I’ve coached many leaders who had invested heavily in employee engagement strategies in the past. They had launched new tools, run surveys, added perks, and celebrated some small wins. Yet, something still felt off. The energy didn’t sustain, motivation dipped, and innovation stalled. What was missing was inclusion in the workplace. When people feel like they truly belong, not just that they were invited but that they are welcomed and valued, something shifts. Engagement stops being an initiative and becomes the heartbeat of the culture. People show up with clarity, purpose, and drive. They stop holding back.
Let’s break down what happens when inclusion in the workplace isn’t just a concept on a slide deck, but a daily leadership practice.
1. Motivation: People Step Up When They Feel Seen
When someone feels included, they’re not just following directions. They’re invested. They care about the outcomes because they know their voice has weight.
Recent research has highlighted that inclusive leadership is positively correlated with employee workplace well-being. Employees with high levels of well-being at work are typically more engaged in their work, show higher levels of motivation and creativity, and are more likely to achieve personal and career success.
One of my clients, a senior leader, came to me because her team was talented but disengaged. After digging into the team dynamics, it became clear that people weren’t speaking up. They didn’t believe their input mattered. We worked together on how she could create space for contribution, not just compliance. Within months, her team’s motivation and ownership started to climb, slowly. They began leading projects, not just executing them.
2. Satisfaction: Belonging Creates Staying Power
People stay where they feel safe. Not just physically, but emotionally. Inclusion builds that safety.
Job satisfaction doesn’t come from perks. It comes from knowing that your identity, your culture, and your ideas are not just tolerated but respected. According to a report by Culture Amp, globally, employee engagement has reverted to pre-pandemic levels, sitting at 71%. This indicates a need for organizations to focus on creating inclusive environments that foster genuine satisfaction.
Inclusion in the workplace also protects against burnout. I see this especially with women of culture. When we’re the only one in the room, when our ideas are questioned more often, when our value is measured against someone else’s standard, it takes a toll. But when the culture shifts and inclusion is practiced consistently, satisfaction becomes sustainable. People feel grounded. They’re not constantly proving themselves. They can focus on contributing, not surviving.
3. Productivity: Performance Follows Psychological Safety
Inclusion in the workplace isn’t a distraction from productivity. It’s what makes it possible.
Teams that feel safe to challenge each other, share bold ideas, and admit mistakes without fear are teams that outperform. A study published in the Leadership & Organization Development Journal confirms the mediating role of employee psychological capital in the relationship between inclusive leadership and employee performance.
One leader I coached realized that his team’s performance was lagging not because of skill gaps, but because of a lack of trust. Meetings were quiet. Conflict was avoided. Decisions dragged. When he began inviting more dialogue and showed active inclusion, the productivity shifts were almost immediate. His team began to collaborate more openly and deliver results more quickly. The capacity was already there. It just needed room to breathe.
What You Track Matters
Many organizations measure engagement with surveys, but those results don’t always tell the full story. Especially when inclusion is missing. Leaders need to pay attention to the deeper indicators.
Are people contributing during meetings?
Do employees feel safe challenging leadership?
Is feedback a two-way street?
Are you seeing innovation from all levels, not just the top?
Tools like pulse checks and lived experience interviews can reveal more than traditional engagement metrics.
Pulse Checks
Pulse checks are short, regular surveys designed to quickly gauge how your people are feeling—emotionally, mentally, and culturally. Unlike annual engagement surveys that often miss nuances, pulse checks offer real-time feedback on things like trust in leadership, sense of inclusion, psychological safety, and team dynamics. Think of them as your leadership dashboard, quick insights that help you course-correct before small issues grow into major roadblocks.
Lived Experience Interviews
These are one-on-one conversations where employees are invited to share their real, unfiltered experiences at work. It’s less about checking boxes and more about understanding how policies, practices, and culture land. When done well, they uncover the gaps between intention and impact, especially for underrepresented voices.
These interviews require trust, discretion, and a willingness to listen deeply. I often guide leaders through how to create a safe space for these conversations so the feedback is both honest and actionable.
Culture That Lasts Starts With Inclusion in The Workplace
You don’t get long-term employee engagement from surface-level strategies. You get it when people feel respected, connected, and empowered to contribute as their full selves.
I often ask leaders: Are your engagement strategies reaching the soul of your people or just brushing the surface? Because the difference between checking in and truly including someone is everything.
If you’re building an engaged workforce, start with inclusion. That’s the foundation. That’s where trust, performance, and retention live.
If you’re ready to lead in a way that fuels both people and performance, let’s connect. I can help you create the kind of inclusive culture where motivation, satisfaction, and productivity naturally follow.
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