based training focused on specific behaviours. Emotional intelligence training that helps people recognise and manage their reactions. Conflict resolution workshops that give people tools for difficult conversations.

I run these programs constantly, and the feedback is always the same: people want practical skills, not lectures about privilege.

The Australian Context (Because We're Different)

Australia has unique inclusion challenges that generic American training programs don't address. Our "tall poppy syndrome" culture can make it uncomfortable for people to speak up about discrimination. Our casual workplace communication style can mask exclusionary behaviour as "just having a laugh."

And let's be honest about our track record. We're still working through the aftermath of historical exclusion policies. We have one of the most multicultural populations in the world, but executive teams that don't reflect that diversity.

The good news? Australian workplaces that get inclusion right tend to see bigger benefits than their overseas counterparts. Our collaborative culture actually supports inclusive practices once they're properly embedded.

Small Changes, Big Impact

Here's what surprised me most after years of doing this work: the smallest changes often create the biggest shifts.

Meeting facilitation. Train your team leaders to actively draw out quiet voices. "Sarah, what's your take on this?" or "Before we decide, let's hear from everyone who hasn't spoken yet." Leadership training programs that focus on facilitation skills consistently get better diversity outcomes than broad inclusion workshops.

Simple. Effective. Immediate.

Email etiquette. Stop sending important information only through informal channels. The boys' club chat over beers excludes people who don't drink, have caring responsibilities, or simply prefer professional boundaries. Put decisions in writing. CC everyone who needs to know.

Project assignment transparency. Make the criteria for choosing project teams explicit. "We selected John because he has API experience" is very different from "we went with John because we know he'll deliver." The first creates learning opportunities. The second perpetuates existing networks.

Where Most Companies Go Wrong

They focus on numbers instead of culture. They celebrate hitting diversity targets while ignoring retention rates. They promote one woman to leadership and think they've solved gender equality.

I worked with a tech company that bragged about their 40% female graduate intake. Twelve months later, 60% of those women had left for competitors. The exit interviews told the same story: brilliant women feeling undervalued, excluded from informal networks, and given less challenging assignments than their male colleagues.

The company's response? Hire more women.

This is like trying to fill a bucket with holes in the bottom.

The Business Case (For the Sceptics)

Look, some of you are rolling your eyes at all this inclusion talk. You think it's political correctness gone mad or a distraction from "real work."

Here are some numbers that might change your mind:

McKinsey's research consistently shows that companies with diverse executive teams outperform their peers by 25% in terms of profitability. Boston Consulting Group found that companies with above-average diversity scores report innovation revenue that's 19% higher than companies with below-average diversity scores.

But here's the statistic that really gets CFOs' attention: inclusive teams make better decisions up to 87% of the time. They're also twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets.

This isn't about being nice. It's about being smart.

Getting Started Tomorrow

Don't wait for permission. Don't form a committee. Don't hire a consultant (present company excluded, obviously).

Start with yourself. Notice who you interrupt and who you let finish their thoughts. Observe whose ideas get credited and whose get overlooked. Pay attention to who gets invited to informal gatherings and who finds out about opportunities through the grapevine.

Then start small:

Amplify good ideas from underrepresented colleagues. "Building on what Maria suggested..." is a simple way to ensure credit goes where it's due.

Question your first instincts when evaluating people. Ask yourself: "Am I responding to their competence or their confidence?" These aren't the same thing, despite what our promotion criteria might suggest.

Create space in meetings for different communication styles. Some people need processing time. Others prefer written preparation. Neither approach is wrong.

The Long Game

Real inclusion takes time. It requires changing systems, not just attitudes. It means examining policies, practices, and unwritten rules that might inadvertently exclude people.

But here's what I've learned after years of watching companies struggle with this: the organisations that commit to genuine inclusion don't just become better places to work. They become better at everything.

They make smarter decisions. They innovate faster. They attract better talent. They serve customers more effectively.

And frankly, they're just more interesting places to spend forty hours a week.

Most importantly, they stop treating inclusion like a problem to solve and start treating it like a competitive advantage to build.

Which, when you think about it, is exactly what it is.

Looking to build more inclusive leadership skills in your organisation? Check out our range of communication training programs designed specifically for Australian workplaces.