Part 2: Inclusion: A Workplace Wellness Imperative

In Part 1, we established that inclusion isn't just a buzzword—it's a workplace wellness imperative. Now, it's time to build.

Joined again by the brilliant Dr. Kesha Carter, this episode moves from understanding the problem to creating the solution. We dive into actionable, real-world strategies that both employees and leaders can use to cultivate a culture of true inclusion and psychological safety. If you've ever felt powerless to change your work environment, this conversation will empower you.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Actionable strategies for employees to protect their well-being and champion inclusion.
• How inclusive leadership can transform a team's culture, reduce anxiety, and boost resilience.
• Practical steps to move your workplace from a culture of surviving to one of thriving.

If you're ready to advocate for a healthier environment for yourself and others, this episode is your essential guide.

Connect with Dr. Carter and learn more about her transformative work via email at Lkcarter827@gmail.com or LinkedIn

Transcript

UNKNOWN: 0:00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

Welcome back to the Life Podcast. On Monday, in part one of our conversation with the incredible Dr. Keisha Carter, we laid the groundwork for understanding the critical importance of psychological safety. We define what it means to truly feel safe at work, and we were inspired by the deep connection between safety, inclusion, and our overall well-being. We learned how a lack of safety can become a massive barrier to not just our success, but our health. If you haven't had a chance to listen to part one yet, I highly encourage you to go back and do so. Because today we're picking up right where we left off. Now that we have the knowledge, how do we put it into action? In this episode, we're moving from theory to practice as Dr. Carter shows us how we can all contribute to building environments where we can flourish and how we can evolve into the inclusive, supportive leaders our workplaces so desperately need and deserve And so that moves us, right? Brings us right into Flourish, our fourth pillar of the life podcast. So... It's a call to action, right? Flourishing is all about action. So let's talk about the current climate. Many organizations are pulling back on their DEI initiatives. It's a reality that can leave employees abandoned and disheartened. So for someone in that environment, what are the practical strategies? Like, what can we do? How can they implement and protect their own well-being and still champion inclusivity?

SPEAKER_01: 1:43

Yeah, so finding some kinship, right? Finding folks who are likeable, who are also holding some similar identities is extremely important. So things like employee resource groups are very important and they help to create that environment where employees can flourish. They are inspired. They have that well-being. And it gives entree to leaders in the organization to really know how to understand how they're making decisions because those decisions impact the people in the organization. Absolutely. employee resource groups, though, in order to flourish in that kind of way. It's also important to understand what kind of employee resource group you want to have in your organization, because there are employee resource groups who are strictly advisory, right? They get information from leaders or from the decision makers, and they, you know, they kick them around, they understand, and then they provide some information back. And then there are employee resource groups who actually do some work. And so they are a resource to the organization and not just an affinity group where people come together to share and to gripe and things like that, but they are a resource to the organization. So they usually have a budget. They usually have some decision-making capability from their lens as whatever identity it is that group holds. And so they can bring some decisions to the leadership to say, you know, here's how we think things would be better, different, more enhanced in the organization. And here's the action that our group would will take in order to help make that possible. And so there's those different kinds of groups. One is more advisory. One is actually an action-focused resource group. And so neither are bad. They're just different. And so it depends on what an organization needs or wants in their space. And so being very clear about that. And so that's one way to help employees flourish. The other is creating true mentorship. And so when I say true mentorship, I don't mean leaders going through and picking their favorites and, or the, or the most extroverted, the loudest, and you know, the one that does all the work and saying, you know what, I'm going to take you under my wing. No, those are usually not the people that need more assistance because they kind of know how to do it. Not to say that they shouldn't get it. They're usually not the ones, but really looking at how do I provide some mentorship to folks? And what do I want to, what, what's the purpose of this? What's the end goal of this? Am I creating a pathway to leadership so that I can, as a mentor, then also be an advocate and a sponsor. Because I think mentees and mentors take on responsibility within that relationship, right? The mentee needs to do some work and continue to grow and build. And the mentor, I think one, I don't take mentorship very lightly when people ask me to be their mentor. I take it very, very seriously because I have a responsibility to then act as an advocate and a sponsor for that person. And so So creating those true mentorship relationships within organizations. And to me, often a mentorship should be, it should be time limited, right? There should be parameter. There should be some goalposts set around mentorship, time limited. And someone needs to facilitate the groupings of mentors and mentees. And so some check-ins, right? Are you getting what you need from your mentor? What might be missing? How can I help you with that as the facilitator of this cohort of mentors and mentees? And then the same for the mentor. What are you getting? Because as a mentor, you learn some things as well. So what are you getting? How are you supporting your mentee? Are there sticky points where, as a facilitator, I can step in and help you get over this hump or this barrier, whatever that may be? So creating those true mentorship capabilities and opportunities within organizations. And then lastly, I think... I've been in organizations that call it high potential, those high potential programs. Right. So that's why I paused because I'm like, I don't really want to call it that. But those mental shortcuts we take, sometimes we take those mental shortcuts, right? But those leadership opportunity programs for individuals, creating a true opportunity and a true program so that if you're looking and saying, how do we get the next group of leaders and what are we making? missing in our leadership. Maybe we don't have racial diversity in our leadership. Maybe we don't have age diversity in our leadership. Maybe we only have all of our leaders have taken a traditional educational path because as a non-traditional learner, that's different as well. Maybe all of our leaders have taken a traditional education path, right? Graduated high school, went to college, got a master's degree, and then they got these jobs and here they are.

UNKNOWN: 7:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 7:10

Sometimes non-traditional learners have to balance a lot of different things, right? Family and school at the same time, other health issues maybe. And so there's some learning there. And so how are we looking at what might be missing from our existing leaders? And who do we want to put into these leadership tracks to be able to give them the skills so that they can then be the next group of leaders? And we know that if they go through this program and, you know, for three years or whatever, they go through this program. When a leadership opportunity opens up, we know that we've taught them the things because we crafted this program. We've taught them the things and they are ready to be a leader. And so it doesn't necessarily mean they're removed from one stage to being the executive. Maybe they're going to move from one stage to being the manager. And maybe they're going to move from one stage to being the director. And so, but that's a leadership track. And so being able to do things like that, because then we're not always reaching from other places to bring in leaders because folks are leaving or even bringing in staff because folks are leaving because they don't feel like this is the place for them. They don't feel like they are growing in any kind of way.

SPEAKER_00: 8:25

Wow. A lot to think about. I mean, those are fantastic, tangible steps, you know, and what comes to mind also is how are we training our mentors, right? So I always think about we tend to, We tend to look at staff that have been with the organization for a long time and we're like, oh, let's use them to train our new employees that are coming in. But what kind of mentor are they? Do they even understand their role? Do they understand what the deliverables are to be a mentor? And there's also learning in that process for them. Are they reflecting and learning those lessons as well? So thank you for that because I think one of the biggest issues in organizations across our nation is that training has gone by the wayside. So, you know, real training, it's just not happening anymore. We're saying, hey, Dr. Carter, you've been here for 20 years. Why don't you train Dr. C? And Dr. Carter could be really pissed off, right? Really disgruntled, disengaged, and not feeling connected with the organization's mission. So imagine what kind of mentor, what kind of trainee or trainer you're going to get.

SPEAKER_01: 9:36

Right. And one more thing. Yeah, you're absolutely correct. I like, I completely agree with that because onboarding is, you know, I think onboarding has gone away too. A lot of organizations tend to think that new employee orientation is the same as onboarding. And I'm like, no, new employee orientation is one thing. Onboarding is something very different. And so in one organization, I created a mentorship program that was very different than the way that we think about traditional mentorship. I created a racial diverse or a racial mentorship program where I took non-white students non-leaders in the organization and they were the mentors to the white leaders in the organization. Beautiful. And yeah, so I created this program that I went through three cohorts in the organization that I worked in. So there were three cohorts of about, each one had seven mentors and seven mentees. And so the, and I had to do, I did some training right beforehand. I did training for the mentors and I did training for the mentees because also now I'm taking Again, like I mentioned before, who have particular identities as, and it was particularly focused on, it was an anti-racist mentorship program. And it was particularly focused on non-white folks. So folks of color in the organization who, again, usually have the burden to educate and take care of white leaders in organizations. And so I had to do some training to help them get ready for, because that's a lot, right? I was asking a lot of them and I compensated every single mentor. And so, and then we went into 12 months of an actual mentor-mentee relationship where I did monthly check-ins with each pairing and was available as a resource to help them get through. I shared out different articles and podcasts and things like that to help facilitate. And I also created a mentor workbook and a mentee workbook that I used to help them get through. to help them facilitate their conversations monthly as well.

SPEAKER_00: 12:13

That's amazing. That sounds like something you should definitely be doing across the nation. I'm open to doing that. All right. Well, we'll make sure that it's in the notes how to get in touch with you so that we can continue to do that across the nation. Finally, let's look forward to our last pillar, evolve. When an individual fully embraces the principles of allyship and inclusion, how does this journey of understanding others lead to our own personal evolution oh

SPEAKER_01: 12:42

yeah so allyship so I love talking about allyship and being an accomplice because allyship I think when you're talking about evolving right and allyship and being an accomplice are two of the most important things I think people can do to really evolve because when you are truly an ally so understanding that an ally is one who is like you know what I'm right next to you like right Dr. Carter I'm next to you where, you know, I understand how you've been marginalized. I understand how, you know, from your identity, you've been underrepresented and I'm right next to you. And there are times I'm going to speak up. I'm going to step forward so that you don't have to. And so I'm being that ally. And sometimes you may look to me to be the one to step up, or I may ask you, is it okay if I step up, right? So being an ally is absolutely amazing. And then being an accomplice is that person that is like, you know what, I'm not going to look to, I'm not going to be next to you. I'm in front of you. I am standing in Yeah, yeah. worry about your own psychological safety, I'm good because I have the privilege in this space and I'm going to use my privilege to speak up instead and let other folks who know, who have privilege, understand that's not the way we treat people. That's not the way we do things. And so I think that evolution from being an ally to being an accomplice is also one thing in that I think that helps for many people's well-being because to me, I think people will sleep better at night, right? You Because it also, it merges a lot, for a lot of people, it merges the integrity for them. It merges who they say they are with who they truly are. Because a lot of people say that they are anti-racist, they are anti-xenophobic, they are anti-homophobic, they are anti-whatever-ism and phobia. A lot of people say that they are, but when it really comes down to it and they're in a space where they can do something or speak up for someone even if that person who holds that identity is not in the space, when it comes down to it, oftentimes they take a scan and think, if I say something, I might damage those relationships. I might not have the same social capital as I had before if I say something. So I'm going to sit back. And so they say they're one thing, but they're not actually doing it. And to me, that in internal struggle also leads to diminished well-being because they're constantly struggling. When folks are saying they are this and they are acting in that way, there's no internal struggle because then I don't need you to tell me you are X, Y, and Z because it shows up. I don't need you to tell me that you believe in this because it just shows up. And so those kinds of things, I think, help for the well-being of that individual as well as the individuals who may be marginal underrepresented, traditionally minoritized in a space, it helps with their well-being as well because then that trust level starts to increase with that person who acts in that way. That trust level starts to increase. The need to wear their armor all the time starts to decrease. And those cortisol levels start to decrease. They start to feel like, you know what, I can truly be my authentic self in this space. So we brought it full circle from the very beginning of all of those things not being a factor to all of those things being a factor when we do have those supports and folks truly merge who they say they are with who they truly are.

SPEAKER_00: 16:52

Thank you for that. Because one of the things that is coming to my, like a visual that's coming to my mind of an accomplice is someone using their power and privilege to literally kick the door in and hold the doorframe steady for everyone else to walk through. And that's powerful because we need to continue to make sure that we're being accomplices in spaces where it's not popular, right? And also you mentioned, and I want to highlight, we need to always be an ally and an accomplice when they're not in the room, right? Because if you're not in the room, you need someone to be speaking about how maybe some policies or procedures that are being implemented can be harmful to certain groups. So thank you for that, because I think that that is something that happens often. And when we think about organizations that are staying the course, talk to us about how a sustained, authentic DEI effort can create a workforce that's not only innovative, but productive. and healthier and more resilient.

SPEAKER_01: 17:55

Absolutely. When organizations are staying the course and really true to this work and not just talking about it, they're actually walking the walk. they have higher engagement scores. So folks are happier to do the work. They see how they fit into the work. They want to help the organization grow and thrive and live into the mission and meet all of the goals. And there's less turnover. You can't be innovative when, and I'm talking, you know, of course an organization can be innovative. They're like, oh, I got the next big thing, right? I got the next big idea. I'm talking about really thinking about creative ways to do the work that you're doing. You can't be innovative. when you're constantly onboarding new people, right? When there's new people coming in, you lose all of that innovation, all of that talent, all of that legacy knowledge as well. And so you're constantly trying to get people up to speed. And so you can't be truly innovative and moving forward. You start to take two steps forward and then you take two steps back because now we got turnover, right? So turnover starts to decrease. Folks start to bring more ideas forward and be much more creative in the way that they're thinking about the role that they have. Simple things like, hey, the printer is really, really slow and we do a lot of community engagement. We're going out a lot and we have to print a lot of things. And so I have to come in a half hour earlier to print all of the documents so that I can go out into the community. If we had a faster printer, I don't have to come in a half hour earlier. You don't have to pay me for that extra half an hour. So can we just get another printer? Right? So So that's even, so instead of thinking, this is the way we've always done things, thinking, all right, we've always done it, but why? Why have we done it that way? Why, how can we create more efficiencies? How can we be more effective in the things that we're doing? And so when folks are, when folks are happier, when they really understand how they are, I think, especially in nonprofits, you already have people that are passionate about the work that, the mission of the organization. That's why they're there. But they're going to go and put that passion somewhere else. And so we want them to be passionate. We want them to be here. And one of the things that I share with a lot of leaders is you do great work, especially folks in HR, right? Folks in HR and the leaders of the organization because HR takes their cue from other leaders in the organization. You do great work searching out the most talented individuals. You hire extremely talented, extremely bright individuals. And then you strip that all away from Because what you teach them verbally and non-verbally is be who we want you to be in this organization. Instead of you are super talented and you are super experienced and you bring a lot of amazing things with you. And we want you to come here and bring all of that amazingness with you.

SPEAKER_00: 20:56

Yes. Yes. Oh, wow. Dr. Carter, this has been such an enlightening and deeply important conversation. The biggest takeaway for me, DEI is in a separate initiative, right? It's woven into every fabric of our well-being, and it's about creating spaces where we can all be seen, heard, and valued. Thank you so much for your wisdom and for giving our listeners such actionable advice, especially for those navigating difficult workplace cultures. To our listeners, I hope this conversation has inspired you to see your role in fostering a healthier, more inclusive world, starting with your own workplace. And that's a wrap for today's episode. Thank you so much for hanging out with me on the live podcast. And a huge thank you once again to the incredible Dr. Keisha Carter for sharing her wisdom and actionable advice with us. I really hope you're leaving with a fresh new perspective on what psychological safety truly is and how essential it is for creating a workplace where you don't just survive, but you genuinely thrive. If you want to keep the conversation going, you can find us on social media at And I'd love to hear your thoughts on what it means to feel truly safe at work. And if you got some value out of today's episode, please do me a huge favor and hit the follow or subscribe button and maybe even leave a quick rating or review on your favorite podcast app. It really helps us reach more people that are on the same journey as us. Thank you for being part of our circle. We'll be back with a brand new episode next week called The Trillion Dollar Leadership Blind Spot, where we'll be exploring the factors of workplace burnout and how leaders can mitigate them to increase employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Until then, remember that creating a healthier, more inclusive world starts with you. Keep on learning, stay inspired, continue to flourish, and never stop evolving. I'm your host, Dr. C, and this is The Life Podcast.