What do you do if your business networking team lacks diversity?

1 Assess your current situation

The first step to address the lack of diversity in your business networking team is to assess your current situation. How diverse is your team in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, age, education, background, and other factors? How do you recruit and select new members? How do you communicate and interact with your team members? How do you foster a sense of belonging and respect among your team members? How do you handle conflicts and disagreements? How do you measure and celebrate your team's success? By asking yourself these questions, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your current team, and the areas where you need to improve.

2 Set clear goals and expectations

The next step is to set clear goals and expectations for your business networking team. What are the objectives and outcomes that you want to achieve as a team? How do they align with your individual and organizational goals? How will you measure and track your progress and performance? How will you reward and recognize your team members for their contributions? By setting clear goals and expectations, you can create a shared vision and direction for your team, and motivate your team members to work towards them.

3 Seek out diverse sources and opportunities

The third step is to seek out diverse sources and opportunities for your business networking team. How can you expand your network and reach out to people from different backgrounds, industries, sectors, and regions? How can you leverage online platforms, social media, events, and referrals to connect with diverse professionals? How can you create and participate in opportunities that expose you to different cultures, perspectives, and practices? By seeking out diverse sources and opportunities, you can broaden your horizons and learn from different experiences and insights.

6 Review and adjust

The sixth step is to review and adjust your business networking team's diversity and inclusion efforts. How can you monitor and evaluate your team's performance and satisfaction? How can you collect and analyze data and feedback from your team members and other stakeholders? How can you identify and celebrate your achievements and successes, and learn from your failures and mistakes? How can you implement changes and improvements based on your findings and feedback? How can you communicate and share your results and actions with your team members and other stakeholders? By reviewing and adjusting, you can ensure that your team's diversity and inclusion efforts are effective and sustainable, and that you are continuously learning and growing.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?