Every day, well-meaning employees often use language that unintentionally excludes their colleagues. A manager asks the team to “bring their wives” to the holiday party. An email begins with “Hi guys.” Announcements are made about “normal working hours” which exclude flexible arrangements and schedules.

These small moments add up. Over time, they send a clear message to some employees: you don’t quite belong here.

The good news? Most workplace exclusion isn’t intentional. It happens because people default to language patterns they learned growing up or absorb from their environment. This means we can change it through targeted training that builds awareness and provides practical tools.

Why Inclusive Communication Training Matters Now

Organizations may have invested heavily in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. They revamp hiring practices, set representation goals and create employee resource groups (ERGs). But if the daily language in meetings, emails and presentations continues to exclude people, those investments won’t deliver results.

Inclusive communication training bridges this gap. It helps employees recognize how their words affect others and gives them alternatives that welcome everyone. Rather than policing language or walking on eggshells, it’s about expanding your team’s communication toolkit so everyone can participate fully.

The business case is straightforward: When employees feel included, they stay longer, contribute more ideas and perform better. Research from Deloitte shows that inclusive teams outperform their peers by 80% in team-based assessments. And McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity on executive teams were 36% more likely to have above-average profitability.

You can’t build an inclusive workplace culture without inclusive communication.

Common Patterns of Unintentional Exclusion

Before designing training, learning professionals need to understand what unintentional exclusion looks like in practice.

Gendered language is a key example: Using the term “guys” to address mixed groups, defaulting to male pronouns or making assumptions about relationships (e.g., assuming opposite-sex partners) creates subtle barriers. Or, when a manager consistently uses sports analogies or military metaphors, they may alienate team members unfamiliar with those contexts.

Additionally, cultural assumptions run deep. Many organizations plan social events around alcohol, schedule important meetings during religious holidays or use idioms that don’t translate across cultures. References to “normal families” or “traditional celebrations” exclude people whose experiences differ from the dominant culture.

Ableist language, that is, using phrases like “falling on deaf ears,” “blind spot” or “crazy idea” uses disability as a metaphor for something negative. Also, assuming everyone can participate in physical activities or process information the same way creates barriers for employees with disabilities.

Even well-intended efforts at inclusion can backfire. Singling people out as representatives of their identity group, over-complimenting someone’s English, or making assumptions about someone’s background based on their appearance all create discomfort.

What Effective Inclusive Communication Training Looks Like

The most successful inclusive communication training programs share several characteristics.

• They start with the “why.” Employees need to understand that inclusive communication is not about political correctness. It’s about respect, effectiveness and creating an environment where everyone can do their best work. Frame the training around business outcomes and team performance, not compliance.
• Effective programs use real workplace examples. Generic scenarios feel abstract. Instead, show actual emails, meeting transcripts or presentation slides from your organization (anonymized as needed). This helps employees recognize these patterns in their daily work.
• Interactive elements matter more than lectures. Include small group discussions where people share their experiences and practice new approaches. Role-playing activities help managers rehearse difficult conversations. Peer feedback creates accountability and builds skills.
• Provide specific alternatives, not just a list of what to avoid. If you tell someone not to say “guys,” give them options: team, everyone, folks, colleagues. If you point out an ableist phrase, offer a replacement. Practical guidance makes learning immediately applicable.
• Don’t forget about written communication. Much of workplace interaction happens through email, chat and documents. Teach employees how to write inclusive job postings, craft welcoming emails and create presentations that resonate with diverse audiences.

Training Managers Requires a Different Approach

Managers need to know everything individual contributors learn, plus additional skills. They set the tone for their teams, handle sensitive situations and coach others. When a director consistently mispronounces someone’s name or makes assumptions about their background, it signals to the entire team that these behaviors are acceptable. Training should help managers recognize their role as culture carriers.

Manager training should address how to respond when someone uses exclusionary language. Many people freeze in these moments, unsure whether to speak up or how to do it constructively. Practice helps. Teach phrases like “Let’s use ‘everyone’ instead of ‘guys'” or “I noticed we keep using sports analogies. Can we find examples that work for the whole team?”

Include scenarios about accommodating different communication styles and needs. How do you run a meeting that works for both extroverts and introverts? What does it mean to provide information in multiple formats? How do you ensure remote workers feel as included as those in the office?

Making Training Stick

One session won’t change organizational culture. Learning professionals need to design for long-term behavior change. To do so:

• Provide job aids that employees can reference later. A quick guide to inclusive language, a checklist for reviewing presentations or a list of conversation starters for team meetings keeps the learning alive.
• Build reinforcement into existing systems. Add inclusive communication criteria to performance reviews. Include it in onboarding for new employees. Make it part of leadership development programs.
• Create safe spaces for questions and mistakes. Set up office hours where employees can ask about specific situations. Develop an internal resource where people can find answers to common questions. The goal isn’t perfection but continuous improvement.
• Measure what matters. Track participation in training, but also look at engagement survey results, retention rates for underrepresented groups and the diversity of voices in meetings. These metrics tell you whether training is driving behavior change.

Moving Forward Together

Inclusive communication training works because it addresses a real problem with practical solutions. Most people want to make their colleagues feel welcome. They just need the awareness and tools to do it consistently.

For learning professionals, this represents an opportunity to drive meaningful culture change. The training you design today shapes how your organization communicates for years to come. By helping employees recognize unintentional exclusion and giving them better alternatives, you create a workplace where everyone can contribute fully.

Start with your managers. Pilot the training with a small group and gather feedback. Refine your approach based on what you learn. Then scale it across the organization, building in the reinforcement mechanisms that make new behaviors stick.

The words we use matter. They shape how people experience work, whether they feel valued, and ultimately whether they stay and thrive. Inclusive communication training helps your organization align its actions with its values, one conversation at a time.