Diversity Insight: The domino effect of leadership training for inclusion

When senior executives to supervisors are given the right tools, they can boost staff awareness and sensitivity—and, ultimately, engagement and performance.

To understand and appreciate diversity in the workplace, you must first develop an understanding of yourself and the ways in which you and those around you develop your worldview. An ability to use a variety of strategies to effectively deal with diverse situations is critical in today’s world. Leadership training for inclusion is key to making managers aware of their attitudes toward diversity, increasing acceptance of diverse cultures, people and ideas, and becoming an advocate for diversity within the workplace.

Inclusive leaders are better equipped to support their employees. Leadership training designed for inclusion leads to heightened sensitivity around what is important to individual team members. It also increases a leader’s awareness of his or her own biases, and how those biases impact decisions and affect employees, colleagues and peers.

According to research by Gartner, communication of diversity goals throughout the organization—to all individuals across ranks and functions—is a critical step toward driving action. Human resources leaders reported they most often communicate progress to business unit leaders (72%), senior executive teams (70%), CEOs (68%), board members (66%) and HR business partners (62%). Ensuring all stakeholders are aware of diversity goals is a great way to hold leaders accountable for keeping initiatives moving forward.

 

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