What are the best strategies for building an inclusive product team?

Defining inclusion goals is crucial when building a product team. It involves clarifying the values, principles, and desired outcomes of inclusion for the organization and product. Establishing measurable indicators and tracking progress is essential. Effective communication and alignment with stakeholders and customers are necessary. By defining inclusion goals, the product team can set a clear direction, manage expectations, and uphold standards in their pursuit of an inclusive environment.

Continuous Education: Implement regular diversity training to raise awareness and mitigate unconscious biases. Inclusive Policies: Develop clear company policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Mentorship Programs: Introduce mentorship initiatives supporting underrepresented individuals for guidance and career advancement. Feedback Mechanisms: Establish anonymous feedback channels and assess metrics regularly to measure inclusivity progress.

Diversity in race, gender & ethnicity are generally considered when building an "inclusive" team. Although these are indeed needed, I want to highlight more basic aspects of diversity which are equally, if not more, important for a product team. Bring in members who think & problem solve differently, who have varied perspectives & divergent approaches to seeing situations. Bring in structured problem solver, as well as brilliant creative thinker - "data" driven minds as well as "gut" & instinct driven thinking. Another way to consider having all the 6 hats of "Six Thinking Hat model" in the team - that kind of diversity in thinking & perspectives is essential to navigate the fast-changing market environment & customer expectations.

When you're not being intentionally inclusive, you're being unintentionally exclusive. You need to consider both your interactions with people and the process or pipeline you use to get people into your team. On the process side, look for sources of implicit bias which may reinforce a particular homogeneity and opportunities to reconsider approaches. On the interpersonal side, start with empathy and consider how other people are experiencing your interview. Make sure your place is a place other people would want to be.

I would include in the communication that inclusion is an ongoing journey, not a one-time achievement, the positive impact, innovation it will bring to the team.

Product team with diverse, cross functional and muti domain kowledge can deliver new, out of the box. Every team need, super star and rockstars. Diversity of background, skills sets, thinking process and knowledge add tremendous value to outcome of the team.

Diversity means hiring people who are not like you and who don't think like you. To do this, you have to work hard to circumvent the unconscious bias in the hiring process. Cover letters and résumés are, in my opinion, a terrible way to get a sense of someone’s ability to do a good job. They’re an absolute minefield when it comes to triggering unconscious bias. Studies have shown how socio-demographic information can affect hiring decisions, usually to the detriment of non-white, female and minority groups. Good (and bad) product managers work at unknown companies. Terrible (and good) product managers work at famous tech companies. So my advice is to ignore the résumé altogether. Use a practical exercise to assess their ability instead.

To build an inclusive product team, it's imperative to address the subtle biases that may arise early in the hiring process, such as discrimination based on foreign-sounding names. Implementing an anonymous recruitment process, where CVs and take-home challenges are anonymized, ensures that candidates are evaluated solely on their skills and potential rather than personal details that might introduce bias. Furthermore, diverse hiring panels play a key role in mitigating unconscious biases, fostering fair decision-making.

When prioritizing diversity in hiring, it's crucial to avoid biases. I have seen situations where individuals were hired solely for "diversity considerations", neglecting their skills. Unfortunately, this approach adversely affected team morale and performance. Hiring for diversity should not equate to biased practices, favoring specific ethnic groups. The goal is to build inclusive teams that thrive on a mix of talents and perspectives. Striking this balance ensures a positive impact on both team dynamics and overall performance.

When building a product team, prioritize hiring for both diversity and potential. Seek individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and skills, as this can foster creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. However, don't solely focus on diversity; also consider a candidate's potential to learn, grow, and adapt within your product environment. Look beyond resumes and credentials to assess their ability to contribute and thrive in your team. By combining diversity and potential in your hiring process, you can create a dynamic and adaptable team that drives innovation and success.

To create an inclusive product team, establish a safe and supportive environment where all members feel valued and respected. Foster trust and psychological safety by promoting open communication and constructive feedback. Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and provide resources for skill development and growth. By nurturing such a culture, you can cultivate a team where everyone's voice is heard, leading to increased collaboration, innovation, and success.

Creating an inclusive product team environment is built on two fundamental strategies: 1) Leadership by example, where leaders actively demonstrate open, honest communication and a commitment to learning from failures. 2) Recontextualizing mistakes and failures as opportunities for growth and learning, fostering a culture where success is built on lessons learned from past experiences. This dual approach not only cultivates a supportive atmosphere but also encourages team members to embrace challenges as part of their professional development.

Fostering a diverse team goes beyond initial recruitment—it involves actively including diverse perspectives at decision-making tables! It means consistently considering all team members, regardless of background or orientation, when making decisions about promotions and providing growth opportunities within the organization. True diversity is not just about representation but about creating an inclusive environment where every voice is heard, valued, and given the chance to thrive.

1. Find ways for people to use their skills! This requires you to find out what skills they have (sounds obvious? When was the last time you found out each person's skills, not just the job they have but other ones - languages, interests, qualifications ...) 2. Create the right conditions for your team as a whole and as individuals to flourish! We often don't know really know what our team's optimum conditions are until we look in to them as individuals. Too often we expect them to adjust to ours, or the majority. (What are their best times for thinking, productivity, exercise, etc.) 3. Encourage them! I believe in a practice of 'Continuous-Micro-Appreciation' where you call out little things that people do well each week. Find a reason!

Mistakes and failures should be seen as a valuable learning opportunities. Innovation often comes from trial and error which comes by experimentation. This requires a shift in mindset. Thee lessons learned should be emphasized rather than assigning blame for setbacks. This approach contributes to a resilient team that thrives on challenges.

Involving your team in decision-making is crucial for building an inclusive product team. Employ collaborative methods like brainstorming, prototyping, and testing to engage team members. Seek and incorporate feedback from both team members and customers throughout the product development process. By doing so, you ensure that diverse perspectives are considered and that the final product aligns with the needs and expectations of your audience. This inclusive approach fosters a sense of ownership, empowerment, and collective responsibility within the team.

I've witnessed situations where managers favored specific individuals, elevating them in critical decision-making and exposing them to beneficial dynamics for long-term success. This practice, common in big tech, not only demoralizes the excluded team members but also reflects poorly on the manager's fairness and capability. Over time, such practices can significantly impact team morale and the overall culture of the company. Prioritizing fairness and equal opportunities is essential for fostering a healthy and thriving work environment

Implementing tools for anonymous feedback can also help, especially for the reserved team members to share their thoughts. Ensuring transparency regarding the criteria and factors considered to make decisions. However, avoid creating a bottleneck by involving the entire team in every decision; strike a balance by engaging them in decisions that directly impact their roles or projects. Be cautious of groupthink, ensuring that diverse opinions are valued and considered.

We should encourage a collaborative decision making approach. It should value the diverse expertise within the team. Transparency and communication are the key. We should empower individuals to contribute autonomously within their areas of expertise which encourages a sense of ownership. Also, being a product leader one should provide clear leadership when decisive action is required. This approach promotes a culture of innovation and accountability.

Empowering the team on making decisions and taking responsibility and guiding whenever needed and asking right questions can help foster build laser focused team and providing psychological sage environment helps even further.

In an inclusive product team, it is important to celebrate and leverage diversity. This involves acknowledging and highlighting the contributions of team members and the positive impact of the product on customers. Create an environment that encourages learning, sharing, and exploring new ideas. By doing so, you foster a sense of belonging, pride, and innovation within the team. Embracing diversity leads to a richer and more creative product development process, ultimately resulting in products that resonate with a wide range of users.

Half of the success in building the inclusive features will be resolved by choosing the right stakeholders. Ensure that your set of stakeholders do include the influential (those who could be vocal, approve and drive the decisions), diverse & inclusive (to learn and incorporate their needs and aspirations) and that ones who have eye to recognize and appreciate the value of diversity.

It is crucial to emphasize that, in addition to the proven positive impact of diversity on workplace and organizational performance, inclusion is equally essential. In an inclusive environment, individuals are not merely welcomed but fully engaged. This not only fosters a superior work atmosphere but also counters homophily – the inclination towards people who share similar characteristics. In a team where homophily has taken root, core beliefs tend to be preferred rather than challenged. Fostering inclusion makes products better and far more compelling than without.

Celebrating diversity should not be a one time event. It should be an ongoing commitment. This should involve recognizing cultural and individual milestones. By doing this you'll encourage a sense of belongingness.

Having a diverse set of members in the product team not only helps bring in the diverse ideas to the product but also understand the individual's strength and weakness. This will help us plan the product better and empower the team to achieve more resulting in overall growth and a win-win situation.

Cultivate Inclusive Culture: Establish goals and hire diversely. Encourage psychological safety, respect, and openness. Active Participation: Engage teams in decision-making, inviting feedback, valuing varied perspectives throughout the process. Developmental Support: Offer mentorship, unbiased hiring, and resources for skill growth and career advancement. Celebration and Amplification: Acknowledge diverse contributions, leverage varied experiences, and create opportunities for continuous learning and innovation.

To build an inclusive product team, focus on: Diverse Hiring Practices: Microsoft actively promotes diversity, ensuring equitable hiring practices to build a team with varied perspectives Inclusive Culture : Google prioritizes an inclusive environment, encouraging open dialogue and creating Employee Resource Groups to support Training and Education : Meta invests in training programs to raise awareness and promote inclusivity Diverse Leadership : Apple emphasizes diversity in leadership positions, setting an example for the entire organization and reinforcing the importance of inclusivity Feedback Mechanisms : Amazon employs mechanisms for employees to share their experiences and concerns, actively listening to diverse voices

1) expanding recruitment to include diverse groups and using inclusive job descriptions 2) fostering a safe, respectful space for feedback and dialogue 3) incorporating diverse user testing and accessibility in product design.