Being Empathetic and Supportive, This Is How We Promote Inclusive Culture in the Workplace
This article was written by Awaluddin Rachman, part of the People Operations team of IDN Media, for Timmy’s story program
Ethics. Most humans will agree that ethics is one of the things that can affect the way humans think and behave. In an organization, ethics really is something that should be taken into account. Applying inclusive culture on a daily basis, for example, is one of the examples. Fostering an inclusive culture is surely substantive, given that we have a very diverse community within the company — it always needs a constant alteration to retain the diversity. No wonder, it’s such an honor for me to work at IDN Media, a company that tightly upholds the value.
1. Internalizing an inclusive culture
Diversity is IDN Media’s greatest strength. This is why we are really committed to building an inclusive culture at the workplace. Therefore, giving a privilege to certain groups and/or communities has now become something that is no longer relevant. For me personally, to maintain our existence in today’s competitive business, companies must accommodate space for diversity by creating a friendly, anti-discrimination workplace.
A friendly and anti-discrimination working environment can unquestionably make a person more focused at work, so he/she doesn’t have to spend his/her time and energy thinking over trivial aspects that can hinder his/her productivity. Taking responsibility, IDN Media promotes this inclusive culture by holding an internal campaign, which eventually becomes IDN Media’s tagline, namely #DiversityIsBeautiful. It’s basically to stimulate an internalization, where the inclusive culture IDN Media believes in can really bloom in every single one of Timmy.
2. Breaking through police barricades to support other Timmys
Three years ago, some other Timmys and I experienced something quite thrilling. In May 2018, to be more precise, we broke through police barricades. It was a hot, unconducive day in Surabaya back then. A demonstration took place, inciting our conscience to give our empathy towards IDN Media’s journalists, who were stuck in the middle of the demonstrators.
When we were about to break through the police barricades, the policemen were obviously holding us back. The big black bag I was carrying made them wonder: what on earth was it? We were asked to open up the bag, showing dozens of loaves of bread we brought for our journalists. We also showed our press ID, which ended up assuring them that we could get into the crowd. When I started to see my colleagues wearing our black uniform, that sense of belonging aroused within me — it was so strong.
3. Goodwill radiates itself
Doing good intentions sincerely makes us spark without even having to try. Having received positive feedback from external partners, I personally believe that inclusive culture in the workplace can train us to be an appealing individual, not complaining much about the challenges we are facing at the office. Goodwill radiates itself, so let other people feel it without us having to show and explain.
Diverse and inclusive companies like IDN Media, I believe, do promote creativity and are more adaptable to shifting business landscapes. They’re also able to attract employees who also value these key points. Practically, by giving warm greetings to everyone we meet at the office, we have actually implemented an inclusive culture as we’re welcoming more and more people by doing little, simple things. Inclusion that brings comfort is basically the key to increase employee satisfaction, performance, and loyalty.
