Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series

It’s no surprise that fair, equitable, and respectful practices bolster engagement and motivation in the workplace. Being inclusive is, quite simply, the right thing to do. But we’re notoriously bad at it. Why? As Ruchika Tulshyan explained in her new book, Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work, inclusion doesn’t just happen: it takes attention, awareness, and regular practice. It takes real work, and there isn’t a simple 5-step plan for building a suddenly and permanently inclusive organization. But we can make regular progress toward inclusion and diversity, starting now. Tulshyan took us to the specific intersection of gender and racial bias, as experienced by women of color in the workplace. She explained the importance of using leadership privilege for good by exposing bias (women of color have more to lose by speaking up), and why the popular concept of “leaning in” doesn’t work (but dismantling structural bias does). Tulshyan offered best practices