In leadership, communication isn’t just about sending a message—it’s about ensuring it lands. As Adam Grant, Wharton Professor, states:

“The worst thing that happens when you overcommunicate is people say, ‘Shut up, we get it.’ And then you know the message has landed. If you under-communicate, people think that either you don’t know what you’re doing or you don’t care.”

This idea is especially relevant in the workplace when fostering inclusivity, diversity, and belonging. Overcommunication in these areas isn’t just beneficial—it’s necessary.

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Why Overcommunication Matters in Inclusivity

🔹 Names & Identity Matter
One of the simplest yet most impactful ways to create an inclusive workplace is ensuring everyone’s name is pronounced correctly. But it takes repetition and reinforcement—a single email or a casual mention isn’t enough. Leaders should model and repeatedly emphasize the importance of getting names right.

🔹 Culture Shifts Require Consistency
Workplace diversity initiatives often fail not because they are bad ideas, but because they are forgotten. Reinforcing inclusive behaviors—like proper name pronunciation, cultural awareness, and active listening—should be an ongoing conversation, not a one-time training session.

🔹 Psychological Safety Comes from Clarity
Under-communicating inclusion efforts creates uncertainty—employees wonder if the company truly cares about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) or if it’s just a checkbox exercise. Overcommunication reinforces that these efforts are intentional, ongoing, and important.

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Practical Ways to Overcommunicate Inclusivity in the Workplace

✅ Normalize Pronouncing Names Correctly

• Encourage using name pronunciation tools like SayMyName to help teams learn each other’s names effortlessly.
• Repeat names often in meetings and emails to reinforce familiarity.

✅ Make Inclusion a Constant Conversation

• Hold monthly discussions or check-ins on inclusivity initiatives.
• Use company-wide emails, Slack reminders, and leadership examples to make inclusion a daily practice.

✅ Celebrate Cultural & Identity Awareness

• Highlight diverse voices and names in company-wide communications.
• Feature stories of team members embracing their full names and identities in newsletters.

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Make Overcommunication Work for You

If you think about it, repeating something important until it sticks is how we learn and grow. Creating a culture of inclusivity requires consistent messaging, action, and reinforcement—and that starts with communication.

💡 Start small: Try saying a colleague’s name correctly, every time. Encourage your team to do the same.

📢 Want to make inclusivity effortless? Try SayMyName to help your workplace master name pronunciation and foster a culture where everyone feels valued.

#SayItRight #WorkplaceInclusion #Leadership #Diversity #DEI #Belonging #NamesMatter