Why inclusion policies fail without trust

Leaders, here’s a warning: Your current high-performing team is at risk. If you’re trying to build one, it’s equally vulnerable. Here’s why: Without psychological safety, performance is a fragile illusion. When people feel unsafe speaking up, failing, or masking their identities, cracks form beneath the surface. Once those cracks deepen, even the best teams fall apart. The risk is bigger now. The rollback of DEI initiatives has added a dangerous undercurrent. People are starting to hide who they are, avoid risks, and, perhaps the greatest danger, stay silent. When inclusion feels hollow and equity unattainable, teams lose trust, creativity, and momentum. Psychological safety isn’t about coddling or dodging accountability. It’s about: ➡️ Encouraging smart risks and learning from failure. ➡️ Creating genuine inclusion—not just performative gestures. ➡️ Building trust through consistent, authentic leadership. ➡️ Providing timely, constructive feedback that fosters growth. ➡️ Being visible and welcoming meaningful dialogue. When people feel safe, they innovate, collaborate, and perform. Without it, teams fracture, ideas dry up, and mediocrity creeps in. Leadership makes the difference. Model behaviors that foster trust. Commit to inclusion that doesn’t waver with shifting priorities. Ensure every person knows they belong. Psychological safety isn’t optional. It’s foundational. Without it, the cost isn’t just morale—it’s performance.

"We need to diversify the leadership team. Find me a qualified woman." The CEO said it like he was ordering lunch. I found Maya. ✅ Harvard MBA. ✅ 15 years experience. ✅ Perfect for the VP role. Three months later, she was gone. Her exit interview was brutal: "They hired me to be the token. Every meeting, I was introduced as 'our diversity hire.' When I pushed back on strategy, they said I was 'too aggressive.' When I was collaborative, they said I 'lacked executive presence.'" The real kicker: "I realized they didn't want my leadership. They wanted my demographics." The aftermath: ➡️ $200K recruitment cost wasted ➡️ 6-month delay on key initiative she was hired to lead ➡️ Glassdoor reviews calling out "performative diversity" ➡️ Lost 3 other women who saw the writing on the wall Cost of checkbox hiring: $1.2M and a reputation hit. DEI truth: Diversity without inclusion is just expensive theater. I've watched this disaster play out dozens of times: ❌ Hire for optics, not outcomes ❌ Change faces, not systems ❌ Add diversity, ignore inclusion Maya wasn't the problem. The culture was. Real inclusion starts before the hire: ✓ Examine why your leadership is homogenous ✓ Fix the systems that created the problem ✓ Build psychological safety before adding new voices You can't hire your way to inclusion. 💬 Have you seen "diversity hires" set up to fail? What was missing? ♻️ Repost if you've watched companies hire for demographics instead of lasting change 📌 Follow Allison Allen for real talk about what actually creates inclusive cultures #DEI #InclusiveLeadership #DiversityAndInclusion #Leadership #CultureChange

"Inclusion" is often just a great sounding word or intention that doesn't translate to practice Real inclusion is not achieved by simply inviting people to the table. It happens when every voice is genuinely heard, respected, and acted upon. For too many organizations, inclusion stops at gathering ideas. But what happens next? Do employees ever hear back about what was discussed? Are their ideas prioritized, acted on, and followed up with feedback about the impact? Without these steps, “inclusion” is just a hollow promise. Here’s what it really takes: 👉 Gathering Ideas and Feedback. Inclusion isn’t just a checkbox; it’s about understanding people’s experiences and listening through surveys, focus groups, and team discussions. 👉 Providing Feedback on What’s Heard. Too often, feedback goes nowhere. Showing appreciation and sharing what was heard builds trust and shows that every voice matters. 👉 Prioritizing Ideas Together. Inclusion isn’t about saying “yes” to everything—it’s about focusing on what can make the biggest difference and working collaboratively to prioritize ideas...keeping everyone in the loop! 👉 Developing Action Plans with People. Many think inclusion is something leaders "give." But it’s about empowering people to co-create solutions that matter to them. 👉 Delegating Authority for Implementation Real inclusion is about valuing people for their ability to go and take charge of the actions. 👉 Providing Feedback on the Impact. Inclusion doesn’t stop once changes are made. Closing the loop by sharing results and celebrating success is essential to keeping momentum alive. THIS is the essence of respecting people. #Inclusion isn’t about saying the right things—it’s about doing the right things, consistently, until everyone feels they truly belong.

Here are 10 truths I´ve learned after working with global teams and culture. 𝟏. 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦. People speaking up is proof that they are brave, in spite of the risks. If you’re not protecting those voices, you’re punishing the very people trying to help you lead better. 𝟐. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥. When people stop giving feedback, it means they are in self-protection mode. Don’t confuse compliance with trust. Ask yourself: who’s missing from the conversation, and why? 𝟑. 𝐇𝐑 (even when called ´People & Culture´) 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐱 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐨. HR can support, coach, and investigate. But if your leaders model fear, favoritism, or avoidance, no policy will save you. Culture flows from the top, and so does accountability. 𝟒. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. Annual feedback is like using a fire distinguisher after the fire, instead of using the a smoke detector. Real growth comes from continuous, human conversations. Make feedback a rhythm, baked into the everyday conversation. 𝟓. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲. You won’t see them quit with loud voices. But you’ll see them check out, contribute less, stop pushing, and finally disappear. And by the time you ask why, it’s too late. 𝟔. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝. Some of the most damaging behavior comes in whispers. Gossip. Exclusion. Undermining. If you're only dealing with what’s visible, you're missing what’s eroding trust in real time. 𝟕. 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞. It’s not enough to teach psychological safety. You have to reward it, model it, and defend it when it’s under pressure. 𝟖. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭. If it’s reached HR, it’s already a crisis. Prevention is leadership. Intervention is damage control. 𝟗. 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥. Saying “we care about inclusion” while rewarding toxic behavior kills credibility. People need consistency (not slogans) 𝟏𝟎. 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤. It shouldn’t depend on which team you’re on, who your manager is, or how likable you are. Psychological safety must be the standard. If you want your people to thrive, stop hoping for trust, and start designing for it. Culture is what you allow. And the cost of getting it wrong? 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Many organizations and people have been silent over the last few weeks (and years) thinking that maybe it’s not their place or they don’t want to make a scene/get into something uncomfortable they aren’t prepared to back up…. I’ve been challenged about being a vocal ally to those who don’t look like me (and those who do) and how that could ultimately impact my ability to be hired in the future for speaking engagements or even stay hired at my employer. But here’s the thing… while you may think silence is safe, silence on diversity, equity, and inclusion is often just as harmful as outright opposition because it allows inequities to persist unchallenged. Here’s why: Silence Maintains the Status Quo – Injustice and inequity don’t disappear on their own. If people in positions of influence or leadership don’t actively support DEI, systems of exclusion and bias remain intact. Inaction is, in effect, a passive endorsement of existing inequalities. Silence Signals Indifference – When leaders or organizations say nothing about DEI, it sends the message that these issues aren’t important enough to acknowledge. This can be particularly disheartening to marginalized groups who are looking for affirmation that their experiences and struggles matter. Silence Undermines Trust – Teams look to leadership for guidance on what is valued and prioritized. If a leader stays silent, employees may interpret that as a lack of commitment to creating an inclusive environment, leading to disengagement, distrust, and even attrition. Silence Empowers Opposition – Those who actively resist DEI efforts often use silence from others as validation, assuming that those who don’t speak up are in agreement with them. This can embolden harmful behaviors and make it harder for real change to take root. Lack of Action Has Real Consequences – Studies show that workplaces that don’t address DEI issues suffer from higher turnover, lower morale, and decreased innovation. A failure to advocate for inclusion isn't neutral—it has tangible negative effects on individuals and organizations. Ultimately, silence isn’t neutrality—it’s complicity. Choosing not to engage with DEI efforts doesn’t shield a person or organization from responsibility; it simply allows inequity to continue unchallenged. Speaking up and taking action may feel uncomfortable, but discomfort is often the price of meaningful progress. As a parent of biracial children, a wife in an interracial relationship, a sister of an openly gay man, as a woman in this country…. I refuse to stay silent. I refuse to have my kids ask me why I never fought for them. They deserve better. We all do.