December 21, 2023 | By David M. Wagner

When a coworker of mine and I snapped at each other in a meeting, we were both more surprised than anyone else present.

We usually worked well together. But we were under a lot of pressure, and the tension boiled over in a semi-public way.

After the meeting, I walked to straight to his office. “Hey man – that’s not like us. Can we talk about this?”

We addressed the underlying concerns immediately, and never had another moment of public frustration again.

A Sense of Safety

I wish I could say that all my workplace conflicts resolved so quickly. One reason for our rapid recovery was the sense of security in our working relationship.

In other words, we felt psychological safety with each other – what professor and author Amy Edmonson calls “permission for candor.”

Psychological safety strengthens individual relationships. But it’s also relevant at a team level. When people feel included on their teams, they can navigate conflicts in a healthy way and develop more creative solutions. Furthermore, experiences of exclusion kill performance.

Foster Inclusivity

Here are a few ways for nonprofit leaders to ensure the members of their teams – both staff and other stakeholders – feel like they belong.

Prioritize personal connection. A key factor in building inclusion is the extent to which team members feel connected to one another. Putting systems in place to build those connections can help ensure no one falls through the cracks. Some tips:

1. Set the tone from day one by including personal introductions and one-on-one conversations as part of onboarding.

2. Create time before or after meetings (especially virtual meetings) for everyone to share what’s happening in their lives outside of work, if they want to.

3. Assign a member of the leadership team to check in on each team member periodically, even if there’s not a reporting relationship.

Create multiple channels for feedback. When you want to hear from your team, such as on an important decision, don’t rely on just one method – like asking for comments in a meeting – to solicit input. Not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in group settings. Proactively make space for one-on-one conversations, emailed comments, surveys, or other methods for everyone to communicate their thoughts or concerns.

Celebrate successes and failures. Reinforce inclusion by showing sincere appreciation to members of your team. Celebrating team successes is a clear occasion for appreciation. But don’t let failures go to waste, either. Reward team members for taking risks (which makes it feel safe to try new things in the future) and embrace the opportunity for the team to learn and improve its chances of future success.

By building an inclusive environment for staff and other stakeholders, you’ll not only improve performance. Like other people-centric leadership skills I coach leaders to develop, inclusivity fosters commitment to your mission and strategy. Want to see your team have a lasting impact on your mission? Set a free consultation to discuss ways I can help.