We have come a long way since organisations first started discussing equal opportunities and equality. Equal opportunity is the right to be treated without discrimination and equality is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights or opportunity.
We now talk about Diversity and Inclusion, where Diversity is a statement of fact. Diversity is your age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status. But it is also about Diversity of thought and opinion and cognitive thought processes. Every leader needs diversity of thought in their team and yet the tendency is to recruit people in their own image and sphere of understanding.
There is a strong ethical case in that everyone wants to be treated fairly. At the same time, organisations are united by the desire to improve quality of life for society as a whole.
Values based organisations and authentic leaders will know it is the right thing to do.
Setting goals and putting in place activities to treat people fairly, proactively include them and make their organisations more representative of society is not just the right thing to do. It will ultimately contribute to the creation of a better society.
A diverse team strengthens an organisation in all areas, including:
>resilience,
>capacity to innovate,
>improved performance.
UK society is undergoing rapid demographic change and there is ample data to show that the UK working population, and our recruitment pool, is becoming more diverse.
In particular the numbers of women, ethnic minorities and older people in employment have increased markedly and continue to rise.
Leaders have a vested interest in proactively tracking and responding to demographic changes in order to ensure there are no unintentional barriers to attracting people with the requisite skills and experience, whatever their background.
In addition to being an authentic leader and true to yourself, always strive to be an inclusive leader. Inclusive Leaders listen before they lead, they build diverse teams, with diversity of thought and ensure that everyone feels listened to, respected and valued. Say thank you and celebrate success at every opportunity.
Set down your values and standards and give clear direction. Then build your team based on your values. Have values based and competency-based interviews and if people are in breach of those values then they are not right for your team. Collaborate with all members of the team and share your vision with them.
Diverse teams perform better, improve engagement and are recruitment and retention positive. The more diverse a team is, the greater the pool of skills available, and leaders must harness this diversity in order to maximise talent in support of operational effectiveness.
Inclusive leadership enhances trust, improves cohesion and maximises team performance. A climate of inclusivity welcomes all individuals to the team, regardless of their background and experience, allowing them to realise their value and encourage maximum contribution to the team.
Create an inclusive environment by
>recognising,
>valuing, and
>leveraging
different perspectives and backgrounds to drive result.s
How to start with Inclusive Leadership:
>Be your Authentic Self
>Listen before Leading
>Encourage your team to speak up
>Create a safe environment for open and respectful communication
>Openly discuss the value of diversity, and diversity of thought, in achieving team goals
>Stay conscious of your own bias.
A Culture of Inclusion unlocks the true talent of a diverse team and makes individuals willing to give themselves to common goals.
Leona Barr Jones, Chief Operating Office – Focus7
IoD Director of the Year for Inclusivity and Defence Inclusivity Award Finalist in the Soldiering On Awards
