In this episode, we spoke with Paula Rosecky and explored the theme of inclusion; the feeling of belonging, its importance and application.
Paula Rosecky is a longtime market researcher, a mindset coach and facilitator of leadership and DEI training, helping smaller and medium sized businesses to create a better sense of belonging for their employees. You can follow her on LinkedIn.
Here is a quick sum-up of this week’s episode and the main points we discussed.
To belong
As a daughter of immigrants, Paula has a special relationship to the concept of belonging and inclusion; the feeling of not belonging somewhere has followed her for a long time, informing her awareness and understanding of the importance of being a part of something, being included.
The Stanford Belonging defines belonging as a feeling of security and support when there is a sense of inclusion. This feeling can be created purposefully, by others and yourself. Inclusion is an action; it can and should be done by everyone, and there are great benefits that accompany it.
It is also our own personal responsibility to take action.
Paula Rosecky
Belonging impacts our ability to work, essentially making it easier to perform better. Paula picks three words that employers should accentuate in redesigning their work spaces to be more inclusive; 1) creativity 2) team engagement 3) performing better. All three tie back to inclusion, and to wellbeing, which should be a top priority, a responsibility, even, of any employer.
Recognizing said responsibility, and raising awareness about inclusion is a key thing to keep in mind, finds Paula. It is, however, important to keep in mind that not every individual wants to enter a space of inclusion, at least not in the same exact ways. Inclusion includes recognizing differences; “not everyone is always going to want to dance.”
In the 21st century, it is high time to learn to appreciate these kinds of differences, both on an individual level, as a worker and as a possible leader of your company or community. Studies suggest that companies that identify themselves as diverse and inclusive have a bigger chance of beating their competition; even the market shows the benefit of learning to work together and appreciate freshness, differences and uniqueness. However, biases can sometimes pose a challenge; it is key to learn to deal with them.
It’s really better to say something wrong and ask for an apology, rather than say nothing.
Paula Rosecky
When it comes to overcoming biases, Paula recommends expanding one’s friend circle by meeting people that are different. It might be challenging, but in an expanding world it is easy to get exposed to new ideas and outlooks; one just has to put a little effort in. Opening yourself up to new people also affects one’s empathy and affinity. People are lovable and we want to be loved; learn to look at people in terms of their lovability as a human.
For more tips and approaches to accepting yourself and letting the love in, give the podcast a listen! Follow us on our Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and subscribe to our podcasts from Spotify, Google, Apple Podcasts, and Captivate to keep up with latest episodes and updates!
