The Diversity Dilemma (Leadership Insight)

Foreign. Welcome to this Leadership Insights episode of the Enlightened Executive, where your personal evolution sparks your leadership evolution. If you love our content and want to support our mission, please hit the subscribe button. It really means a lot. In this episode, we're going to discuss diversity and the one question no leader should be afraid to ask. I hear from leaders daily on this important topic. While study after study demonstrates that diversity drives major business benefits, the truth is many people would rather not talk about the issues that force us to have diversity strategies in the first place, or at least not talk directly with those we want to influence. Instead, we talk amongst ourselves with those who can sympathize about our situation, rather than being brave enough to have the conversations that matter the most. Asking our colleagues and employees about whether and how they experience gender or race bias getting in their way at work can strike many leaders as a conversation 10 times more loaded than it's worth. I understand they may fear they're walking into a territory loaded with red flags from hr. The anxiety that causes you to hold back costs your business, though it harms your relationships with employees who wonder if there are better opportunities elsewhere and ultimately undermines your leadership as a CEO advisor Clients tell me what holds them back from talking to their teams about diversity is the desire to have the answers before they risk the conversation. But you don't have to have all the answers. Social inequality is bigger than any one person or organization. But no matter how thorny the issue is, finding constructive ways to speak about it is essential. Here's how you might go about having the conversation you might be avoiding by asking the very questions you've been afraid to ask. Yes, it's that simple. Do you know how women or minorities around you feel treated at work? Have you asked? Harvard researchers have shown people don't ask enough questions, never mind the right kind. They point out that most of us don't grasp that asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. That second part is especially significant when tackling diversity. Whether you're male or female, white or not, asking questions means you care and that you're interested in someone else's experience other than your own. On the receiving end, being heard can be an antidote to being misunderstood, overlooked, or undervalued, which may be how many women and minorities feel they're treated today. Not only that, asking questions gives people a chance to share what they might keep to themselves, practical changes that you might make, and why. If we apply what the Harvard research tells us about the power of questions, the diversity conversation could look like this Start with the context regarding your question, such as I I read in a blog this morning about diversity or I know we're doing more to communicate our diversity strategies and I was speaking with my client about an issue they have. I noticed that there were no other women in that meeting yesterday. Next, move to an open ended question frame to avoid simple yes or no responses. Make it simple, sincere and direct, such as how do you think we're doing at creating a diverse and inclusive workplace? In your experience, what makes this a good or bad place to work for women? It's important that you ask these questions of everyone, men and women alike. So our next point is you might need to be prepared for some potential resistance. No doubt some people won't see this line of questioning coming, some won't be sure what they think without some self reflection, and others may be reluctant to have a candid conversation. So have a holding statement ready, such as if anything occurs to you down the road, I'm interested to know what you think about this. Just this statement alone can prove more of a positive signal than you realize. And finally, never underestimate the power of being listened to. According to the research, the follow on question is the most powerful of them all. You learn more and you're showing a form of listening which deepens trust. So when the person you're talking to does have an opinion, ask questions like can you say more about that? Could you give me an example of what you mean? What might we or I do differently? Whenever you're talking with someone about their career, or one of the many occasions where you could find out about how work is going for the people around you, that's the time to start a diversity conversation. As for responding to what your colleagues have to say, just tell the truth. I don't have all the answers, but I'm certain that understanding the situation more clearly can only help. Again, it's that simple. We've all seen the data and know some of the stats. Here's just one Women would have to work an additional 12 months years to close the pay gap that exists with male counterparts. And while many workplaces have explicit strategies that attempt to tackle that true organizational change stems from individual acts of leadership. To sum up, the conversation you're avoiding is the very one needed to address the deep systemic issues of inequality in our society and in the workplace. Do you need support in creating leadership that's more diverse and inclusive? We're working with clients to create powerful affinity groups and support women and minority advancement. In addition, to working with senior leadership to foster greater inclusivity. Contact us for more information on how we can help you create an empowered and diverse workplace. Get in touch@susandrum.com we'd love to help you. And if you like this episode and want more leadership insights like these, hit the subscribe and the like button. And we always appreciate our five star reviews. Let's lead the way. Hope you enjoyed today's episode, and I'd like to point you to the next important step. Hit the subscribe button and the bell to get notified when we release new content. I'll see you on the next episode of the Enlightened Executive. Sam.