Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2020 - 17

DR. KRISTAL WALKER, CPTM

DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION

L&D'S ROLE IN
REVOLUTIONIZING DIVERSITY
AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES
During these unprecedented times
- from the COVID-19 pandemic to
unresolved racial injustice across
the country - companies are being
prompted to revisit their business, talent,
and learning and development (L&D)
strategies. While there is ambiguity
for the future, L&D professionals are
finding ways to pivot and address
best practices for creating a diverse,
equitable and inclusive workforce.
A GLIMPSE INTO PAST D&I INITIATIVES
To understand what is necessary to
revolutionize diversity and inclusion
(D&I) in the workplace, it is important to
understand the historical context of D&I.
Since the 1960s, diversity education
has been used to unite communities,
military sectors and higher education
institutions to support greater alignment
given the signs of those times. In the
late 1980s, organizations began to
deploy D&I training largely to protect
themselves against civil rights lawsuits
as a result of workplace discrimination.
While imperative at the time, this
outdated approach has plagued the
way we think about diversity in the
workplace and contributes to the pitfalls
of modern D&I. Studies show that this
method could potentially make matters
worse, because D&I initiatives are often
limited to creating levels of awareness
that generalize the need for diversity
and inclusion rather than accountability
for interrupting undesirable behavior.
As a result, managers comply with D&I
initiatives to avoid employee grievances
and employee relations investigations,

making it difficult for training professionals
to foster meaningful impact.
3 STEPS TO EVOLVE YOUR
COMPANY'S D&I STRATEGY
Let's examine three recommendations
that can help evolve your company's
existing D&I strategy - or help build
one from inception:
1. POSITION YOURSELF AS
A PARTNER
Partnering with senior leaders and
building relationships with employees
to better understand their experiences
and motivations can lead to more
effective learning solutions. Having this
knowledge presents an opportunity to
redefine D&I training at your organization,
positioning it as a "heart" matter rather
than another organizational initiative.
This may require challenging business
leaders to shift from asking the question,
"How do we move the needle on
D&I?" to, "How do we build authentic
relationships that allow everyone's voice
to be heard, valued and respected, so
they can provide their best service and
performance in their work?"
2. ESTABLISH LEVELS OF
PARTICIPATION FOR D&I INITIATIVES
Unfortunately, not everyone sees
the value of D&I. Therefore, training
professionals need to define D&I
engagement levels and behaviors to
drive progression toward buy-in and
advocacy. By establishing a baseline for

learner engagement in D&I initiatives,
training professionals can progressively
measure how well the D&I strategy is
working. A baseline for engagement
could be as simple as the following:
Actively disengaged: Only willing to
comply as a condition of employment.
Not engaged: May be willing to engage
with coaching and mentorship.
Actively engaged: Fully supports D&I
strategy, programs and initiatives.
3. TIE L&D OUTCOMES TO
D&I STRATEGY
Training professionals must identify
learning outcomes to inform their D&I
strategy. Learning outcomes should
help bridge gaps between empathy
and apathy in learners. For example,
rather than purchasing off-the-shelf
bias training, use data collected from
stakeholders to personalize training to
your culture and simulate a relevant,
real-world experience for your learners.
By taking these three steps, training
managers are well positioned to
revolutionize D&I initiatives at their
organizations.
Dr. Kristal Walker, CPTM, has over 15 years
of experience helping clients engage
people, apply processes, and implement
technology to improve performance. She
is the founder and principal consultant of
The Kristal Walker Brand and instructor
for Training Industry's Diversity and
Inclusion Master Class. Email Kristal.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - L& D'S ROLE IN CHANGE MANAGE ME NT I WWW. T RAININGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - November/December 2020

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