In a recent roundtable event comprised of professionals in D&I, HR, Talent, Consulting, and Coaching. We had the opportunity to learn more about the pressing issues many people in the realm of Diversity and Inclusion are experiencing on a regular basis. Having now hosted 5 of these events, we wanted to share our 4 most important Diversity and Inclusion issues, and give a brief summary of the discussions that has revolved around them.
We know Inclusion is tied to innovation, but how do we measure innovation?
Most define innovation along the lines of an organization’s capacity to capture new market share, create new products/services and develop ahead of its competition in order to take or maintain a primary position within its industry. However, it is also important to identify a component of “idea sharing” related to innovation and a culture that fosters innovation. Employee engagement is a great place to start in measuring the early framework for innovation. This article goes into more detail regarding the impacts and measures of innovation.
How can we advocate for practices that promote diverse hiring?
Many companies haven’t yet realized that unconscious bias can creep into talent processes, from hiring to advancement in several ways. We’ve seen job listings that were almost tailor–made to invite bias. It’s unintentional but happens so easily. While many companies do unconscious bias training in the context of day-to-day leadership practices, many don’t apply this training to the context of hiring. One benefit of bringing in an unbiased third-party like Lead Inclusively to do an assessment is that the third party can quickly see opportunities like this, which internal employees have often simply adapted to.
How do we achieve buy-in to Diversity and Inclusion within our organizations?
A company seeking to embrace the benefits of diversity and inclusion will have limited success without buy-in from leaders at the top of the organization. However, despite best intentions, most leaders simply have not been trained to recognize or cultivate a truly inclusive leadership style. This lack of training can inadvertently stifle innovation and creativity in their teams. In most cases, the first step to buy-in can be to present the ample, but relatively unknown, research that highlights the correlation between inclusive culture and innovation. Many firms now also have resources strategically aimed at helping professionals get buy-in from key decision-makers.
How can transparency and authenticity impact our leadership cultures?
In Diversity and Inclusion, transparency is the first step for leaders (ALL leaders) to build self-awareness of their own biases. A transparent, self-aware leader is more effective at navigating their biases. Leaders that effectively master this are more practical decision-makers, more authentic communicators, and more effective team-builders. Ultimately, studies show that inclusive leadership creates the most productive, engaged teams in the world.
To say these conversations have been invaluable to me would be an understatement. If you are interested in joining the conversation, it would be a pleasure to host you and your thought-leadership during our next event.
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