If your organization is serious about launching (or re-launching) an EFFECTIVE diversity and inclusion change management initiative, there are three things that need to be in place:
1. CEO and C-Suite ownership, endorsement and buy-in
2. An owner for the work…we recommend the creation of a Chief Diversity Officer position and we recommend that the position report directly to the CEO
3. Creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee
What a lot of people don’t realize is that advancing diversity and inclusion strategies requires organizational, cultural and leadership behavioral change. Once the business case is built and the senior leaders sign up to act as champions…then what? Ambassadors are needed. That’s where a diversity and inclusion council comes into play. Creating a council of cross-functional senior and emerging leaders will advance the embedment of diversity and inclusion principles faster than anything else that we have seen.
CWE has a tested and proven model for building diversity and inclusion councils. We have found the impact to be substantive.
Click here to read a case study that provides more details on the power of a high-functioning Diversity and Inclusion Council.
CWE has earned a reputation for building effective councils. We pride ourselves on customizing our programs. With that being said, below is a sample content curriculum that we’ve customized and delivered to dozens of councils.
D&I Councils: Sample Content Curriculum
Thriving organizations today realize that having executive cross-functional councils is absolutely essential to embedding diversity and inclusion principles DEEP into the culture of their organizations.
In this three-module program from CWE, participants will gain…
- New insights on where they stand on the diversity and inclusion continuum as measured by the use of the Intercultural Development Inventory (to learn more about IDI click here)
- Clarity on where the group sees the current positioning of the organization based upon the IDI scales
- A better understanding of how to position the embedment of D & I as a change management initiative
- Practical tips on ways to engage the most senior leaders of the organization in order to acquire the resources needed to advance the goals
- New ways to assess risks, political sensitivities and non-believers to advance the goals
- The ability to build a blueprint for short- and long-term success of the D & I Council
Who Should Attend…
HR Managers, Current and Future Diversity and Inclusion Council Members
More on the Necessity of Diversity & Inclusion Councils…
Diversity and inclusion strategies that touch the entire employee life cycle from recruiting, retention, engagement and advancement have proven to be the most successful and effective. But, the truth is, as long as Human Resources and/or the Office of Diversity and Inclusion are seen as the owners of advancing the cultural transformation, we will continue to see slow-to-no progress in this arena.
It is our experience that the most successful diversity and inclusion councils are made up of cross-functional line managers from multiple levels within the organization (including representation from plants, field sales and any other function that operates outside of the corporate headquarters). Building a group that is cross-functional is what provides the opportunity for recommendations to be built and implemented that apply to the entire organization.
And line managers MUST embrace the embedded D & I practices. To accomplish this, they must view it as a priority as important as any other critical business priority, such as customer relationship management. Creating a culture of full inclusion where ALL employees can thrive is a leadership responsibility. This requires leaders to be able to understand and explain the link between D & I and the company's bottom line.
Contact us today if you are ready to achieve excellence
in your D & I Councils!