TO GET ALL PARTIES ON BOARD, WE NEED TO GEAR DOWN

Emmanuelle Verhagen is consultant for sustainability and inclusion, and has put inclusion on the agenda of ACV as well. “Inclusion is essential for a trade union. As a staff representative, it is important to get all parties on board,” Emmanuelle explains.

Over the years, Emmanuelle has gained a lot of experience and has grown from a successful marketer to a sustainability consultant. The turning point came in 2004. “Valentine’s Day of that year to be precise,” says Emmanuelle. “As a marketer for Nokia in Mumbai, I had conducted research into the bottom of the pyramid, the poorest people in the world, who have to live on less than $1.5 a day. The manager at Nokia did not want to believe that they could also be happy, despite their poverty. I was shocked by the way he reduced consumers to their income. This was an eye opener for me. And the start of a new career centred around diversity and inclusion.”

These words are often bracketed together. But do they actually mean the same?

Verhagen: “No they don’t. Diversity is simply a reality. It is a matter of statistics. We are beyond that discussion. Inclusion concerns dialogue and conversation. The origin of the word ‘conversation’ goes way back. It refers to the coming together of minds. That is the essence. Listening to one another and learning what the other needs. That has almost become a lost art, including in the world of business. As a result, human resources is mainly focused on ‘resources’ and less on ‘human’.”

What role does your own background play in this story?

Verhagen: “It obviously plays an important part. My unique life story determines who I am and my outlook on life. I was a successful man. Over ten years ago, I went into transition. I still do not call myself a women, but not a man either. I don’t believe in that kind of categories. There is a wide spectrum between ‘male’ and ‘female’. Because of my transition, I have become very much aware of the privileges I used to have as a white heterosexual male. You only notice these privileges once you have lost them. To be clear: I still enjoy a lot of privileges. I am still white, I have a university degree, a decent income, a roof above my head … My transition has opened a door to worlds I did not know and where there are fewer privileges: the queer community, for instance, but also refugees and people living in poverty. I have ‘reconstructed’ myself in this manner. I have rebuilt my identity.”

And now you provide advice to businesses and organisations on how to deal with people across the human spectrum. What are the keys?

Verhagen: “Inclusion means listening to what people, in all their diversity, need so as to feel safe. That sounds pretty straightforward, but it isn’t. Because the first reflex of those who don’t feel safe is to remain silent. You don’t hear them. They don’t take part in the debate. It is tempting to devote most of your attention to the loudest voice. But they are not always right. In any case, other opinions are equally important. The trade unions also need to be aware of the empty chair at the table or the unheard voice. As a staff representative, you need to make all voices heard. You need to get everyone on board. Because that leads to better decisions and better workplaces. And of course, trade unions occupy a unique position. Its members can express all opinions without having to be afraid. That is why they are protected by law against sanctions.”

The question is, of course, how to do that. How do you make people express their opinion who would normally stay silent?

Verhagen: “That is a very intensive process. The key is the question: ‘Who haven’t I heard yet?’ Inclusion involves strengthening people’s resilience. People have to feel safe in order to participate. Only then will they express an opinion that hasn’t been heard yet. This requires us to slow down. Because speed makes us oblivious to our prejudices. To work optimally, our brain uses a great deal of energy, approximately 20 to 25% of the total energy in our body. If you want to do things quickly, that speed requires energy, and your brain will fall back on automatisms. It stops thinking actively and relies on what it already knows – and therefore on prejudice. Processing new information you haven’t heard before requires slowing down. It is comparable to driving a car. At first, you drive with difficulty and slowly, because your brain still has to learn everything. But as you become more proficient, driving becomes an automatism. If someone then asks you how to drive a car exactly, it is hard to explain.”

Slowing down is not always easy. After all, time is increasingly a luxury.

Verhagen: “Indeed. Time is becoming more and more compressed. That process began around 1355, if I am not mistaken. That’s when the very first tower clock was built. The employers of that era thought it was a good idea, as it was now clear to everyone when the workday started and when it ended. That was new. Previously, time had been open to interpretation. Since then, time has come under increasing pressure. Everything has to go faster and faster. At least in the Western world. In other cultures, time is experienced very differently and much less structurally embedded in what people do.”

Inclusion now has become a well-known topic. Are you hopeful?

Verhagen: “The younger generation does give me hope. I notice that many young people want to explore new pathways. Of course, they also make mistakes, but they realise that they have to do things better. And this will be necessary as we are going from crisis to crisis. We constantly need to adapt to changes. This will never end. So now more than ever, we need to keep a finger on the pulse. And that’s only possible if you can get all parties on board.”