Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace

Editor's Notes

• #3 Discuss how diversity and inclusion are drivers of growth. Share general business case for D&I/trends. Diverse teams outperform others, but not right away- it takes time for less- alike teams to find their rhythm…. Really any team, but diverse teams especially.
• #4 If you run around with me (or your own HR person) for a while you will her “D&I” thrown around, but I find it is helpful to break this down a bit so we are all thinking about this workplace challenge from the same grounded area. Diversity is a fact, you have it in your workplace- whether overtly visible or not. Diversity can be tracked and measured… bonus’ can be set on that metric… more about that in a bit. Inclusion is quite bit different… difficult if not impossible to measure… it is a behavior, the environment that we create through our behaviors as peers, and the interactions between us as people at work. Both of these are critical if business is going to find long term success in the changing face of our American workforce.
• #5 Differences in upbringing, experience, cultural styles, verbiage, etc. EXAMPLE: Simon from UK. This definitely impacts us in the workplace. Many of us mirror the work habits and styles of our parents, whatever those habits may be. In Japan it is a work custom to not leave until the boss has gone home for the evening. Hispanics are growing quickly, and by the way contribute 16% of beer drinking volume. African Americans are increasing buying power ever year. African American consumers are younger and wealthier. D&I in marketing helps us understand the habits of our different consumers which builds loyalty and increases sales… if you get it right. (Hispanic Marketing example)
• #6 Consider how gender diversity can shape a shift in culture. Females in leadership. Review workplace policies and attitudes on maternity leave and parental scheduling. Pay parity a hot topic. Only 20 women CEO’s in Fortune 500… that’s 4%
• #7 Each generation brings its own view of the world, which creates both opportunities and challenges into the business environment. Generational perspectives impact our attitudes toward family ,work, politics. Millennials are experience seeking, environmentally-focused, they crave feedback… and sometimes Companies can be void of the instant feedback Millenials are used to receiving. Our first Gen Z’s are turning 21 next year, so it will be interesting to see how this impacts the workplace when the Millennials interact with the Gen Z’s. (I wanted to put graphics on her to keep you engaged, but to be honest I was offended by the broad strokes that were used to paint a picture of each generation)
• #8 Millennial, how do we stay relevant to this blossoming workforce? What success looks like to a millennial may e very different than what the generations before them consider success.
• #9 Added bonus, this time together can chip away at bias a leader doesn’t even realize they may have. Being accountable for another’s success is a powerful to natural inclusion. At my last employer one strategy in it’s entirety was simply to commit to ensuring a broader representation of our employees represented in materials. An easy audit is avoiding gender stereotypes in different roles, and ensuring a broad range of race is represented. In our strategy we also made sure to put a military reservist in uniform in our employee handbook, an individual in a wheelchair at a computer in our engineering recruitment flyer, and multiple visions of “family” in our benefits brochures. These were all visual cues to our inclusive culture.
• #10 Capitalize on the diversity of your current team. Those of you who lead people know that it is critically important for us to listen before leading… it is very useful to gather the diversity of thought and perspective by asking questions before just telling someone what you need them to do. We know this intrinsically but sometimes we need to remind ourselves, especially when the pace increases and we feel the pressure to move work along. Value: Ensure your employees know they can speak up, and that they are intimately connected to the team goals and organizational strategy– pay attention to team dynamics to ensure you are nurturing a safe environment for your people to contribute, and to bring their whole selves to work. Now, a little bit more about bias.
• #11 10
• #13 Many candidates considering your organization will check out your Leadership Team on-line to get a sense of your diverse representation at the highest levels. They may ask- does anyone here look like me? Not only is it important to candidates, it is important to consumers and customers.
• #14 Many candidates considering your organization will check out your Leadership Team on-line to get a sense of your diverse representation at the highest levels. They may ask- does anyone here look like me? Not only is it important to candidates, it is important to consumers and customers.