Halfway through a recent workshop for Victorian public sector board directors on building inclusive board cultures, a comment popped up in the chat:
‘I really love how engaged everyone is - everyone is participating, sharing real pearls of wisdom - get a lot more out of these sorts of sessions when it is collaborative like this.’
These directors had never met. They came from different organisations, with different lived experiences. But in that moment, they were leaning in – asking tough questions and sharing vulnerably about power, bias, and the barriers that inhibit inclusive board cultures.
I was co-facilitating the session with Tarang Chawla, as part of an education program developed in partnership with the Victorian Public Sector Commission. Both Tarang and I have experiences on boards, with Tarang currently a Commissioner with the Victorian Multicultural Commission. We both know how rare these kinds of honest, reflective conversations can be.
The comment from the director in the workshop got me thinking about the need for more facilitated conversations in boardrooms where directors explore ways to engage meaningfully with appointees from diverse backgrounds.
From Diversity to True Inclusion
Workplaces are more diverse than ever. Slowly, boardrooms are catching up. But diversity alone isn’t enough. Inclusion is how organisations reap the benefits of diversity, and it doesn’t happen through chance.
All board directors know a common sense of purpose and strategic clarity are essential for effective board performance. Most know that diversity of experiences, styles, age, gender and cultural backgrounds are important.
But having a diverse board doesn’t necessarily mean it’s inclusive. And there’s the opportunity – to learn what an inclusive board culture looks and feels like, in an environment where directors from dominant majority groups and those from under-represented groups are encouraged to learn and share together.
Having a diverse board doesn’t necessarily mean it’s inclusive.
Too often, the assumption is that once the boardroom looks more diverse, the job is done. It’s not. An inclusive work environment occurs people feel valued, respected, trusted, and psychologically safe. In boardrooms – like in any other environment – what we say, how we say it, and our body language, matters.
Inclusive leadership is recognised as a skill leaders need to have now, or be urgently developing, according to the University of Sydney’s 2025 Skills Horizon Report, which describes it as ‘the ability to foster a productive environment that values, respects and leverages diversity in all its forms.’
In boardrooms, this skill isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a governance imperative. Inclusive boards make better decisions, manage risks more effectively, and reflect the communities they serve.
Education program: creating an inclusive board culture
Last year Diversity Partners was engaged by the Victorian Public Sector Commission to co-design and deliver virtual training for public sector board directors. The goal: to build capability for inclusive cultures and equitable decision-making.
We have done this for more than a decade but even now we weren’t sure what to expect. Would anyone come? Would they be open? Would the sceptics show up or would we be preaching to the converted?
They came. In numbers.
The results
Almost 400 board chairs, directors, and people who support boards participated over the course of eight months. What started as two modules over two months in the pilot turned into one half-day session. Extra programs were scheduled. Many board directors highlighted the conversational approach and practical content.
Here’s what participants had to say:
‘Definitely one of the best board sessions I have done in 15 years of board work.’
‘Absolutely recommend this program to others. Immensely valuable, new concepts explained and enjoyable involvement.’
‘The content is abundantly relevant, timely and delivered in an engaging, and thoughtful manner by the two expert facilitators.’
‘An excellent overview of why inclusion matters and how it can be built in a board. Worried about it being online? Don't be - it's engaging and relevant to board life and beyond.’
What we came to realise was how readily board members could relate to everyday exclusionary behaviours and biases like dominating airtime, interrupting, mispronouncing names, prioritising the views of those in the ‘in-group’, or over-relying on ‘cultural fit’ in recruitment.
Directors from dominant majority groups showed up. Some shared how they had reflected on their own behaviour (‘not comfortably!’) during the session and would now think a lot more deeply about biases of ‘the comfortable majority’.
For many, the concepts of inclusion, equity, intersectionality, and unconscious bias were relatively new.
Directors from under-represented and marginalised backgrounds valued the opportunity to share their experiences in a safe forum and have these validated.
‘As a young person with lived experience of disability and as part of the LGBTIQA+ community, this program gave me a deeper understanding of how exclusion can show up in subtle but powerful ways.’
‘As the only gay board member, I really appreciate it when other board members speak up in support of LGBTIQA+ inclusion, taking the burden off me a bit.’
Ninety-five per cent said they can apply the learnings from this program to their current role as a board member. Many board chairs said they will now invite alternative perspectives at the start of the meeting (to help counter sunflower bias) and be more mindful of subtle exclusionary practices.
Many gained a new understanding of the importance of micro-validations (subtle acts that encourage or affirm the contributions of others), particularly in countering micro-aggressions or subtle exclusionary behaviours experienced by people from under-represented and marginalised groups.
Prior to the workshop, 52 per cent of participants said their level of competence and confidence in the topics covered was ‘high’ or ‘very high’. This jumped to 94 per cent after the workshop.
What most stood out about this program was how much the board members appreciated sharing experiences with each other. We heard positive and challenging stories with humility and honesty. The conversations were sometimes uncomfortable, but always constructive.
These are the conversations that need to happen more in Australian boardrooms.
‘Your ongoing challenge as a leader is to create environments in which you can cultivate diverse perspectives across generations, without conflicting expectations causing chaos across age groups. As such, the ability to lead across generations is an explicit skill you’ll soon need to hone.'
