Research has shown that diversity and inclusion are critical factors in building a successful and productive team. However, it can be challenging for leaders to help team members better understand and appreciate the distinct perspectives and experiences that their teammates from different backgrounds bring to the table.
The members of Forbes Coaches Council have worked with many leaders who want to build more diverse and inclusive company cultures, leveraging useful team exercises to further guide organizations and groups toward meeting this goal. Here, 15 members explore effective activities for promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and explain how to implement these exercises with a team.
Members pictured from left to right.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Use Psychometric Tools
Applying a personality assessment, such as MBTI, DISC or another test, allows you to know the differences between people and understand how these are advantages and not sources of conflict. Simultaneously, these psychometric tools favor the development of empathy, the main ingredient in understanding and appreciating different types of diversity on a team. - Fernando Novais, P4S, People For Success
2. Consider Why You Hold Certain Attitudes
Consider people you only like a little bit or feel neutral about. What would you like to have happen to change your attitude toward them? What could you change in yourself to better understand them and like them more? What part of you is responsible for this attitude? What do you know now about diversity, and how can you better appreciate it? - Dominik Szot, MIA
3. Have Everyone Map And Share Their Social Identities
A powerful exercise to explore team diversity involves individuals mapping their social identities in three broad categories: given (ethnicity, age and so on), chosen (choices we nurture in our lives), and core (our most central and deeply embedded identities). Leaders can share their maps and stories with the team, which leads to trust, psychological safety and deep respect for the diversity of the team’s lived experiences. - Vandana Vishnu, Center for Creative Leadership
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4. Use A ‘Power Flower’
I like to use a “power flower,” which is a simple tool that helps people see the privileges of different identities. At the end of the exercise, most people are surprised to see how much (or how little) privilege they have. This then allows for open dialogue around privilege, including what it is and what it isn’t. - Don Pippin, area|Talent
5. Use A Diversity Icebreaker
In this exercise, people complete a questionnaire that breaks them into groups, depending on answers. Each group then lists what they think about the characteristics—good and bad—of their group and other groups. Together, they then read the lists of each group. There’s plenty of laughter, as it is a fun way to expose individual tendencies, strengths, weaknesses and, most importantly, cultural biases. - Nadine Hack, beCause Global Consulting
6. Build Trust With ‘A Thorn And A Rose’
A tech company working on remote team-building was stuck. In one session, we did an icebreaker called “a thorn and a rose,” which, unexpectedly, turned into a deeper conversation where teammates listened deeply about each other’s struggles in life and work. This breakthrough session was a turning point in building mutual trust, respect and open communication across a multigenerational diverse team. - Bree Luther, Inspired Science Coaching
7. Encourage Understanding With The Timeline Exercise
What is common among us is greater than that which appears to make us different. With this in mind, I find the timeline exercise to be a humbling experience when used in peer groups. All participants are asked to plot their lives on a timeline from birth to now, showing the highs and lows of their respective stories. Then, each one shares their story. Typically, our shared humanity rises up and unites the group. - Dr. John Blakey, The Trusted Executive
8. Have People Reflect On Their Uniqueness And Value
An exercise I’ve often done with leadership teams is getting them to answer four questions: “How am I unique on this team? What value do I add to this team as a result of my uniqueness? What do we have too much of on this team? What do we need more of for this team to flourish?” This is best wrapped up by having leaders respond to what they’ve heard from others and facilitating a discussion around it. - Vinesh Sukumaran, Vinesh Sukumaran Consulting
9. Have Leaders List Their Top Five Most-Trusted People
When I want a group of leaders to pay attention to diversity or gaps, I ask them to make a list of the top five people they trust. Once the lists are compiled, I ask them about their race, age, gender and any known disabilities. The leaders' newfound knowledge is not only eye-opening, but it's also humbling. When people see the gaps, they are ready to make different commitments toward effecting change. - Lawrence Henderson, BOSS Consulting
10. Celebrate Diversity With A Potluck
One of the playful ways that I have pushed myself and teams to learn more about others is to celebrate diversity with food. Potlucks are food-focused activities where each participant brings food to share with the other participants. It’s a great opportunity to share, connect and celebrate cultural diversity in the workplace. - Andre Shojaie, HumanLearn
11. Use Personal Values Exercises Or CliftonStrengths Tests
I use either a personal values exercise or the CliftonStrengths test. Both are looking to help team members get to know something new about one another. We then use this input to create opportunities for the team to work better together and share what they appreciate about one another based on what they have learned. - Sarah Needham, Unique-U Coaching
12. Create Personality Profiles To Increase Awareness
Diversity on the team makes it stronger, but communicating with each other presents different challenges. Digging into individual personal communication strengths and weaknesses and then learning about other communication styles is an opportunity to increase awareness, establish stronger interpersonal communication and build trust. Make it fun and interactive. - Sara Phelan, Evalu8-Evolve Business Coaching
13. Leave Anonymous Feedback On A Digital Whiteboard
Using a digital whiteboarding tool can help teams have unbiased discussions on team diversity. In this type of forum, words are not spoken; instead, team members use a whiteboard to leave anonymous feedback. Human-centered design thinking methods can be used by a third-party facilitator to help uncover themes and gaps in the feedback along with action items that can be shared with higher leadership. - Carmelina Piedra, CareerCoachingPro
14. Use The ‘I Am’ Exercise
In this exercise, you ask individuals to write down 20 “I am” statements that define who they are, how they feel, what they are good at and so on. Individuals share their statements as a way to express who they are, what is important to them and how they are unique. Their team members will better understand them at their core, and all will find greater ways to connect. - Tami Chapek, WeInspireWe
15. Invite Employees To Look Beyond Their Titles
In an opening exercise I do with nearly every group—whether we are meeting in person or virtually—I ask them to take 10 minutes to create a drawing that describes who they are and their purpose, and then share it. It’s initially hard for many, but the energy and connection created when people share and learn about each other beyond their “title” or “role” is powerful, leading to more appreciation of the diversity and humanity in each of us. - Katie Anderson, Katie Anderson Consulting
