Unlocking inclusion

How our people with purpose unlock inclusion

We all deserve the opportunity to be heard. To be included. And though many people and companies claim to have this mindset, I sometimes wonder: Are good intentions enough to make a change? How can we translate intentions into actions, and then actions into tangible impact?

I believe that the answer lies in truly listening to each other and being bold enough to decide to do something about it, together.

I’ve been lucky to see this time and time again at Reckitt through our Purpose Champions, passionate people among our teams in every country who act as changemakers. There are approximately 300 purpose champions in the South & West Europe organization alone, and we have more than 80 here in Iberia.

The lasting, undeniable impact

These aren’t champions who get medals; they’re individuals acting together as catalysts to drive change and fight for it. They are the backbone of our Purpose Council, with a clear impact strategy to deliver unprecedented growth whilst positively impacting our communities. This is done through the power of our Brands and the passion of our people.

They co-create and implement new initiatives that make a positive impact both inside and outside Reckitt, but also challenge and rethink how we can keep being intentional in the way we think and do on a day-to-day basis, to be more inclusive as a company and as individuals. They help us to uncover gaps and devise ways to address them proactively.

There are 4 key pillars where we focus: a. diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), b. social impact, c. sustainability and d. employee engagement & experience.

During this Pride Month, I want to highlight a few projects of the DE&I pillar I’m most proud of:

‘Hay Tema’: an educational TikTok series by Durex Spain (@Durexespana). It’s a safe space for open and honest conversations about topics or concerns related to sexual health, identity, and rights. This project was sparked by our purpose champions, and then embraced by the broader Reckitt organization and partners positively impacting our communities while driving the business.

Our DE&I library & book club is another highlight. You can find books focused on any of our 4 ERGs: gender equity, LGBTQ+, race & ethnicity and disability. The idea is to have a welcoming, inclusive space, where participants can share their personal experiences and ask all the questions they have in a safe space.

More recently we started pioneering with Social Hackathons where employees and partner NGOs work together to tackle joint challenges where we can help.

What I like the most about these examples is that they were born from different people within the organization, with the belief that they can make the impossible, possible. As leaders, we must sponsor and empower this.

How can you make this work in your organisation?

I place huge importance on finding and nurturing these change agents that exist in every organization. They have the capacity and will to do more, while motivating others to do the same. The real challenge is spotting them, giving them the freedom to succeed in their journey, ensuring we are intentionally building up a culture where purpose is interwoven in the way we work, and the priorities we make.

Make your purpose-related agenda exciting and contagious. Be sure to share what’s going on – from idea to progress, success stories and learnings– and give people the platform to own their stories and amplify their voices. In doing so, you’ll make others in your organisation want to step forward.

Closing the circle: from the grassroots to the top

More committed people mean more change. This must be a grassroots´ revolution, because inspired individuals are limitless.

Our champions are creating waves with a ripple effect that move leaders across all levels in the organization, inspiring them to be more engaged and ready to learn.

And therefore, through our people, we are unlocking open and honest discussions from the bottom to the top, and truly giving everyone the chance to be heard, and make a difference.