Is Your Workplace Defensiveness Hindering Increasing Diversity (Part II) - [Infographic Included]
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Last week in part I of II, I wrote about identifying signs that your workplace defensiveness is hindering increasing diversity. We unpacked the influence of workplace defensiveness on organizational culture, how it hinders increasing diversity, and how you can identify it.
Today, I would like to explore how to improve a defensive work environment.
Think of a supportive environment as one that is striving for positivity in the workplace by way of inclusion, equity, and belonging. According to Bersin by Deloitte 2015 High-Impact Talent Management, researchers found that companies who are inclusive and have well-managed talent see 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee during a 3-year work period. They are 1.8 times more likely to be change-ready and 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders. AND they are “3.8 times more likely to be able to coach people for improved performance, 3.6 times more able to deal with personnel performance problems, and 2.9 times more likely to identify and build leaders.”
You may be wondering, how does a supportive work environment impact diversity recruitment?
Remember what I said last week, “when job seekers start searching for proof of inclusion, there will be plenty of evidence for them to determine if your organization is a performative or authentic ally.” According to The 2018 Yello Diversity Survey, “two out of three employees (64%) say a potential employer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion would be an important factor in their decision to accept an offer of employment.” More specifically, “Four out of five (81%) Black employees and 70% of ‘Other Race’ employees say a potential employer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion would be an important factor in their decision to accept a job with them.”
Historically underrepresented job seekers are looking for that proof of inclusion, and environment always wins. Therefore, you have to tune into employee engagement and examine the language you use and relationships. This will enable you to identify ways to support employees. If they do not see and feel a genuine commitment to DEI, it is likely, they will leave.
To help transition from a defensive to a supportive workplace environment, #TeamJTC has created the following infographic. Feel free to save and share it within your workplace and community.
Here’s a recap of Transforming from Defensive to Supportive Workplace Environments:
Step #1: Learn the habit of calling people in versus calling people out. When you feel triggered to defend an action of yours or someone else’s, make it a habit to FIRST ask more questions. Calling a person in means to inquire or ask questions versus making statements likely backed by unsubstantiated assumptions.
Step #2: Listen to the answers. Be fully present to their answers, check for understanding, yet continue ONLY to ask questions until you can (at least) relate to the feelings caused by the experience.
Step #3: Demonstrate empathy. You do not need to be able to relate to the exact experience. Empathy is one’s ability to relate to the feelings expressed. Enter the conversation through the common ground of shared emotions. As a matter of fact, ask for permission to share a moment where you’ve experienced similar feelings.
Step #4: Talk about intent and impact. Whether or not it was your (or the other employee’s) intent, the impact to the individual is worth an acknowledgement and merits resolution. Focus on the acknowledgement and resolution.
Step #5: Demonstrate allyship. The most powerful question you can ask is this: “How can I be most supportive to you in this situation?” Listen to their answers. Make sure you are clear on ideal outcomes. What would a resolved scenario look like in their eyes? Discuss actions you can support and share resources for actions you may not be able to support, if applicable.
Step #6: Take immediate action. Create S.M.A.R.T. goals for resolution and plan a future check in to follow-up.
Step #7: Follow up. Ask if the individual has experienced the same scenario and or the same feelings since your previous conversation. As needed, repeat steps 1-6.
Finally, it is important to note that you do not need to defend or justify your actions or anyone else's, for that matter. You may reference or clarify your intent (in Step #4), but one's intent is never more important than the impact it created. Positioning yourself to support employees and colleagues versus defending is powerful and empowering for you and the person on the receiving end. It is key to strengthening your emotional intelligence, team building, leadership in the workplace, and ultimately helping you support your organization in increasing diversity.
Join us in the comments section: What step(s) would you add to this list to transition from a defensive to supportive workplace environment?
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#work, #employeeengagement, #environment, #positivityintheworkplace, #communication, #culture, #supportemployees, #waystosupportemployees, #teambuilding, #howtoimproveworkenvironmentforemployees, #relationships, #leadershipintheworkplace