Lessons shared at Women Rock Live.
For some leaders, D&I feels like a monumental task full of policies, training, and targets. But true inclusion is largely shaped in the day to day.
When we hosted Women Rock Live, there was a clear consensus: inclusion is built through micro-behaviours. The small, human decisions that shape how people feel at work.
How you handle a tense moment in a meeting. Who gets the nod when they speak. Whether someone feels safe enough to say, “I don’t know.”
Here are ten practical things anyone can do – whether you’re leading a company, managing a team, or just trying to make your workspace a little safer, kinder, and sharper.
For leaders & orgs:
1. Make it measurable.
If diversity isn’t tracked, it isn’t real.
Add hiring, promotion, and retention goals to your OKRs. Publicly. When you measure representation the same way you measure revenue, people know you mean it.
2. Run “nodding equity.”
Ever notice who gets the nods in meetings?
That subtle reinforcement – the eye contact, the “mm-hmms” – tells people who belongs.
Rotate facilitation, use round-robins, and make sure everyone gets visible affirmation. Psychological safety starts with micro-behaviours.
3. Build for neurodiversity by default.
ADHD, autism, dyslexia — they’re not “edge cases.” They’re a core part of the workforce whether you acknowledge it or not.
Ask how people like to communicate, document it, and respect it. Give processing time before decisions, quiet spaces for focus, and clarity over chaos. Everyone benefits from clearer communication.
4. Audit your language.
If your job posts still say “rockstar,” “ninja,” or “guru,” you’re repelling more talent than you realise.
Describe outcomes, not personalities. Be clear about support, flexibility, and what success looks like and you’ll widen your talent pool overnight.
5. Redesign your socials.
If “team bonding” still means a pub night, you’re missing out on some great people.
Try non-alcoholic, daylight, or family-friendly options. Lunch-and-learns, walking meetings, volunteer days – anything that doesn’t require shouting over music and/or a few rounds of drinks to be included.
6. Listen while it’s happening, not once it’s over.
Stop waiting for the annual engagement survey.
Ask quarterly – or better, monthly – how psychologically safe people feel. Anonymous feedback, one-minute polls, Slack forms. A culture check-in shouldn’t feel like a census.
For individuals & allies:
7. Spin up a micro-community.
If a group doesn’t exist, make it.
A Slack channel. A 10-person coffee meetup. A LinkedIn group for “Women in Data and Insurance” (shoutout to Eliana from the panel). Movements start with tiny, consistent spaces.
8. Normalise honesty.
It’s okay to be human. Say you’re nervous. Say you’re hormonal. Say you’re not okay.
When leaders model honesty, it doesn’t signal weakness. Everyone else breathes out. It gives permission for others to let down their walls and opens up real conversations.
9. Buddy people in.
Bring one new person to every event, conference, or meetup you go to.
No one forgets the person who walked them through their first awkward intro. It’s the smallest possible way to expand inclusion: one seat, one hand, one invite.
10. Mentor out loud.
You don’t need a formal programme.
Offer one open hour a month for advice, feedback, or just a chat. Post the link. Make it easy to book. Visibility matters, and mentoring doesn’t have to be polished to be powerful.
Real, authentic inclusion builds quietly. It’s reflected in how we speak, how we listen, and how we show up for each other every day.
Inclusion is a practice and every small action is a data point in your culture. The more consistent those actions are, the stronger the signal becomes.
So don’t wait for the next policy review: pick one small thing and start doing it differently. Then keep going.
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