Cheng, J.Y. & Groysberg, B. (2021, June 18). Research: What Inclusive Companies Have in Common. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/06/research-what-inclusive-companies-have-in-common
Many organizations have implemented diversity initiatives, but it is yet to be seen whether these initiatives can have lasting effects on organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion. Another lever for organizational that can create lasting change is culture. Research shows that learning-oriented cultures distinguish organizations that are diverse and inclusive from those that are not. Learning cultures are flexible in the face of change and foster independent employee working styles. They value open-mindedness, exploration, and creativity. Non-learning cultures emphasize authority, decisiveness, safety, and stability. Working styles are more interdependent, focusing on rules and tradition. Learning cultures, with their flexibility, are better equipped to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, which requires a shift away from the status quo. They are more open to hearing, valuing, and embracing different perspectives, while non-learning cultures’ emphasis on authority and tradition makes it difficult for differing voices to be heard.
As a manager, I try to foster a learning culture on my team. For example, I provide opportunities for team members to share their ideas, and I work to support the implementation of as many of those ideas as I can. We frequently test out new social media strategies, many of which do not perform well. I openly acknowledge my mistakes, and when team members make mistakes, I communicate what could be improved but clearly express understanding, support, and positivity. I did not, however, know of the direct tie between learning cultures and diversity and inclusion, so fostering a learning mentality will be even more important to me as a leader moving forward. This article provided a lot of ways in which I can continue to build a culture of learning, including being a role-model of openness to new ideas, failure, receiving feedback, and taking risks; during hiring, identifying employees who are curious and open to change; empowering employees to take some degree of risk without fear of punishment for missed performance targets; and establishing reverse-mentoring programs that match leaders with more junior employees so that ideas and learning flow both up and down the hierarchy.
Learning Outcome 3: Address complex challenges by collaboratively leading teams across disciplines, distances, and sectors.
Comments