What do you do if your team lacks diversity and inclusion?

Acknowledgment of error is a step towards positive correction, so I totally agree. Identifying the areas that needs to be improved helps you set a goal that will ensure the necessary progress and improvement

The first and more important step is to acknowledge that gaps exist. Immediately after that, the next most important thing is to identify WHY those gaps exist. - Are there policies/procedures in your hiring practices that exclude certain groups? - Does the current culture of your company/team appear to only serve a select few? - Are you accessible to other groups/communities? - Do your current marketing/outreach strategies reflect competency in intercultural communication?

Alright, first things first – let's recognize the gaps. If your team's lacking diversity, it could be holding back its creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Diversity's not just about race or gender; it covers age, ability, sexual orientation, beliefs, and more. Inclusion's about making sure everyone feels like they belong and their input matters. Time to take stock of where your team's at and figure out where it needs to step up.

In my experience, it is important to do a little bit of research to see where other organizations who are in a similar industry as mine, I leveraging diversity in their workforce. This will support me to have some baseline information of my industry. More likely than not, we will see that organizations that have diverse workforces Thrive, better across all levels and across all aspects of productivity, sales and even organizational reputation. I will make a case with the results of my research to get my leadership buy in for us to be intentional about diversity across all our teams.

Diversity is such a broad term and can mean so many things. I think it's good to acknowledge its fluidity from the beginning, so that you can be aware that you need to be flexible. Diversity is not just about the things we can see! It's also very important not to lose sight of the things we can't see - religion, background, neurodiversity, etc. Yes, acknowledge the gaps. You won't be able to represent every identity on your team, there are far too many. BUT you can take steps to close the gaps. Wherever you are, you should always look to take it up a notch and do better. Bring in experts and SMEs. Network!! Talk to people different than you to get new perspectives. Create and implement training, one topic at a time.

Now that you've clocked the diversity and inclusion gaps, let's lay down some solid goals to fix 'em up. Make 'em SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Think about stuff like boosting the representation of underrepresented groups by a set percentage in a year or running regular sessions on cultural smarts. These goals give you a roadmap and let you check in on progress as you go.

It is important to always collect data about the groups we have in a team, we cannot segregate and state that only a certain group can perform a certain function. It is important to share these numbers with the team and always try to make a comparison.

Alright, time to beef up that cultural know-how. Think about getting some diversity and inclusion training programs going. These can help your crew see the value in different viewpoints and teach 'em how to chat it up effectively with folks from all walks of life. But hey, this ain't a one-and-done deal – keep it rolling to build a culture that's all about inclusivity. You can run workshops, seminars, or just kick back for some informal learning sessions. Hit up stuff like unconscious bias, cross-cultural chit-chat, and what it means to be an inclusive leader.

Promoting engagement and a diverse culture has major challenges, however, the most important thing is to establish open moments to have a diverse group. We need to educate people with information about minority groups and their difficulties.

You, got to keep those conversations flowing to build an inclusive vibe. Make some chill spots where your team can chat it up without stress – think regular meetings, feedback sessions, or online forums. When peeps feel free to share, it builds that team bond and makes everyone feel at home. Plus, you'll pick up some real gems on how to tweak things to make sure everyone's feeling the love.

In my experience, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are all about meeting people where they are on their journey of understanding and action. This means initiating a dialogue to understand their current knowledge and perspectives on DEI, and then guiding them towards growth and alignment with DEI principles. True allyship in DEI requires not only time but also a genuine commitment to putting in the necessary effort to educate ourselves and actively support marginalized communities.

Time to give those policies and practices a once-over to make sure they're all about diversity and inclusion. Think about shaking up your recruitment game to bring in a more diverse crowd, tweaking promotion rules to kick bias to the curb, or rolling out flexible work options to suit everyone's needs. Keep things transparent, fair, and make sure everyone's playing by the same rules. And don't forget to keep checking in and updating – that way, you're keeping the vibe inclusive and making diversity the name of the game.

Keep tabs on how you're doing with those diversity and inclusion goals. Track stuff like who's joining and sticking around on your team, ask your crew how they're feeling about being part of the gang, and check in on how those training sessions are going. When you keep an eye on things, it keeps everyone on track and shows that diversity and inclusion are top priorities. Plus, you can throw a party when you hit milestones and figure out where you need to give a little extra love.

Leadership plays a crucial role in setting the tone for inclusivity and establishing policies that prioritize diversity in hiring and promotion practices. Within the real estate industry, partnering with minority-owned businesses, supporting affordable housing initiatives, and participating in diversity-focused events are just a few examples of how real estate teams can contribute to broader social change. No matter what the industry, achieving diversity and inclusion requires a concerted effort that begins with embracing differences, promoting equity, and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Analyze the current team's lack of diversity and inclusion from the perspectives of existing cultural, religious and social environment. Based on deeper understanding of prevailing context, identify a better fit solutions or approaches to deal with the issue of team lack of inclusion and diversity

Establishing a dedicated task force focused on diversity and inclusion initiatives can be a powerful addition to your strategy. This team would consist of representatives from various departments or levels within the organisation, reflecting the diversity you aim to achieve. Their primary responsibility would be to analyse current diversity and inclusion gaps, develop comprehensive strategies, and oversee their implementation.

Other goals surrounding diversity and inclusion to consider are: make it a consistent priority; sustain regular meetings for collaboration and progress; coach when necessary; lead by example; implement a zero tolerance model, and hold everyone, including yourselves, accountable.