Encore: 'Will this grow me? Will this grow my business'? Reflect & Repeat Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Inclusion and inclusive leadership are merely philosophical and aspirational concepts and constructs until their very intricacies are acknowledged, embraced and accepted as such. Differences don’t need to be superseded, in order to initiate inclusion within an establishment or organization. There will be differences. Increasing our window of tolerance for difference, managing micro aggressions when differences are apparent and working through those differences to achieve the desired outcome inclusively, is where it’s at. Inclusion doesn’t require us to adopt or even agree with the values or beliefs of others, it does however require us to respect each other as individuals, cognoscente of differing worldviews, faith practices and value systems. A culture built on trust is key to building the cohesive climate within establishments, in which sustainable working relationships are nurtured and where balanced decisions can be made in a participatory, integrative and inclusive way. The measurable return within private and public sectors alike from healthy, communicative relationships, is ever more evident in these circuit breaker times. As remote work requires digital collaboration, written word, and brief periods of online connection, inclusion needs to be a conscious and constant practice of ongoing self-reflection and acceptance at an individual level, so that company and establishment decisions can be made to advance the vision of organisations without dehumanising, devaluing or bringing the personal ideologies or creeds of others to bear. Inclusivity in its purest form, needs to be a practice as aforementioned, rather than a directive. To this end, trust is key, more specifically relationships that are built on trust, which of course comes down to communication styles, competencies and capacities. Trusting communication styles and practices beget inclusivity at its best and foster sustainable processes that increase staff efficacy, with productivity and profitability as a commensurate and quantifiable outcome. In this interview, Simon Haigh, The Growth Strategist, talks about building a culture of psychological safety within establishments, that aims to reverse avoidance tactics and tendencies, teaches and encourages resilience and thereby improves personal, business, leadership and brand growth by going beneath stereotype, to the person within the role. This emergent approach which focuses on matching confidence with capabilities to improve self-esteem by improving self and situational awareness, is a pivotal growth strategy that together with a healthy culture allows optimum teaching and learning, business expansion and even effective deal closing. Perfection erases humanity. Simon Haigh’s inclusive, cohesive and ethical ideology, on the other hand, embraces humanity and grows people and businesses in a healthy, happy and wholesome way, with measurable gains for all concerned as an inevitable consequence.