The Element Of Inclusion

Hosted by Dr Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey Diversity & Inclusion I Broadcaster I Speaker I

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Episodes

451

Latest episode

Sep 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Hosted by Dr. Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey Every 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 journey We 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

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 8, 20269 min

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 you want to go further When we work with clients we gather evidence to serve one purpose: to support or undermine a claim, an assumption or a hypothesis. It stops you building work around unexamined issues and keeps you grounded in evidence your colleagues trust. Here's our method on one page. Get it here: https://cheatsheet.elementofinclusion.com/

September 1, 202615 min

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 business If you want to go further When we work with clients we gather evidence to serve one purpose: to support or undermine a claim, an assumption or a hypothesis. It stops you building work around unexamined issues and keeps you grounded in evidence your colleagues trust. Here's our method on one page. Get it here: https://cheatsheet.elementofinclusion.com/

August 25, 20267 min

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 go further When we work with clients we gather evidence to serve one purpose: to support or undermine a claim, an assumption or a hypothesis. It stops you building work around unexamined issues and keeps you grounded in evidence your colleagues trust. Here's our method on one page. Get it here: https://cheatsheet.elementofinclusion.com/

August 18, 202614 min

Why Every Opinion About Diversity May Not Be Worth Your Attention

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-[var(--msg-text-inset,0.5rem)] [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-[var(--msg-text-inset,0.5rem)] [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 [&_>_*:last-child]:mb-0 print:block print:[&_>_:where(:not(:first-child))]:mt-3 standard-markdown"> If you followed the discussion around Professor Jason Arday, you heard confident voices with no relevant expertise. Here I unpack why. In this episode we cover: Why opinion and expertise are not interchangeable How ALIGN evaluates whether someone is worth trusting Why emotional appeals bypass your critical thinking If you want to go further When we work with clients we gather evidence to serve one purpose: to support or undermine a claim, an assumption or a hypothesis. It stops you building work around unexamined issues and keeps you grounded in evidence your colleagues trust. Here's our method on one page. Get it here: https://cheatsheet.elementofinclusion.com/

August 11, 20269 min

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 you want to go further When we work with clients we gather evidence to serve one purpose: to support or undermine a claim, an assumption or a hypothesis. It stops you building work around unexamined issues and keeps you grounded in evidence your colleagues trust. Here's our method on one page. Get it here: https://cheatsheet.elementofinclusion.com/

August 4, 20267 min

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 sources expose organisational blind spots If you want to go further When we work with clients we gather evidence to serve one purpose: to support or undermine a claim, an assumption or a hypothesis. It stops you building work around unexamined issues and keeps you grounded in evidence your colleagues trust. Here's our method on one page. Get it here.

July 28, 20267 min

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 finding that your AI tools are generating more reports but your decisions haven't improved, start here: https://realitycheck.elementofinclusion.com/

July 21, 20268 min

The One Idea That Survived 450 Episodes Of The Show

div]:bg-bg-000/50 [&_pre>div]:border-0.5 [&_pre>div]:border-border-400 [&_.ignore-pre-bg>div]:bg-transparent [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.standard-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pl-2 [&_.progressive-markdown_:is(p,blockquote,ul,ol,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6)]:pr-8"> _*]:min-w-0 gap-3 [&_>_*:last-child]:mb-0 standard-markdown"> If 450 episodes have taught me one thing, it's that every inclusion failure traces to missing evidence. Here I unpack the idea that survived them all. In this episode we cover: How every inclusion failure traces to one gap How 4 evidence sources create a complete foundation Why scrutiny strengthens work built on evidence If you're finding that your inclusion work keeps getting questioned because the evidence isn't there, start here: https://realitycheck.elementofinclusion.com/

July 14, 20269 min

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 separate claims from testable hypotheses If you're finding that your inclusion decisions are built on claims nobody has tested, start here: https://realitycheck.elementofinclusion.com/

July 7, 20266 min

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 entry-level roles starves future leadership If you're finding that your leaders are cutting the people AI improves the most, start here: https://xray.elementofinclusion.com/