3 Principles To Stop Your Diversity and Inclusion Plans From Failing

Most diversity programs aren’t increasing diversity because they’re using the same approaches they’ve used since the 1960s! 

Find out about 3 Principles that can Stop Your Diversity and Inclusion Programme From Failing

Here are some key messages from this episode

  • 3 reasons why your Diversity and Inclusion plans fail
  • The open secret revealed by decades of social science
  • The role of peer group pressure in promoting Inclusion

Play the episode for more.

Here are some key takeaways from this episode

Engaging managers as part of the Inclusion process is effective

 “The assumption here is that we are trying to engage managers by prompting them to support our worldview, for example: If you ask someone to write an essay defending the death penalty; even if they oppose the death penalty they will come to see some of its merits.

That hardcore example I just gave came straight from the article.”

Promoting contact between underrepresented and the majority is effective

“Promoting healthy contact between groups reduces bias. Evidence for this came during World War II.

The U.S. army was segregated at the time, and only soldiers who were white served in combat roles. Due to high casualties it was necessary to ask for black volunteers for combat duty. Harvard researchers at that time found that white soldiers whose companies had been joined by black platoons showed dramatically lower racial attitudes and greater willingness to work alongside blacks than those whose companies remained segregated”

Increasing Social Accountability for operational behaviour is effective

“Encouraging social accountability plays on our need to look good in the eyes of those around us. It’s a form of peer pressure”

Here are some resources so you can go deeper

Why Diversity Programs Fail

Check out these related episodes of the show

Why Your Organisation’s Approach To Diversity Isn’t Going To Work For Everyone

How Companies Are Wasting Millions On Diversity Programs

Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey:

The Elements of Inclusion #4

Leaders must collaborate innovatively to leverage cultural expertise and drive business performance.

  • Why inclusive outcomes are driven by innovation
  • How developing a business case for diversity and inclusion specific to your organisation is a competitive advantage
  • Why novelty is at the heart of your inclusion journey

The Elements of Inclusion #3

Leaders must establish systems to ensure that everyone shares the same advantages and benefits. These processes will create incentives for inclusive behaviours.

  • How to augment your team with the tools and insights they need to prevent structural disadvantage
  • Why reinforcing generative norms ensures everyone belongs in the organisation
  • How inclusive representations can be embedded to promote an inclusive culture

The Elements of Inclusion #2

Leaders must redefine career development relationships to support inclusive performance.
  • Why traditional mentor relationships must be revised for an inclusive workplace
  • How leaders must embrace networks of developmental relationships for individual growth
  • Why established workplace norms must evolve for inclusion in the modern workplace

The Elements of Inclusion #1

Leaders must properly socialise people and socialise inclusive ideas by providing an environment for the cultural learning needed for an active role in an inclusive organisation

  • How your socialisation processes must evolve to encourage the sustainable cultivation of inclusive competencies
  • Why Leaders must consistently negotiate the line between organisational commitment and personal authenticity to promote performance
  • How developing intersectional self awareness can help leaders to leverage individual employee experiences