Author: Teresa Sanchez

Planning for DEI in 2024: Strategies for Success

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

Organizations today are at a turning point with DEI. A divided America and uncertain economic outlook are compelling Fortune 500 organizations to re-evaluate their DEI strategies and plan how to implement them for maximum impact. To discuss the future of DEI amidst these changing times, Praxis Lab CEO Elise Smith spoke to the national leader of Deloitte’s Principal – Equity Client Services practice, Christina Brodzik. Together, they discussed the outlook on DEI for 2024 and how HR teams can link DEI strategy and business outcomes in the coming year.

DEI is not on the decline

With 20 years of experience in the human capital space and expertise in inclusion strategy, Christina’s topline message was this: investment in DEI is far from slowing down.

“There’s a concern around this prevailing narrative that DEI initiatives are on the decline, that investment will fall as companies try to navigate what is felt to be a polarizing time, but it’s not true,” Christina said. A recent study by Gartner of 500 HR leaders reached the same conclusion: only 8% of companies reported a decline in their DEI budgets this year and 58% of respondents said that their companies have placed a stronger emphasis on DEI than in previous years. 

“Regarding investment — for the majority of our clients — things were staying the same or had a slight uptick. People are cutting back in general today in response to the uncertain market environment. So if DEI investment is decreasing, it’s decreasing proportionally to other cuts across the organization.” Christina said.

So, what are people prioritizing with more scrutiny on spending? Christina broke it down for us:

1. The focus on impact-driven DEI learning experiences is bigger now than ever

“I’m really seeing people prioritize actions that can drive tangible business outcomes,” Christina said. She continued that companies have realized that investing in a culture of inclusion reduces costs associated with turnover and recruitment. Additionally, they’ve found that diverse and inclusive product innovation leads to better business. Getting proof of ROI has become less difficult, as these programs migrate to fully digital platforms and organizations are getting better about reporting their data. Deloitte, for example, publishes an annual Transparency Report benchmarking their progress against their goals.

2. Don’t limit training to junior staff or new hires

Christina stressed the importance of not limiting DEI training to new hires. For example, when HR personnel assume a senior “talent influencer” role in an organization, they often receive no additional training. Christina recommended offering comprehensive talent lifecycle training to recently promoted senior leaders. This promotes a more cohesive, aligned approach across all levels of the organization.

3. Train people (again!)

DEI leaders are sometimes divided on whether to dust off old programs, since they may contain outdated information. “Of course, every five years it’s good to give these programs a refresh,” Christina says. “But it’s never bad to train people again.” This way, everyone is given the opportunity to engage with key DEI resources. It never hurts to see something twice.

4. Embrace change when something isn’t working

“Don’t be too proud to pivot if you aren’t getting the results you expected,” Christina said. It’s important that your DEI work stays goal-oriented, and this can only happen if you continually monitor progress. “Impact is everything,” she stressed.

5. Prioritize performance management

Nothing, in Christina’s opinion, is more critical to DEI outcomes than a robust performance management process. “Making sure that people get the same amount of feedback and the same quality feedback, I can’t stress how important it is to get that right,” she said. 

Stay the course

DEI success can sometimes feel like a moving target. But regardless of what your organization’s specific goals are, the driving force remains the same: DEI plays an outsized role on employee experience, which in turn yields greater returns for your business and society at large.

“DEI is the most meaningful work I’ve ever gotten to do,” Christina said about her work. “And it feels great to know that even in a corporate setting, I can make the world a better place.”

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Feedback in the Modern Workplace: Challenges, Pitfalls, and Solutions

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

A robust performance management system based on feedback is vital for an employee’s professional growth and development. But when it comes down to the particulars of how performance feedback in the workplace should be given, leaders have long been divided on which approach — standardized or continuous — is most effective.

Years ago, organizational experts advocated to shift away from the annual review model to evaluate performance and determine pay.  The once-yearly “standardized” review process was found to be ineffective at inspiring better performance in employees, with only 14% of employees in 2017 strongly agreeing that traditional performance reviews inspired them to improve, according to a Gallup survey. Additionally, they were found to be unnecessarily costly and time-consuming, with some companies losing as much as $35 million a year in working hours just so employees could participate in them.

As a result, leading companies such as Accenture, Deloitte, Microsoft, and General Electric elected to do away with annual reviews altogether in favor of a “Continuous Performance Management” approach. Intending to reduce turnover and increase engagement, this approach involves planning (setting goals), checking in (through coaching), and reviewing (giving transparent and frequent feedback). 

Founded on the idea that the most impactful feedback is given in real-time, specific, actionable, and meaningful. However, this shift is not without its set of challenges and risks of disengaging employees. If handled inexpertly, it can make employees feel “hounded” or micromanaged, damaging morale.

So how do we reconcile these different approaches for the best result possible? Having researched the subject of performance management extensively, our in-house Curriculum team has found that the “Context, Action, Impact” approach to continuous feedback has the most positive impact. Organizations should invest in training, communication tools, and a growth-oriented culture to successfully implement the CAI model.

Putting the Context-Action-Impact framework to work 

What does the CAI model look like in action? While this model centers the classic manager-report feedback session, it also often appears as informal peer-to-peer debriefs. For example, you feel frustrated with a colleague who repeatedly interrupts you during a presentation and want to bring it to their attention. How would you proceed?

Let’s dive in. 

1. Context is everything

The first step to building a great feedback model is giving detailed context — something often lost in an annual review assessment. Instead of offering a “broad-brush” overview that fails to capture the nuance of where an employee excels and has room to grow, aim for specificity and context whenever possible.

For example, in the scenario given above you might start by pulling your colleague aside and respectfully saying: “During our team meeting yesterday afternoon, when we were discussing our project timeline, you repeatedly interrupted my presentation.”

2. Hone in on the action that was disruptive or unproductive

Next, it’s important to call out the specific behavior that you found disrespectful so there’s no room for confusion. For example: “In my presentation, you and Martina were whispering to each other throughout.” This prompts the person to recognize how something seemingly minor, which they may have thought went unnoticed, was in fact disruptive. 

3. Be clear about the action’s impact on others

To demonstrate that their behavior has consequences, be specific about how it made you or someone else feel. For example: “I felt distracted, leading to difficulty answering questions.” Connecting their behavior to a negative outcome for someone else should elicit an empathetic response on their part. Thus, reinforcing that this action should not to be repeated. However, notice how there is no blaming, shaming, or broad characterizing involved. Simply a recount of the incident and how it impacted you. This kind of specificity motivates improved future actions, rather than resentment, on the part of the addressee.

Calling out positive as well as negative actions

This three-pronged approach has proven to assist people in course-correcting. It’s also highly relevant in positive reinforcement scenarios and must be exercised in positive scenarios in equal measure to negative ones. For example, if an employee appears to be honing a skill to the benefit of your team, you might follow the CAI model by giving them the following feedback:

Context: “Your persuasive speaking skills have really improved since last quarter” 

Action: “The clear, evocative way you communicated the unique value of our offering was instrumental in getting the client’s buy-in.” 

Impact: “I felt energized by the way you told our story, and the client seemed to respond very positively!”

Bringing DEI and feedback together with open-ended questions

As learning professionals transition from traditional performance reviews and methods of giving feedback to the Context – Action – Impact model, it’s critical to consider the role that DEI plays in the feedback process. 

Incorporating DEI into feedback means recognizing that our backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives heavily inform the ways people prefer to give and receive feedback. The risk of giving feedback poorly can result in hostile or toxic work environments. People will have different views on what’s appropriate or crossing the line. Factors such as age, race, gender, sexuality, and other identities inform those differences. 

To better understand the root causes of disagreements or conflicts, it’s important to ask open-ended questions. This can help managers better understand how identity informs peoples attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. When conflicts arise, this helps managers get to the root of a problem, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Using open-ended questions alongside the Context – Action – Impact framework is one way for managers and team leaders to root their feedback in specificity while striking a balance between constructive criticism and positive reinforcement. It also doesn’t hurt to simply ask your team members how and when they prefer to receive feedback. 

A strategic approach to feedback in the workplace

The transition from traditional performance reviews to the CAI model marks a significant step towards improving employee engagement and productivity. However, it is not without its challenges, especially regarding timing, specificity, and balancing constructive criticism. Organizations should invest in training, communication tools, and a growth-oriented culture to successfully implement the CAI model.  A more robust performance management system will result in catalyzing a culture of continuous improvement that is vital for success in today’s dynamic work environment.

Enhancing Manager Training: Leveraging a DEI Perspective to Strengthen Human Skills

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

What separates good managers from great ones?  

At Praxis Labs, we are dedicated to exploring the dynamics of equitable, successful workplaces, with a focus on identifying the skills and behaviors that underlie them. In our extensive research, we’ve discovered that empathy, along with other broader human skills, is the linchpin that holds the most effective teams together. These human skills, though challenging to define and measure, play a key role in supporting leaders to mitigate conflicts, motivate their teams, and guide diverse groups toward achieving their individual and collective potential. Similar to gaining proficiency in technical skills like coding or construction, leadership skills, especially empathy and inclusivity, can be learned, developed, and refined over time. But to unlock their full potential, leaders need to view their roles through the right lens.

Human skills and DEI skills: two sides of the same coin 

In a webinar held on August 30, 2023, Dr. Anne Snyder, Lead Learning Scientist at Praxis Labs, led a discussion on the nexus of human skill development and DEI, focusing on how managers can leverage these different “flavors” of skills to lead a diverse team to success. Asked to delineate between human skills and DEI, she cautioned viewers against viewing them as separate skills categories, requiring separate training: “If you think about that, it’s a biased approach by default, because it assumes that human skills are the “right” or “general” way to do things, while DEI is for “other people.” Other approaches treat DEI as a subset of human skills, almost as though they are a checkbox or necessary afterthought. But they’re actually one and the same, just with different flavors.”

She goes on to explore the 5 categories of human skills (managing one’s self, communicating, motivating, supporting, managing conflict), highlighting capabilities that are especially relevant for managers in a DEI context. 

Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach with perspective-taking

One common pitfall in leadership is adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, which often caters to the norms and needs of individuals who hold privileged identities. Research has shown that diverse teams outperform non-diverse teams by 35% when led by an inclusive leader. Practicing perspective-taking is one effective way for a manager to adapt their leadership style to team members’ unique backgrounds and experiences. “Just take two minutes to consider how an individual possessing their identity might view the situation, and use that to inform the way you manage,” Snyder advised viewers. 

Regularly solicit feedback

To foster inclusivity, regularly soliciting feedback is crucial. Effective managers are known to ask more questions. Open-ended questions, in particular, encourage open dialogue, unearth innovative ideas, and get to the root of problems. For instance, instead of relying on binary “yes/no” surveys, leaders should consider making space for teams to participate in informal information-gathering sessions where they can answer questions like, “What are some things that would help you engage better in meetings?” This approach invites diverse perspectives and empowers individuals to express their needs and concerns.

Use empathy to center others

Empathy isn’t just about understanding; it’s about knowing how and when to take action to support others in the workplace. Leaders can accomplish this by prioritizing the needs of their team members, in addition to business objectives and project deliverables, during team meetings. “The most effective managers don’t put themselves or the company first. Putting the needs of your coworkers first can help engage and motivate as well as uncover innovation and highlight potential problems,” Snyder said.

Individual contributors can support these goals too 

Creating an inclusive workplace shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of managers. Individual contributors also play a crucial role in supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. By practicing empathy, actively participating in team discussions, and advocating for inclusivity, employees can contribute to building a more equitable and empathetic workplace.

Human skills and DEI: Recognize their synergies for success

“When we keep our own minds open to the experiences of others, we can more easily observe how we can adapt our existing human skills in ways that make sense for the specific identities, needs, and contexts of a team and its members,” Snyder said.

By harnessing the power of storytelling and empathy, leaders can facilitate the development of new skills, knowledge, and experiences that promote a more inclusive and empathetic workplace culture. Recognizing the synergies between human skills and DEI is only the first step toward a brighter and more equitable future.

Watch the full on-demand webinar

5 Ways Leaders Can Model Inclusive Behavior

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

Managers play a lead role in promoting an inclusive work environment. The attitudes and behaviors they exhibit in the workplace — from their approach to conflict resolution to how they motivate their teams — become a model for their cohort. According to a study by the Harvard Business Journal, 75% of employees believe that their managers should be largely responsible for promoting diversity and inclusion. Yet, this responsibility is often one managers are unprepared to shoulder.

Despite conclusive evidence that managers greatly benefit from role-specific human skills training, they rarely receive it. In fact, 1 in 4 managers receive no training at all. Faced with difficult decisions in the inclusion arena, managers who drop the ball at a crucial moment fracture trust that is hard to repair. Rather than waiting for a slip-up, we recommend taking proactive steps to equip your managers with skills that empower them to be inclusive leaders. Here are 5 tips on how to be an inclusive leader: 

1. Prioritizing work-life balance

When striving to promote an inclusive working environment, it’s important to recognize the importance of work-life balance. As a manager, you can model inclusive behavior by setting clear boundaries and encouraging your team to do the same. Make flexibility a norm and accommodate the diverse needs of your workforce, such as childcare responsibilities, personal commitments, or religious observances.

Communication is vital: let employees know that your door is always open so they feel comfortable coming to you with relevant work-life balance issues that arise. By valuing work-life balance, you create an inclusive atmosphere that acknowledges individual differences. A study by the Harvard Business Review reveals that 89% of employees believe work-life balance is essential for overall job satisfaction.

2. Using inclusive language

To model inclusive behavior effectively, make a concerted effort to use language that respects diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Avoid gendered language, microaggressions, and assumptions about cultural norms. Be respectful about honoring peoples’ preferred pronouns. By encouraging a respectful open dialogue, you support an inclusive environment where employees feel heard and valued.

3. Modeling empathy

Empathy is the cornerstone of inclusive leadership. A study by the Center for Creative Leadership found that 40% of employees believe a lack of empathy is a barrier to leadership effectiveness. To model empathy, actively seek to understand the experiences and challenges of your team members. Recognize that everyone brings a unique perspective to the table. Acknowledge and address biases, and show compassion when team members face difficulties. 

4. Promoting inclusive decision-making

Inclusive leaders make a concerted effort to include diverse voices in decision-making processes. According to a recent survey, organizations that prioritize diverse decision-making are 70% more likely to capture new markets. As a manager, encourage diverse perspectives during meetings and decision-making. Create opportunities for all team members to contribute, ensuring that their input is valued and respected. This approach not only results in better decisions but also reinforces the importance of inclusion.

5. Providing inclusive feedback

Without feedback, there can be no progress. However, not all feedback is created equal. A study by Forbes found that 67% of employees surveyed believe their managers need to provide more feedback on their inclusive behaviors. As a manager, model inclusive behavior by giving constructive and unbiased feedback. Critically, make sure to commend inclusive actions and behaviors in your team members. By rewarding exemplary behavior, you reinforce the importance of inclusion and provide a roadmap for improvement.

Inclusive leadership: An ongoing effort

Learning how to be an inclusive leader plays a crucial role in fostering a healthy workplace environment. By prioritizing work-life balance, using inclusive language, modeling empathy, promoting inclusive decision-making, and giving conscientious feedback, you can lead by example and foster an inclusive work environment where all employees feel valued and empowered. The journey toward inclusive leadership is ongoing, and every effort counts in creating a workplace that celebrates diversity and embraces inclusion.

Supporting Employees Through Organizational Change

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

Leading a company through organizational change management initiatives is no small task. And once the ink has dried and the company enters a transition period, the hardest part still lies ahead: Earning employee buy-in.

The uncertainty and tumult of the pandemic years have changed peoples’ attitudes toward change, resulting in what Harvard Business Review is calling “change fatigue.” A Gartner survey revealed that employees’ willingness to support enterprise change collapsed to just 43% in 2022, compared to 74% in 2016. Employee resistance is cited as the number one reason why organizational changes fail, according to a McKinsey report. 

The reason for this resistance is that most organizations, in the weeks and months following a change event, fail to take the right actions to support teams while they adjust. Leadership often assigns employees additional responsibilities and requires them to join new teams in an uncertain environment, often without guidance as to the rationale behind the switch. This fractures trust and drives a wedge between employees and management that is hard to reverse. Fifty-five percent of employees took a significant hit to their own health, their team relationships, and their work environment to sustain high performance through disruptions, Gartner found.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. When managed properly, a change event creates an opportunity to re-engineer a more inclusive and productive workplace culture. To earn employee buy-in and retain top talent in times of change, we recommend the following actions:

1. Be empathetic. Tell employees first

In work and in life, nobody likes to receive important news second-hand, especially when it’s relevant to their financial security. Although unintentional, employees often learn about organizational change management programs through the grapevine. A director tells investors something to the tune of “we’re considering strategic alternatives such as an acquisition” and suddenly your employees are reading about it in the paper. Confusion and chaos result and trust is lost. You can avoid this by telling employees about change events ahead of (or synchronously with) the public announcement in a direct but empathetic manner that speaks to their concerns. If the change will result in layoffs, or if they will have to relocate, they deserve ample notice. (For more resources on managing layoffs, read our blog Supporting Employees Through Tough Times). If the change will bring new opportunities for advancement, the same is true. A proactive communications strategy ensures the whole team is given the facts before the news hits the wire. It sets an inclusive precedent and is, simply, respectful.

2. Invest in an improved employee experience

Employees incur additional responsibilities – both intellectual and emotional – during times of transition. We recommend showing appreciation for this labor by coupling the change with a new employee wellness benefit or social initiative. This could mean no-meeting days, planned “downtime” around the change, or a fun company-wide networking event outside of the office. Demonstrating organizational care and valuing relationships makes employee buy-in smoother amid changes. 

3. Ensure managers have the proper training (and capacity!)

Only 57% of managers have enough capacity in their day-to-day work to support their teams through change. If the managers don’t usher in the change, no one will, so it’s absolutely critical that you give them the resources and bandwidth to succeed. This means lightening their loads, setting aside time for them to connect meaningfully with new reports, and ensuring they know how to communicate with empathy. Leveraging the perspective-taking power of immersive technologies is one proven way to allow managers to practice communicating empathetically in high-stakes situations. Knowing what to say (and what NOT to say) in these conversations can be the difference between an engaged employee and a jaded one.

4. Collect employee feedback

Re-structured hierarchies, often part of a major change event, tend to breed insecurity. Doubts about job security deter open expression, harming an organization’s psychological safety culture. If you want to build psychological safety during a transition time, solicit employee feedback on management’s handling of the change. Asking the questions “What are we doing right?” and “How can we make it better?” gives employees a venue to voice their opinions and sets a strong precedent for speaking up. Gartner research has found that when employees own implementation planning, change success increases by 24%. 

Seizing the opportunity

When managed strategically, change events create a launching pad for a more vibrant, inclusive employee culture. Inviting employee involvement, centering employee experience, and working to alleviate fatigue is key to unlocking this potential. Instead of playing catch up (or worse, doing damage control,) leaders who bring the change will elicit more sincere employee buy-in and support a healthier, more productive future.

 

Check out our course offering on organizational transformation and change management.

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Navigating the 5 Stages of Empathy Development for Workplace Success

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

Empathy is a fundamental human trait that allows us to understand and share the feelings of others. In the workplace, it plays a crucial role in building meaningful connections, fostering collaboration, and creating a positive work environment where people feel they belong. Belonging is one of the most important drivers of employee engagement, and today it’s under siege. According to Gallup, employee engagement has dropped over the last several years to 32%, and 17% of employees are actively disengaged. Disengaged employees cost companies hundreds of billions every year.

Just as empathy develops and matures over time, its application within the workplace evolves through distinct stages. Promoting growth at each of these stages and understanding their role in nurturing an engaged employee is key to earning employee buy-in. A survey by Businessolver revealed that 92% of employees consider empathy an important factor in staying with their organization. Here are the five stages of empathy development and some ideas for unlocking value at each.

Stage 1: Self-Awareness

The journey toward empathy begins with self-awareness, which any mental health professional will tell you can be the project of a whole lifetime. Individuals in the workplace must seek to develop an understanding of their own emotions, thoughts, and biases and develop methods to put them to productive use (or, in the case of biases, limit their influence). We recommend adding programming to your DEI training plan that focuses on promoting self-awareness and recognizing differences. One exercise we find helpful involves employees breaking out into groups and completing an intersectionality diagram where they map their identities and discuss the way each has shaped them. This hands-on practice encourages employees to open up and be more accepting of the emotions of their colleagues.

Stage 2: Emotional Recognition

The second stage of empathy development focuses on the ability to recognize and understand emotions in oneself and others. This involves actively listening and observing non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice. Employees who can accurately interpret emotions are better equipped to respond empathetically, offering support and understanding to their coworkers. This fosters a sense of connection and trust in the workplace, especially when exhibited at a high level by leaders. Organizations such as Google and Meta make mentorship and coaching programs available to employees that emphasize the importance of empathy. Pairing experienced leaders with emerging leaders or providing coaching opportunities enables the transfer of empathetic leadership skills and promotes personal and professional growth. We’ve also found that investing in empathetic leadership training and next-gen learning & development goes a long way in promoting emotional recognition.

Stage 3: Perspective-Taking

In the third stage of empathy development, individuals expand their focus beyond recognizing emotions to understanding the perspectives of others. This involves stepping into someone else’s shoes and seeing the world through their eyes. Perspective-taking allows employees to appreciate diverse viewpoints, enhance communication, and cultivate a more inclusive work environment. On an action level, it encourages them to seek out differing opinions and make informed decisions that consider the needs of all stakeholders. Immersive DEI training programs often center on perspective-taking exercises that promote this stage of empathy development. By providing a practice-based approach learners are given frameworks needed to translate the learning into informed action.

Stage 4: Emotional Regulation

Emotional regulation is a crucial stage in empathy development, particularly in the workplace setting. It involves managing and controlling one’s emotions to respond appropriately to the feelings of others. Employees who have developed emotional regulation skills can navigate challenging situations with grace and composure, promoting constructive conversations and conflict resolution. Thus, creating a safe space for open dialogue and communication without fear of judgment.

Stage 5: Empathetic Action

The final stage of empathy development culminates in empathetic action. This involves putting empathy into practice by taking actions that support and uplift others. Empathetic actions can range from simply listening to a coworker, to offering assistance, guidance, or resources. Fortune 500 companies have recently begun to employ several methods to encourage empathetic action. Some examples include Employee Resource Groups, which focus on affinity and belonging (the first official ERG in the United States was the Xerox National Black Employees Caucus, created in 1970), and Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) that offer support and resources to employees experiencing personal or professional challenges. Additionally at this stage, it’s critical to establish inclusive policies that consider the diverse needs and experiences of employees. Initiatives, such as hybrid work policies, contribute to a culture of support, empathy, and mutual respect. 

Empathy’s impact on the workplace

The business case for promoting empathy development at all 5 stages is clear. By cultivating self-awareness, emotional recognition, perspective-taking, emotional regulation, and empathetic action, employees can foster a workplace culture characterized by understanding, collaboration, and mutual respect. Also critically, empathy deepens employees’ emotional commitment to your organization’s mission, which helps workers feel a sense of purpose and meaning in the work they do. In an organization where people care about each other, employees can harness the power of collective intelligence, leading to innovative solutions and enhanced productivity. Considering the phases of empathy supports a DEI program that nurtures an environment where everyone can thrive.  

5 Skills you need to be a better manager

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

Managers play a key role in determining the quality of employee experience. Functioning as an intermediary between leadership and individual employees, they wield a powerful influence over employee attitudes and the overall trajectory of the organization, especially when it comes to diversity and inclusion. When they lead with conviction and empathy, the results can be game-changing.

“Managers have the transformative ability to create a safe and inclusive space where employees can share their diverse knowledge and perspectives,” says Praxis Labs Co-Founder & CEO, Elise Smith. “An exceptional supervisor crafts an environment that celebrates the success of every person, nurturing a workplace where everyone feels supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.”

But all too often, managers lack the skills they need to make a positive impact. When a high-performing individual is promoted to a managerial role without being trained in the prerequisite socio-emotional skills, employee experience suffers. A Gallup survey found that 50% of employees who quit are quitting their boss, not their job. Given this, it’s no surprise that manager performance accounts for at least 70% variance in employee engagement.

How do you prepare managers to lead effectively and drive real DEI change? Praxis Labs’ in-house experts did a rigorous analysis to define the 5 primary skills managers need to be successful in their roles.

Here are the 5 skills:

1. Managing Self

Self-management refers to the way an individual regulates their behavior in the company of others. Exercising emotional intelligence, being aware of personal biases, and demonstrating curiosity and an open mind are hallmarks of the well-managed self. Exhibiting healthy positivity, curiosity, and an open mind will encourage others to do the same, fostering a more inclusive working environment.

2. Communication

Strong communication skills are essential for managers, and active listening plays a key role. The practice of listening attentively to a speaker, responding thoughtfully, and retaining the information for later has never been more important: recent studies find that over 50% of managers do not listen effectively to their employees. This decreases employee satisfaction and leads to miscommunications that waste time and resources.

3. Motivation

Motivation refers to the process of inspiring an individual to act in a certain manner. In a work context, the behaviors managers are usually aiming to induce their reports toward further engagement, collaboration, and peak performance. These behaviors can be achieved through an effective affirmation strategy. Effective affirmation refers to the act of acknowledging an employee’s work and expressing gratitude.

4. Supporting team members 

More than just offering words of encouragement, a manager’s support should be comforting, and motivational, and stem from a combination of a manager’s words, actions, and attitude. Core to supporting a team is a skill called effective observation. Effective observation refers to the act of closely watching an employee’s body language and verbal cues to recognize what energizes them or causes them to disengage.

5. Managing conflict 

Conflict management refers to the way a manager handles and resolves disagreements with or between direct reports. Managers can practice better conflict management by learning techniques for de-escalation, conflict mitigation, and resolution in a controlled environment.

Make training managers your priority

Good managers are the linchpin of a healthy work environment and successful DEI strategy, so don’t skimp on their training. With a focus on honing the 5 key skills outlined in this guidebook, Praxis Labs’ learning journeys allow managers to see first-hand how unconscious bias affects employees, and how they can use their position as people leaders to confront DEI-related challenges and, if needed, escalate matters of inequality to executive leadership. This form of perspective-taking can equip them with research-backed steps to identify inequities, build authentic connections, and drive toward inclusivity.

 

Looking to improve your manager training? Find expert solutions in our Manager Skills Training guide.

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Integrating DEI training into busy manager schedules

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

As the responsibility to drive DEI initiatives often falls on managers, finding ways to effectively integrate DEI training into their busy schedules is crucial. To ensure the success of DEI training for busy managers, the approach must be strategic, tailored, and easily digestible. Here are 4 key approaches that we’ve seen make DEI training more effective for time-strapped managers.

 

  1.  Keeping Everything in Context

Managers are essential change agents in any organization, and their roles are often highly dynamic. DEI training must be tailored to align with their specific responsibilities and challenges. By providing contextually relevant content, managers can understand how DEI principles directly impact their teams, decision-making processes, and leadership style. Training that integrates real-life scenarios relevant to their industry or role can help managers connect the dots between theory and practice. A sales manager might benefit from DEI training that addresses customer interactions and market diversity, while a project manager could focus on fostering an inclusive team culture. Research by Deloitte shows that tailored training can increase learning retention by up to 60%, indicating that contextually relevant content can lead to a deeper understanding of how DEI principles impact leadership and decision-making.

  1. Bite-sized Chunks: Learning in Manageable Portions

According to a report by LinkedIn, 58% of professionals prefer learning at their own pace, and micro-learning modules can enhance information retention by as much as 50%. Long, comprehensive training sessions are overwhelming for busy managers. By breaking down DEI training into bite-sized modules, information becomes more digestible and easier to integrate into their schedules. These short modules can be completed during downtime, allowing managers to absorb the material without disrupting their workflow. Each module can focus on a specific DEI topic, such as unconscious bias, inclusive communication, or equitable hiring practices. Encouraging managers to engage with the material at their own pace while minimizing disruption to their daily responsibilities. 

  1. On-demand Accessibility: Learning at Their Convenience

Research from the Brandon Hall Group reveals that 94% of organizations believe that on-demand learning has positively impacted their corporate learning strategy. The demanding nature of managerial roles often leads to unpredictable schedules. DEI training should be accessible on-demand, allowing managers to engage with the content whenever it suits them best. Online platforms or learning management systems can host the training materials, giving managers the flexibility to learn at their own pace and convenience. Resources that are available 24/7 ensures managers can engage when they have the time and focus to do so. 

  1. Measurable Impact: Tracking Progress and Outcomes

By implementing assessments and measuring behavioral changes, organizations can quantify the effects of training. According to a report by the Center for Talent Innovation, companies that assess their diversity and inclusion initiatives regularly are 57% more likely to improve their DEI performance. To make DEI training effective, it’s crucial to measure its impact. Implementing assessments, pulse checks, or reflection exercises after each module can help managers gauge their understanding and retention of the material. Regular check-ins and surveys can provide insight into whether managers are applying DEI principles within their teams and decision-making processes. Collecting feedback provides an opportunity to iterate and improve the content based on actual user experiences.

 

Encouraging managers to take ownership

Making DEI training work for busy managers requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. Contextual relevance ensures that training directly addresses their managerial challenges, encouraging them to take ownership, while bite-sized modules and on-demand accessibility make learning convenient. Measuring the impact of training ensures that DEI principles are being integrated into their leadership style. By embedding ease and flexibility into the DNA of DEI initiatives, organizations can empower their managers to lead inclusively.

 

Looking to improve your manager training? Find expert solutions in our Manager Skills Training guide.

Download our guidebook

 

Addressing Inequity for Black Women in the Workplace

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

Despite the strides made over the years toward gender and racial equity, Black women in the workplace still face numerous barriers. These include unequal pay, limited career advancement opportunities, and persistent stereotypes.

Based on Census data from 2022, the wage gap for Black women compared to non-Hispanic white men is 67 cents for full-time, year-round workers and 64 cents for all workers (including part-time).

At Praxis Labs, we celebrate Black Women’s Equal Pay Day on July 27 to spread awareness of the ways pay discrimination and occupation segregation have historically harmed (and continue to harm) Black women in the workplace.

Data paves the path forward

That’s why we’ve gathered employee feedback on organizational areas to improve equity and inclusion. We looked across key employee lifecycle milestones from hiring to performance reviews. We analyzed the sentiments of over 12,000 learners, layering on demographic data like gender and race, to better understand the issues that women face — particularly those with intersectional identities.

Across the board, we saw gaps between men and women’s views about whether or not key processes within their organizations were equitable. Women of color, and in particular Black women, showed larger gaps. Here’s what we found:

Hiring

    • 75% of all men and 63% of all women agreed that at their organization, there were systems in place to ensure equity and inclusion in the hiring process.
    • When we break down that number further, we see 67% of Asian women and 65% of white and Latina women agree to this, but only 44% of Black women agree.

Mentorship and sponsorship

    • There is a gap between men (71%) and women (63%) who agree with the statement “My organization provides mentorship and sponsorship.”
    • When we again disaggregate these statistics, 67% of Latina and Asian women agree, 63% of white women agree and only 49% of Black women agree.

Compensation

    • 68% of all men and 62% of all women agree with the statement that they are “adequately and fairly compensated” for their work.
    • Again, reviewing this by race, 67% of white women and 65% Latina women agree, Asian women at 53%, but only 49% of Black women feel the same way.

Performance evaluations

    • 69% of all men and 68% of all women agreed that “there is a clear and defined system for evaluating my performance at work.”
    • A very high 70% of white women and 69% Asian and Latina women see that—but again, there’s a sharp drop for Black women, down to 57%.

So how do we, as workplace education experts, work to solve this?

While traditional diversity training methods have shown limitations in effecting meaningful change, immersive learning offers a solution.

Immersive learning facilitates the translation of knowledge into action by building the memory and muscle required to apply it in real-world situations; ultimately creating a feedback loop that connects learning outcomes and business goals. This approach, which capitalizes on dedicated knowledge and research about how people learn, has proven results, with research showing it can increase knowledge retention by up to 75%. 

When you add employee sentiment data into the mix, organizations can use the insights gathered on the challenges faced by their employees to inform more strategic initiatives that focus on creating more equity for all employees, and especially Black women in the workplace.

Many modern training platforms available today are designed to collect and analyze this data, enabling organizations such as ServiceNow, Uber, and Merck to identify potential inequities, track their employees’ pain points, and see their progress over time.

Another useful tool for self-evaluation is conducting a pay audit — or assessing how pay gaps in your organization break across gender and racial lines. This will help you gain insight into the biases that may be unfairly influencing your company’s compensation structures.

Nuance is critical

This data reinforces what many already know to be true: inequities in career advancement, hiring, and pay equity are still gendered, racialized, and nuanced. The data also elevates the importance of intersectionality and the understanding that even among women, experiences in the workplace can vary greatly when you layer on race and other identity factors. As Kimberlé Crenshaw said, “All inequality is not created equal.”

This offers a lesson that organizations must dive deep into their metrics. Only through reviewing data from an intersectional lens can organizations truly understand the most pressing areas of concern and who is most impacted. And in turn, only then can businesses create thoughtful, targeted policies and practices to produce equitable outcome

How people leaders can promote DEI in the workplace

Posted on by Teresa Sanchez

If asked, most forward-thinking managers today would say equity and inclusion are important to their leadership styles. But valuing something and promoting it are two different things. To usher the conversion of DEI commitments into actions, managers need to adopt strategies that go beyond mere sentiment, such as mentorship and psychological safety practices. These methods can help promote DEI in the workplace and drive better business outcomes: companies that prioritized these approaches saw saw a 17% increase in perceived team productivity, a 20% increase in positive decision-making, and a 29% growth in collaboration rates in 2022.

We recommend centering your manager training programs around these four strategies:

1. Developing and mentoring talent with humility

The best managers approach mentorship as a collaborative learning effort. Conscious that employees with marginalized identities face unique challenges in the workplace, they make themselves available to listen and accept feedback in equal proportion to giving it. The underlying principle here is humility. To ensure managers exercise humility daily, we recommend furthering their training in empathetic communication. Leveraging the perspective-taking power of immersive technologies is one proven way to show managers how to thoughtfully steer conversations and create a culture that encourages employees to share. Most importantly, it shows them how to admit when they are wrong or out of their depth.

2. Thoughtful advocacy

Being a good advocate means knowing how to bring employees’ DEI concerns to leadership. Asking questions like “What do you feel is holding you back?” and “What do you need to succeed?.” This practice empowers employees, ensuring they feel heard and valued, thereby boosting engagement. The importance of this can’t be overemphasized: Sixty percent of employees who left their companies in the last year did so because of a lack of inclusion and belonging. 

3. Promoting safe learning environments

Effective managers focus on creating an environment that encourages open dialogue, diverse perspectives, and continuous growth. One way of doing this is encouraging junior team members to speak up in meetings without fear of judgment and in a way they feel comfortable. This can include actively asking if they have feedback during the meeting, using chat features, or notes passing. It’s also important to recognize how unconscious biases may be causing an employee to disengage. By embracing these practices, managers pave the way for team members to engage more authentically and drive the organization’s success.

4. Inclusive teaching for improved retention

Equity-minded managers should invest in enhancing their teaching abilities, recognizing that learning levels the professional playing field. For instance, ensure learning opportunities are inclusive to neurodivergent employees and employees with learning disabilities. Instruct managers to use a blend of visual and auditory presentation mediums, make materials available for on-demand review, and provide opportunities for practice. This has been proven to increase retention for employees of all abilities.

As the connective tissue between an organization and its workers, middle managers decide whether DEI is something that’s nominally accepted or actively practiced. Putting inclusivity at the center of their mentorship, advocacy, and education techniques supports diverse talent to succeed. What’s more, it acknowledges that every employee, no matter how senior, still has room to grow.

 

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