We’ve spent 2024 navigating some of the most pressing challenges facing our organizations today:

• Communication breakdowns between teams due to socioeconomic or geopolitical events

• The tug-of-war between return-to-office and remote work

• The politicization of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) itself

…all of which directly affects the teams that leaders claim they’re supporting. 

While organizations are feeling pressure to cut budgets or scale back their efforts — at Inclusion in Progress, we believe that this shift actually presents an opportunity. An opportunity to align inclusion, distributed work, and people-focused strategies more directly with an organization's objectives in 2025 and beyond — and continue to build freer, fairer workplaces that work for us all.

As we wrap up the year, we’re sharing the lessons we’ve learned from 2024, the challenges and opportunities for 2025, and what’s next for us at Inclusion in Progress. 

Finally, we’ll continue to share our resources, insights, and conversations with you here on this podcast as a resource for globally-minded leaders like you. It’s our hope that we can continue to shine a light on the benefits of flexible work — and enable you to continue to lead conversations about how to create your own inclusive distributed workplace. 

Grab your copy of our Distributed Work Models playbook launching in January 2025.

Or email us at [email protected] to learn how we’re continuing to support organizations with our Inclusive Distributed Work™ framework in the new year.

#inclusionatwork #hybridworkplace #futureofwork #inclusioninprogresspodcast

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our Distributed Work Models playbook to learn how to find the distributed work model that enables your teams to perform at their best.

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Listen to how the return-to-office debate has been politicized in our previous episode, IIP128: Why In-Office Mandates Hinder Innovation & Inclusion

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Subscribe to the Inclusion in Progress Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get notified when new episodes come out!

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

A principle at the core of our Inclusive Distributed Work™ framework is compassionate collision — bringing different perspectives to the table and creating psychological safety for everyone to contribute their ideas and views to an organization.

The goal of compassionate collision isn’t to “fix” or “solve” complex issues overnight, but to create an environment where people can express themselves without fear of retaliation.

Our CEO, Kay Fabella, has been having difficult conversations with leaders recently, and a common theme is emerging: How can we maintain unity within our teams when global events are so divisive? Especially as we the world realizes that geopolitical and socio-economic stressors of the past few years are here to stay? 

While it’s impossible to have one perfect solution, we at Inclusion in Progress have found that the following recommendations for creating safe spaces for difficult conversations is crucial:

• Foster spaces for respectful discussion that model compassion and encourage diverse perspectives.

•  Set communication norms, encourage constructive debates, and create space for emotional support.

• Offer training on inclusive leadership, provide mental health resources, and schedule 1:1 check-ins.

If you want to learn more about our Inclusive Distributed Work™ framework and how it’s enhancing performance and connectivity for distributed teams, book a call with us by emailing [email protected].

#psychologicalsafety #compassionatecollision #culturaladaptability #inclusivedistributedwork #futureofwork #inclusioninprogresspodcast

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Learn more from our previous episode about how to Create Psychological Safety on Remote Teams

Listen to how we covered Psychological Safety for DEI Practitioners: Top Tips from IIP

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

The company on everyone’s mind in the ongoing return-to-office debates is none other than Amazon. The global company’s decision to roll back hybrid work models and reinstate in-office mandates in January 2025 has raised eyebrows — and not in a good way.

While Amazon (and companies like them) may view this in-office mandate as a way to "restore" collaboration, will it instead stifle the very innovation it wants to improve?

In this episode of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we talk about:

• Why in-office mandates hinder flexibility, which is a non-negotiable for employees today;

• The ways that innovation and creativity can thrive outside a shared physical workspace; 

• How forward-thinking leaders like you can move beyond return-to-office or RTO mandates to embrace a version of distributed work that helps your teams thrive.

At Inclusion in Progress, we have utilized our three-step Inclusive Distributed Work™ framework to support companies with aligning their people-focused initiates with business critical objectives, to deepen their capacity to understand and address specific issues facing their globally distributed teams.

If you’d like to collaborate with us to implement our framework in your organization, email us at [email protected] to book your free consultation call.

#returntooffice  #leadership #inclusivedistributedwork #futureofwork

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Read the full Amazon Message from CEO Andy Jassy: Strengthening our culture and teams.

Learn more about  WFH Research’s findings on hybrid and remote work models. 

Review the University of Pittsburgh - Katz Graduate School of Business’ study on Return-to-Office Mandates.

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Since 2022, employers have been working against a global talent shortage, particularly amongst knowledge workers. This has put immense pressure on teams, increasing the risk of burnout, and prompting some leaders to consider leaving their positions.

Doubling down on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) to increase the presence of underrepresented or excluded groups — whether from non-traditional backgrounds, cultures, or life trajectories — is not just a nice-to-have. It’s critical to help you widen, deepen, and strengthen your talent pool with ideas and perspectives.

At the same time, it’s important to remember that many of the traditionally excluded groups you’re targeting with your DEI initiatives are greatly in favor of distributed work.

Barriers to increasing diversity can be overcome if your organization embraces a true distributed work model.

At Inclusion in Progress, we have utilized our three-step Inclusive Distributed Work™ framework to support companies with aligning their people-focused initiates with business critical objectives, to deepen their capacity to understand and address specific issues facing their globally distributed teams.

If you’d like to collaborate with us this year to implement our framework in your organization, email us at [email protected] to book your free consultation call.

#dei #leadership #inclusivedistributedwork #futureofwork

TIMESTAMPS:

[03:34]  What can you do to encourage employee interaction, engagement, and productivity in a distributed work setting?

[06:17] How do we define DEI? How does this definition differ when in the context of distributed work?

[09:23] What are the challenges you first have to address before activating your DEI initiatives

[14:11] What guidelines can Inclusion in Progress offer to help HR and People leaders on your DEI journey?

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Read the full report of Work From Home Research’s Global Survey of Working Arrangements.

Learn more about Contending With Stereotype Threat at Work: A Model of Long-Term Responses

Listen to episode IIP125 where we explore What is Inclusive Distributed Work™? An Introduction to Our Framework.

Get started on mitigating bias at work with the help of episode IIP096: The 3 Hidden Biases of Hybrid Work & How to Avoid Them.

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Hybrid work has been most commonly defined as a blend of in-office and remote work. This form seemed like the perfect solution as we transitioned  post-pandemic because it promised flexibility and a balanced approach to the workplace. 

However, many organizations have found themselves stuck in the middle ground where the emphasis is still on showing up at the office rather than focusing on productivity. And we have seen that this current iteration of hybrid has significant limitations and consequences for those organizations that are unwilling to adapt.

In this episode of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, discuss the following: 

• Why you have only heard of one model of “hybrid work” and how other models have performed against it;

• How employers monitoring the productivity of their employees in-office may actually be the bottleneck to productivity and profitability that they are trying to avoid;

• Why it is important to make decisions surrounding the workplace based on intentionally collected data.

At Inclusion in Progress, we have utilized our three-step Inclusive Distributed Work™ framework to support companies with aligning their people-focused initiates with business critical objectives, to deepen their capacity to understand and address specific issues facing their globally distributed teams.

If you’d like to collaborate with us this year to implement our framework in your organization, email us at [email protected] to book your free consultation call.

#hybridwork  #leadership #inclusivedistributedwork #futureofwork

TIMESTAMPS:

[4:21] What are the five models of “hybrid work”? And how have companies made use of these models so far? 

[7:08] What are the arguments made by employers to justify going back to the pre-pandemic five-day-a-week in-office mandate? What should your company be focusing on instead?  

[13:22] How can you embrace Inclusive Distributed Work™ at your workplace? What is the best approach to use to achieve this?

[16:35] What are the questions you can ask that can help you identify the ideal distributed work model for your organization?

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Read the full report of Work From Home Research’s Global Survey of Working Arrangements.

Listen to our previous episode about how other companies are Building a Healthy, Connected Work Culture for Distributed Teams

Read more on the success of Atlassian’s Team Anywhere in their 1,000 Days of Distributed Work Report.

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

In this episode of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we share more about our signature Inclusive Distributed Work™ — which we’ve used with tech companies worldwide to support their distributed teams.

At Inclusion in Progress, we define distributed work as physical distribution (remote, hybrid and in-office) and geographical distribution (global and multicultural). Which means that even before March 2020, our teams were already distributed.

Today, the success of your distributed teams depends on enabling collaboration across difference, geography, culture and time zone — so you can avoid costly attrition due to misunderstandings and inefficiencies; attract and retain top talent; improve communication and collaboration; and increase your global reach and market share.

Utilizing our three-step framework, we’ve supported companies with aligning their people-focused initiatives with business critical objectives, and deepening their capacity to understand and address specific issues facing their globally distributed teams.

If you’d like to collaborate with us this year to implement our framework in your organization, email us at [email protected] to book your free consultation call.

#psychologicalsafety #leadership #inclusivedistributedwork #futureofwork

TIMESTAMPS:

[5:55] Empowering distributed teams with a shared culture beyond office walls.

[8:10] Distributed work is a natural evolution of work, enabling collaboration across differences for success.

[13:02] The benefits of enabling inclusive behaviors, mitigating bias, and strengthening communication protocols.

[16:11] Strategies for fostering psychological safety in distributed teams.

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Listen to our previous episode where we discuss how Inclusion in Progress got started and 3 Ways Sponsorship Can Address the Gender Gap in Leadership

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

In our post-pandemic world, many more companies have distributed workforces. 

Which means many of the HR, Talent and People leaders that we engage with are having to rethink and redefine how to close the gender gap in leadership — when many no longer share the same physical office space or cultural context. 

With that said, research shows that sponsorship remains one of the most effective ways to close the gender gap in leadership.

So how do you know when a sponsorship program is right for you? And how do you apply and launch a sponsorship program for a distributed work environment?

On this episode of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we look at three ways sponsorship can address the gender gap in leadership — and how you can apply our findings to your own distributed workforce.

At Inclusion in Progress, LLC, we’re passionate about Inclusive Distributed Work™ because we have been afforded the opportunities to advance and advise others in 35+ countries, across generational and cultural differences, while supporting our teams’ experiences with autism, depression, anxiety and ADHD.

We know that Inclusive Distributed Work™ works. So if you’d like to work with us this year to implement our signature framework in your organization, email us at [email protected] to book your free consultation call with us.

#sponsorship #leadership #genderequity #inclusivedistributedwork #futureofwork

TIMESTAMPS:

[2:59] Sponsorship can address gender gap in leadership through structured opportunities.

[7:23] How sponsorship increases visibility and accessibility for women to enhance their careers and promote them into positions of leadership.

[9:45] Sponsorship benefits both sponsors and protegees, creating a structured allyship opportunity.

[12:27] Kay shares how remote work helped her find creative solutions to mental health and professional obstacles.

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Listen to our previous episode where we discuss Do Your Teams Need Mentorship or Sponsorship? How to Understand the Difference.

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

We often hear about mentorship or sponsorship programs for companies looking to increase representation as a part of their DEI — or diversity, equity and inclusion — initiatives. 

But how do you know which program is the best fit for your organization?

Inspired by our conversations with hundreds of HR, DEI and People leaders of distributed teams, we discuss how to close the gender gap in leadership through a structured, scaleable mentorship or sponsorship program.

For this episode of the Inclusion in Progress podcast, we’ll go over:

• Why mentorship and sponsorship are different and why choosing the right one matters for increasing representation on your teams

• How mentorship or sponsorship programs are being optimized by some of our client partners and organizations we’ve collaborated with

• Our best practices for how to develop a mentorship or sponsorship program in a distributed work environment

At Inclusion in Progress, LLC, we’re deeply committed to empowering others to walk the talk when it comes to inclusion. Which is why we’re pleased to continue sharing our 2024 whitepaper: “How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap”. The whitepaper is a result of our January 2024 roundtable discussions with cybersecurity leaders at Broadcom, Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks are doing to promote and advance women in their organizations, and enable more women’s advancement into leadership.

To download our latest whitepaper, head to https://inclusioninprogress.com/learn. 

TIMESTAMPS:

[3:15] Defining mentorship and sponsorship, and highlighting their different functions.

[5:57] How sponsorship and mentorship programs can increase productivity and diversity in leadership pipelines.

[8:57] How distributed environments create opportunities for launching mentorship/sponsorship programs.

[14:38] Why sponsorship programs are necessary for emerging leaders with untapped potential.

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Download our 2024 Whitepaper: "How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap"

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

Organizations that claimed to support diversity and inclusion in the wake of the pandemic are continuing to mandate Return-to-Office policies today. 

Leaders are clinging to the paradigm of in-office work as the gateway to productivity and performance — rather than using this moment as an opportunity to leverage the insight they've gained from their own flexible work experiences to innovate new ways of working.

But did you know that flexible work isn't just a nice-to-have but a non-negotiable for closing the gender gap in leadership? 

Which is why on this episode of the podcast we discuss:

• How strengthening and reiterating your existing distributed work models is advantageous to both men and women;

• Why the role of managers is important in increasing women’s representation in leadership;

• How strategizing for an inclusive and equitable distributed workplace enables teams with the highest potential and boosts their performance.

At Inclusion in Progress, LLC, we understand the profound impact that gender inclusion has on workplace culture and a company's ability to meet business objectives. Which is why we’re pleased to share the release of our 2024 whitepaper: “How Cybersecurity Companies Can Retain, Promote & Advance Women to Minimize the Gender Gap”. The whitepaper is a result of our January 2024 roundtable discussions with cybersecurity leaders at Broadcom, Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks are doing to promote and advance women in their organizations, and enable more women’s advancement into leadership.

To download our latest whitepaper, head to https://inclusioninprogress.com/learn. 

TIMESTAMPS:

[0:01] Return to office policies and their impact on diversity and inclusion

[2:24] Increasing women's representation in leadership through flexible work

[6:22] Gender inequality in the workplace and the importance of distributed work models

[9:40] Managers' role in promoting women's leadership in distributed workplaces

[12:41] The benefits of gender inclusion in the workplace

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Learn more about the three hidden biases of hybrid work and how to avoid them.

Listen to our discussion of how women of color face double barriers to promotion at work.

Download our 2024 Executive Roundtable Findings: “DEI is Not Dead: How Cybersecurity Leaders are Closing the Gender Gap”

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.

In a 2023 Deloitte study, 92% of women believed their employers were NOT doing enough to honor their commitment to gender equity?

During the pandemic, women all over the world left the workforce and never came back. 

Today, women leaders are now leaving their organizations at the highest rate ever. 

Inclusion in Progress is committed to empowering organizations to prevent this backslide in gender parity —  particularly during International Women’s Month.

Which is why on this episode of the podcast you will hear our take on:

• Why it is a business-critical issue that women leaders are leaving the workplace;

• What holds women back from becoming leaders in the first place;

• How employers can invest in women beyond International Women’s Day;

• What companies are doing today to successfully retain and advance women at work.

We are also very excited to announce the release of our 2024 whitepaper, where you will gain further insight on how we can accelerate progress and invest in women beyond IWD. The whitepaper is a result of our January 2024 roundtable with cybersecurity leaders at Broadcom, Cisco, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks are doing to promote and advance women in their organizations, and enable more women’s advancement into leadership.

To download our latest whitepaper, head to https://inclusioninprogress.com/learn. 

TIMESTAMPS:

[0:02] Accelerating women's retention and advancement in the workplace.

[4:27] Women's leadership exodus post-pandemic.

[8:26} Navigating gender bias, burnout, and lack of recognition in the workplace.

[15:57] Retaining women leaders in tech companies.

LINKS:

[email protected]

www.inclusioninprogress.com/podcast

www.linkedin.com/company/inclusion-in-progress 

Listen to Sonia’s recommended episode on if gender equity plans help all women.

Learn more about the headwinds and other barriers that women of color face to promotion at work.

Check out our episode discussing miscarriage, menopause and more experiences of women at work.

Download our 2024 Executive Roundtable Findings: “DEI is Not Dead: How Cybersecurity Leaders are Closing the Gender Gap”

Want us to partner with you on building more inclusive distributed work? Get in touch to learn how we can tailor our services to your company’s DEI and remote work initiatives.

Read our Forbes features on Ways to Support Employee Mental Wellbeing, What Self Care Looks Like For Us, and How to Create Effective Online Diversity Training.

Learn how to leave a review for the podcast.