Diversity - do you really mean it?

The terms diversity and inclusion are thrown around a lot these days. Organisations have been working on better representing the communities they serve - particularly through increasing the representation of women and different ethnicities in leadership roles. Leaders assume that better representation will lead to diversity of opinions being expressed and listened to, and people feeling more included. Evidence certainly tells us that more diverse teams can be more innovative, creative and better at problem solving. And of course, I am a huge fan of ensuring everyone is fairly represented.

Unfortunately though, while leaders might want a diverse team, they often don’t know where to start, or have the support they need to put this into practice. While it might be easy to say on a job advert that you are open to diversity of applicants and willing to support flexible working, how do you actually make this work?

Recruitment is just the first hurdle. Once hiring decisions are made and people are in organisations, it takes real leadership to actually make a diverse range of people feel included and listened to and to make the most of individual difference. And diversity goes far beyond gender, race or sexual orientation.

One issue a lot of leaders struggle with is making the most of the different styles within their team or organisation. For example, when dealing with a team made up of both introverts and extraverts it is often easy to listen only to the loudest voices in meetings. Open plan workplaces naturally favour extraverts and this can immediately make a leaders job difficult in terms of helping individual team members to work productively in an open plan work environment.

More generally, it is typically easiest for leaders to manage people who are similar to themselves. A leader who loves structure finds it easy to provide this to team members who want it, and more difficult to give less structured team members the flexibility they need. A leader who is naturally accommodating and people pleasing gravitates to team members who are inclined that way too, and may find more assertive team members pushy or demanding.

The reality is that people are diverse and and this makes a leaders job both difficult and rewarding. Leaders need to be agile and self-aware. They need to reflect on their own style and approach and that of their team and organisation and figure out how to adjust and adapt their approach to get the most out of their staff.

As a leader, you need to pause and reflect before taking action. Consider the impact on people in your team or organisation and try different approaches to get the most out of individuals. For example, if members of your team work flexible hours, do you really need to send them that email outside of their working schedule? If one of your team is quiet in meetings, could you meet with them one-on-one instead?

If you want to make everyone feel included and listened to, seek support and advice on how to do so. Ask your team members how to get the most out of them, and get feedback on your approach. Leadership is challenging and no one should do it alone. If you’re prepared to ask for help and learn and grow as a leader, the rewards will be endless. Your people will be more motivated and engaged and your team will be more agile when they see you leading by example. An inclusive organisation benefits everyone, most of all, leaders, so get started now!

Are you up for the challenge?