DEI Training is Not a "Quick Fix"
There is immense pressure on organizations to not only articulate a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also to demonstrate that commitment through specific actions.
In many organizations, the first action they take is to implement DEI trainings. These trainings range from how to spot unconscious bias to how improve employee engagement.
DEI trainings are a great opportunity to address real problems that exist within organizations. Without the proper design, however, they run the risk of only driving minimal change, or worse, causing harm. Why? There are several reasons:
Training is done in a silo, without a broader DEI strategy and roadmap that addresses the systemic process and policy changes company needs to improve the employee experience.
Training is mandated by senior leadership, and therefore feels forced and like a compliance exercise.
Senior leadership does not participate in training with their employees, so the commitment to DEI feels inauthentic or empty.
Training is delivered in a manner where it is told to employees, without a forum for dialog and brainstorming on how the team can use this new information.
Training provides information about ways employees may have unintentionally been contributing to an inequitable environment without providing ways for them make positive change going forward, creating resentment and defensiveness.
The desired new behavior covered in training is not role modeled by senior leaders, and not recognized and rewarded in reviews and bonuses.
Remember, the best solutions for DEI issues are those that are designed to your specific culture, and tie directly to the mission and goals you want to achieve with your DEI work. Designing your DEI training with this in mind, and steering clear of the pitfalls above, will help you deliver a great benefit to your organization.
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