For National Inclusion Week, Tracy Brunnock, Head of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Team, reflects on the factors that influence our experience of the workplace, the important relationship between diversity and inclusion, and how we all have a responsibility, and the power, to shape the culture of the University of Bristol.
Culture is often defined as ‘the way we do things around here’. But in an EDI context, I like to think about culture as ‘how each of us experiences the workplace’. Each of us will experience the culture of our university very differently and this will depend on a multitude of variables. Our backgrounds, individual circumstances and lived experiences will undoubtedly have an influence, and often our position within the university hierarchy also shapes our perception of culture. My experiences of workplace culture are influenced by my own circumstances: having multiple unseen disabilities, being a woman, and being a mum. Reflecting further on this, my experiences of the University were originally shaped during my time here as an undergrad in the 90s when I became suddenly and acutely aware of my accent and working class background. Ultimately, my perception of culture was very much shaped by the behaviours, attitudes and assumptions of those around me.
I believe that we can’t achieve true inclusion without representation, meaning that people should be able to see themselves at every level of the organisation, particularly in leadership roles. Although separate entities, inclusion and diversity are very much connected and each is dependent on the other. When it comes to diversity of representation, instead of ‘shifting the dial’ (a phrase I encounter with increasing regularity), I would rather we examine the structures and systems that are creating the homogenous nature of our workforce in the first place. Let’s move away from the notion that we operate within a meritocratic system and recognise how privilege and advantage are determinants in how we experience the workplace and how it feels to work here. Take a minute to consider exclusion: notice the people who are not in the room, not at the table when decisions are made, and not in leadership positions or positions of power or influence across our organisation. Then let’s ask ourselves: do we want to change the systems and structures that uphold the status quo? Are we prepared to initiate a break with tradition and do things differently? Without purposeful leadership that requires systemic change to remove barriers and bias, can an organisation ever be truly inclusive?
Creating sustainable shifts in diversity and inclusion requires a deliberate and constant focus on our culture – and this is where each of us has a part to play. I often hear people say ‘well, that’s the University’s responsibility’ or ‘the University needs to take action’, and it goes without saying that senior leaders and managers need to role-model inclusion and ‘walk the talk’: after all, their behaviour sets the tone for what is expected in the workplace. But here’s the thing – when it comes to culture, we are the university. Every member of this university powers our culture – it is designed by all of us – and each of us – no matter what our position or job title – has the ability to effect change. Each of us influences how others experience our university by how we interact with one another and how we support each other in the workplace.
Educating ourselves and building awareness are vital to creating an inclusive workplace, and so many of you have engaged in our sessions to date, showing a willingness and commitment to being intentionally inclusive. 2022/23 saw 8,982 engagements with our EDI training and events: 6,907 staff completed our online EDI Essentials training, and 2075 staff signed up to training/events such as our Being Anti-Racist ACT programme, TheirStories, and disability/neurodiversity training. All of our development activity is designed to open conversations and equip you to support the University’s strategic commitment to build a culture of inclusion and belonging, where all students and staff feel connected, empowered and respected. By putting this learning into practice, you are part of this culture change, helping to ensure that our colleagues and students have the best possible experience at our university. Let’s continue to educate ourselves and build awareness and empathy and commit to being intentional and deliberate in our efforts to be inclusive. Accessing our Roadmap to Intentional Inclusion and the associated resources will support you on this journey as we continue to ensure that our university is a great place to work for everybody, regardless of our backgrounds or our circumstances.
And looking ahead, we have so many exciting events planned to equip and empower you to build a culture of inclusion and belonging. We are launching a series of events – Beyond the Tickbox – where members of the central EDI Team will be inviting colleagues to join us in conversations designed to really get under the skin of what it feels like to work here and to share ideas on what we can do differently to ensure everybody has an equitable experience. We are launching phase 3 of our Being Anti-Racist programme: 587 staff engaged with this programme during 2022/23 and this year will see workshops and a continuation of our Being Anti-Racist lecture series. We will continue to offer training on Understanding and Managing Racial Microaggressions. Sessions on supporting disabled colleagues and colleagues who are neurodivergent will be offered, as well as trans awareness training. You can also learn more about the brilliantly unique individuals that work here by attending a TheirStories session and by accessing our TheirStories library. We are relaunching Being Inclusive sessions, with an emphasis on developing individual capacity and confidence to effect change, and we will also be launching training on how you can be an active bystander at work.