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Is It Time to Break Up With SHRM? A Dispatch from the 2025 Conference
I just returned from the 2025 SHRM Conference, and while I’m glad I went, I left feeling emotionally drained. Beyond the usual post-conference drag, it was a deeper fatigue that comes from seeing a disconnect between HR’s big conversations and what workers truly need. SHRM is massive: thousands of attendees, hundreds of sessions—and yes, there were sessions actually doing the work, digging into those tough DEI and identity conversations. Those moments reminded us of what’s possible. But they were too few. For most of the conference, the narrative was dominated by AI and compliance.
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Webinar Recap: AI at Work, Building Inclusion with Intention
In our latest Inclusion Geeks webinar, AI at Work: Building Inclusion with Intention, we dug into one of the biggest workplace game-changers of our time: artificial intelligence. Facilitated by our very own Felicia Jadczak, she offered a mix of insights, cautionary tales, and practical tools for using AI to support inclusion. With curiosity, transparency, and a healthy dose of skepticism, we explored how artificial intelligence is already shaping our workplaces and how we can shape it back with intention. Here’s what we covered: The current AI landscape We kicked off with an overview of AI’s explosive growth.
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Why Identity Feels Risky to Talk About Right Now
Over the past few years, we finally started having more open conversations about who we are (beyond mere working styles) and how we show up in the workplace. These were conversations that, for a long time, had no place in professional settings. But just as quickly as those doors opened, they’ve started to close again. The pushback has been swift and loud, and in many cases, effective. That matters because at the end of the day, we’re human. And in a workplace culture shaped by capitalism, productivity metrics, and power dynamics, it’s easy to forget that.
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Where Does Your Workplace Fall on the Inclusion Spectrum?
Inclusion isn’t an on-off switch. It’s not something your workplace either “has” or “doesn’t have.” Inclusion is the work that goes into creating a felt experience of belonging within an organization. It means creating a welcoming environment in which every person is valued and can fully participate, regardless of their characteristics or identities. These actions show up in decisions, interactions, policies, and behaviors. And like any practice, inclusion exists on a spectrum (we sometimes refer to this as the difference between ‘surface’ inclusion and ‘real’ inclusion). Some workplaces are just beginning to explore what inclusion looks like.
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What Is Invisible Labor at Work and Why Does It Matter?
Every workplace has that person. The one who makes sure new hires feel like more than just a name on an org chart. The one who checks in when someone goes quiet on Slack. The one who volunteers to facilitate the hard conversations, or gently calls people in when things get tense. This is the glue that keeps workplace culture from cracking. And yet, it’s rarely listed in a job description, measured in performance reviews, or compensated in promotion cycles. We call it invisible labor. But its impact is anything but. What Is Invisible Labor at Work?
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Can We Lead with Feminist Values in a System Built on Toxic Power?
In 2025, the loudest voices in business, politics, and media are often the ones clinging to dominance. Musk. Trump. Rogan. Zuck. Charisma-laced confidence, relentless unearned certainty, and bravado are packaged as thought leadership. It can feel like the world is doubling down on the very traits many of us have spent years trying to unlearn. So, where does that leave those of us trying to lead differently? There’s a growing tension between the kind of leadership that gets celebrated and the kind of leadership people actually want. The flashy wins are going to those who build empires with sharp elbows.
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Are Your Meetings Still Inclusive in the Age of AI?
Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s part of many organizations’ daily workflows. From scheduling meetings to drafting agendas to summarizing conversations, AI is rapidly becoming a co-facilitator in how we gather and collaborate. At first glance, the benefits seem obvious. Meetings run more efficiently, notes get captured with minimal effort, and accessibility tools are more widely available—dreamy! But in reality, something more complex is happening. When AI becomes part of how we meet, it can subtly reshape communication, trust, and participation. The very tools that promise progress can, if left unchecked, reinforce inequity or erode connection.
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Webinar Recap: Practical Strategies for Leading an Inclusive Small Business
Felicia, our fearless co-founder, recently hosted a vibrant and jam-packed webinar on Practical Strategies for Leading an Inclusive Small Business. Drawing from over a decade of experience running Inclusion Geeks, she shared what it takes to lead with heart, equity, and strategy—even when resources are tight. Whether you’re managing a team of 2 or 100, inclusion isn’t a business imperative.
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When Power Feels Threatened: Reclaiming Psychological Safety at Work
Psychological safety—originally created to protect workers from punishment for speaking up—is now, in some cases, being misused to protect those in power from discomfort. Introduced by Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson, the concept was framed to make it safe to take interpersonal risks at work: asking questions, sharing dissenting views, and surfacing mistakes. It’s become a key pillar of inclusive workplaces for a reason—it helps people share their thoughts without fear. But lately, something’s changed.
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How to Help Your Employees Feel Secure and Motivated in a Time of Chaos
Chaos doesn’t have to be global to shake up the workplace, but lately, it’s everywhere. Economic uncertainty, political tension, layoffs, AI disruption, climate instability… it’s no wonder employees are feeling unmoored. Even those who appear steady may be quietly wondering: Am I safe here? Does this still matter? As a leader, you may not be able to calm the chaos beyond your walls, but you can do something powerful within them: create clarity, care, and a sense of direction. In times of disruption, this kind of leadership becomes critical.
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Inclusive by Design: How Small Details Create Big Culture Shifts
As more employees return to the office—whether part-time, full-time, or somewhere in between—companies face a familiar but urgent question: Are we making space for everyone or just for some? Inclusive design is often misunderstood as just a checklist for accessibility. But in reality, it’s something deeper. It’s a mindset that invites care, flexibility, and thoughtfulness into every part of how we build our workplaces. And here’s the part many companies miss: even when thoughtful changes are made, they often forget to talk about them. The result is a missed opportunity to build trust, signal belonging, and help people feel genuinely…
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What Happens When We Stop Protecting Workers
Why the dismantling of NIOSH isn’t just a public health crisis—it’s a workplace inclusion crisis Inclusion goes beyond just good vibes in meetings. It includes protection, and asks who is left behind when that protection is stripped away. That’s why the recent dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should have everyone who cares about inclusion sounding the alarm. More than 800 public servants were laid off.