The topic of diversity can be a complex subject. How is it best defined? What are the benefits, not only for the individuals and teams but for the company as a whole? For a business to be able to have a diverse workplace, companies must address these questions, while also establishing effective hiring and onboarding practices meant to draw in a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
Leadership is also an important part of strengthening company culture. It is crucial to have leaders accept, and be a part of, the company's initiatives in order to incorporate a variety of viewpoints into the company, as well as encourage those voices once they are there. So what is the best way to move forward? Below, members of the Forbes Coaches Council discuss some of the ways leaders can help facilitate diversity within the modern workplace. Here are some approaches to consider:
1. Build A Supportive Workplace
When leaders recognize the benefits of a diverse workplace, they are far more likely to embrace such diversity. With this in mind, it's important to illustrate both the personal and professional advantages to having a diverse workforce. Leaders should also have a roadmap of how to build a supportive workplace, with resources readily available, so that being inclusive doesn't feel like just another burden. These might include diversity-friendly policies, employee-led task forces, diverse opportunities for connecting outside of the typical work day, and structured feedback mechanisms. - Sylvia LeRahl, Membership Fix
2. Uphold And Enforce Strong Values
Where diversity in the workplace is challenged, great leaders are able to influence and encourage other leaders when they initiate communications and support threaded-in strong values, such as courage, humility and discipline. Not only do they role-model these values, but they also uphold and enforce these values throughout the organization’s culture, strategies and communications. The results of embracing diversity and having employees extend themselves professionally outside their silos and norms, afford organizations more opportunities for innovation, increased productivity and sales, and higher levels of cross-functional learning experiences. - Lori Harris, Harris Whitesell Consulting
3. Recognize Everyone’s Accomplishments
Team building is very important. I think a great way to build and embrace diversity in the workplace is to recognize the accomplishments of everyone, no matter their ranking or status in the company. This allows every member to not only be seen and recognized but also allows for future development. - Christopher Fairbank, Dare to be Different Leadership Strategist and Motivational Speaker
4. Create A Champion
People need to be aware of what diversity really means. Having a diversity champion can certainly help keep the topic at the front of people’s minds, but also by getting experts and guest speakers in front of leaders. It can help get the message across when they hear from other leaders on the topic. - Gavin Ryan, NEKSA
Read more in How To Be A Champion For Women In Leadership
5. Start With An Exercise
Ask each leader to take a picture of something at the closest range their cell phone zoom allows. Then ask the leader what is on their picture. One might say, "It's a pen, a notebook, my hand, etc." Then ask them to go into their photos and retrieve that picture again. Ask them to zoom on it again. At this point, details tend to get blurry. For example, a hand might become a blurry blob of color. As the leader looks at the blob, remind them that diversity is like that. Diversity is zooming in on someone so close that all the lines get blurred and we see what we emotionally have in common rather than what we think keeps us externally separate. - Anne Beaulieu, Walking Inside Resources Inc.
6. Be Constant And Consistent With Education
Diversity—and inclusion, because you can have a diverse work center and not include everyone—starts with solid, constant and consistent education. This is not one training class and an annual refresher online. This is purposeful diversity and inclusion leadership growth—it should start before the individual becomes a leader and they should grow and build over time. - John Knotts, Crosscutter Enterprises
7. Embrace The Uniqueness People Bring To The Table
People keenly observe how leaders treat people outside of purporting their desire to create an inclusive workplace. There must be congruence between words and actions. The best way to do this is through individual interactions. People are hungry to be seen as an individual in the fullest extent with ideas and aspirations, and with diverse views and life experiences. But beyond embracing the uniqueness people bring to the table, leaders need to heighten their understanding of their own organizational practices that may prevent people with diverse backgrounds from fully experiencing the opportunities within that organization. This latter part takes intentionality and leaders being open to exploring their structure, hiring, and promotional practices and other processes to ensure that the expressed hope of embracing diversity is aligned with the lived experience by all in the organization. - Wendy Fraser, Fraser Consulting, LLC
