As an ever-increasing number of businesses focus on workplace diversity through training and education, it is also important to take the lessons beyond the learning environment.
Sometimes, problems with diversity training reveal that the training approach is too academic without focusing on real-world scenarios that staff might encounter in daily life. By expanding your organization’s philosophy on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) outside the classroom, you take it to a more organic level to achieve your goals more effectively.
If you would like to learn more about how to teach diversity in the workplace, keep reading.
Consider Pros and Cons of Diversity Training
The pros of diversity training are clear to modern employers:
- Creating and fostering an environment focused on inclusion and comfort for everyone
- Avoiding costly errors based on unconscious bias and lack of commitment to diversity
- Improving recruiting and retention of the most talented individuals for a position
- Increasing innovation by hearing a broad range of ideas and perspectives
- Enhancing business reputation as a leader in diversity and inclusion
The cons of many approaches to educating employees on diversity include:
- Traditional diversity training approaches tend to create a greater divide among staff, further inhibiting cooperation and innovation, and hindering employee engagement.
- A one-time corporate diversity training workshop is not enough to reinforce the ideals of such a complex and ongoing endeavor.
- Employees sometimes feel as if such training is punitive and that employers do not trust their ability to think about those around them with an open mind.
Explore CoachDiversity Institute’s Take on Diversity Training Effectiveness
As you see, employers face positives and negatives when teaching diversity in the workplace. It is important to remember that you are dealing with real people with real feelings. Fortunately, there are programs, such as those you will find through CoachDiversity Institute, that can help. We place great value on teaching new techniques and offering new tools to help leaders think critically about difference.
An experienced team will translate these skills into everyday practice for your executives, management and employees. With this support, you and your employees will come to understand that corporate diversity programs are most effective when implemented by a well-trained, certified professional diversity coach.
Coaching Techniques
With a skilled diversity coaching team, you can learn methods of educating management and employees that feel positive and natural. Here are some that your diversity training team might introduce to your organization.
Create Diverse Teams
The idea and practice of lively and upbeat teamwork goes a long way toward fostering inclusion. Under the instruction of a knowledgeable diversity coach or team, you can help employees apply the lessons they learn in training to their team-oriented and one-on-one workplace interactions. Here, individuals can learn how cultural and other differences may impact everyone’s work and improve team innovation and productivity.
Foster Engagement in Learning
Everyone wants to feel heard, so introduce fun ways that let personnel participate, including:
- Mobile learning that allows employees to refer to and work on lessons from anywhere at any time.
- Introduce a game-like environment, asking everyone to solve puzzles and other challenges.
Train Those in People-Oriented Positions First
Your HR team serves as the gateway to your organization and as a support for your valuable existing human resources. It is crucial that this department, first and foremost, understands the value of diversity training in your workplace. Additionally, your managers must understand, abide by and instill your organization’s philosophy regarding DEI — making their diversity training a priority, as well.
Introduce Diversity Training Proactively
It is best to develop and introduce your diversity philosophy and training proactively before losing valuable employees or experiencing discrimination complaints.
Celebrate Diversity
By celebrating diversity, you create an atmosphere focused on better ensuring that diversity and inclusion become the default attitude and practice for everyone.
Take the Next Step With CoachDiversity Institute
Diversity coaches within your organization can educate employees and implement diversity initiatives. These diversity coaches can be trained and certified through CoachDiversity Institute.
Our team members have undergone certification designed to help your organization’s diversity program thrive. Contact us to learn more about helping your employees maximize diversity training.