[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.esthermollema.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/No-act-of-kindness-no-matter-how-small-is-ever-wasted.png” alt=”Inclusie begint niet met beleid. Het begint met een zinnetje. Esther Mollema” title_text=”Inclusie begint niet met beleid. Het begint met een zinnetje. Esther Mollema” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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Last year, it finally clicked for us: if we really want to move forward with inclusion, we need to talk about it less, and do it more. Not just in policy documents or strategy sessions, but especially in the small, everyday moments in between. Inclusion doesn\u2019t start in formal settings; it starts in the hallway. By the coffee machine. In every meeting. It lives in what you say, what you leave unsaid, and what you choose to notice.<\/p>\n
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From talking about inclusion to actually doing it.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Inclusion is the key to better teamwork. Teams where people truly feel seen and valued are more enthusiastic, creative, and engaged. Inclusive collaboration isn\u2019t just more pleasant, it\u2019s essential if you really want to understand and serve your clients, customers, or community.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Still, inclusion doesn\u2019t happen automatically. Our brains are wired to think in boxes and look for ways to belong. That\u2019s human, but it can lead to others being excluded. Often unintentionally, but with real impact.<\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019re already doing your absolute best as a colleague or leader, and yet it feels like your team has more potential. And you\u2019re probably right. Diversity starts with hiring, but inclusion requires daily action. Not just at the top, especially on the work floor. Inclusive teams grow from a culture where everyone is invited to contribute. And in that culture, it\u2019s the small moments that make the biggest difference.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Below are a few examples of micromoments: small, intentional actions that show someone you see them, value them, and want to include them. Not during the official moments, but in between. In an aside. In a silence where someone finally dares to speak. In a question you hadn\u2019t thought to ask before. That\u2019s where change begins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#ECF3F2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the sentence: In the gesture: In the recognition: In the check-in: In the invitation to contribute: [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the courage to name discomfort: In the willingness to be open: In the appreciation of honesty: <\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Micromoments do something to people. A single act of kindness can already trigger feel-good hormones, not just in the person who receives it, but also in the person who gives it and in anyone who witnesses it. No gesture is ever wasted.<\/p>\n And it shows in the data. Employees who regularly experience micromoments report up to 76% more connection (Porath et al., 2015), 71% more energy (Stanchak, 2024), and 73% more commitment to achieving shared goals (Porath et al., 2015). Teams where micromoments are the norm see lower turnover (McGonagle, 2014), greater psychological safety (Edmondson, 2009), more creativity (Carmeli, 2015), and better collaboration.<\/p>\n But one kind remark doesn\u2019t build a culture. For that, something else is needed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So how do you make sure a micromoments isn\u2019t just a lucky exception, but a reflex? How do you turn a nice gesture into a new way of working?<\/p>\n By turning intention into habit. Because once your behavior no longer depends on your schedule but runs from your autopilot, it becomes something that lasts.<\/p>\n Habits make it possible to become just a little more inclusive every day. The impact may feel small at first. But know this: one percent more inclusive each day might not sound like much, but by the end of the year, you’re 37 times more inclusive (James Clear, Atomic Habits<\/em>).<\/p>\n And no, it doesn\u2019t require a radical overhaul. Habits help you make a difference even when you\u2019re busy or tired. Because whether we like it or not, we are creatures of habit.<\/p>\n Behavioral expert Emmalotte helps teams anchor micromoments in daily practice. She is certified in the Tiny Habits method by Stanford professor BJ Fogg and met with him in Las Vegas to ask her final questions about how to make behavioral change truly stick.<\/p>\n Because the real effect isn\u2019t in the one-time compliment, but in the moment that compliment becomes natural. In the ease with which you notice who hasn\u2019t spoken yet. In that brief check-in that\u2019s no longer the exception, but simply how you work together.<\/p>\n Let us help you turn your team into habit builders, not perfect colleagues.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Real change starts small. And it can start today. Those small moments are what convince your brain that inclusion is worth it. But the real difference only comes when you repeat them. Not once and done, but often enough that they become second nature. So inclusion is no longer an extra task, but a natural part of how you collaborate, lead, and grow as a team.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Inclusion doesn\u2019t start with policy, but with behavior. Not with big plans, but in small moments. In a genuine question, a glance of recognition, or the courage to name discomfort. These micromoments help people feel seen and valued and that has a measurable impact on engagement, collaboration, and culture.<\/p>\n But doing the right thing once isn\u2019t enough. Lasting change only happens when micromoments become a habit. By acting one percent more inclusive each day, you build a team where inclusion becomes second nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nInclusion starts with action.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\u201cHow do you think I handled this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHold on, I\u2019m putting my phone away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI see what you\u2019re doing for the team, and I appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t this too much work on your plate?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are we still missing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat joke didn\u2019t feel right. Humor should be fun for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t we just ask them instead of assuming?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for your honesty \u2014 it says something good about you.\u201d<\/p>\nWhy the small moments matter<\/strong><\/h3>\n
From good intention to lasting habit<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why habits work<\/h3>\n
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With one sentence. One gesture. One micromoment.<\/p>\n