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Meaningful inclusion and the psychological safety it engenders aren't created through strategic initiatives or training, but through hundreds of "small, intentional acts that accumulate into trust, safety and belonging", an HR and leadership consultant says.

In her book The Kind Way, Metta Leaders founder Sophie Bretag discusses how micro-behaviours, such as how often leaders credit others, invite diverse input or interrupt bias.

Along with "the emotional feel of the team, how people describe the room, the energy, the atmosphere, and the sense of openness or guardedness", these micro-moments are not just "nice to have" in a workplace, but "leading indicators of performance, retention, wellbeing and risk".

To understand "what's really going on" in their workplace regarding inclusion and psychological safety, Bretag encourages leaders to conduct an "inclusion audit"...