Do we really know the people with whom we work every day? How has their background shaped who they are today?

Learning about our co-workers as individuals is an important way to create a workplace where all feel they belong and where they want to continue to work.

An initiative of the Rotary club of which I am a member may provide a blueprint for learning about co-workers.

A few weeks after they are inducted, new Rotarians are typically invited to introduce themselves though a “classification talk.” They talk about themselves and their vocation, which they are seen as representing within the club.

This is an opportunity for existing Rotarians to learn about new members, but classification talks do little to help new members get to know the people who were already in the club when they joined. In addition, existing members may not know about the changes that have occurred in the lives of fellow Rotarians. People develop new interests, change careers or retire.

To address these knowledge gaps, the club introduced Meet-a-Rotarian presentations. Longer-term members are invited to talk about themselves and what has happened in their lives recently or in the past.

During these presentations, members have learned that the grandfather of one member began taking his grandson to golf courses when he was just a toddler. Today he is a passionate golfer.

Someone else revealed that she was a national racquetball champion and instructor, decades ago. Another member and his wife once piloted hot air balloons.

A theme in my new book, Thanks, Again! More Simple, Inexpensive Ways for Busy Leaders to Recognize Staff, is how recognition can help make diverse workplaces more inclusive. One suggestion I included is from author and inclusion expert Michael Bach who suggests beginning team meetings with a “diversity moment, when someone shares something about themselves to help educate their co-workers on the diversity that exists around them.”

Both the Meet-a-Rotarian concept and diversity moments create opportunities to learn more about people that are part of our daily lives. How can you adapt these ideas for your workplace?

All of us are shaped by our backgrounds. Understanding the influences in the lives of those with whom we work is an important step toward creating a more inclusive workplace where all feel they belong and where they wish to stay.