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<\/figure>Increasing a company\u2019s focus on\u00a0Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion\u00a0(DE&I)\u00a0with a goal of changing organisational behaviour can be a slow and challenging task. Have you ever tried to change your own behaviour\u00a0by trying to\u00a0break a bad habit or make a lifestyle improvement? In general, it isn\u2019t easy, and it doesn\u2019t happen without personal commitment and a supportive environment.\u00a0And\u00a0it doesn\u2019t typically happen by making one small change; it requires multiple small changes to create a system that supports your new behaviour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same is true for\u00a0organisational changes. While some might\u00a0argue that\u00a0focusing on an inclusive\u00a0climate\u00a0is not a complete change initiative,\u00a0I would disagree. Changing the climate of an organisation is akin to making a shift in its culture, and\u00a0cultural shifts\u00a0require changes in\u00a0philosophy, messaging, and behaviour throughout the organisation for\u00a0them\u00a0to\u00a0take hold.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog, we\u2019ll discuss\u00a0three\u00a0factors that\u00a0are critical to the success of\u00a0organisational change\u00a0and are especially important for\u00a0inclusive climate initiatives.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, organisational changes will not be successful without commitment, specifically leadership commitment. Leaders hold the power in the organisation, whether formal or informal. They make critical decisions, design processes, identify whom to sponsor and mentor, and send out communications. Their words and behaviour are noticed, and what they do signals to others the behaviours that are appropriate and acceptable within the organisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the\u00a0old adage\u00a0goes, \u201cactions speak louder than words\u201d. Leaders play a crucial role\u00a0in\u00a0the effectiveness of a cultural intervention.\u00a0Research that has explored reasons why organisations often fail to make a real impact on DE&I, cite one of the main reasons for lack of change as leadership commitment and involvement. Leaders are a driving force behind change initiatives, and if they are not supportive and demonstrating the desirable behaviour, the rest of the organisation is unlikely to follow suit.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\nLarge organisational changes need the support of leaders, but the rest of the organisation needs to be ready for the change as well. The environment must be supportive of the changes in terms of resources, processes, and communication. If I were trying to change my eating behaviour to reduce sugar and sweets, it would be very difficult to do so if my kitchen was full of treats and there weren\u2019t any healthy options available. It would also be difficult to achieve if I did not know my ultimate goal and how I planned to achieve it. In the case of DE&I, embarking on this kind of initiative requires the establishment and communication of clear objectives, ideally with measurable metrics as well as updated processes that allow for more diversity and inclusion opportunities. Individuals will not effectively make changes if they are not provided guidance and support in their daily jobs. \n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, it\u2019s important to note that one intervention will not motivate and sustain change, regardless of the topic. For the example of changing eating behaviour, I could take a class on healthy eating and learn a lot about good food choices. The likelihood that this one class will give me all that I need to make a sustainable lifestyle change is quite small. If I do not make additional changes around my grocery shopping and home delivery eating habits and\/or my cooking plans, I\u2019m probably not going to be successful. When it comes to DE&I, many organizations talk about the importance of increasing diversity and being equitable and inclusive, but if they lack a targeted focus and additional training, the changes will not be sustainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good example is unconscious bias training. Many organizations invest in making sure\u00a0employees understand that unconscious bias exists and affects their behaviour.\u00a0Raising awareness of an issue is a good first step, but more needs to be done.\u00a0Once employees are aware, it\u2019s time to apply process changes by examining\u00a0their recruitment and screening criteria to reduce the impact of unconscious bias on candidate interview ratings and hiring decisions. What about how performance evaluation criteria can impact ratings and promotion decisions? For true sustainable change to occur, there must be a comprehensive, multi-faceted\u00a0approach that includes addressing internal processes at all levels within the organisation and gaining the commitment and support of everyone involved.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you would like to see real organisational changes\u00a0around diversity, equity, and inclusion,\u00a0do your best to take a high-level view and approach it like a major change initiative.\u00a0Start by gaining the commitment of organisational leadership. Without their help\u00a0supporting the message and opening doors for opportunities,\u00a0the initiative is likely to fail.\u00a0Then, help employees by showing them how to incorporate DE&I\u00a0into their jobs and work processes.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Especially with DE&I, employees may want to help but they don\u2019t know how; they\u00a0need specific guidance on exactly\u00a0what they can do and why it matters. Address the issues in\u00a0many different ways\u00a0both\u00a0formally and informally. Remember that change doesn\u2019t happen quickly, and it usually doesn\u2019t happen smoothly, but the benefits of DE&I to an organisation are widespread and worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>Organisations that have been successful at creating sustainable change in D&I have had strong commitment, and action, among their leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this whitepaper, you will learn about the role that leaders play in creating an inclusive culture, one that strives to create allies, or champions for diversity, as well as the leadership competencies and characteristics that contribute to inclusive behaviour and climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n