You’ve probably heard of diversity training. These days, most companies employ this tactic to improve employee relations and create better, more comfortable and productive environments for their staff members where everyone is safe and feels like part of the team. However, there are some glaring problems with the approach many employers take to addressing these concerns – mistakes your company can avoid, if you just know how to identify them.
Mind the Gaps
The problem with many diversity trainings is that they use a blanket-like approach to solve a problem that would be better addressed by looking at individuals rather than groups. While it may not work well to single people out for individual diversity consulting, coaching and consultation are a great way to address small groups, teams, and areas of your workforce that need development.
Think of these developmental needs like holes in fabric. Whole-staff training is like adding another whole layer of fabric to address these tears but doesn’t actually do anything to reinforce these weak areas. Eventually, those weaknesses will lead to the downfall of the entire team – but this could be avoided by sewing wholes instead of tossing a blanket over the group!
Reinforcing the Fabric of Your Work Environment
When you want to make meaningful change in your workplace and staff dynamics, it’s best to start in areas where the most development is needed. Reinforcing these “holes” will strengthen the fabric, creating an environment that is comfortable for every member of your team.
To address these gaps, diversity consulting and coaching is a great solution. Using small group or individual training instead of impersonal group sessions will help target areas that need specific improvements – and offer an opportunity to measure the resulting change. That’s not just a workable solution, it’s the perfect choice for companies with increasingly-diverse staffs that want to be part of positive changes taking place in the workforce all around the world.
