Creating Inclusive Remote Workspaces

If you think sexuality has no place at work, this post is for you. It’s Pride Month, and I’ll be speaking with teams about LGBTQ inclusion. At almost every session, someone will ask some version of: “Why do we have to talk about this at work?” The simple answer is we already do. But let’s start with a few things that might’ve happened at work just yesterday: You’re waiting for a meeting to start. Someone asks, “How was your weekend?” You spent it with your partner’s family but not everyone on this call knows you’re gay, so you stay quiet. Your team is reviewing new benefits. The language only refers to heterosexual families, so you’re left unsure if fertility, bereavement, or parental leave policies even apply to you. Your team is heading to a conference. You’re the only one delayed at security because your legal ID doesn’t match your name or gender. These aren’t rare or extreme situations. They’re everyday experiences for LGBTQ people. And they’re exhausting. The constant calculation of what's safe to say, what's too much, what will be thought of as "unprofessional" takes up valuable energy. It limits our ability to connect and trust our teams. It impacts our well-being and our ability to perform. So, why do we have to talk about sexuality at work? Because we already are. Every time we talk about families, benefits, weekends, travel, we’re talking about it. During Pride Month, we’re not introducing something new. We’re just making visible the experiences of LGBTQ team members and the extra burdens we may carry. We’re highlighting the assumptions we make and who we leave out when we make them. This isn't about special treatment. This isn't about "politics." This is about how we care for our people. This is about building strong, innovative, high-performing teams where everyone, including LGBTQ people, can thrive. Caring about your people is caring about your business. We want to bring our best to work but we can't do that if we're asked to leave the best parts of ourselves behind. Use this pride month to have these conversations. Review your policies. Host the trainings. Reinforce that everyone on your team will be treated with dignity and respect. Make it explicit. This doesn't have to be complicated but it is intentional. Your teams will thank you. And if you need support, DM me. I've got just a few open slots for pride this month.

A new survey of women in STEM fields finds that despite the fact that nearly 2 in 3 millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer women working in STEM said they have seen gender equality improve during their careers, a number of long-standing challenges persist for most. Among them: unconscious bias, workplace culture, and leadership and pay gaps. Key takeaways from the study by San Diego-based MyBioSource, a biotechnological products distribution company, include: 💎 1 in 10 women in STEM know they’re paid less than their male counterparts. 💎 Women in STEM with female mentors receive more frequent promotions and higher salary increases. Thirty-one percent who had a female mentor reported receiving a promotion in the last year, compared to only 21% of their peers. 💎 55% of women have been “quietly promoted” (i.e., given more responsibilities without a change in title or pay). 💎 Remote female STEM workers report fewer gender-based issues than those working in person or hybrid. 💎 85% of women in STEM report regularly feeling stressed, and 56% report feeling burned out. 💎 61% said more women are needed in leadership roles. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eDA_yf_Y #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels

Every workplace has them: the eye rolls when "the Boomer" suggests another meeting, the sighs when "the Gen Z kid" mentions work-life balance again, the assumptions flying faster than Slack messages. But here's what we're missing, generational diversity might be our most underutilized organizational superpower. The research tells a compelling story. According to Deloitte, age-diverse teams make better decisions 87% of the time. AARP found that companies with multigenerational workforces are 1.7x more likely to be innovation leaders in their industries. This isn't feel-good rhetoric, it's measurable impact. Consider the complementary strengths: Boomers bring institutional knowledge and relationship capital built over decades. Gen X offers skeptical pragmatism and independent problem-solving from their latchkey years. Millennials contribute digital fluency and collaborative approaches shaped by growing up online. Gen Z brings fresh perspectives on sustainability, inclusion, and mental health that organizations desperately need. Yes, the friction points are real. Older generations sometimes view remote work requests as laziness rather than efficiency. Younger workers might interpret process-heavy approaches as resistance to change rather than risk management. Communication preferences clash, formal emails versus instant messages, scheduled calls versus quick video chats. But here's the truth: every generation thinks the others "don't get it." Boomers were once the disruptors challenging traditional hierarchy. Gen X was labeled cynical and uncommitted. Millennials were "entitled" until they became middle managers. Today's Gen Z "snowflakes" are tomorrow's industry leaders. The organizations winning today understand that patience isn't weakness, it's strategy. When a 25-year-old's fresh perspective meets a 55-year-old's pattern recognition, innovation happens. When digital natives teach established professionals new tools while learning the politics of organizational change, everyone grows. Bridging these gaps requires intentional effort. Reverse mentoring programs where younger employees teach technology while learning leadership. Project teams deliberately mixed across generations. Recognition that "professionalism" looks different to different cohorts, and that's okay. The most successful cultures I've seen treat generational diversity like any other form of diversity: a competitive advantage that requires investment, understanding, and genuine curiosity about different perspectives. Because when five generations work together effectively, you get something powerful: the wisdom to know what shouldn't change, the courage to transform what must, and the perspective to tell the difference. That's not just good culture, that's unstoppable culture. 🌟 AA✨ —————————————————————————— 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Abi: Founder of The Culture Partnership. Follow + 🔔. I discuss organizational culture, inclusion, leadership, social equity & justice.

Why Indonesian professionals often struggle with Western clients (Hint: It’s not about talent) After 15 years between Southeast Asia and Europe, I’ve seen too many Indonesian professionals miss out on international opportunities. (Not because of a lack of skill) But because of a gap in cultural expectations. So let’s bridge that gap, starting today. Here are 5 unspoken expectations Western companies have: Clarity over Harmony ↳ We often soften bad news or speak indirectly. ↳ Western teams prefer direct and clear communication, even if it’s uncomfortable. Proactive > Reactive ↳ Don’t wait to be asked. ↳ Come with solutions, ideas, updates, they’ll see you as a leader. Time = Trust ↳ Deadlines aren’t flexible. ↳ Missing them (even slightly) erodes confidence quickly. Responsibility is personal ↳ Own your tasks fully. ↳ “I wasn’t informed” doesn’t work in this culture. Challenging ideas = Respect ↳ In the West, respectful pushback shows engagement. ↳ Silence can be mistaken for disinterest. Bonus: 2 more shifts to level up globally: Feedback ≠ Attack ↳ In Indonesia, direct criticism feels harsh. ↳ In Western teams, feedback is a growth tool, not personal. Documentation > Memory ↳ “Saya ingat kok” isn’t enough. ↳ Clear notes, task tracking, and written updates build trust. If you work with global clients or dream of growing your career abroad… These cultural shifts matter as much as your technical skills. Let’s not just be excellent → Let’s be understood. P.S. Which of these 7 resonates most with your experience? Feel free to repost ♻️ so others in your network can learn too. #CrossCulturalCommunication #GlobalCareer #RemoteWorkTips #IndonesianProfessionals #WorkCulture #LeadershipSkills

PDF Accessibility – An Overlooked Barrier in Learning Content. At eLaHub, we often find PDFs uploaded to the eLearning courses we audit. Many of them contain accessibility barriers impacting learners with disabilities and access needs who use screen readers, magnification, or text-to-speech tools etc. Because PDF accessibility can be so challenging for L&D teams I recommend checking out this hugely useful guidance on PDF accessibility. It's focused on Higher and Further education but is equally relevant to workplace learning resources. 📌 Check out the guide here: https://lnkd.in/etDBS2WV Many thanks to Alistair McNaught and the team of accessibility leads from a range of UK universities for putting this together. It’s Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC), so feel free to share and use it in your training. #eLearning #accessibility #eLearningAccessibility #DigitalInclusion (A table titled 'Key issues for disabled users' summarising common accessibility challenges with PDFs. It has three columns: 'Issue', 'Typical user experience', and 'Who is affected? The rows list various issues such as missing text in PDFs, improper heading styles, lack of image descriptions, poor hyperlink practices, unexpected reading order, poor colour use, and unmarked table headers. The table describes how these issues impact different users, particularly those using screen readers, text-to-speech tools, and magnification software, as well as users with visual access needs and neurodivergent conditions.)

Everyone glamorises global teams. But here’s what most people won’t tell you: It’s hard work. Different time zones. Different expectations. Different public holidays. And if you don’t build with intention, it falls apart fast. Right now, around a third of our team is in the UK. A third in South Africa. And a third in India. It sounds exciting on paper. But sometimes reality tells a different strory... Time zones aren’t flexible for us, they’re fixed. We serve UK clients. That means the team needs to work UK hours. Not some vague “core hours” concept, actual alignment. It’s not about micromanaging. It’s about being available when customers need us. But here’s the flip side, some people prefer it. Especially in India or South Africa. They use their mornings for school runs, life admin, or just time to themselves and start work in the afternoon. It works, if you set the expectation early. Public holidays? Another minefield. Every country has its own list. And no, we can’t shut down every few weeks for every national holiday. So we’ve simplified it. Everyone gets a set number of public holidays. Take them when it matters to you. Skip Christmas if you don’t celebrate it. Take time off for Eid, Diwali, or whatever matters most in your life. Remote work? Great in theory. But isolation is real. Working from anywhere sounds ideal until you start feeling disconnected. We’ve felt it too. That’s why we’re now building in ways for people to connect, virtually and in person. Not because culture can’t exist remotely but because we’re human, and connection matters. Global teams bring fresh thinking, diversity, and reach. But they also bring friction, logistics, and trade-offs. That’s the full picture not the polished version. And if you’re not designing for the challenges, the benefits won’t matter.

👩🦰 Designing Accessibility Personas (https://lnkd.in/evVnB4hd). How to embed accessibility and test for it early in the design process ↓ We often assume that digital products are merely that — products. They either work or don’t work. That they help people meet their needs or fail on their path to get there. But every product has its own embedded personality. It can be helpful or dull, fragile or reliable, supportive or misleading. When we design it, willingly or unwillingly, we embed our values, views and perspectives into it. Sometimes it’s meticulously shaped and refined. And sometimes it’s simply random. And when that happens, users assign their perception of the product’s personality to the product instead. Products are rarely accessible by accident. There must be an intent that captures and drives accessibility efforts in a product. And the best way to do that is by involving people with temporary, situational and permanent disabilities into the design process. One simple way of achieving that is by inviting people with disabilities in the design process. For that, we could recruit people via tools like Access Works or UserTesting, ask admins of groups and channels on accessibility to help, or drop an email to non-profits that work in accessibility space. Another way is establishing accessibility personas for user journeys. Consider them as user profiles that highlight common barriers faced by people with particular conditions and provide guidelines for designers and engineers on how to design and build for them. E.g. Simone, a dyslexic user, or Chris, a user with rheumatoid arthritis. For each, we document known challenges and notable considerations, designing training tasks for designers and developers and instructions to simulate experience through the lens of these personas. By no means does it replace proper accessibility testing, but it creates a shared understanding about what the experiences are like. You can build on top of Gov.uk’s profound research project (https://lnkd.in/evVnB4hd) — it also explains how to set up devices and browsers, so that each persona has their own browser profile. Once you do, you can always switch between them and simulate an experience, without changing settings every single time. All Accessibility Personas (+ Tasks, Research, Setup) https://lnkd.in/evVnB4hd Accessibility doesn’t have to be challenging if it’s considered early. No digital product is neutral. Accessibility is a deliberate decision, and a commitment. Not only does it help everyone; it also shows what a company believes in and values. And once you do have a commitment, and it will be much easier to retain accessibility, rather than adding it last minute as a crutch — because that’s where it’s way too late to do it right, and way too expensive to make it well. [Useful pointers in the comments ↓] #ux #accessibility

Let's start Disability Pride Month 💜 with, "Why the Disability/Neurodivergent Community Advocates for Work From Home or Flexible Work" 1. Addressing Inaccessibility: Traditional office environments often lack the necessary accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Remote work removes these barriers, providing an accessible and comfortable workspace tailored to individual needs. 2. Managing Energy Levels: Many people with disabilities experience limited energy levels due to chronic conditions. Flexible work allows them to manage their energy more effectively, reducing the risk of burnout and enhancing overall productivity. 3. Economic Benefits: Remote work eliminates the costs associated with commuting and the need for expensive adaptive equipment in the workplace. This financial relief can be significant, allowing individuals to invest in health, education, and personal growth. 4. Time for Self-Care and Family: Flexible work schedules provide individuals with disabilities more time for essential self-care routines and to spend quality time with their families. This balance is crucial for mental and physical well-being. 5. Environmental Sustainability: Reduced commuting contributes to lower carbon emissions, making remote work an environmentally sustainable option. This aligns with broader societal goals of reducing our carbon footprint. 6. Enhanced Productivity: Working from home allows for a personalized environment that can minimize distractions and increase focus, leading to higher productivity levels. 7. Improved Mental Health: The flexibility to create a comfortable and supportive work environment can significantly reduce stress and anxiety, contributing to better mental health. 8. Greater Inclusion and Equity: By adopting flexible work models, employers can ensure that their workplaces are inclusive and equitable, providing equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities. What’s the point behind this? The insistence on traditional office setups often overlooks the unique needs of the disability community. Flexible work is not merely a convenience; it’s a necessity for creating an inclusive, equitable, and productive workforce. Why should location matter if employees can deliver high-quality work remotely? It’s time to rethink outdated workplace norms and embrace flexibility as a standard practice. In an ideal world, inclusivity and accessibility are at the core of corporate values. ID: Screenshot of a Twitter post by Puneet Singhal (@puneetsiinghal22) with the tweet reading, "Why the Disability/Neurodivergent Community Advocates for Work From Home or Flexible Work." #DisabilityPrideMonth #WorkFromHome #WeAreBillionStrong #SDGs #AXSChat #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #WFH

Stop wasting meetings! Too many meetings leave people unheard, disengaged, or overwhelmed. The best teams know that inclusion isn’t accidental—it’s designed. 🔹 Here are 6 simple but powerful practices to transform your meetings: 💡 Silent Brainstorm Before discussion begins, have participants write down their ideas privately (on sticky notes, a shared document, or an online board). This prevents groupthink, ensures introverted team members have space to contribute, and brings out more original ideas. 💡 Perspective Swap Assign participants a different stakeholder’s viewpoint (e.g., a customer, a frontline employee, or an opposing team). Challenge them to argue from that perspective, helping teams step outside their biases and build empathy-driven solutions. 💡 Pause and Reflect Instead of jumping into responses, introduce intentional pauses in the discussion. Give people 30-60 seconds of silence before answering a question or making a decision. This allows for deeper thinking, more thoughtful contributions, and space for those who need time to process. 💡 Step Up/Step Back Before starting, set an expectation: those who usually talk a lot should "step back," and quieter voices should "step up." You can track participation or invite people directly, helping create a more balanced conversation. 💡 What’s Missing? At the end of the discussion, ask: "Whose perspective have we not considered?" This simple question challenges blind spots, uncovers overlooked insights, and reinforces the importance of diverse viewpoints in decision-making. 💡 Constructive Dissent Voting Instead of just asking for agreement, give participants colored cards or digital indicators to show their stance: 🟢 Green – I fully agree 🟡 Yellow – I have concerns/questions 🔴 Red – I disagree Focus discussion on yellow and red responses, ensuring that dissenting voices are explored rather than silenced. This builds a culture where challenging ideas is seen as valuable, not risky. Which one would you like to try in your next meeting?  Let me know in the comments! 🔔 Follow me to learn more about building inclusive, high-performing teams. __________________________ 🌟 Hi there! I’m Susanna, an accredited Fearless Organization Scan Practitioner with 10+ years of experience in workplace inclusion. I help companies build inclusive cultures where diverse, high-performing teams thrive with psychological safety. Let’s unlock your team’s full potential together!

I’ve been thinking a lot about the 90 minute virtual meeting paradox. We spend the first 30 minutes on welcoming everyone and introductions, the next 15 on framing, and then a few people share thoughts. Then, just when the conversation gets meaningful, the host abruptly announces "We're out of time!” and throws a few rushed closing thoughts and announcements together. Sound familiar? We crave deep, meaningful, trust-based exchanges in virtual meeting environments that feel both tiring and rushed. It seems like as soon as momentum builds and insights emerge, it’s time to wrap up. Share-outs become a regurgitation of top-level ideas—usually focused on the most soundbite-ready insights and omitting those seeds of ideas that didn’t have time to be explored further. And sometimes, we even cite these meetings as examples of participation in a process, even when that participation is only surface level to check the participation box.  After facilitating and attending hundreds (thousands?) of virtual meetings, I've found four practices that create space for more engagement and depth: 1. Send a thoughtful and focused pre-work prompt at least a few days ahead of time that invites reflection before gathering. When participants arrive having already engaged with the core question(s), it’s much easier to jump right into conversation. Consider who designs these prompts and whose perspectives they center. 2. Replace round-robin introductions with a focused check-in question that directly connects to the meeting's purpose. "What's one tension you're navigating in this work?" for example yields more insight than sharing organizational affiliations. Be mindful of who speaks first and how difference cultural communication styles may influence participation.  3. Structure the agenda with intentionally expanding time blocks—start tight (and facilitate accordingly), and then create more spaciousness as the meeting progresses. This honors the natural rhythm of how trust and dialogue develop, and allows for varying approaches to processing and sharing.  4. Prioritize accessibility and inclusion in every aspect of the meeting. Anticipating and designing for participants needs means you’re thinking about language justice, technology and materials accessibility, neurodivergence, power dynamics, and content framing. Asking “What do you need to fully participate in this meeting?” ahead of time invites participants to share their needs. These meeting suggestions aren’t just about efficiency—they’re about creating spaces where authentic relationships and useful conversations can actually develop. Especially at times when people are exhausted and working hard to manage their own energy, a well-designed meeting can be a welcome space to engage. I’m curious to hear from others: What's your most effective strategy for holding substantive meetings in time-constrained virtual spaces? What meeting structures have you seen that actually work?