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Leadership: The Link Between Diversity/Inclusion and High Performance

Leadership: The Link Between Diversity/Inclusion and High Performance

Carl Baldwin, Senior ManagerGolden Key Group

IPMA-HR Eastern Region Training ForumMay 5, 2014

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Objective

• Discuss how leaders can create a work environment that enables 100% of employees to perform at 100% of their capability.

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Know yourselfKnow your people

Managed vs. unmanaged

Eliminate barriers

Create the climate

100% of 100%High Performance

Inclusion

Policies, Procedures, Practices

Diversity

Culturally Competent Leadership

Mission Readiness

The Impact of Diversity on Mission Readiness

© Renée Yuengling & Assoc. 2011

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Myth Busting

• Myth 1: Our differences don’t matter; we should focus on how we are alike.

• Our Differences Matter: They Make a Difference• The way we interpret specific events/data is

determined by our past experience and cultural narrative

• Myth 2: Only bad people are biased.• Bias is hardwired in our brains…it enables us to

make choices efficiently• We are often unconscious (unaware) of our biases…

we accept them as truth and behave accordingly• Intent vs Impact

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HUMAN

Identity & Diversity

CULTURAL

ReligionLanguageEthnicity

STRUCTURAL

Age

National OriginSexual Orientation

Gender

Education Class

AttractivenessAppearance

Military/Civilian/Contractor

Office Location

Rank/Level

SecurityClearance

ManagementStatus

Empowerment

Organization

Identity

Race Ability

Communication/Learning Style Political AffiliationParental Status

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Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers.

A word about Generational Diversity

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Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers. ~~~Socrates

A word about Generational Diversity

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Current Climate?

• What is it? • What does it depend on? • Is it different for different groups?

Military/Civilian?

Male/Female?

Junior/Senior?

Technical/Non technical?

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What Creates Climate?

• Policy• Procedure• Practice

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BEST JOBWhat did your direct boss DO that made it your best job ever?•Behaviors•Actions

How did you respond?

Who Creates Climate?

WORST JOBWhat did your direct boss DO that made it your worst job ever?•Behaviors•Actions

How did you respond?

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• A culture that fosters the maximum engagement of the maximum number of employees.

• Getting 100% from 100%

Defining Inclusion

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Recruitment

Hiring

DevelopmentPerformance Management

Exit /Retirement

Employee life cycle:

Complaints?

Training?

Developmental Assignments

?

On-boarding

?

Source ?

Panels?

Assessment Tools

?

Leadership Development

?

Mentoring?

Interviews?

Feedback?

Standards?

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Leading Others

1. Creates an inclusive environment

2. Takes a multicultural approach

3. Sets, communicates, and maintains standards for all

4. Seeks and accepts feedback

5. Creates focus on the team and task

6. Recognizes the need for mentoring

7. Focuses on performance results, not performance style

8. Ensures behaviors and decisions reflect fairness

9. Develops direct reports and fosters talent throughout the organization

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The Link To Leadership

• Effective management of diversity is an issue of leadership and strategic management of human capital.

• An organization cannot get to high performance without the effective management of diversity:

– Individual awareness and skills (leadership)

– Policies, procedures and practices free of barriers

– An inclusive culture

It’s all about the climate you create

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Questions?

Thank you!

Carl Baldwin

703-501-7542

cbaldwin@goldenkeygroup.com

www.goldenkeygroup.com

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Diversity climate, or inclusion, is defined differently by different researchers, but a generally accepted definition can be summarized as:

“ perceptions that an employer utilizes fair personnel practices and integrates the attributes of the workforce into the work environment so all employees can reach their full potential while working toward mission effectiveness. This is accomplished at all levels of the organization through valuing diversity and implementing policies that demonstrate a commitment to diversity management.”

(Cox, 1993; Parks, 2008,)

Research Point

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Current research is inconclusive about the impact of diversity on team performance.

– Managed, diversity can be a source of creativity and higher performance

– Unmanaged, diversity can be a source conflict, misunderstanding, and litigation

SEE: Ely, 2004; Van der Vegt & Bunderson, 2005; Jehn, Northcraft & Neale, 1999; Horowitz & Horowitz, 2007; Kirkman & Shapiro, 2005; Wetzer, Van Hemert, 2008; Joshe & Roh, 2009

Research Point

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The relationship between diversity and performance is contingent on how diversity is managed -the importance of effectively managing the diversity climate in order to reap the benefits is of significant importance.

SEE: Avery & McKay, 2010 ; Aghazdah, 2004; Basset -Jones, 2005; Cox, 1993; Griggs, 1995; Harrison & Klein, 2007; Jayne, 2004; Thomas & Ely 1996; Van Knippenberg, 2004; Van Knippenberg & Schippers, 2007; Ely, 2004; Van der Vegt & Bunderson, 2005;

Research Point