Let’s Get it On - Roadmap to a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan

In a previous article (?? see link in the comments for the article), I wrote about the importance of valuing diversity and fostering a culture of inclusion in the workplace.?In a nutshell, it will play a big part in drawing good quality candidates, in retaining staff and in attracting investors/shareholders.?It is also increasingly a factor in gaining and retaining customers/clients.

So, what should an organisation do??

Creating an Action Plan

The aim of any diversity and inclusion initiative is to foster the feeling that all employees are treated fairly and equally, that they have equal access to opportunities within the organisation and that they are free to challenge existing norms because the organisation is flexible and agile to adapt to different perspectives.

To achieve this, you will need to have an Action Plan.?Depending on the current practices of your organisation, this may just be some minor tweaking.?But it may be something bigger.?Either way, we are talking about change.

Like any change program, there are several necessary steps to developing and implementing a successful Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.?To make things a little more fun – let’s think of it in terms of Marvin Gaye songs….

(BTW – This article or this Action Plan is not authorised by or approved by Marvin Gaye or his estate – obviously!)

Step One – What’s Going On?

The first is to determine the diversity and inclusion objective for your particular organisation.?Understanding the motivational drivers compelling your organisation to develop and initiate a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan is an important first step.?Having a clear idea of the objectives of this change program will be key to developing and rolling out an effective program.

Step Two – I Heard it Through the Grapevine

The second step is to collect all relevant data and determine the areas of change required.?Each organisation will be different in its practices, policies and current make-up.?This can be done via several ways, including through anonymous staff surveys. ?Using external resources to determine industry benchmarking or best-practice will also play a part in this step.?Considering the existing facts and what is currently being done (well or otherwise) will help in identifying the gaps that need to be addressed.?Once identified, it is important to take the time to drill down into each of these areas to determine the reasons for these behaviours or undesired outcomes.?The aim of this exercise is to identify any barriers or challenges to change, which could include things like confused corporate culture or unconscious bias.

Step Three - Mercy, Mercy Me

The third step is to articulate and test all the relevant actions necessary to create the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, including its launch initiatives.?This project plan would include things like:

• Identifying the relevant stakeholders to champion the change
• Drafting of the relevant policies to support the diversity and inclusion objectives
• Designing the appropriate training programs
• Identifying the roll-out activities
• Creating the communications strategy

Once the various stages of the planning process are identified, prioritising and delineating roles of responsibility as well as clearly articulating the desired deliverables and defining the project timelines will be required.?Related to this, the relevant success factors for each of the identified initiatives will also need to be defined.

Step Four – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Then comes the testing phase.?In this step, each of the initiatives identified in project plan is fleshed out and tested for launch readiness.?Here, it is important to cross-reference the relevant initiative build with the needs/impact determined in the planning stage – are they still aligned??If not, then changes will need to be made.?

Step Five – Makes Me Want to Hollar

Once Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan is written and each of its correlating initiatives are set, it is ready for launching.?In this fourth step, appropriate fanfare and launch activities should be carefully planned to ensure visibility and to convey the importance of this change program.?This should align with the roll-out activities and the communications strategy identified in the project plan.

Step Six – How Sweet It Is

The final step of any change program is to ensure constant review to determine if the objectives are still relevant, to see if the strategy is still current and to identify and roll out any necessary updates.?Activities in this step should include the following:

• A plan to regularly audit the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan so that new challenges and priorities are considered, but also so that it evolves to account for the situation where the desired outcomes/results have not been met.
• Relevant processes are put in place to ensure that all elements of the diversity and inclusion initiatives are regularly reviewed for maximum user adoption and to measure it against the original needs/impact assessment.
• Continued and regularly timetabled endorsement by the leadership and the change champions, along with regular user communication to keep the change program front-of-mind

Key takeaways

Increasingly, organisations that are valuing diversity and fostering a culture of inclusion are reaping benefits, both in their organisational culture as well as creating competitive advantage in their markets.

If your organisation has not developed a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, it might be a very good idea to start now!

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