DEVELOPMENT
Diversity and open dialogue
Dr Lynda Folan shares her top tips on strengthening cultural diversity , dialogue and development within the workplace
THE EXPERT
Lynda Folan is an organisational psychologist and a specialist in leadership and organisational development . As well as leading companies across the globe through transformational change , she has authored the book Leader Resilience , The New Frontier of Leadership .
We have known for a long time that diversity delivers better decision-making , improved results and more innovative outcomes . And a lot has been written about the organisational benefits of embracing diversity and enhancing the quality of dialogue .
However , we are still not seeing the systemic shift that we know is required to embrace diversity and open dialogue . Individuals and teams need to fully embrace the fact that innovation and change does not result from a homogenous group of people who think and do things the same way due to their cultural scripting . Instead , strengthening diversity in the workplace needs people to effectively cognise the positive impact of a diverse group of people in creating something better , different and unique .
The key to creating the shift ? Two key transformations , which will make inroads into strengthening cultural diversity and dialogue :
w A change in the mindsets of the dominant culture w A shift in the thinking and behaviours of leaders concerning diversity and open dialogue .
A change in the mindsets of the dominant culture Here , we need much more than tokenism and being seen to do the right thing . If we are going to have an impact on the issues of cultural diversity and dialogue , we must systemically shift mindsets .
The internal processing of individuals drives destructive thinking , which is the basis of discrimination . So , if we don ’ t shift the internal processing , we won ’ t achieve sustainable change . Even if we teach people how to cover it up , they will never truly embrace diversity .
Unconscious bias is a hot topic and there is a lot of talk about shifting this . But in organisations , we still see daily demonstrations of unconscious bias in action . Until we hold people accountable for this and demand they shift their attitudes , we will never truly embrace diversity . Beware that when people talk about needing to be ‘ politically correct ,’ they ’ re unlikely to have changed their mindset on diversity and inclusion . Instead , they may be holding on to unconscious bias and attempting to cover up attitudes to appear politically correct . To fully embrace diversity in teams and organisations , everyone must shift their mindsets and embrace diversity in all forms .
A shift in leadership thinking and behaviours Leaders are the key to delivering an organisational culture that enhances diversity , open dialogue , and engagement . If we are going to shift the dial on these issues , the change must happen at the highest levels of leadership in the organisation – and who better to nudge this forward than the EA ? It needs to start with a shift in leadership mindset and thinking , resulting in a change in behaviours .
Actual change happens when leaders accept their unconscious bias and actively shift their thinking to embrace diversity and open dialogue . It is no longer enough for leaders to be emotionally intelligent and do the right things on the surface . They need to change their mindsets and thinking to bring about systemic and sustainable change in how they do things . This change in behaviours will help deliver a positive organisational culture that embraces diversity and transforms communication and engagement levels .
We live in exceptional times and leaders must step up and make changes to deliver a sustainable shift in your culture . But the most significant barrier to this shift is not the shift in behaviours . The biggest challenge for leaders ? Being brave enough to face their unconscious fears and biases , then being disciplined in shifting their thinking and mindset … S
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56 Executive PA | Winter Issue 2023