Current State
The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been growing for several years. The increased focus following the movement for racial justice and global pandemic has given way to a more measured response. Recent Brandon Hall Group™ study results show that nearly 70% of organizations are prioritizing helping their leaders to manage more inclusively in 2024 and 71% are planning moderate to heavy investment in efforts designed to embed the values of DEI in the organization. (Source: Brandon Hall Group™ Study, HCM Outlook 2024)
Complexities
DEI is unique as a business driver because it often involves significant culture change. In many cases, increasing diversity, equity and inclusion requires behavior change across the organization, starting with leaders. Most organizations have seen a slip in leader behaviors around DEI in the last year, most showing only average results. It’s important to encourage leaders to lead by example and enable and encourage them to do so.
Consequences
A lack of leadership and strategic planning for DEI has created a disconnect between the high level of importance and the impact of DEI on the business. For example, only 25% of companies lay out an organization-wide approach to DEI and fewer than one-third (30%) have a well-developed approach to change management when it comes to DEI. There is clear opportunity to improve.
Critical Questions
- How can organizations do a better job creating awareness of unconscious bias and building a culture of self-awareness that empowers “unconscious inclusion?”
- How can organizations embed the values of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in all levels of the organization?
- How can organizations motivate leaders and eventually all employees to make themselves accountable for creating and sustaining a truly inclusive organization?
Brandon Hall Group™ POV
Inclusive leadership is intrinsic to a culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Leaders must demonstrate the values and behaviors they want everyone to adopt. For many organizations, becoming more inclusive requires significant change, which requires leaders who are agile, creative and emotionally centered.
Here are a few examples of applying inclusive leadership behaviors:
✦ Be willing to have meaningful, authentic conversations about workplace issues or social issues, including diversity. Discussing issues that employees deal with or are involved in — handled sensitively and with mutual respect — can help build a culture of transparency and bring work teams together. If this is new to you, consult your HR or DEI professional for help and guidance and always follow organizational guidelines and protocols.
✦ Collaborate inclusively. Do you rely on the same subgroup to make decisions or provide input? Each person has unique strengths. People who might appear to not be the best fit for a discussion may have a different experience or viewpoint that can make a difference.
✦ Be comfortable — and make your team comfortable — with conflict or disagreement, as long as it is expressed constructively and professionally.
✦ Actively show empathy and support when employees express a different viewpoint from yours or the majority opinion.
✦ Advocate the importance of employees being allies, coaches and mentors for each other.
✦ Support flexibility. Provide support for employees’ varying family responsibilities and structures. For example, primary caregivers may benefit from flexibility around pickup and drop-off times for school or need flexible work schedules. Whenever possible, focus on the quality of work and not on how or when it gets done.
To encourage and enable leaders to display these behaviors, consider the following approaches:
Ensure leaders understand the expectations
Leaders cannot meet expectations they don’t know are there. Be clear from onboarding through every development interaction that there is an expectation of inclusive behavior on their part and hold them accountable for that behavior.
Reinforce understanding of inclusive behaviors
Build refresher content into your ongoing leader development and communication plans, potentially highlighting a single behavior or competency as part of broader communications like newsletters, landing pages, etc.
Highlight success stories
Make sure that you are telling stories that reinforce the value of inclusive leadership behaviors. When a leader does what they can to accommodate what employees need, hold them out as an example.
