• CICI Colleen

Where does diversity stop in your organisation? 

Diversity and Inclusion has for many organisations become the new buzz word. It is important that organisations develop a culture when it comes to diversity rather than a one time exercise during "black history month".

Often diversity stops at the top but is very much welcomed at the bottom end of a company. Why is that? There are many reasons and I outline these in my leadership webinar which is available now.

Good leadership will be a clear reflection of how diversity is treated within an organisation. Ask yourself, who are your leaders, what do they look like? Why does it matter you ask, well if we want to create a fair society with equal opportunities who your leaders are matter.

For a number of organisations, leadership is still very white and male. However, there is a new growth of white female leaders who are in some ways diverse, yet there are still significant disparities between black and white females not obtaining the same pay, thus there is still work to do when it comes to workplace diversity and equality particularly in leadership, race and gender.

We use ideas like unconscious bias to explain these issues but it's time we start to realise that not all bias is unconscious but rather strategic. There is a culture that has developed within leadership across the world with bold political leaders making discriminatory statements thus filtering into workplaces and institutions.

Nobody wants to feel 'replaced' but it's important to recognise one group of individuals do not have all the answers and it is essential to understand that if you want your company to grow financially you must tap into the talent that is so evident within diverse communities.

The workplace should be a reflection of our society just like all institutions but we still have serious concerns when it comes to diversity and Leadership. So how do we fix this issue?

Here are three things you can consider to challenge your leadership ideas and diversity disparities in your workplace.

1. Sign up.

You must sign up to our webinar here at Psychologists At Work. Do it now, because honestly the webinar provides practical realistic psychological methods to help change your organisation. The question you have to ask yourself is, are you ready to be changed?

2. Stop Cloning!

Some cultures seem to believe that if a person doesn't look like them, walk like them, they are inferior and can't possibly lead. These ideas will destroy your organisation. Having one dominant culture in a changing society will eventually cause your company to crumble.

3. Analyse your recruitment.

The chances are your requirement processes are inherently bias or strategically exclusive, because you want to keep your leadership culture one specific way. Change cannot come by doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You have the chance to create real organisational change. Start at the top.

For more information on how to improve your diversity and leadership practices. Book a webinar or contact through our contact us section on the website. It would be great to hear from you.