"Occupy" is About Inclusion

On a recent business trip to New York City, I stayed in a hotel in the financial district facing Ground Zero and looking out over the Occupy Wall Street protestors. We have not seen this type of demonstration in the United States since the 1960's. As I watched from my room, I reflected on the events that brought about such a wide-spread demonstration. Beginning in September in New York City, by October 9th similar demonstrations had been held in over 70 major cities and 600 communities across the United States. The reach of this has extended internationally now to over 900 cities worldwide.

In my opinion the economic problems being highlighted by the demonstrators are the symptoms, not the problem. The problem is Inclusion, or the lack of it. These demonstrations are representative of people from diverse backgrounds, from grandmothers to business leaders, right-wing and left-wing, students and retirees. This broad base gives value to their message and power to their voices. People want to be heard, to be considered and to speak their truth. Inclusion, being heard and fairness are the driving forces behind these wide spread demonstrations. People are tried of not being considered and not being heard in regards to big business, financial institutions, healthcare and economic regulations.

Business's and leaders need to create organizational cultures of inclusion. The buzz words of today are reflective of emotionally shut down employees who do not feel ownership in their jobs or valued of their contribution. These buzz words in today's big business are 'engagement, retention and talent management'. We wouldn't have those issues if we had businesses that reflected inclusion and openness and transparency. Create a place where people can speak their truth and be heard.

Who are the voices at your table? What kind of atmosphere are you creating?