The Element Of Inclusion
by Dr Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey Diversity & Inclusion I Broadcaster I Speaker I
Hosted by Dr. Jonathan Ashong-LampteyEvery week we inform and educate using applied research and thought leadership Get your pen and paper ready because this is one of the world's most valuable resources to help you on your Inclusion journeyWe provide book reviews, research breakdowns, explainers, opinion pieces, interviews and much more We're on a mission to help a million people like you to make your workplace more inclusive
Episodes
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3 Things I Tell Leaders Worried About AI
If your only response to AI is a smaller headcount, you haven't done more with less. Here I break down the three things I tell leaders about AI at work. In this episode we cover: How one economic test reframes AI decisions Why AI rewrites what counts as rare When "everyone can" becomes your...
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What If AI Is the Most Inclusive Technology We Have Ever Had?
If your organisation sees AI as a threat to inclusion, the real opportunity gets missed. Here I examine why AI helps the people who need it most. In this episode we cover: How AI creates absolute social mobility Why privilege loses its hiding places Why more with the same beats cutting people If...
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Why the DEI Field is not a Profession
DEI was never a profession, it had no structural defence when the pressure came. Here I examine what went wrong. In this episode we cover: Why inclusion failed every test of professionalisation How occupational groups collapse under political pressure How to professionalise your own inclusion...
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The Economic Principle That Makes Everyone Support Inclusion
If your inclusion work feels zero-sum to leadership, resistance is rational. Here I explain the economic test that eliminates it. In this episode we cover: How zero-sum thinking makes resistance rational Why Pareto improvements eliminate the inclusion objection How to test your interventions...
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Why Should You Care About Inclusion In The Age of AI
Why should you care about inclusion? Here I explain how I approach this topic in the age of AI. In this episode we cover: Why people are tired of inclusion How we think about these issues Why you should make your own mind up If you want to go further When we work with clients we gather evidence…
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Why AI Is Breaking the Matthew Effect
If your professional advantage depends on skills AI can replicate, the compounding has stopped. Here I explain how AI broke the Matthew Effect. In this episode we cover: How scarcity drives the Matthew Effect Why repeatable expertise stopped compounding How to audit which skills still compound If...
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How AI is Forcing Us Into Protean Careers
If you're worried about being replaced by AI. I think it's still possible to have a fulfilling career. Here I trace the career equation I've followed for 15 years. In this episode we cover: Why AI accelerates the rare skills principle How to spot skills losing their rarity How a 15-year career...
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5 Principles From 6,000 Days of Studying Inclusion
If you need research backed principles to make inclusion work, here I share 5 from my PhD tested in over a decade of client work. In this episode we cover: How group identity decides who gets ahead Why trust can't live in a policy document Why your colleagues edit themselves before they speak If...
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Why Leaders Don't Accept Your Evidence
If leaders reject your evidence, they have a competing interpretation and your case has only done half the work. Here I unpack how to complete it. In this episode we cover: Why data and evidence are not the same How competing interpretations block action How to use 4 sources in both directions If...
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Why Workplace Bully Culture is Bad For Business
If you can't define bullying, you can't cost it. Here I break down the research definition, the causes and what it costs your business. In this episode we cover: The 3 elements of workplace bullying How working conditions predict bullying at work Why the cost of bullying is understated in your...
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The Step Most HR Leaders Skip When Building An Inclusive Workplace
If you started your inclusion work without gathering evidence for the problem, you can't prove what changed. Here I unpack why. In this episode we cover: Why most inclusion work starts without evidence How little evidence you actually need Why no evidence in means no evidence out If you want to…
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Why Every Opinion About Diversity May Not Be Worth Your Attention
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Flags, Food and Fun: Where DEI Goes to Die
f your team runs cultural events all year with no measurable outcome, your calendar is producing visibility, not progress. Here I break down why. In this episode we cover: Why attendance and engagement are false proxies How Flags, Food and Fun replace progress Why busy is the worst thing to be If...
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What Evidence Based Inclusion Actually Means
If you call your work evidence-based but can't define evidence in one sentence, that's a structural gap. Here I break down what the term requires. In this episode we cover: How data collection differs from evidence generation Why classifying claims builds personal diagnostic skill How 4 evidence...
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3 AI Mistakes Hurting Your Inclusion Work Right Now
If your AI dashboard looks healthy but your decisions haven't improved, here I unpack 3 AI mistakes hurting your inclusion work right now. In this episode we cover: Why AI is an inclusion problem now How more dashboards hide worse decisions Why AI adoption doesn't mean AI capability If you're...
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The One Idea That Survived 450 Episodes Of The Show
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3 Smart Frameworks I Love Using With Clients
If you're making inclusion decisions without a system for testing whether your assumptions are true, I break down the 3 frameworks I use with clients every week. In this episode we cover: How 4 evidence sources ground every client decision Why assertions without evidence deserve dismissal How to...
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AI Makes Juniors Better. Leaders Are Firing Them Anyway
If AI makes your juniors better but leaders keep cutting them, your talent pipeline breaks down. Here I trace the mispricing no one is naming. In this episode we cover: How AI lifts novice performance more than experts Why polished output misleads leaders about junior value Why cutting…
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Time to Fix Your Leaky Inclusion Bucket
If the inclusion projects you start keep quietly slipping away, your work never compounds. Here I unpack how to fix the leaks. In this episode we cover: Why every body of work quietly leaks How correcting yourself protects what you built Why starting small builds the bigger arc If you're finding...
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3 Ways People Use AI. Only One Builds Skill.
If your team uses AI but nobody is building judgement, the gap is forming now. Here I break down three modes of AI use and why only one builds skill. In this episode we cover: How adoption metrics hide a growing capability gap Why the most common AI mode builds nothing When polished output...
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Why AI Means Not Everyone On Your Team Will Be Human
If your organisation measures AI adoption by usage, the metric masks a deeper gap. Here I break down what the best AI organisations measure instead. In this episode we cover: Why AI competency requires evidence not usage How unspoken assumptions shape your AI culture Why your future team won't be...
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Why Your Inclusion Wins May Be Based on False Evidence
If your inclusion results rest on circumstantial evidence, you take credit you cannot defend. Here I explain how to look for causation. In this episode we cover: How circumstantial evidence masquerades as proof Why good work can produce wrong conclusions How the 3 I's test causation If you're...
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A 4 Step Framework For AI Fluency Leaders Need To Understand
If AI fluency in your organisation means learning tools, the thinking underneath is being skipped. Here I break down a 4 step framework. In this episode we cover: Why human thinking is non-negotiable with AI How vague prompts mirror vague inclusion strategies Why AI adoption has an ethos problem…
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9th Birthday Special: What I've Learned About You
If most inclusion content leaves you frustrated, I explain the nine filters that separate serious practitioners from everyone else. In this episode we cover: How content design filters for serious leaders Why evidence separates credible work from performance How core principles outlast trends and...
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The Inclusive Question That Changed Everything
If your inclusion work looks busy but nothing is actually changing, one question exposes why. Here I break down the question that changed everything. In this episode we cover: Why activity data never counts as evidence How reporting misalignment makes you invisible When one question protects your...
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Why The Long Way To Inclusion Is Actually The Shortcut
If your inclusion work keeps producing activity but not lasting results, the foundation is the problem. Here I break down why the long way is actually the shortcut. In this episode we cover: Why skipping diagnostic work guarantees failure How foundational effort compounds over time When quick…
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Why Managing AI Is An Inclusion Problem
If your organisation treats AI as a technology problem, the people decisions it shapes go unchecked. Here I explain why managing AI is an inclusion problem. In this episode we cover: Why the experience of exclusion is becoming universal How inclusion skills apply directly to AI decisions Why...
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Why AI Is Being Used As An Excuse To Stop Investing In People
If leadership is using AI as permission to stop investing in people, that is an inclusion decision. Here I break down why. In this episode we cover: How AI gave leadership permission to withdraw investment Why productivity targets are assumptions not claims When broken infrastructure makes AI...
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Why "We Have Copilot" Is Not A Modern HR Strategy
If 'We have Copilot' passes for your AI strategy, you're scaling decisions you can't explain. Here I examine three structural risks. In this episode we cover: Why having Copilot is an untested assumption How AI scales broken systems at speed Why HR owns AI consequences, not IT Episodes…
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I Asked 100 HR Leaders If They Use AI. Here's What They Said
If AI is making people decisions nobody examines, HR is accountable for outcomes it cannot explain. Here I unpack what 100 leaders missed. In this episode we cover: How AI reproduces historical bias at scale Why most HR leaders stopped asking about fairness When data becomes evidence and why it...
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Why AI Made Inclusion Everyone's Problem
If AI is reshaping roles in your organisation without process or transparency, trust collapses. Here I examine why inclusion is now everyone's problem. In this episode we cover: * Why AI displacement mirrors minority workplace experiences * How inclusion was always a universal principle * Why the...
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Why Your AI Adoption Scorecard Is A False Proxy
If your AI adoption scorecard rewards tool usage over decision quality, you are repeating a familiar mistake. Here I examine why adoption metrics are a false proxy. In this episode we cover: Why AI adoption scorecards measure the wrong thing How the proxy problem applies to AI metrics When...
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Why Your AI Hiring System Is Making Decisions You Can't Defend
If hiring systems apply hidden filters, decision quality weakens and outcomes become indefensible. Here I explain how unseen rules shape results. In this episode we cover: How hidden filters shape candidate selection outcomes Why salary filters fail evidence tests When removing rules improves...
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Why Inclusion Activity Is Not Inclusion Strategy
If your inclusion calendar is full but nothing is measurably improving, here I break down why activity is not strategy. In this episode we cover: Why measuring outputs never proves strategic progress How superficial problems distract from solvable ones Why assuming the problem prevents you…
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How to Turn Stories into Inclusive Evidence
If inclusion decisions rely on anecdotes, weak claims shape strategy. Here I explain how to convert workplace stories into testable evidence. In this episode we cover: • How anecdotes become testable inclusion hypotheses • Why claims and assumptions block credible evidence • When PICOC turns…
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If Your CEO Says Diversity Is "The Right Thing," You May Have a Big Problem
If diversity is framed as morality not strategy, credibility weakens under pressure. Here I break down why rhetoric fails organisations. In this episode we cover: How platitudes weaken strategic positioning Why moral arguments collapse under scrutiny When rhetoric overrides commercial alignment…
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Why Diversity and Inclusion Gets Cut First in Budget Reviews
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Why Inclusion Fails Before Leaders Engage
If inclusion initiatives collapse before leaders engage, momentum and credibility erode. Here I break down why buy-in fails early. In this episode we cover: How incentives discourage inclusion participation Why borrowed evidence weakens business cases When portfolio misalignment predicts...
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Why Your Inclusion Journey May Look Better Than You Think
9 years ago I got my PhD That's when I became Dr. Jonathan No one expected it though...but some people did. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: Why Your Inclusion Journey May Look Better Than You Think The importance of paying attention to the right people How to encourage others on their…
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Why Inclusion Requires More Rigour And Less Rhetoric
So called Inclusion work is still dominated by fluffy language. Or charismatic, engaging people with no credibility once the lights come on. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: [Why Inclusion Requires More Rigour And Less Rhetoric] [The Rhetorical Problem of Diversity & Inclusion] [Three Ways to...
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Does Your Business Case for Diversity Travel Without You?
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How to Make Inclusion Relevant Without New Metrics
If your inclusion work is being ignored, it's probably the numbers. Maybe you should borrow someone else's. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: Why you need to Borrow Other People's Numbers [Why inclusion teams struggle to get buy-in with their own metrics How to use familiar business metrics to...
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5 Ways Organisations Get Inclusion Wrong
It seems that organisations are still getting inclusion wrong. Find out why! Here are some key messages from this episode Why Organisations Get Inclusion Wrong How Others Are Discussing What We Discuss Assumptions That Prevent Us From Being Inclusive and much more Play the episode for more. Here...
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Why They Dont Care About Your Inclusion Dashboard
The biggest reporting mistake isn't your format. It's assuming leadership cares. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: Why good metrics still get ignored The 3 filters that link inclusion work to leadership priorities How to present metrics that change minds and not check boxes Play the Episode for...
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The Authority Series: Fay Wallis Host of HR Coffee time
You don't have to be an expert in everything to be an outstanding leader; but you do need the right mindset. Today, you'll hear from Fay Wallis, host of the HR Coffee Time podcast. A show dedicated to helping HR professionals grow their confidence, influence and leadership impact. Key Topics...
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3 Insights To Make Next Year's Inclusion Plan More Effective
I want to acknowledge the uncomfortable truth. You're heading into 2026 (or whatever next year is depending on when you're tuning in) with questions, uncertainty and if you're honest ….. fatigue. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: 3 Insights I Couldn't Ignore Understanding Your Narrative Arc The...
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Fight the Urge for Flags, Food and Fun
I want to acknowledge the elephant in the room. You are under considerable pressure to engage in flags, food and fun. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: Why you need to fight the urge for Flags, Food and Fun Why Leaders Keep Falling Into This Trap What to do instead using Evidence Based…
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My Biggest Inclusion Breakthrough To Date
I'm so Excited to share a huge update with you. This is the biggest thing I can do to help you on your inclusion journey. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: The inclusion problems you're facing and how to solve them using evidence Why I created the Ask Dr Jonathan beta tool (and what it can do…
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About this show
Hosted by Dr. Jonathan Ashong-LampteyEvery week we inform and educate using applied research and thought leadership Get your pen and paper ready because this is one of the world's most valuable resources to help you on your Inclusion journeyWe provide book reviews, research breakdowns, explainers, opinion pieces, interviews and much more We're on a mission to help a million people like you to make your workplace more inclusive
Hosted by
Dr Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey Diversity & Inclusion I Broadcaster I Speaker I
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