Once upon a time there was a new member of a company, and the boss wanted to help him feel included, so he decided to throw a pizza party on Friday afternoon. But the newcomer didn’t show up to it. So the boss, determined to make this guy feel included, decided that on Tuesday, the whole team would go to karaoke, but the newcomer didn’t go to that either. Feeling a little discouraged, the boss decides that they’re going to do yoga on Friday, and invites the whole company to yoga. Again, the newcomer doesn’t join in. Finally the boss storms over to the newcomer, visibly upset that he hasn’t joined the group despite his tedious efforts to include him. He is just about to lose it on the newcomer, when the new guy quietly whispers, “I’m lactose intolerant, I don’t enjoy singing, and yoga bothers my back, that’s why I didn’t show up to your invitations”. The boss was taken aback, feeling guilty that he hadn’t considered any of those things in planning the outings meant to help the new guy feel included. After thinking a minute, he looked up at the scared newcomer, and asked, ‘Well, what do YOU like to do?’ Turns out, the outcast loved rollerskating, but never had the time to do it. So the leader rented skates for the whole group the next week, and they bonded with their new member. The point is, we could have great intentions. Our players, and the people we serve need to know where we're coming from, and we must be willing to have conversations to ensure that they feel included, cared about, and respected.
