Many organisations believe they have created an inclusive culture because people appear to fit in, but fitting in and belonging are not the same thing. One of the principles of Social Learning Theory is that we learn by observing others. We watch how people behave, who gets rewarded, who gets promoted, who is listened to, and who remains silent. Long before an organisation's values influence us, its behaviours do.
If the people we learn from have adapted to unhealthy environments, perhaps by avoiding conflict, hiding parts of themselves, or remaining silent to stay safe, those behaviours can become normalised. We inherit them without ever questioning whether they serve us or the organisation as these are adaptive behaviours. They may have helped people survive in a particular environment, but survival is not the same as flourishing. I think this is where the illusion of inclusion begins.
““Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.””
