Diversity training for executives?
I am doing consulting work with a 100+year-old company and their Board decided that all the higher level managers and executives needed "Diversity Training". It's not that I'm against it, but I have concerns that this is a "sheep-dip" approach rather than a meaningful change effort.
Anyway, they have made it a "bonus goal" so it WILL occur; at least I can assist them in their selection. They may want an "off-the-shelf" program that their in-house trainers can deliver. Any suggestions?
Anyway, they have made it a "bonus goal" so it WILL occur; at least I can assist them in their selection. They may want an "off-the-shelf" program that their in-house trainers can deliver. Any suggestions?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Peter Bye on -
Hi Amy,
My years leading corporate diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives and consulting with and coaching clients about D&I lead me to fully agree with your assessment. D&I training, and any other training for that matter, must help achieve a particular business-related outcome and must be part of an overall strategy. In this instance, business related means the CEO's key business objectives. While this principle holds for any audience, it is especially true for a senior leadership team. They will not tolerate something that is distinct from their business. It will leave a bitter taste in their mouth, and it will create major hurdles to overcome in the future for that leadership team to engage in a real, strategic, business-related D&I initiative.
So here we're considering the possibility of:
* an off-the-shelf package that by definition is generic and not aligned with their business.
* for a vague purpose that will likely cause them to think their time is being wasted except that it is a checklist item to meet their bonus goal.
* delivered by in-house facilitators who probably have little experience in D&I facilitation (or they would already have material available).
This is a recipe for a bad outcome.
At a minimum:
* Have a conversation with the CEO, COO, or head of HR.
* Talk about their business objectives. Apply a D&I lens to those objectives to figure out what type of change makes sense and will help achieve those objectives.
* Design the training accordingly.
I hope this is useful.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon Newman on
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Amy:
Understand your concern completely. If it is being done just to say that it was completed then there is little if any value in the exercise.
That being said, believe no matter the age of the organization nor the executives, diversity awareness is of value.
An off the shelf item I have used in the past and found to be extremely valuable is something known as The Winning Balance. What makes this so great is that it allows discovery rather than taking a preach to them approach. The program also explores the many aspects of bias far beyond colour, race, creed or religion. That in my opinion makes this program well worth the effort.
Recommend the program be completed by the senior executives and then pushed down throughout the entire organization to get maximum value.
Hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by JACQUELINE M. WALTERS on -
100 year old Company and the Board finally decided that all the higher level Managers and Executives needed "Diversity Training." Well! thank God they made this decision, to do the right thing. Its best they continue outsourcing Diversity Trainers for awhile. Seek Consultants to assist them with forming an in-house Committee, for ongoing Diversity Training.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Beeler on
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Amy, while this is dated information to you I suspect what is missing is "how to manage diversity." Diversity classes for the sake of awareness is not the same. It's the HOW you do this that sometimes managers, especially new managers, never see until they meet the issue head on. At one time there was an off the shelf course from back in the early 90s that was, and from my memory, still relevant. Try looking for Managing Diversity on your search engines. If you haven't already, set Yahoo "Alerts" to the subject and bet you find what you need. Enjoy!
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Permalink Reply by K Jason Bryan on -
Amy,
It is commendable for an organization to commit executives/leaders to diversity training. You are right that it will not create meaningful change if it is merely a dip.
InclusionINC offers learning programs that focus on key skills around D&I, such as cross cultural communication and inclusive communication practices.
I would not recommend internal trainers for delivery to executives, though we do offer train-the-trainer certifications.
Please feel free to contact me for more info.
Jason
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