There are a lot of talks these days about the importance of diverse representation in the workplace. But what does that mean for leaders? We believe it’s important to be aware of diversity issues and understand how those issues affect how people lead, communicate, and work together. In a documentary I watched of Spelling Bee winners’ whose descent was Indian or East Asian, you can hear people say, “I usually don’t feel like I’m included or belong in some place, or I look different.” The winners would also say, “year after year, I started to see more and more people who look like me. And they were winning, and it gave me hope, I started to get excited and realized I did belong. So I worked really hard to get there because I felt like I would be around people LIKE me.” In the workplace, this is exactly what happens. I remember doing listening sessions, where people would say this or take surveys and say, “it would be nice to see more people in the senior or executive leadership team that look like me” and when they do it gets them excited. How do we help people see themselves growing in the company? Excelling, being promoted, and having opportunities. We have to make sure that the organization is diverse to do this. So what does this mean for your organization?
Take Time to Understand Your Employees
Organizations need to understand their team members and how they work. They need to know how to motivate them and what they need to do their best. One of the best ways your organization can do this is by ensuring that your senior and mid-level managers spend time with their teams individually.
Taking the time to really get to know your team members will help you figure out what motivates them and what does not. It will also help your organizational leadership know when something is wrong so that you can step in before it worsens. Your leaders need to know what their team members are good at and what they’re not so good at, so they can help them grow as people and as employees. This doesn’t mean that your leaders have to be best friends with everyone—though friendship at work is a nice thing—it just means that your leaders need to be intentional about taking the time to get to know them as people. When your leaders spend time with each member individually, it helps them feel like they belong on the team and that they’re part of something bigger than themselves – which means they’ll be more likely to work hard for the good of the organization!
Educate Your Team About Diversity & Inclusion
Working with people from different backgrounds and cultures is crucial for an organization’s success. It’s also an opportunity for everyone involved to learn more about themselves, their coworkers, and their communities. Diversity and inclusion are important for any company, but they’re especially so for organizations that want to attract and retain the best talent. If an organization isn’t diverse, it can’t be inclusive—and if it isn’t inclusive, it will have trouble attracting top talent. You have the power to create an environment where all employees feel respected and valued.
Reflection
As an organizational leader, you have an important role to play in the world. Your leaders are role models for the people who work for the organization and for those who look at your organization as an example of how things should be done. It’s important that you represent diversity in all its forms—gender, race, sexual orientation, and religion, to name a few—because that truly makes our society great. And when people see themselves reflected in the people around them, they feel more confident and empowered to do their best work. And that’s a world any of us can be excited to live in!