(Expansion) – Constant change pushes organizations to reinvent themselves. The speed of the transformation forces us to rethink what we believed not long ago and review what the organization was created for. Self-analysis is key in the process of defining new destinations and what is required to move towards them in a smoother and more orderly way.
I would like to say that there could be options, but no: the environment changes rapidly and if you don’t learn to swim, the current can drag you.
How to welcome inclusion?
A solid internal culture, revised and rethought, perfectly communicated and assimilated, lays the foundations for adopting changes. This is a simple task when there is conviction, because in the end the organizational culture is a system of beliefs about what work means, how things are done and, very importantly, what it means to be a leader beyond formal positions, to work as a team and do it responding to transversal values such as ethics, responsibility, respect and recognition of the individual capacities of women and men alike.
transmit and inspire
The leadership in the organization has a double commitment during a process of change for inclusion. Leaders must be the first to be convinced that it is necessary to move to new stages and be an example of transformation. Conscious and positive leadership is the fertilizer that helps the new culture flourish, stimulating new skills, creating and renewing from scratch and, above all, providing an environment conducive to co-creation, exchange of ideas and receptivity.
Pursue a higher purpose
In these times, it is clear that companies must exist for reasons that transcend monetary profit. Thus, financial profitability becomes a means to achieve the company’s vision, and not an end in itself. As such, the higher purpose is that statement that states the change that each organization is seeking to achieve in society, and focuses on ensuring the well-being of both people and nature. To support inclusion, companies would do well to develop and practice their higher purpose based on certain qualities such as evolution (adaptation), harmony, and positive transformative impact, among others.
Let’s do it
Inclusion is a necessity, a conviction and can adopt one or several methods, but the seed is people. That is why the organization needs to invest to develop women and men in equity, so that they are ready to face the challenges that change imposes. This is achieved by creating capacities, training and letting employees know that their contribution will bear fruit. And develop skills for new positions or responsibilities of greater scope in equal opportunities, seeking every day greater impact on individual growth and as an organization.
A transparent organization, clear in its objectives, with cohesive work teams and convinced of its philosophy and purpose, moves more easily between the winds of change demanded by the environment, the competition, new business opportunities and can even contribute to develop better human beings.
Editor’s Note: Edith González Villarreal is Director of Talent and Culture at Grupo Financiero Base. Follow her on . The opinions published in this column correspond exclusively to the author.
