Was tun Sie, wenn es Ihrem Team an Vielfalt und Inklusion mangelt?

Start enhancing diversity and inclusion by auditing your team's composition and dynamics to identify and address the underlying gaps.

The "circle of influence" or "trust" is a tool often used in workshops to observe diversity in one's life. In this exercise, individuals are asked to list those who are closest and most significant to them, including friends, family members, colleagues, and other acquaintances. Then, participants reflect on the diversity present within their circle by comparing aspects like age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, occupation, level of education, etc. By this, you will be able to recognize the diversity (or lack thereof) within your networks. It serves as a useful tool for fostering awareness.

If goals are not rooted in a purpose, they won't be impactful. It's crucial to delve into the 'why' behind the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals for them to be sustainable and applicable. By articulating the reasons, whether you aim to enhance creativity, promote fairness, or foster innovation, you create a compelling narrative that inspires commitment and enables action. The 'why' serves as the driving force, anchoring the objectives in meaningful values and aspirations, and guiding the path towards building a more inclusive and equitable team culture.

As an HR professional, I firmly believe that fostering an inclusive workplace requires a comprehensive review of the entire employee life cycle: - Recruitment/hiring process: revising job descriptions to remove biased language and requirements, expanding recruitment channels to reach a broader audience, anonymous CVs + objective measures like tests/business cases to improve decision-making. - EX: equal opportunities for growth and development ensuring learning styles are taken into account, implementing performance evaluation systems that are fair and unbiased... Establish support systems (i.e. ERGs, employee resource groups) to ensure spaces to communicate needs and ensure all team members feel heard, valued, and supported.

To educate the team effectively, I would integrate diversity and inclusion training into the onboarding process, ensuring that new hires understand the importance of these values from day one and how they connect with your organization. I would also make sure to celebrate and honor key days or events, providing explanations of their significance to enhance awareness and appreciation among team members. Additionally, I would encourage an environment where individual needs are known and respected by peers, fostering empathy and understanding. Transparent communication about accommodation decisions and the rationale behind them would further contribute to a culture of inclusivity and understanding within the team.

Having ongoing conversations in a team that lacks diversity and inclusion can be really helpful. It lets team members share their different perspectives and backgrounds, helping everyone understand each other better. These talks can also address any biases or problems in the team, making it more inclusive. By encouraging open dialogue, teams can work together to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone feels valued. This not only improves teamwork but also boosts productivity.

Engaging in dialogue around diversity and inclusion is not easy. It is a sensitive subject for many and it deserves a compassionate approach. It can help to establish community commitments our guidelines to help support effective and transformative discussion. As you begin documenting your guidelines it can be tempting to include too many, which can confuse and overwhelm your staff. I recommend limiting your initial guidelines to 10 or fewer. Your guidelines should be a living document that can be updated according to the need and demand of your organization. For my team I began with these "5 guard rails": 1. "I" language 2. Curiosity over Judgement 3. Sit in discomfort 4. Call-in 5. Listen, 3-fold Please DM me for more details.

To enable conversations, encouraging vulnerability within the team should be the first step. It fosters deeper connections and empathy among team members, allowing for more authentic discussions about personal experiences and perspectives. By embracing vulnerability, team members can share their challenges, biases, and uncertainties, which in turn promotes mutual understanding and growth. Building a diverse and inclusive team requires not only openness to diverse perspectives but also the courage to be vulnerable and engage in difficult conversations. This collective effort towards vulnerability and open dialogue is essential for creating a truly inclusive workplace culture where every voice is heard and valued.

Start by fostering an open and inclusive culture where all team members feel valued and respected. Encourage open dialogue about diversity and its importance, and actively seek out diverse perspectives in decision-making processes. Implement strategies to attract and retain diverse talent, such as targeted recruitment efforts and inclusive hiring practices. Provide training and resources to educate team members about unconscious bias and promote empathy and understanding across different backgrounds. Additionally, consider forming diversity and inclusion committees or affinity groups to provide support and advocacy for underrepresented team members.