10 tips to improve diversity training

1. Ensure commitment and involvement from the Leadership team
2. Conduct a cultural audit to determine what issues need addressing
3. Conduct focus groups with homogenous groups (not heterogeneous groups)
4. Provide cultural audit results and involve the leadership in developing a strategic approach to creating an inclusive work environment
5. Use a well established and reputable diversity consulting expert to design, develop and implement your diversity training. You can use internal facilitators later.
6. Ensure that the diversity training is clearly aligned to the findings from the cultural audit and is congruent with your goals for an inclusive environment
7. Use an experiential learning model for diversity workshops and not power point and lecture.
8. Avoid the sheep dip approach to training and offer more than 2 hour modules replete with power point slides
9. Involve the Leadership Team and the Diversity networks in the early pilots of the program
10. Ensure that there is a Change Management strategy in place that supports the training so that participants can see real change and not just check mark syndrome.

3 Tips for successful mentoring across cultures

Mentoring across gender and across cultural differences can have hidden challenges. It is natural to want to mentor people in our own image, but it is important to realize that when you are mentoring someone of a different Race, Ethnicity or Gender that you need to take account of that difference.

1. Have an open discussion about cultural differences as part of the mentoring process.
2. Be willing to learn about your mentee's world and really hear their perspective
3. Understand the culturally different values that your mentee brings to the table.

Contact me at drhelenturnbull@aol.com for more information.

6 secrets to achieving global inclusiveness

If you want to be sure that the dollars you spend on global inclusiveness and diversity are well invested you should

1. Ensure commitment and involvement of your senior leadership

2. Conduct a cultural audit using an external consulting firm to determine what issues really need to be addressed

3. Only conduct global inclusiveness training if it is a direct need from the cultural audit and is customized to fit your culture.

4. Avoid sheep dipping - ensure that the change management goals and the diversity training are congruent and that your employees can see evidence that you are serious about changing the culture.

5. Ensure that you remain sensitive to the needs of each global region

6. Ask tough questions about what the dominant culture groups are able and willing to change - inclusiveness is not a one way street.

Unconscious bias

Is your Corporation looking for the next "right" thing to do on diversity and global inclusiveness?
Are you still wondering how you can persuade people they have work to do on their own biases?

Are you tired of spending money on diversity training and not seeing any real change in the organization?

What if you had an assessment tool that would enable you to customize it to not only fit your company culture but focus directly on the issues that are pertinent to your diversity goals.

The ISM Profile (Inclusion Skills Measurement) is an online 360 degree assessment tool uniquely designed to help your employees identify the skills gaps. The program provides feedback, insights and tips for improvement. For more information click on the link on the Human Facets home page.