Resource:

6 Habits of Truly Inclusive Organisations

Written by CMI Monday 14 November 2016
Acceptance of Diversity Programmes is Patchy, and Progress is Slow
Tiny workers at giant hand of employer and under protective umbrella

You’ve seen the evidence, you understand what can be gained – but acceptance of your diversity programmes is patchy, and progress is slow. That, however, may be about to change, thanks to a clutch of forward-thinking companies and some hard-nosed thinking

“Are you sure you want me?” KPMG partner Vincent Neate was taken aback when, three years ago, someone from the company’s LGBT network, Breathe, asked him to become a ‘straight ally’.

Neate is modest about his involvement – “it’s always nice to be wanted” – but not about its impact. He describes it as “one of the most profound things” he has done in his 25-year career.

“Unless you are a member of the LGBT community, have a disability, face childcare issues or come from an ethnic minority, you simply do not understand how difficult it might be to operate in the modern commercial environment,” he says. “We think we’re at the back end of 30 years of liberalisation, regulatory reform and values slapped on the walls.

“But if you engage, listen and try to understand, you start to realise how far we have to go – and that this is really important.”

Neate works at a company that’s been leading on diversity and inclusion for more than a decade. His concern – and it’s shared by many people involved in diversity and inclusion – is that, away from the spotlight, many medium-sized and smaller organisations are “where we were 15 years ago”.

For all the talk of the ‘business case’ for workplace diversity, in reality progress is patchy.

Part of the problem has been ill-conceived campaigns to hire and incentivise more women, ethnic minorities and gay employees. Managers on the receiving end of these start to see diversity as just another initiative, breeding what The Fawcett Society describes as ‘barrier bosses’, who are more than twice as likely to be against equal opportunities at work than the general population.

Pooja Sachdev, co-author of the book Rewire, even goes so far as to say that “diversity is in crisis”.

But sentiment appears to be shifting again. In many organisations, the focus is moving towards mind-set over metrics.

Business leaders are going beyond the business case, and are focusing instead on the behaviours that make a workplace inclusive. The ultimate prize is better-balanced and more innovative organisations.

Forward-thinking companies are “looking at talent in a different way”, says Sue O’Brien, the new chair of CMI’s Women in Management advisory committee. They tend to promote internal hiring opportunities, and do lots of internal development, “reaching down into the business”.

This latest shift may even be leading to a less purely profit-centric approach to talent management, one whereby ethical aims are made more explicit.

In a recent interview with Fast Company, Danny Guillory, head of global diversity and inclusion at Autodesk, was open about the company’s ethical motivations, warning that, if you’re motivated purely by profit, “you’re stuck”.

So how are the best organisations beating ‘pale, male and stale’ and moving beyond tick box diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives? They tend to share the following set of six common characteristics.

Read the full story: https://www.managers.org.uk/insights/news/2016/september/the-6-habits-of-truly-inclusive-organisations

CMI
Topic: Personal Development

“It’s not about the hours, it’s about the passion”

Becoming a Chartered Manager allowed Danica Fava CMgr MCMI to take an objective look at her management style

Read article
Topic: Employment Landscape

Is your leadership pipeline fit for the future?

Organisations must build leadership pipelines that allow the next generation to innovate, adapt and lead with purpose

Read article
Topic:

Why credibility matters for leaders (and five tips on how to build it)

Two Chartered Managers reflect on what it means to lead with credibility

Read article
Topic:

“You need the right mix of challenge and empathy”

Isaac Kalungi CMgr MCMI was the first Chartered Manager in Uganda

Read article