How Leaders Can Adapt To The Future Of Work To Drive Inclusivity & Productivity
More and more, diversity in the workplace has been considered to be one of the most crucial essentials to a thriving, dynamic, and productive business. In fact, companies with inclusive leadership are shown to have better employee retention, higher reputations in the workforce, and stronger teams dedicated to supporting and implementing innovative solutions.
This has become especially pertinent during the pandemic, when leaders and management teams had to quickly adapt to digitization that came with remote work. Why? Because studies show that leadership that’s inclusive adapts easier to change. Inclusive team leaders and managers are more likely to incorporate best practices based on the interests of everyone on their team.
Inclusive Organizations & Diverse Teams
Another reason why inclusion, diversity, and adaptation to change all go hand in hand is because the very nature of management now is different than it was 20 or 30 years ago, just as it will be quite different 20 years in the future.
Today, inclusivity means being courageous, collaborative, and adaptable. Leaders must keep their fingers on the pulse of cultural awareness and discourse. How can you find and be open to different perspectives? How can you shift your mindset to foster rewarding atmospheres in which your employees are heard and valued? The more you are equipped to answer these questions, the more you will find all the strengths and skills that were formerly untapped in your team, producing better short-term and long-term results.
The myth that running and managing diverse organizations can be tough, especially when considering generational gaps, is a dangerous one. Maintaining diverse cultures within the workplace does take time and effort, but think of it this way: what future risks are associated with keeping up these practices? Virtually none, as change will never be irrelevant, nor will diversity. When weighing the benefits of working to be more collaborative over time, you’ll find that these practices can only become more beneficial, and ultimately, more cost effective.
How Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Pays Off
When you think about diversity, you are likely thinking about differences in race, gender, ability, orientation, age, and more. But in today’s business world, diversity also relates to the process of engagement and inclusivity; creating a culture of cohesion.
How does a diverse and inclusive company outperform others? Recent scholarship points to the economic benefits of diverse environments. For example, this Gartner study suggests that through 2022, the majority of organizations that reflect D&I values will “exceed their financial targets.” Another 2019 study shows that 66% of executives who prioritized D&I in their practices all attested to diversity as the essential component of their company’s financial successes. And according to this 2018 BCG report, companies that included D&I in their models not only reported higher revenues, but also demonstrated strong correlations between diversity, digitization, and innovation. Other studies have also found that diversity improves retention, maintains a thriving morale, and shows higher engagement.
Inclusive Leaders
Invest in current and future leaders within your organization to cultivate models and practices that support D&I. One way to do this is for HR leaders to look for and implement more training opportunities for leadership on various (if not all) levels. Remember that, along with training modules and programs, it takes self-reflection and a willingness to define, strengthen, and shift one’s own attitude in order to implement true change. One of the key factors of success within any organization is self-awareness. The Harvard Business Review identifies 6 traits of inclusive leadership: Commitment, Self-Awareness, Humility, Curiosity, Collaboration, and Intelligence.
These traits are especially necessary in the case of hiring and strategically managing implicit biases that even the most well-intentioned human may be subject to. Implicit biases can be as seemingly innocuous as an unconscious preference for one group over another—or even making assumptions—due to complex cultural conditionings over time. Implicit bias can only serve to hinder diversity but hinder inclusive decisions that can hurt an organization’s success.
One way to help side-step implicit biases is to use gender-neutral language in all job descriptions, taking it even further by implementing systems to keep out any markers of demographics within the application and review process. More importantly, inclusive leaders ensure that their hiring teams are made up of diverse stakeholders across the company and organization, establishing refreshing perspectives on potential candidates.
Building and Maintaining Diverse Teams
No matter what your goals as an organization are, inclusive leaders will tell you that they’re continually asking candidates (and each other) what the best cultural fit will be. This is a common question that should shift from: How will potential new hires fit within our organizational culture? to, How will they expand our culture? Think in terms of broadening your collective vision to welcome innovation to the team. The more diverse and broadened your culture is the more it will invite in even more talent when building teams.
As your employees grow in experience, be in the habit of providing them opportunities to advance in their skill sets and careers. This not only ensures that team-members feel valued and included, but helps retain them as they can see a future within the organization.
Think, too, of communication habits and practices. Don’t just say that transparency is a core value, but really enact communication that fosters trust and balance; communicate to all members of your team and not just a few, and encourage feedback that goes both ways. Rather than force team members to fit the mold and have a uniform voice, embrace the different perspectives your team offers and ask which points of view have not yet been brought to the table.
Ultimately, commitment is key. If your organizational policy is to promote equal opportunities, do the work to make sure the organization is following through. What is your company doing to ensure professional development for people who are differently abled? How is your company providing equal accessibility and flexible options for employees with different needs?
Finally, understand that building a culture of diversity and inclusion is not an overnight phenomenon. Development is a process, a path, that takes time, consistency, and preparedness to face any challenges along the way. Lead strategically and mindfully, and your stakeholders, investors, and teams will follow.