It’s time to end the era of diversity programs. Instead, we need to shift our focus to build workplace cultures of true belonging. With the US labor pool shrinking for the first time in history and on the heels of record-high quit rates, organizations need to redouble their efforts to attract and retain talent. And as we deal with the physical and emotional scars of the ongoing pandemic, people are looking for leaders who will use this time of change to make work better.
The traditional teaching methodology of mandatory diversity training has not worked in the past. However, we have an opportunity to re-imagine our organizations to be more fair, compassionate and innovative. We have decades of research into organizational behavior, psychology, neuroscience and human motivation on our side. But in practice, there are still traps that hold back diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts from succeeding. These are four ways to build a culture of belonging.
