How to make sure everyone feels welcome
January 18, 2019
By Brian Maynor
When working as a team, it’s natural that work time bleeds over into personal time.
Whether it’s staying late just enjoying casual conversation, or pulling together an informal happy hour group these spontaneous, these informal moments offer time to relax, share ideas and information, and even make decisions. Unfortunately, sometimes team members get excluded, either intentionally or unintentionally.
This can have repercussions to team cohesion, trust and productiveness, so it’s important to make sure everyone feels included.
Here are a few ways to ensure everyone on the team feels welcome and invited to any informal event:
1. Ask about preferences. Not everyone feels comfortable in the same settings, or enjoys the same social situations. As a way of being more inclusive, pay attention to everyone’s habits, and ask them what they enjoy socially. Whether it’s gender, generational, racial or just personal preference, if we only defer to the majority then we are perpetuating the existence of a minority.
2. Opt out of alcohol. Happy hour may be the most common way to convene coworkers after hours, but it’s not the only way. Retiring to a local bar for a drink is not everyone’s idea of winding down, and for people who don’t drink, or are in recovery, it may be a nonstarter. If you want to be more inclusive suggest an environment where boozes aren’t the primary focus.
3. Don’t wait until after work. It may be hard for working parents to participate in their own after work events; so try shaking things up with mid-morning and mid-afternoon events. Short breaks during the day are much more inclusive and just as productive.
4. Pay attention. If the same people are consistently showing up then it also means the same people are consistently not, and that is important. It may mean extending an explicit invitation to them, or asking why they are choosing not to join in. We all have blindspots, but a simple conversation could fix them.
5. Encourage others to lead. One way of inherently being more inclusive is to let others take the lead, and in this situation that may be encouraging other colleagues to spearhead these events. It can be routine for one or two people to always make the plans, but if we see certain people are consistently not participating then we should encourage them to step up and make the plans.
The whole idea behind informal, casual post-work events is to unwind from the day, but work is inevitably discussed. And while we can’t force people to participate in casual events, making sure they feel included goes a long way. After all, it always feels good to be invited out even if we have to decline.
I’m always excited to hear from you, so please email your questions, quandaries and conundrums to [email protected].
About Brian Maynor
Brian Maynor has built a reputation as one of the leading style coaches in the Southeast and is quickly expanding his eponymous company, BRIAN MAYNOR and his FIND, FLATTER & FLAUNT line of image consulting services. A professional with a fresh, upbeat and down-to-earth personality and boundless creative energy, he works frequently with with local celebrities; Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations; modeling agencies; fashion designers; production companies; record labels; media and individuals. A regular contributor to various fashion blogs and online communities, Brian Maynor is one of the most trusted and recognized style experts in the region, utilizing his education and training as a broadcast journalist to serve as a style lecturer, emcee, and commentator for over a decade. He has appeared at fashion shows, expos, and charity fundraisers, as well as events with big brands like Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Chico’s and Macy’s. His approach is innovative, creative and fashion-forward, balancing fresh, modern styles with classic pieces to keep one’s look grounded. To learn more, visit http://www.brianmaynor.com.
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