How to develop a D&I management strategy

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D&I management is a long-term change management and learning project with cultural change as the ultimate goal. To achieve this goal, changes in behavior and attitudes among managers and employees must be initiated so that D&I management is seen as an essential means to ensure societal legitimacy and sustainable corporate success.

• How can organizations enable executives and employees alike?
• Why does inclusive leadership matter?
• How do persuade skeptics of the benefits of D&I initiatives?

D&I management should enable executives and employees alike

Successful implementation of the D&I strategy requires an inclusive and competent leadership style. In addition to training and mentoring programs, issue-specific networks and gamification elements such as competitions (e.g., D&I awards) can encourage employees to actively participate in D&I management. Empathic interpersonal communication, active listening, and the judicious use of humor may persuade skeptics of the benefits of D&I initiatives.

Enabling executives:

 

• Successful implementation of the D&I strategy requires an inclusive and competent leadership style.
  

 

• As not all managers have all the necessary characteristics, D&I management needs to enable executive personnel to acquire the appropriate (leadership) skills.
  

 

• Based on the D&I vision and policies derived from it, managers should be trained in how to lead and communicate with diverse employees properly.

 

Enabling employees:

 

• Executive personnel must allow employees to become involved in D&I initiatives and to play an active role in maintaining and improving them.
  

 

• Managers should also allocate resources such as time (e.g., holding team meetings on D&I topics), and access to D&I-relevant information and expertise.
  

 

• Developing individual competencies among employees: Trainings help to raise awareness of the benefits of a diverse workforce. Employees will learn skills on how to deal with diversity and difference in an unbiased way.
  

 

• Empowering all interested employees so that they have the opportunity to network and share ideas.

 

Persuading skeptics of the benefits of D&I initiatives

• Listed companies have introduced quotas to meet their legal obligations and D&I goals, which are intended to ensure the representation of women at the management level or the inclusion of members of ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
   

• Such quotas, however, can lead to a “white male backlash”, which usually occurs when white, well-educated men who are equally qualified feel discriminated against or marginalized.
  
   
• To successfully cope with the “white male backlash” phenomenon, D&I managers are advised to invest in D&I-related training and to seek sincere dialogue with those who feel at a disadvantage. Empathic interpersonal communication, active listening, and the careful use of humor may convince skeptics of the benefits of D&I initiatives.

Further topics:

• Why should organizations invest in diversity and inclusion?
• How can organizations set up an effective D&I management?
• How can communication enhance an inclusive organizational culture?