Why social connections among nextgen leaders are key to DEI and driving transformational change

In my experience, some think about DEI only from the perspective of helping underrepresented people "fit in" to what the majority is already doing.

That could not be farther from the truth.

When I was an undergraduate, Yale approached underrepresented students from the majority's perspective.

The University focused on tolerance rather than inclusion.

Since I had the ear of the Dean of Students and the Dean of Yale College, I encouraged them to take a different approach by reframing the issue.

"Isn't Yale's culture about learning new perspectives rather than underrepresented people adopting the majority's view?"

My argument was simple. Many students attending Yale would be experiencing people from different races, religions, ethnicities, socio-economic statuses, and cultures for the first time.

I explained, "shouldn't we think about helping everyone appreciate and celebrate diversity rather than just focusing on diverse students assimilating into the Yale culture?"

The argument persuaded them.

I didn't have a background in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

I just wanted to see a different future for EVERYONE.

By reframing the issue to focus on the whole culture and how things could be different, University administrators saw things differently also.

The University's diversity programs were no longer about subcultures.

The diversity programs were about THE culture.

Building an Organization of Changemakers

Many organizations today are in crisis.

There are signs that executives are tragically out of touch with employees.

More importantly, organizations are not changing fast enough to keep up with the market, let alone win.?

Organizations today need people who are willing to lead change.?

In How One Person Can Change the Conscience of an Organization published in Harvard Business Review, the authors write,

“[a] single person with a clarity of conscience and a willingness to speak up can make a difference. Contributing to the greater good is a deep and fundamental human need. When a leader, even a mid-level or lower-level leader, skillfully brings a voice and a vision, others will follow, and surprising things can happen—even culture change on a large scale.”?

Too many people are easily persuaded that the challenge is too great and they are too small.?

But it is the struggle that builds the character needed to accomplish greatness.?

Rather than looking to impose a set of behaviors on the culture, HR professionals should be seeking to enable leaders at all levels of the organization to be successful changemakers.

In his bestselling book, Cascades: How to Create a Movement that Drives Transformational Change, transformation and change expert, international keynote speaker, and bestselling author, Greg Satell articulates a comprehensive framework for transformational change focusing on building movements.

I think Greg would agree that transformational change does not require a special person to lead it.

Creating Movements that Drive Transformational Change

Greg focuses on "small groups, loosely connected with a common purpose."

These small groups drive transformational change across organizations through their social connections.

Here's what Greg has to say about it,

“While it is easier and more cognitively pleasing to single out individuals, the truth is that it is the connections between people that are decisive. True power does not lie at the top of hierarchies but emanates from the center of networks. Moreover, as digital technology enables connections to form faster and more pervasively, networks are becoming even more salient and essential to create transformational change."

People are the key to digital transformation.

It is people that will drive change and people that will resist it.

Organizations that want their transformations to succeed must co-create them through influential leaders.

Among Greg's many insights is the notion that you don't need to convince a majority, or anywhere near it, to make transformational change successful.

Revolutions start small and grow.

They grow through social connections.

This is another of Greg's key insights.

“Most of the time, we are keeping an eye on both our inner compass and our peer group, considering both our own preferences and those around us.”

Social Connections, Organizational Change and Inclusion

Digital technology is driving the increasing importance of social connections.

Any approach to change (e.g., compelling people to return to the office) is likely to fail without listening to what people want and involving them in reshaping the organization.

Modern communications and social media can be used to power a movement forward and resist an imposed order.

We're seeing that today in how Ukraine is resisting Russia's totalitarian threat.

HR professionals should listen, identify leaders, and orchestrate the community for shared values and purpose in today's modern organization.

This approach helps create a culture that builds from within rather than one imposed from the top.?

Senior executives should set the tone, but changemakers should come from the next generation of leaders.

HR professionals should then focus on enabling the leadership bench to lead the organization's transformation with the tools they need.

The good news is that leading a movement for transformational change can be learned. So can building your influence through virtual networking and relationship building.

HR professionals can invest in these skills to drive organizational change forward.

In my article Why fostering social connections is the best next step for employee well-being and competitive advantage, I make the argument for making more significant investments in helping people leverage their social capital.

We can help people connect, build relationships, and be more authentic with enablement and practice.

Whether we're talking about social skills to acquire and retain customers, recruit talent, solve procurement challenges, or engage with colleagues who live on the other side of the world, every organization should get better at being social.?

Inclusion and Building the Future Together

HR professionals cannot afford to watch the next generation of leaders walk out the door.

Organizations need those leaders to build the future.

The key for HR professionals will be helping everyone feel included.

According to McKinsey, more than half of the employees who left their job in the last six months did not feel valued by their organization or manager and lacked a sense of belonging.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has led employees to step back and re-evaluate their organization, career, and?relationship?to work itself. Instead of traditional, more transactional retention tactics (e.g., compensation), employees now seek a more personalized, flexible, and human experience on the job, including stronger relationships with leaders, colleagues, and teams."

Inclusion is about EVERYONE.

Bain & Company surveyed 10,000 individuals – across diverse industries and demographic backgrounds, in seven countries, at all levels of seniority and organizational size.

They released their findings in their recent article, The Fabric of Belonging: How to Weave an Inclusive Culture.

Their research revealed that few people in organizations feel they belong.

Everyone knows what it feels like to belong.

We all describe inclusive organizations the same way.

They are diverse places where people are heard, valued, and supported.

But it's not about creating programs targeted at diverse employees.

Instead, it's about creating a culture where everyone celebrates diversity and respects uniqueness.

It's creating an open community with growth opportunities, as well as open and honest communication.

It is where our mission, goals, and values align with our behaviors, and the organization creates structures designed to deliver the desired outcomes. ?

People feel valued when their employers invest in them, helping them learn new skills to achieve their career and financial aspirations.

It's in the organization's interest to enable a diverse group of leaders to strengthen their social connections and influence to transform the organization for the future.

Working toward greater inclusion to maximize retention, performance, innovation, and comfort in challenging conventional thinking is critical for organizations to compete effectively.

The next generation of leaders can be the diverse group we want if we include EVERYONE in creating that future.