How to Support Diversity and Inclusion in Your Team 

The case for diversity and inclusion is simple: you get better project results. But delivering diversity and inclusion is a challenge. You need to be very deliberate in making them happen.
Here's how...
First, let’s clarify terms:
Diversity
Welcoming people of the widest possible range of types and origins, available in your society. We usually think in terms of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural or religious background, age, ability or disability, neuro-diversity and anything else. Recognize and celebrate difference.
Creating a diverse team means recruiting people onto your team for what they can contribute - and not excluding them because of what maybe they cannot.
Inclusion
Doing everything you can to make it equally easy for any person to contribute to and benefit from the work environment. Value the differences and make them welcome. So, in short, everyone should be able to feel an equal part of your team. And this must therefore start from a culture and environment of respect.
Creating an inclusive environment takes real effort. It may mean making allowances that cater for the needs of just one person. But, when you do, that can free up their attention to give their very best to your team.
Bias
The first thing you need to think about is bias. And that can be conscious discrimination, but it can also be unconscious bias. We need to:
- Acknowledge it
- Set up processes to overcome it
- Train to defend against it
- Continue to monitor for it
And there are essential steps you, as Project Leader can take to lead on supporting and enhancing diversity and inclusion on your projects:
1. Get yourself training and get training for your team
2. Involve your team in setting standards, establishing good practices, and calling out failings
3. Secure senior level commitment from your peers and from sponsors and Project board members
4. Adopt and adapt the best policies, processes, and good practices from the organizations involved in your project
5. Act as a role model and st the highest standards for respecting and empowering everyone in your team and among your stakeholders
And you can support this with practical everyday practices like:
• Mixing up teams and sub-teams, and creating deliberately diverse workgroups
• Encouraging people to share their experiences to build empathy
• Calling out and tackling disrespectful behavior and language quickly and effectively
• Encouraging and welcoming diverse thinking and experimentation
• Celebrating everyone’s contributions
• Gather data on diversity whenever you carry out surveys, and look for evidence in the results for bias
• Avoid generalization and stereotyping - no matter how well-intentioned. Treat everyone as an individual
There are also a number of logistical and environmental conditions that support diversity and inclusion. You may not have control of these, but you can advocate for:
• Equal pay
• Promotion equality of opportunity
• Respect for cultural and religious holidays and changes to working hours
• Facilities like prayer rooms, nursing rooms, and physical adaptations
• Making translations available
• Using gender, age and culturally neutral language
• Thinking about the food and drink you make available
• Strengthening diversity and inclusion in organizational policies, procedures, and processes.
A while back, I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list.
kit.co/MikeCla...
Note that the links are affiliated.
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