Creating inclusive organisations that prioritise belonging in every aspect of business begins with leaders and their commitment to fostering a more equitable workplace. Leaders dont work in isolation, which is why working within teams offers the greatest opportunity to influence both organizational culture and employee outcomes. However, the time dedicated to ensuring leadership teams are cohesive, aligned, and fully committed to business priorities is often insufficient.
Many leadership teams grapple with competing priorities and incentives that discourage collaboration, hindering positive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) outcomes. Consequently, a crucial focus should be on achieving alignment within the team, not only concerning DE&I but also regarding broader business objectives. To accomplish this, it is essential to delve into the deeper drivers of motivation – values.
Leadership teams often assume that organizational values alone suffice to guide their behaviour. Yet, relying solely on organizational values can be akin to navigating the streets of London with a generic road atlas. At every turn, there’s a need to pause and verify the correct direction, disrupting the overall flow.
Investing time in collectively defining vision, values, and goals yields tremendous benefits. However, this effort doesn’t conclude there. Ongoing accountability and regular goal reviews are imperative. This encompasses not only monitoring business results through a dashboard but also assessing each leader’s achievements in alignment with the team’s overall performance.
A proven formula for success involves agreeing a clear vision and values, regular accountability meetings, complemented by individual coaching for leaders. This combination has demonstrated breakthroughs in business results. When applied specifically to DE&I, it brings about innovative and impactful changes to the organisational culture.
Taking it a step further, a process involving leaders’ self-reviews and reviewing the team’s dashboard together creates a forum for constructive conversations around actions and opportunities. This approach accelerates change, enhances alignment, and reduces the learning curve for leaders navigating organisational transformations.
For those interested in learning more about aligning leaders on critical issues like DE&I, explore our Leadership Team Coaching Package. Contact Mary@Agents2change.com to initiate the conversation and embark on a journey toward a more inclusive and impactful organization.