Who’s interested: Primary – DEI Team and Senior Leaders; Secondary – Frontline Managers
Takeaway(s):
– “In the realm of culture fit or professionalism, the rules can become problematic. They can instead erase or even snub the diversity the organization seeks to value. Thus “professionalism” can become code for “be more like the dominant group.”
– “The value of teams is difference” and Managers should continually re-evaluate their own expectations (explicit or implicit) and foster a “growth mindset”
– Managers and Companies can introduce new employees, especially those from underrepresented minority groups, to ERGs and inclusion-minded mentors who can help them “navigate the delicate balance of fitting in and standing out.”
ideascape view: Group norms can be powerful enablers or inhibitors of inclusion. The DEI team can play a valuable role in helping a company recognize and manage these aspects of its culture more deliberately by partnering across the org to define/recognize the core attributes of their culture that are relevant to firm identity and performance – shared values that shape decision making and behavior, and transcend personal characteristics like gender, race, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation.
