It is very common to make certain mistakes when implementing #diversityequityinclusion initiatives. Although it is a learning journey, some missteps can easily be avoided. There are organisations that immediately start moving in a certain direction, perhaps based on gut feeling or on a very generic remark made by an external stakeholder. Invariably this is ineffective as they will find later down the line that the same issues are still occurring. One of the reasons could be that they were focusing on symptoms instead of the root cause of an issue.
Organisations can be like headless chickens when they are acting in a disorganized way, not thinking logically and failing to analyse what is really going on. They don’t really know where they want to go, what the priorities should be or how to measure their progress.
There are more effective approaches! Why not learn from other organisations and research in order to establish a truly inclusive workplace with a strategy tied to your company’s objectives!
The following are a few of these learnings:
➡️ Many well-intentioned organisations start by taking direct actions that show their commitment to the DE&I agenda. While important, the collective impact of such efforts is limited without a clear set of DE&I objectives and outcomes.
➡️ Policies that recognize and respond to the various needs of a diverse workforce are key for attracting diverse talent. However, they lose their effectiveness without an equal focus on the leadership required to foster an inclusive workplace.
➡️ Leadership can be complex and challenging, especially when a company has a very diverse workforce. Defining leadership is not enough. Organisations need to invest in support to help leaders develop and embed inclusive leadership.
I bet nobody wants to be running around like a headless chicken! If you agree, but don’t know where to start…. Predixa is here to support organisations in their DE&I journey.
Contact me for more information: kirsten.westholter@predixa.ai
#businessleaders #inclusiveleadership #workplaceculture #lessonslearned #data #artificialintelligence
