Category: Learning and Development

Immersive learning is an interactive educational experience that uses technology to create a simulated virtual environment where learners navigate real-life scenarios. It is designed to engage the learner by creating an environment where they can interact, practice, and experience skills and concepts in a realistic and memorable way.

The main goal of immersive learning is to enhance the learning experience and make it more engaging, interactive, and effective by allowing learners to practice and apply their skills in a simulated environment, rather than just listening to lectures or reading about the information. 

While immersive learning can and should be applied to many types of skills development, it’s particularly useful for building core competencies for today’s modern workforce, such as empathy and inclusive leadership. 

By harnessing immersive learning technology, there is immense potential in driving the self-awareness and understanding needed to propel tangible results for DEI. When included in a structured and continuous learning program and reinforced with opportunities to practice newly gained skills, you’re more likely to see lasting behavior change. 

Exploring the Benefits of Immersive Learning

Let’s dive deeper into how immersive learning transforms typical learning engagements into dynamic, engaging experiences. By immersing learners in carefully constructed scenarios, immersive learning not only deepens understanding but also enhances the overall learning journey.

Engaging Learning Experience

Immersive learning provides a more engaging and interactive learning experience. By activating ‘presence’ through visual and auditory cues, learners feel that they are actually living out the experience. 

More effective skill-building

Unlike traditional training methods, immersive learning allows learners to practice and apply their skills in a simulated real-world environment. Over time, learners build an automatic response process or way of being that’s akin to muscle memory and changes how they show up in their daily lives. 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%. 

Promotes a safe learning environment 

Immersive learning creates a safe and controlled environment for people to make mistakes and learn from them without fear of judgment or harm. When learning experiences involve decision-making, learners will understand immediately how their choices directly impact scenario outcomes, giving them real-time feedback that they can further reflect on. 

Built for scale

When offered on-demand, employees can enjoy immersive learning in the flow-of-work. It doesn’t require the scheduling needed to get everyone together at the same time for an in-person or virtual meeting, making it both more cost-effective and easier to roll-out over larger swathes of an organization. 

Ideal for building human skills 

While immersive learning is a popular tool for hard skills — anything from performing complex surgeries to building planes — it’s also a valuable tool for building human skills. It gives learners the opportunity to practice navigating difficult conversations, showing up as allies in the face of inequities, and helps people understand what it’s like to experience moments of bias and discrimination from another person’s perspective. The experiential focus is an effective way to develop and improve human skills such as communication, empathy, and leadership.

The Lasting Impact of Immersive Learning

Immersive technologies are more than just a trend; they showcase the significant benefits of immersive learning as a transformative evolution in teaching and learning methods. As we continue to navigate the complexities of modern education and training, immersive learning stands out as a crucial tool in shaping capable, well-rounded individuals feel prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. With its ability to adapt to various learning needs and its scalability, immersive learning is set to redefine educational norms and establish a new standard for effective learning.

It’s no secret that the corporate landscape is evolving, emphasizing how to build a high performing team through inclusion and belonging. The rallying cry for inclusive workforces resounds in boardrooms and break rooms alike. It challenges us to rethink the essence of how we operate our businesses and manage our teams. According to a Gallup Report, employees who feel connected to the culture are 3.7 times more likely to be engaged at work, 68% less likely to feel burned out, and 55% less likely to be looking for work somewhere else. It appears, getting inclusion right has benefits for everyone, including the business itself.

Learning and Development leaders are key players in this shift towards inclusive leadership.  They do so by developing skills and behaviors that create company culture. 

Yet, as we navigate these transformative times, L&D professionals find themselves at a crossroads about their new mantle. Without a seasoned compass in DEI best practices, many L&D veterans are asking themselves: How can we confidently lead others when we ourselves are uncertain?

Unpacking the Inclusion Dilemma in L&D

Let’s consider the challenges that plague L&D teams. As DEI becomes part of their remit, L&D faces a unique paradox. Though characterized as a cornerstone of company culture, DEI often elicits hesitancy. L&D leaders might lack experience in integrating these critical issues into their learning frameworks. The fear, albeit unspoken, is palpable: How can we teach what we have yet to fully grasp?

Worryingly, DEI initiatives, for some employees, have become synonymous with box-ticking exercises, detached from the lived experiences and the dynamism of today’s workforce. This perception breeds low engagement, and while attendance may be compulsory, authentic participation lags.

Then, there’s the matter of impact assessment. Measuring the efficacy of inclusion initiatives can seem like a pursuit of abstract quantification, where the tangible improvements in workplace culture and employee satisfaction seem just out of reach.

Perhaps the most perplexing challenge lies within the lack of a skills-based focus on inclusion and belonging. Historically, L&D has honed its expertise on technical proficiencies and job-related knowledge, with the nuanced competencies required for fostering an inclusive workplace relegated to the periphery.

L&D’s Moment to Effect Change

Inclusive skills and behaviors must be ingrained within the ethos of daily operations and interactions. This requires us to see inclusion not as an ‘add-on’ but as part of the organizational DNA. Instead, it is integral across the employee experience, from hire to retire.

This commitment to inclusion reshapes expectations from leaders and employees alike. It recognizes that every decision, dialogue, and direction is an opportunity to demonstrate inclusive leadership. L&D leaders are at the forefront of defining how to build a high performing team by integrating inclusion into the fabric of every lesson, workshop, and learning experience.

A Skills-First Approach to Fostering Inclusion

Fundamentally, companies that excel in inclusion have leaders who are able to effectively manage and support diverse teams. This doesn’t mean that leaders should strive for a homogeneity of ideas or behaviors among employees. Rather, it defines a workplace where collaboration thrives, interactions are positive, and connections among employees carry significance. While most people would agree that community and mutual respect are valuable pillars for any successful business, achieving them is easier said than done. 

Typically inclusion trainings will cover the cognitive (i.e. holding positive beliefs about people different from oneself) and affective (i.e. having positive attitudes towards people who are different from oneself) factors that are important for establishing strong inclusive cultures. Yet, there can be no change without actions and behaviors that apply knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. 

That’s why it’s time for a skills-first approach. 

While it might not seem obvious, embracing inclusion as an individual and an organization requires the use of unique and interrelated skills. These skills then reflect one’s ability to apply knowledge learned to real-world situations. From a behavioral psychology perspective, there are some key frameworks that underpin successful behavior change:

Cultivating a growth mindset:

Having a growth mindset is all about believing that intelligence and ability can be developed, rather than being fixed traits. It’s about having the motivation and persistence to make positive changes in our behavior. This mindset extends to how we engage with others.

Researchers have actually studied how having a growth or fixed mindset affects our willingness to interact with people who are similar or different from us. They discovered that those with a fixed mindset tend to avoid interactions with individuals who are different. Alternatively, those with a growth mindset are more open to it. What’s fascinating is that they also found that it’s possible to teach a growth mindset and increase people’s satisfaction when partnering with someone from a different background. This shows us that a growth mindset can be nurtured and developed. As practitioners aiming to promote positive outcomes for inclusive leaders, we can start by encouraging a growth mindset. In turn, this increases the chances of behavior change.

Focusing on habit formation:

When it comes to forming new habits, repetition in a consistent context is key. Once a behavior has been repeated enough times, it becomes a habit that is triggered by certain cues or events. If we want to develop new DEI-relevant skills, such as checking assumptions or asking questions, we can think of them as habits we’re trying to build. As practitioners, we can assist learners in identifying the cues and prompts in their environment that will increase the likelihood of engaging in these desired behaviors. Let’s help each other create and practice positive habits!

A skills-first approach to inclusion recognizes that in order to effect true behavior change, learning experiences need to focus on educating the mind, evoking emotion, and inspiring informed action. Amidst these efforts, it’s essential to focus on the practical application of these theories. A skills-first approach is critical for L&D professionals who are navigating how to build a high performing team. This method ensures that theoretical knowledge is effectively translated into everyday practices.

Connecting the Dots on Impact

With employee engagement reaching an all time low, the call for managers and people leaders could not be clearer. While managers are already feeling overburdened and stressed, we can’t escape the reality that they have a massive influence over an employee’s experience at the company. About three in four employees say their manager’s support, encouragement, and/or leadership directly motivates them to go above and beyond in the workplace, and more than a third of employees (37%) say having a good manager — one who’s accessible but doesn’t micro-manage — makes them feel the most productive at work.

Ultimately, connecting the dots between inclusive leadership and team performance will showcase the real impact of how to build a high performing team. Storytelling combined with data can powerfully demonstrate how inclusive practices lead to better business outcomes.. It’s not enough to just say “if we increase employee engagement, then we will see better business outcomes.”

Instead, get as specific as possible, something like: “After we rolled out an inclusive leadership program to managers within our North America product function, we saw 5 percentage point increase in engagement compared to teams who did not go through this training. Moreover, the teams who benefited from managers who learned inclusive skills and behaviors were better able to design our product more inclusively, helping us expand into new markets and increasing our revenue by 15%”. Getting this data might require forming closer partnerships with counterparts in People Analytics, as well as functional leaders, but it’s worth putting in the effort if it helps you tell a powerful impact story.

Forging Forward with Intention and Innovation

The challenges of nurturing inclusive leadership and transforming company culture is daunting, but the reward — a thriving culture and business — is well worth it. 

This is an exciting opportunity for L&D pros. As we scale these heights, let us hold fast to the conviction that every step towards inclusivity is progress, every stride towards equity is growth, and our collective journey is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together. 

Considered organizations’ top human capital priority by Deloitte and others, inclusive leadership initiatives that aim to strengthen belonging in the workplace have been proven to improve employee engagement and make teams more productive. But when leaders fail to endorse these efforts, the buy-in is generally lackluster. People groan, “We have real work to do. I’d rather use this time to get ahead.” 

As a result, people do not take inclusive programs seriously, and it comes at a cost. The result is a more divided workplace where people view inclusion as something frivolous and feel excluded and uncared for. A Harvard Business Review survey found that feeling excluded makes people 25% less productive.

Inclusive leaders set a different tone. 

How to Become an Inclusive Leader

Skilled at engaging with people from diverse backgrounds and creating a sense of belonging for all team members, inclusive leaders encourage employees to build meaningful relationships and learn from one another.

The result? A team that wants to work hard for your organization and feels personally invested in the team’s success.  The Harvard Business Review found in a 2020 study that what leaders say and do makes up to a 70% difference as to whether an individual reports feeling included. 

What makes a truly inclusive leader? And where do leaders who try to lead thoughtfully generally slip up? An inclusive leader demonstrates authentic commitment to the company’s values and mission, appears humble, and communicates with empathy. And critically, they are willing to accept responsibility when they make mistakes, such as letting biases creep into their decision making.

A Harvard study of more than 400 leaders made by almost 4,000 raters found that the single most important trait generating a sense of inclusiveness in a community is a leader’s visible awareness of bias. Bias becomes most visible in the language leaders use and the decisions they make for the organization (whether that be regarding their choice of a new supplier or a new hire or negotiating the terms of a contract with a freelancer). For leaders who lack experience working with diverse teams, learning in this area should be a priority. 

Here’s how you can use learning to become an inclusive leader:

Use learning to chart a path forward

Organizational success depends on people’s success. Investing in forward-looking L&D programs is one way to support your employees’ growth as inclusive partners who are aware of their biases. Leveraging the perspective-taking power of immersive technologies is one proven way to ensure your people have the resources they need to be thoughtful teammates. 

Continue to invest in DEI training

Despite significant evidence that DEI is considered a top priority by key stakeholders, a recent report showed that when companies need to cut costs, HR and DEI programs are among the first to go. How company leaders understand (or don’t understand) the importance of inclusion in the workplace sets the standard for an entire organization. 

Practice collaborative decision-making

Inclusive leaders are willing to take risks and challenge the status quo in order to create a more equitable and inclusive workplace. This means asking for honest feedback and incorporating it into the decision-making process. 

Embrace humility

We all have learning to do. Being an inclusive leader means showing that you, too, are working to remedy your unconscious biases. Publicly admitting when you’re wrong promotes a culture of psychological safety, where people feel comfortable speaking up, and this has repeatedly been proven to be the difference between average and high-performing teams.

Learning drives companies forward

There’s a reason L&D and HR professionals are working closer and closer with leaders each year. In today’s hybrid workplace, the strength of the working community determines whether employees check out or roll up their sleeves. When the people at the top go through proper training and act conscientiously, they produce more inclusive outcomes.

Inclusive leadership training refers to a set of practices and initiatives designed to develop leaders who are capable of creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. It involves providing leaders with the necessary skills, knowledge, and awareness to effectively manage and lead diverse teams. Understanding inclusive leadership training is crucial for organizations as it plays a significant role in fostering a culture of inclusivity and equity.

Traditional types of inclusive leadership skills training often fail to engage learners on a deep, meaningful level because they often lack the experiential element necessary for lasting behavior change. That’s why 42% of managers feel they haven’t been adequately trained to perform their jobs effectively. As learning leaders, it’s essential to adapt to the evolving needs of our workforce and leverage innovative approaches that resonate with today’s learners.

The current state of inclusive skills training

In recent years we’ve seen a surge in recognition of the importance of inclusive leadership skills for individual and business success. That recognition has been met with increased funding for learning teams, reaching unprecedented levels. A recent LinkedIn Learning report indicates that 57% of senior leaders today value inclusive leadership skills over hard skills. However, despite this recognition and a massive global inclusive skills training market which is expected to reach $60.89 billion by 2031, many organizations are not seeing the desired outcomes from their investment.

A study by the Association for Talent Development (ATD) found that while U.S. organizations spent about $1,280 per employee on training in 2021, with inclusive skills training making up about a third of that expenditure, only 38% of managers believe that their training programs meet the needs of their employees. Even more concerning, a survey by LinkedIn revealed that 89% of talent professionals and hiring managers said that bad hires typically lack the right inclusive leadership skills.   

While considerable resources are being dedicated to inclusive leadership training, these figures suggest a significant disconnect between investment and effectiveness, emphasizing the need for a more strategic and innovative approach to developing these crucial competencies. 

It’s clear that a reevaluation of our approach to inclusive skills training is necessary. We must seek to understand how we can leverage current strategies while also embracing new methodologies that align with the changing dynamics of the workplace. 

Below, we will dive into the most common methods used for inclusive leadership training, shedding light on their respective benefits and drawbacks. 

Benefits and Pitfalls of Conventional Types of Inclusive Leadership Training 

Despite their widespread adoption, many traditional types of leadership training face a multitude of challenges. These challenges encompass various aspects such as scalability, skills development, and even behavior change. Overcoming these obstacles requires innovative approaches that can provide a comprehensive solution to effectively enhance inclusive leadership skills acquisition and application.

In-person workshops

In-person workshops usually represent traditional classroom-style sessions led by an instructor. They typically cover core concepts and skills, and provide opportunities for learners to interact and engage with each other. 

Pros: 

• Personalized guidance and feedback 
• A conducive environment for interactive learning

Cons:

• Limited scalability, especially for hybrid and global workforces
• Lack of psychological safety with potential for inauthenticity 
• Lack of realism or relevance in scenarios 
• Typically have high costs and are difficult to assess long-term impact

E-learning Platforms

E-learning platforms usually contain large content libraries that can cover a wide breadth of skills and course material. These can be accessed remotely and on learner’s personal devices.  

Pros:

• Convenient, accessible, and scalable
• Self-paced learning

Cons

• Lack of real-time interaction
• Low engagement and completion
• Unable to track and assess skills application 

Mentorship Programs

Mentorship programs usually pair a junior employee with a more senior leader. These are opportunities for younger employees to see leaders model positive behaviors and get individualized coaching and guidance to help them chart their career paths and build relevant skills. 

Pros:

• Personalized support with tailored advice
• Practical, real-world learning

Cons:

• Limited scalability
• Potential for scheduling and availability issues
• High variability in mentor effectiveness

Team-Building Exercises

Team-building exercises provide collaborative opportunities aimed at improving team dynamics and interpersonal skills like leadership and conflict resolution. 

Pros

• Fosters teamwork and a sense of camaraderie
• Hands-on experience

Cons

• Limited range of skills that can be learned
• Lack of psychological safety with high variability in participant engagement 
• Lack of sustained impact 

Narrative-based Learning

Narrative-based learning uses storytelling techniques to relate important lessons and principles. Stories can have a powerful emotional resonance with learners, as employees can relate to characters and empathize with their experiences. 

Pros

• Enhances engagement and relatability
• Improves memory retention and behavior change
• Relevance of learning content inspires skills application

Cons

• Potential for interpretation variations among learners
• Depending on the method used to distribute this learning, there can be challenges in measuring effectiveness 

Gamification

Gamification involves incorporating game elements into training programs to enhance engagement and foster a competitive spirit. 

Pros

• Increases engagement and motivation by adding elements of fun
• Provides instant feedback

Cons

• Challenges in maintaining a balance between seriousness and fun depending on learning topic
• Potential for distraction with varying levels of effectiveness 

Immersive Technologies

Immersive technologies put learners in simulated environments where they can navigate real-world scenarios in a highly interactive and experiential way. 

Pros

• Realistic and engaging learning experiences
• Psychologically safe environments to learn and practice skills 
• High memory retention with sustained behavior change

Cons

• Immersive technologies that require headsets often require high upfront investment for equipment and software, and ongoing costs for updates and maintenance.
• For some users, immersive experiences can cause feelings of motion sickness. 

Embrace the evolution

Today’s learning leaders stand at a pivotal juncture between conventional and new methods for inclusive skills learning. At a time when budgets, priorities, and outcomes are being put under the spotlight, leaders might be hesitant to try new approaches. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that yesterday’s methods fail to meet the needs of today’s learners. Innovative technologies are more than trendy new fads, they’re highly impactful ways to not only develop skills but inspire sustained behavior change and informed action. 

Take a moment to reflect on your past experiences with a manager. How did their management style impact your daily work life? Did they provide the support and encouragement necessary for you to excel? Were they approachable and invested in your growth, or did you feel overlooked and undervalued? The way a manager interacts with their team can significantly influence the team’s motivation and productivity.

According to a recent UKG report, nearly three in four employees say their manager’s support, encouragement, and leadership directly motivate them to go above and beyond at work. That’s because inclusive leadership is a management approach that values and respects the variety of perspectives, ideas, and backgrounds of individuals within a team or organization. It involves creating an environment where everyone feels included, heard, and valued.

Inclusive leaders understand the importance of diversity and actively seek out different perspectives and experiences. They recognize that diversity brings unique strengths and insights that can drive innovation and improve decision-making. 

To become an inclusive leader, it is crucial to develop self-awareness and challenge any biases or assumptions you may have. It requires continuously educating yourself about different cultures, identities, and perspectives to better understand and empathize with others. The good news is that inclusive leaders are made, not born. 

Praxis Labs’ Inclusive Leadership Framework

Praxis Labs’ team has developed a comprehensive Inclusive Leadership Framework that breaks down the essential inclusive leadership skills for fostering collaboration and peak performance within organizations. These skills have been identified through an extensive review of academic research on inclusive leadership over the last two decades, highlighting the positive impact of inclusive leadership practices on engagement, retention, individual and team performance, and overall organizational success. 

The framework is structured around 16 core skills, anchored in the development of an inclusive mindset — an essential precursor for fostering an environment where every individual feels they belong. These skills form three interconnected levels:

1. Self Skills
2. Relational Skills
3. Team and Organizational Skills

The skills outlined in the framework are not isolated, they often overlap and interact, forming clusters of competencies that leaders can develop and refine over time. For example, the ability to manage oneself — a self-skill — includes sub-skills like self-monitoring and emotional regulation, which are critical for leaders to effectively navigate and influence diverse team environments positively. 

The Skills of Tomorrow’s Inclusive Leaders

Inclusive leadership includes a practical set of skills that learners can develop, practice, and refine. Here, are the essential skills for inclusive leaders:

Self Skills

Leaders need to be aware of their own feelings and reactions to manage themselves effectively in any environment. It includes understanding your emotions, regulating your reactions, and taking time to reflect on your actions. 

Manage Self:

A person’s ability to control their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Effective self-management involves recognizing one’s biases and actively working to mitigate their impact on decision-making. A leader might reflect on a past interview to identify any bias patterns and seek training or feedback to improve.

Be Adaptive:

The ability to adjust to new or changing circumstances and flexibly change one’s actions in response. It is crucial in responding constructively to change. A leader could demonstrate adaptability by introducing inclusive meeting norms that better support all employees, like establishing a no-interruption rule so that everyone can share their thoughts fully without being cut off or talked over. 

Care for One-Self:

Identifying and engaging in activities that support well-being and protection. Leaders who prioritize their well-being can better support their teams. A manager who sets clear boundaries around work hours helps ensure they’re well-rested and fully present for their team, it also sets a positive example for others.

Take Accountability:

Proactively being answerable to another person or group for one’s decisions or behavior. It sets a powerful example for others on your team. A leader might openly acknowledge a mistake in a project direction and take immediate steps to correct it, fostering a culture of accountability and transparency. 

Relational Skills

Building strong, positive relationships is essential for happiness and success. This means understanding what team members need, supporting their growth, and creating a work environment where everyone feels they can contribute. 

Foster Individuality & Growth:

Understanding and supporting the unique needs, interests, skills, and motivations of others while supporting and advocating for their development. Supporting individual growth involves recognizing and nurturing each team member’s unique talents. For example, a leader might create personalized development plans that align with each team member’s career aspirations and skills. 

Recognize & Affirm:

Observing, identifying, and explicitly acknowledging the strengths, abilities, and efforts of one’s self or others in formal and informal ways. When leaders acknowledge achievements, it helps foster a positive team environment. Ask your team members how they like to receive acknowledgment, whether publicly or privately. Celebrating even small wins in the ways people prefer to receive them helps motivate them to continue achieving. 

Demonstrate Empathy:

Understanding, feeling, and/or accurately acknowledging the emotions of another person. Empathy is critical for building stronger connections. Spend time listening to an employee’s concerns about work-life balance and together find a flexible working arrangement that suits the employee’s needs, while ensuring they can accomplish their goals. 

Actively Listen:

This refers to engaging in purposeful listening that includes attending to both verbal and non-verbal communication from others, seeking to understand, showing interest, asking open-ended questions, and withholding judgment or interruptions, in order to fully understand what is being said. Active listening involves fully engaging with the speaker and understanding what they’re trying to convey. In meetings, leaders can practice this by summarizing points made by team members, ensuring that everyone feels heard and valued. 

Promote Feedback:

Encouraging a culture of feedback enhances growth and improvement. Inclusive feedback is effective feedback. Managers should always seek to understand the root cause behind someone’s good or bad performance so that they can appropriately celebrate or chart a course of action for improvement. An inclusive leader might implement regular, anonymous surveys to gather honest feedback about their leadership style and team dynamics, using those insights to make positive changes. 

Communicate Expectations:

Clearly expressing pre-defined, attainable, reasonable, and measurable beliefs about what can and/or should be achieved and the rationales behind them. Communicating expectations in a clear and effective way ensures that team members understand what needs to be accomplished, why it’s important, how it ties into larger organizational goals, and how each person’s contributions are valuable to the project’s success. 

Team and Organizational Skills

These focus on making inclusion part of the company’s DNA. It’s about shaping the culture of the team and the organization to be welcoming and supportive of everyone’s contributions. 

Optimize Team Processes:

Develop ways of working that inspire and create clarity, cohesion, and psychological safety. Creating efficient team processes involves aligning team activities with broader organizational goals. Consider reevaluating team workflows to ensure they are inclusive and enable all team members to contribute effectively. 

Make Effective Decisions:

The cognitive process of competently choosing between two or more alternatives. Inclusive leaders involve their teams in the decision-making process, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered. For example, before finalizing a new policy, a manager could hold a brainstorming session to gather input from all team members. 

Encourage Diverse Perspectives:

Behaviors that invite different points of view. Valuing different viewpoints can lead to innovative solutions. A leader could encourage team members from different departments to collaborate on a project, bringing together diverse skill sets and perspectives.

Manage Conflict:

Processes, tools, and behaviors used to identify, address, and resolve disagreements in ways that maximize positive outcomes. Addressing and resolving conflicts respectfully and constructively is key. A leader faced with a team dispute might facilitate a mediation session where all parties can express their views safely and work towards a mutual agreement. 

Promote & Manage Change:

To advocate for the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating efforts to improve team and organizational systems and culture in ways that foster inclusion. Leading through change effectively requires clear communication and support. Introducing a new technology platform might provide extensive training and resources, ensuring the team feels prepared and supported through the transition. 

Address Bias & Inequity:

Understand how bias shows up, taking steps to mitigate and implement fair practices. Confronting bias and promoting fairness are critical. Leaders who review recruitment practices to ensure they have objective rubrics help reduce bias during interviews. 

Together, these skills collectively empower leaders to create workplaces where everyone feels valued and included. 

Learning is only the first step

To unlock the power of inclusive leadership, it is crucial to continuously educate oneself, challenge biases, and promote open dialogue within the team. But it doesn’t stop there. Over time, practicing these skills help them become habits and behaviors. That way, when conflict arises, you know exactly how to respond. 

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.

Download our guidebook

Technological innovations and economic uncertainty are challenging companies to think strategically about how to upskill for the ‘Future of Work’.

Upskilling has always been a priority for companies looking to drive innovation and stay competitive. By upskilling, companies save money by investing in developing current employees, instead of spending time and budget hiring new ones. They also improve workplace culture and morale by making employees feel valued and supported in their professional goals.

And according to LinkedIn’s 2023 State of Workforce Learning and Development report, the stakes for upskilling are higher than ever. Rapidly changing the way companies operate, automation and AI are creating new processes and re-tooling old ones. This is resulting in skill shortages with meaningful implications for the Future of Work.

While companies continue to advertise open positions under the same titles year after year, like “consultant” or “manager,” the skill sets required for them have changed by nearly 25% since 2015. By 2027, this number is expected to double. Yet, while technical skills will continue to evolve, human skills — like communication, leadership, and management — remain durable and in high demand.

L&D’s 2023 priority list

Owing to this, LinkedIn reports that the 2023 budget forecast for L&D remains strong — representing the third most optimistic view in seven years of tracking. Only 8% of L&D pros expect their budget to decrease.

Some other notable findings:

• Companies are putting people at the center of their L&D efforts: 83% of organizations are looking to build a more people-centric culture. 81% of L&D pros say they are playing a key role in this effort.
• L&D pros are closer than ever to business leaders: The percentage of L&D pros working more closely with executive leaders has grown significantly year over year, from 39% in 2022 to 44% in 2023.
• Proactive skill building seen as key to navigating the evolving future of work: 89% of L&D pros agree that proactively building employee skills will help navigate the evolving future of work. They cite employee retention and upskilling as the biggest concerns.
• Human skills are leading the future of work: Human skills (also referred to as “durable skills” and “soft skills”) like empathetic leadership, networking, effective communication, and “managing up” are some of the most important competencies in today’s hybrid work environment. 

What’s next for L&D?

This data begs the question — how do forward-thinking companies ensure they are investing in L&D with impact? And in a way that unlocks potential, drives employee engagement, and improves strategic business outcomes?

Historically, L&D professionals have struggled to get buy-in from employees using traditional e-learning and in-person programs. This is in part due to low completion rates (with a 15-30% industry average) and low information retention.

“Forward-thinking organizations need to create environments that embrace and unlock the potential of the whole employee,” said Linda Jingfang Cai, the Global Head of Learning and Talent Development at LinkedIn. New and innovative tech could be the key to unlocking impactful and scalable human skills training.

Immersive tech is the key

One way to tailor your L&D programs to engage the “whole employee” is through innovative tech solutions. Emerging tech like VR and other immersive solutions can increase knowledge retention by up to 75%.

Trusted for L&D and DEI training by leading companies like Uber, Etsy, and Ericsson, immersive learning helps learners translate learning into action. Through engaging and relevant experiences, learners build the memory and muscle needed to apply learning to real-world situations. When tied to a skills strategy, this helps create a feedback loop that connects learning outcomes to business goals. 

While immersive learning can and should be applied to many types of skills development, it’s particularly useful for building soft or human skills for today’s modern workforce, such as empathy and inclusive leadership. 

What’s more, is that 70% of people say they prefer immersive learning to traditional ways of doing human skills training.

Collect data to inform L&D strategy

LinkedIn’s report found that “progress toward career goals” is the #1 motivation for employees to learn. 

Mindful of this, centering your workers’ career development goals when designing your L&D strategy is one way to ensure engagement. We recommend surveying workers on their career goals and identifying potential opportunities for upward mobility. Tailoring your training programs in response to employee feedback will show your investment, and investment drives an agile, people-centric culture.

Taking a skills-based approach to hiring and internal mobility, where candidates know what skills they need to be successful in a role can be a helpful strategy in aligning learning to business goals. When employees can connect learning to career advancement, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated. 

Your employees who actively advance their human skills growth demonstrate a commitment to building an equitable culture and inspiring peak performance for all. They are well poised to be your next pool of managers and leaders.

Bridging gaps with tech

Incorporating new tech like immersive learning into any company process can be daunting. But, when it comes to L&D, the results are unmatched. To upskill with impact, show your employees your commitment to their success by providing them with the most impactful learning solutions for their careers, and the business. 

Want to learn more? Download on our 2023 Guide on Human Skills Training.