Reclaiming Inclusion: Advancing Equity Without Saying ‘Diversity

 Introduction:

In today’s climate, even the word “diversity” has become politically charged. In some sectors, using it openly may result in backlash—or even legal consequences. But inclusion isn’t optional. Organizations still need to harness the full spectrum of human potential to thrive, adapt, and solve complex problems. Inclusion is about ensuring people can contribute without being excluded, sabotaged, or harassed. And that remains vital, regardless of what we call it.

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1. Inclusion Is the Goal—Not the Word

The pushback against DEI often centers on terminology. But let’s be clear: we don’t need a word to keep doing the work. Inclusion means making sure everyone—regardless of background, identity, or lived experience—can contribute meaningfully. If the word “diversity” becomes a political lightning rod, we can use other framing—like representation, belonging, psychological safety, or inclusive leadership—without losing the essence.

Tip: Reframe your goals around “effective team participation,” “broadening access,” or “removing participation barriers.”

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2. The Real Threat to Inclusion? Sabotage and Harassment

The biggest threats to inclusion don’t come from regulations—they come from inside. Passive-aggressive saboteurs, workplace bullies, and gatekeepers can quietly undo inclusive efforts. They withhold information, sideline new hires, or harass people into quitting—all without ever breaking an official policy.

Inclusion fails not when we stop using the word, but when we let toxic behaviors fester.

Organizations need strategies rooted in behavioral psychology to recognize and stop these patterns. It’s not about training people to “be nice”—it’s about changing the reinforcement systems that allow bullying and exclusion to persist so that bullies can't exclude people from the work group anymore. 

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3. Why Inclusion Still Pays Off

Inclusive teams don’t just feel better—they perform better. Research shows that when people from different backgrounds are truly allowed to collaborate, they identify risks faster, innovate more, and solve problems more effectively. But that only happens when team members feel safe speaking up—and that means rooting out behaviors that silence or sideline differing viewpoints.

If you’re hiring for talent, you need to protect that talent from saboteurs.

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4. How to Protect Your Inclusion Initiatives in a Politicized World

You can protect inclusion efforts without waving a DEI banner:

• Embed it into leadership values: Talk about fairness, safety, and performance, not identity politics.

• Use data, not slogans: Focus on participation metrics, attrition rates, and engagement scores.

• Train your managers in behavioral techniques: Give them tools to shut down sabotage and ensure new ideas aren’t ignored or punished.

• Make inclusion a performance issue: If someone is undermining a team member’s ability to contribute, it’s a leadership failure—not a personality clash.

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5. Next Steps: Train for Real Inclusion

Stopping harassment and sabotage requires more than good intentions—it takes skills. My courses are designed to teach exactly that, using proven behavioral psychology techniques to:

• Stop variably reinforced harassment

• Create reinforcement systems that protect inclusion

• Identify and neutralize saboteurs of inclusive culture

Whether you call it “diversity,” “belonging,” or “collaborative team culture,” the goal is the same: make sure everyone is included and no one on your team is being sabotaged.

Learn how to stop harassment using behavioral psychology →https://humanistlearning.com/programsoffered/#bullying
Learn how to safeguard your inclusion initiatives →https://humanistlearning.com/safeguarding-diversity-and-inclusion-unmasking-saboteurs/

How to do DEI when a state is hostile to Diversity

 I recently gave a talk on how to prevent saboteurs from killing your diversity initiative.  I was asked what to do when your company - or your state is hostile to diversity. I am in FL - it's illegal in many companies to do DEI training.  DEI is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The solution - is to focus on inclusion.  

In this blog post, we'll explore the transformative power of inclusion, shedding light on its benefits in problem-solving, company culture, and productivity. More importantly, we'll delve into the vital role inclusion plays in preventing workplace sabotage and bullying, offering practical insights into using behavioral psychology to create a truly inclusive workplace.

1. The Power of Inclusion in Problem Solving:

Inclusion brings together diverse perspectives, providing a wealth of viewpoints crucial for effective problem-solving. When individuals from varied backgrounds contribute to discussions, a rich tapestry of ideas emerges. This diversity of thought is an invaluable asset in navigating challenges and driving innovation.

This framing avoids some of the triggers of DEI framing yet makes the business case for diversity through inclusion. 

2. Creating a Bully-Free Culture:

One of the most significant obstacles to a diverse and inclusive workplace is the presence of bullying and exclusionary behavior. Inclusion acts as a powerful antidote, fostering a culture where every individual feels valued and respected. By actively preventing bullying, organizations can create an environment where employees are free to collaborate without fear, ultimately enhancing overall well-being and job satisfaction.

Most DEI initiatives fail because they are actively sabotaged by employees.  It isn't enough to recruit for diversity, you also have to make sure diversity isn't sabotaged. By focusing on how to stop bullying, you create an inclusive culture. And this culture - prevents sabotage. 

Again - in an environment hostile to DEI - the problem of bullying - effects everyone and you can use this lens to address the root problems while avoiding some of the more - divisive topics that have been outlawed in certain places. 

3. Boosting Productivity Through Inclusion:

Inclusive environments boost productivity. When employees feel included, they are more engaged, motivated, and invested in their work. Exclusion, on the other hand, hampers productivity by creating unnecessary roadblocks and obstacles. In essence, inclusion is not just a feel-good concept; it directly correlates with enhanced work output and efficiency.

Everyone wants to feel like they belong in the workplace.  While it is true that certain groups experience more - sabotage and exclusion than others, if the discussion of that sabotage and exclusion creates a legal problem due to the regulatory environment - you can focus on inclusion as a way to boost productivity as a way to address the holistic root of the problem in a way that makes everyone feel - included. 

4. Recognizing the Sabotage Factor:

Diversity initiatives often face resistance, and a significant reason for this is workplace sabotage. Exclusionary practices and bullying can undermine the very foundation of diversity efforts. Addressing these issues head-on is crucial for the success of any inclusion initiative.

By focusing on eliminating employee sabotage - you give employees and the organization the tools to see and effectively deal with - exclusion and sabotage - which is the big a** root of the DEI problem. 

5. Using Behavioral Psychology to Stop Sabotage:

Behavioral psychology provides valuable tools to identify and curb bullying, harassment, and passive-aggressive behavior. Through targeted interventions and education, organizations can empower employees to recognize and mitigate these negative behaviors, creating a safer and more inclusive workplace.

The goal here is to prevent employee sabotage and exclusion. All employees experience this.  Some - more than others. By providing the scientifically validated tools to stop sabotage and exclusion - you will improve diversity and create the conditions in which a diverse workgroup can thrive without being sabotaged or excluded. 

6. Humanist Learning Courses for Skill Development:

My company offers specialized courses in behavioral psychology to equip individuals with the skills needed to foster inclusion and eliminate workplace sabotage. These courses delve into the nuances of human behavior, providing practical strategies for creating a positive and inclusive work environment.

https://humanistlearning.com 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the journey towards a diverse and inclusive workplace begins with a laser focus on inclusion itself. By emphasizing the tangible benefits of inclusion in problem-solving, company culture, and productivity, organizations can lay the groundwork for lasting change. Additionally, addressing the challenge of workplace sabotage through behavioral psychology is a crucial step in ensuring the success of diversity initiatives. Together, let's build workplaces where every employee is included, valued, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.

Finally - you don't need anyone's permission to do this. You just decide - I'm going to be inclusive and I'm not going to tolerate exclusion.  Is this easy to do? Nope.  It's worth doing though. My courses will help you learn the science behind how to top unwanted behaviors like exclusion and sabotage behaviors like passive aggressive behavior and help you start rewarding inclusion in your workgroup or group situation. 

Not optional to include everyone in strategy and design sessions

 Why is getting feedback on your plans so important? This twitter thread has the answer.

https://twitter.com/sahrasulaiman/status/1493618903364345860

It starts with a discussion of how a soap dispenser design, while it looks cool, takes a huge amount of time to maintenance because it's nearly impossible to refill. 

If you don't talk to people who have to maintenance or use your design - like soap dispensers in an airport bathroom that are impossible to refill, you end up creating huge problems for users. 

The thread is a list of things that engineers and designers could have fixed if they had talked to the end user or maintenance person.  Don’t just make things look cool – make sure they are functional too.

Things like - designing a hospital with no place for staff to sleep at because - it didn't dawn on the architect that doctors and nurses, often sleep at the hospital to be available if needed. Talking to workers, isn't optional. It's mandatory if you want to do a good job. 

It should be obvious how this relates to Humanistic Management.  The old model of management was adversarial. The new model is collaborative. The reason is obvious. No one knows what they don't know. Including people, helps make sure you fill in the gaps of what you don't know.

The key to success? Listening to people tell you things you don't want to hear and taking their comments constructively. If someone is telling you - your design won't work, they probably aren't trying to sabotage you. They probably are just trying to make sure that whatever is built - succeeds. 

Why is Inclusion so hard?

 I have recently been asked by a few reporters to talk about my work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion projects.  To be honest, I work less on the topic of diversity and focus almost exclusively on how to proactively create inclusion by preventing and eliminating exclusion.

I am not an expert in diversity issues.  I am passionate, however, about equity. Part of my practice as a Humanist is to view everyone I meet as a unique individual with dignity and worth. It hurts my heart when I learn that someone was abused because of something as stupid and arbitrary as race or gender or whatever stupid metrics are used to divide people.

What I am an expert in though, is how to stop harassment using behavioral science techniques.  Basically, I focus on the – how to actually create inclusion part of the DE&I equation.

Inclusion really is the challenge. For those of us who see all humans as: humans with dignity and worth – the challenge is what to do about the people who don’t. How do we fight back against the people who seek to exclude. It's clearly not enough to want to include people. We need to actively learn how to prevent exclusion. 

The question I seek to answer is – how do we actually create diverse yet cohesive workgroups? The answer is, we must make sure that the people who don’t want inclusion, aren’t able to derail the inclusion project. In other words, how to we make sure that bullies and let’s be honest racists and sexist and other otherists, don’t kill the diversity initiative.   

The next question is how do we make sure that people are actually actively included so that vulnerable people protected by the team and allowed to bring their unique perspective to the problem-solving process and yes – so that the problem solving process is fully collaborative and … inclusive? That is why I focus on inclusion. How to create it and how to make sure it isn’t derailed by bad actors.

The behavioral science on how to stop unwanted exclusionary behaviors is critical to the success of these initiatives.  

The good news is that we have 70 years of behavioral science to know not only how behaviors are learned but also how to cause them to be unlearned. The good news is that the only way to make these techniques work, is to implement them with love and to at all times, validate the dignity of the people we are working to stop.  We can actually do this if we use science and compassion.

It’s long past  time for us to start using these tools and teach ourselves how to actually be the change we want to see.

If you want to learn these skills, visit my course website at: https://humanistlearning.com/category/bullyingharassment/

Diversity v. Inclusion - what's the difference?

Just because you have diversity - doesn't mean you have inclusion.  

Diversity means you have variety.  In the workplace - you could have a variety of people of different genders. You could have a variety of people from different ages. You could have a variety of people from different income groups. You could have a variety of people with different skin tones. A variety of people from different religions.  Think of diversity - as variety.

There is a reasons companies like to recruit in diverse people. And it's not just that they don't want to get sued for discrimination. It's also because that diversity is great for critical thinking and decision making.  

You  don't know what you don't know. Diversity gives you a better chance at uncovering the things you don't know so that you can plan for them and adjust your strategies so they are more likely to be successful.

In order for diversity to benefit your organization though - it's not enough to have diversity - you must also have inclusion.

What good is having a math wiz - if you never ask them to do math for you?  What good is it to have a epidemiologist during a pandemic - if you don't take their advice?  What good is it to plan for education during a pandemic if you don't include teachers in the planning discussions? Not good at all.

In order to benefit from diversity - you have to make sure people with diverse knowledge and experience - are included in decision making process. Otherwise, you are making decisions in the dark and that's exactly what were trying to avoid by recruiting in diverse people.

So - how to ensure people that are diverse create positive collaborative work groups where everyone is included and everyone can contribute equally?  That is literally - the billion dollar question that seems to defy solution.

It turns out we humans are really tribal. We don't trust others and if we don't trust - we don't collaborate.  Also - some people have learned that - they can get their way if they just - exclude those pesky others who have different ideas.  

In order to create a culture of inclusion- you have to simultaneous build up trust and get rid of the people who dominate through bullying and other obnoxious behavior.  This is why my book - The Bully Vaccine - is subtitled: How to inoculate yourself against bullies and other petty people.  https://humanistlearning.com/the-bully-vaccine-book/ 

Recruiting in diversity is actually fairly easy once you decide to do it. The harder part is how to make sure those diverse people are nurtured and included so that they can be their best and contribute to the organization - instead of being marginalized by your other employees.

To help you with that - I offer a variety of training programs that teach you and your staff - how to stop bullying using behavioral science and how to manage humanistically - so that you can finally - have that inclusive supportive organization you always dreamed of.  Details at: https://humanistlearning.com/programsoffered/

Group Decision Making - Inclusion and Psychological Safety

Are there ways for companies to improve their group decision-making? Here are some practical tips on how to plan/implement best practices as well as psychological elements that should be taken into account.

I teach humanistic leadership, behavioral science techniques and have over 30 years in executive leadership.

1^st - Good decision making. “Good” is a moral value judgement. You have to define what good means to the group.  What is a good outcome?  Only then you can look at your options and weigh them against the ideal.  This step – helps eliminate a lot of conflict in group decision making. Often what happens is different people have different ideas of what good means. When you get everyone into agreement on what a “good” result is – you can more easily gain consensus. 

Let me give you an example. I used to work in the tower industry. What constituted a “good” tower to maintenance – was a tower that was in good shape and didn’t need much work.  What constituted a “good” tower to marketing was a tower in a good location for their customers.  What constituted a “good” tower to accounting – was a tower that was generating more cash flow then debt.  Until you get all 3 stakeholder groups into agreement on what a “good” tower is – there will be squabbling.  And yes – this is a real example from my past – it was finally agreed upon that if we were generating more cash flow then debt – then costs to upgrade the tower were irrelevant as we were already net positive.  If there was less cash flow than debt – then we needed to consider whether there was any marketing growth at this location and how much maintenance costs we would have to put in to get that growth. Consensus through integration of all concerns– made all the other decisions easier. We grew to be a half billion-dollar company.

2^nd – Involving ALL stakeholders. It is very easy to make decisions alone. In fact – there is a reason why many people do this. Getting consensus among people with different ideas of what “good” is – is hard.  But it’s a mistake.  You don’t know what you don’t know and not knowing things leads to poor decisions. Bringing in all the stakeholders (from lowest to highest paid) helps ensure that everyone is on board with the plan. It also helps ensure that you aren’t blind to major issues. Diversity is good for decision making.

3^rd – Dealing with diversity problems in decision making. Having a discussion on what is “good” with a diverse group of people is often quite difficult. We all have blind spots.  We think our opinion is the most important opinion. Sorting all that out – takes humility, patience and dignity.  Dignity is an interesting word. You have to act with dignity yourself and give dignity to people you disagree with.  Most people aren’t really capable of this – or rather – they don’t have a lot of practice – acting with dignity and giving dignity to others. But it’s key to sorting out differences and helping a diverse group – become cohesive – while allowing space for all those diverse opinions.

So … how do you do this? Pragmatically? 

By acknowledging dignity violations. Everyone has been hurt at some point. Some  - more than others.  People coming from marginalized backgrounds (whether it’s gender, race, disability, poverty – or whatever), probably have felt like their dignity has been violated more than others.   Creating space for and acknowledging those violations – helps people feel heard. Helps them feel like their dignity is being acknowledged and helps them move past the past violations so that they can work collaboratively in the present. 

This really does work. But to do it – you first have to acknowledge your own feelings of hurt. Understand that you are in charge of your own dignity. No one has the ability to take it from you. You either act with dignity or you don’t. Claim your dignity. Then – help others claim theirs. Then – the first conversation about what constitutes a “good” outcome – becomes much easier.

Let me know if you have any questions.  In the meantime, if you want to learn more - I have a variety of professional development courses that can help you learn these skills for yourself. 

https://humanistlearning.com/category/businesscourses/professionaldevelopment/ 

Evidence Based Solutions for D&I in the workplace

Anyone involved in HR and Diversity Issues knows - what we are doing isn't really working. We still have bias. We still have discrimination. We still have problems with inclusion. And none of the initiatives seem to make a dent. Some do, it specific cases, but as a problem plaguing society and our workplace, it's pretty sticky.

This is why I want to share the Evidence Based D&I HR Magazine article: https://www.dropbox.com/s/amz5hisptr6d036/Evidence-Based%20D%26I%20HR%20Magazine%20May17.pdf

We need to use more science to help us solve these problems.  One of the ways we try to solve D&I problems is by compiling reports about experiences of black, asian, minority and ethnic people in organizations to ask about their experiences. And these stories are useful to help us understand the impact of the dynamics and experiences that people are having in an organization.

What this doesn't do is help us come up with solutions to fix them. It is simply not enough to tell stories to try and get people to care. There are other sciences we can bring in to help us. Like, behavioral science, or sociology or psychology.

Another thing that won't work is "solutioneering" which I refer to as proxy problems. Where people decide that the problem is we have not instituted a particular solution. When that might not be the problem at all.

One of these "solutions" is unconscious bias training. But the evidence is that this training doesn't actually change behavior. (http://humanisthappiness.blogspot.com/2018/11/does-unconscious-bias-training-work.html) There are several reasons why that is the case - one of which is what I teach - the science behind how behaviors are actually changed. https://humanistlearning.com/change1/

The advice they give is please don't just act so you can be seen to be doing something. Do something that will actually work. This requires decision makes to be conscientious, explicit and judicious in seeking out and using evidence to design your intervention. 

FYI - I will be interviewing Rob Briner (one of the co-authors) regarding using evidence based management practice. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/evidence-based-practice-to-make-better-decisions-humanistic-professionals-lunch-and-learn-tickets-53964850320

And if you want to learn some of the science on how to actually get behaviors to change - contact me for a training. https://humanistlearning.com/contact-us/

Does Unconscious Bias Training Work?

Will this solution work?  This is the most important question you can ever ask.

One of the benefits of taking a science based approach to harassment training is that you not only can more effectively stop harassment and bullying, you can also improve your team diversity.  Harassment and discrimination suppress diversity. It's part of the mix of why creating diverse yet cohesive work teams is so difficult. 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission published a report on the effectiveness of unconscious bias training - looking at the actual evidence on whether they work or not. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/research-report-113-unconcious-bais-training-an-assessment-of-the-evidence-for-effectiveness-pdf.pdf

It's worth reading but here are the highlights of the findings. Training can improve awareness of unconscious bias. But, if you want behavioral change – you need to have a behavioral training and finally – there is no difference in learning between online and face to face learning outcomes on this topic.

Regarding whether it was mandatory or voluntary. Mandatory training is more likely to lead to behavioral change AND – team trainings are effective because they help the team self reinforce the learning.

One of the reasons I feel ok offering online training, is because it's as effective as face to face training in this area.  See: Box 8. Comparing methods of delivery of UBT

(This study was rated at MSSM Level 3, ‘moderately rigorous’)
Google (2013) conducted an experiment in the US to evaluate whether their UBT
workshop met the training’s aims of increased awareness and understanding of
unconscious bias and motivation to overcome it. Participants were randomly
allocated to one of three groups: participation in a live workshop, online self-study
video of the workshop, or no UBT (control group). A self-report survey was used to
measure participants’ awareness and understanding of unconscious bias and
motivation to overcome it. Participants’ awareness and understanding of
unconscious bias and motivation to overcome it were significantly higher post-test
compared with pre-test in both online and face-to-face groups, compared with the
control group. Results persisted one month after the workshop. Notably, face-toface
training did not yield stronger effects than online training.

Bias reduction strategies are scientific, evidence based methods for decreasing levels of implicit bias (for example, challenging participants’ unconscious negative thinking by presenting positive counter stereotypic images). In their rapid evidence assessment Cornish and Jones (2013)

identify a range of bias reduction strategies from the scientific research:

● Discounting commonly held stereotypes using positive and counter

stereotypic images.

● Changing how an outgroup member is evaluated and categorised through the

use of evaluative conditioning.

- Here, participants are exposed to repeated pairing of images of

outgroup members with positive images but in a way that disguises the

purpose of the activity from participants.

● Increasing contact between different groups to change the level of threat

evoked in the presence of an outgroup member.

● Encouraging people to take responsibility for their implicit biases by using

cognitive strategies such as implementation intentions (if-then action plans)

and appropriate attributions for outgroup behaviour.

● Encouraging participants to choose valuing diversity freely rather than through

fear of external sanction, or choosing a multicultural, rather than a colourblind,

approach to diversity.

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If you are looking for an online unconcious bias training - I offer one and it can  be bundled with other training programs to help staff not just become aware of their biases, but help them develop positive strategies and skills for dealing with differences so that they can overcome their biases.

https://humanistlearning.com/controlling-our-unconscious-bias/