Why diversity and inclusion training doesn’t work, and why an exciting form of New world leadership, empowerment and systems thinking does!

"Positive change can only be achieved through a focus on changing systems, not individuals." says Adwoa Bagalini, the Lead at World Economic Forum’s Engagement, for Diversity and Inclusion.

This represents an opportunity to leverage a new way of thinking that can make an enormous difference to the way people live and prosper. Covid 19 has challenged and accelerated our communication technologies and the way we learn. We have a clear choice, try to do things the old way or try something new and promising.

“A new type of thinking is essential if humankind is to survive and move towards higher levels of existence. Nothing truly valuable can be achieved except by the unselfish cooperation of many individuals.” Albert Einstein.

Some comments from the class...

"The answer is there, to all our problems, we just need to look at them with different lenses. For me this course is the future of learning, the next big thing in leadership." Afzal Shah 

“These transformational techniques opened my eyes and were a revelation to me.” Brian Hill.

“John's insights and creative approach to developing leadership skills are just amazing.” Zehra Zaikai, Director, Young Foundation.

In organisational psychology - we bring the individuals to work together at a subconscious level - so that they are truly using their brains collectively to increase 10 fold their organisations inclusive capabilities.

Diversity in Nature...

Diversity in nature is a natural way of discerning competitive advantage through using diverse approaches and in biology it is an important step in evolution. Darwin observed that communities that resolved to cooperate and collaborate with diverse approaches have a unique and compelling competitive advantage.

The latest findings from societal research at Harvard University in the United States clearly demonstrate that Mandatory Diversity and Inclusion Training actually backfires.

The latest Harvard Business Review says this training doesn't work and the debate is receiving even more attention with Starbucks closing 8,000 of its stores in order to conduct a nation-wide racial bias training following an anti-black racial discrimination incident in Philadelphia.

Fortune 500 Companies that implemented mandatory diversity and inclusion training saw no progress and even some decreases in the proportion of under-represented groups in management roles: source Forbes. Why?

The emphasis should be systems thinking, empathic learning, and on the scientific basis for biological diversity and an understanding of why evolution favours diversity and inclusion - it's a powerhouse process for how collaboration and cooperations can lead to organisational success.

On the first day of my lecture on Business Management (above) - though the class is culturally diverse, we do not begin by deciding how we must treat other people. Instead we define how empathy can play a key role in helping us to understand the nature of leadership and other people’s thoughts and habits and how we might accommodate people from diverse and culturally different backgrounds. We investigate unconscious bias and how it might influence our decision making, an important part of leadership development. What algorithms do we subscribe to (in our subconscious) that forces stereotypical thinking?

The students (all mature and post graduate) - form a consensus around what it takes to be a leader. We all plan and map out the way we would like to be treated by devising a systems thinking approach - but not because of our cultural background. Instead, we define what an aspirational leader might expect from every other student who is also an aspirational leader - on the basis that we are all leaders and have valued feelings and opinions. How can we co-create a meaningful future together?

“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” Ralph Nader.

The purpose of drawing attention away from people’s colour, culture or gender is to place the emphasis on what makes a good person (a good leader) valuable and valued - and this is decided by the participants. We focus on what we aspire to be, as an individual - and how we might contribute value to the overall collective through systems thinking.

After the first day - no matter what background they come from - students agree that they should be respectful to people talking, eg giving people a chance to finish what they are saying without interrupting. Laughing at people is, by agreement, not a cool thing to do, but we may laugh at a joke provided it is in good taste (and not sexist for instance). They work in teams to produce effective and collective business management ideas - this approach ensures a high degree of effectiveness in their respective teams and in the organisations and businesses they represent.

The power of these methods is that the audience themselves decide on what is appropriate and what is not. The conversations move onto ethical considerations - but crucially not moral conventions. We are devising a system that works.

Diversity training as it stands today - is addressing the wrong issues - and the word ‘training’ implies reprogramming - being told how to think with no ‘why’.

These dangerous prepositions do not facilitate genuine empathic discussions, rather they worsen situations and make people more intolerant, not less.

The same emphasis should concern our younger generation - who are invariably ‘conditioned’ to what society dictates as normal. They do not have these conversations at school - for fear of being ‘politically’ incorrect.

The problem with this scenario - is that legislating for good citizenship is not conducive to good citizenship - especially if it is mandatory - building more prisons does not lead to a more ‘corrected’ or 'empathic' society. 

Who wants to be ‘trained’ - told what to do or what to think? 

That’s why so called mandatory diversity training does not work. It is fundamentally addressing the wrong questions.

Why aren’t compassion and empathy taught in schools, so people get along, there is a great deal of research that shows discrimination can be learned (perhaps it can be unlearned?) It is better than spending billions of dollars in corrective institutions? Prevention is much better and less costly than the cure.

There is a way forward - that is the adoption of better decision making by Leaders and inclusive team practices based on self awareness and systems thinking.

Here are some thoughts to ponder...a new more 'wide awake' leadership process, that is little known, that just may help us to survive and help to move us to higher levels of thought and existence, that would make world a better place to live and thrive in.

“The Darwin Matrix process will help human kind to solve our deepest environmental and social challenges.” Chris Thorpe, Science Officer.

"Our teams have made powerful decisions using whole brain thinking and the Darwin Matrix." Professor Tim Nichol, Pro-vice Chancellor. Liverpool John Moores University

"John's input, helped enormously with the launch of Shell Global Solutions, his process is genius and provokes new solutions." Dr Allan Samuel, Shell.

"John's course was mandatory for All of our students on our main MBA programmes." Jonathan Michie, Director, Birmingham Business School.

"The Darwin Matrix (CAS) process allowed us to make better predictions in our strategic decisions." Dr John Potter, Director of Leadership, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Author of 'Transformational Leadership’.

 John is a former Director of Rapid Innovation at Birmingham City University and has invented the Darwin Matrix process to help create transformational leadership and organisational excellence. “This is a great method which fosters creativity as an integral part of their transformational and digital learning.” Cliff Allan, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Birmingham City University.

If we want to create a better world we need to inspire our young people with this new form of evolutionary and insightful learning. This learning, based on Neuroscience is fast replacing outmoded concepts of conventional thinking. The mentoring evolutionary & empathic process helps communities and business organisations to overcome setbacks. They are so powerful in fact, financial institutions have used the process to empower their workforce and circumvent or resolve mental health issues, reducing their reliance on costly medical support. We use Systems Thinking (Darwin Matrix) for companies like Shell & ABB and Rolls Royce to improve their collective performance and restructure their organisational effectiveness. 

For Articles on the New World approach on Systems thinking, reducing peoples anxiety in an uncertain world and providing a more predictable future - Super Awareness is key, with a systems thinking approach, thats what the process is all about coupled with a strategic leadership mindset. Creating a mindset that is appropriate for the new world and providing a more robust resilience to and understanding of environmental and life's challenges.

The importance of the Digital Twin. 

In engineering terms, the Digital Twin is the simulated version of the actual machine or product. This is very important when you are sending a spacecraft to the moon, if something goes wrong - as it did in the Moon landing - having another version real or simulated gives you a chance to problem solve and find solutions. So it is the same in communities and business organisations. Why not co-create a better version of your self and your organisation?

What if in real life - we all had a digital twin? Something we might look at with a view to improve our well being and happiness? This is what collective leadership is about and it refers to every employee and CEO alike. We create a projected virtual and visual self - that aspires to be the best we can be, both as an individual and as a valued collective individual in the organisation.

This Darwin Matrix process is not just a prevention, but a cure, a way of life that can enable a better future so that humankind can move on to the next evolutionary step. An important note: Trying to fix a polarity by pushing in the opposite direction always has trade off consequences, rather it is more beneficial to re-focus the attention towards higher levels of 'thinking or being' - both for the organisation and the individual through systems thinking. If we look at the 2 poles of thought and look for the third way - we will find there is always is a 'third way' - we just need to look hard enough - to see 'what we don't see'.

When we worked with Shell Global Solutions, we worked with scientists and business people that were all culturally diverse from the four corners of the earth. The third way was to focus on 'systems thinking and Innovation' and how we might contribute collectively to an aspiring future together.

Whatever your view, a deeper understanding and a rethink of our evolutionary progress needs a serious review if we are to create a compassionate and caring world and future for everyone.

"A new type of thinking is essential if humankind is to survive and move towards higher levels of existence." Albert Einstein.

As Gandhi said "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

Here are some insights into the DM process used by scientists worldwide and which has been designed independently of any social anxieties or misgivings...

The process involves - self insights, adaptation and predictive thinking..

Recognition of outside influencers, people, environment and spacial awareness. 

Adopting a systems approach to mental cognition and awareness.

Self regulation, personal and organisational growth requires systems thinking.

Being super aware of one's self and others. Successful people are often identified by their ability to be more aware of their actions and behaviours.

Neuro-diversity is a competitive Advantage.

Understanding consciousness and the super non consciousness in manipulation.

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https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/leadership-systems-thinking-recipe-success-john-rainford-frsa/

https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/unseen-world-operating-manual-effective-innovation-rainford-frsa/

“My ideas have undergone a process of emergence by emergency. When they are needed badly enough they are accepted.” Buckminster Fuller.

New Age Transformational Leadership - The Learning Behavioural Shift webinar is initiated by Juliana Olayinka, for Channels Television. "A Case for Africa".