Inclusive Excellence

The benefits of diversity in decision-making are well-documented. Having different perspectives and expertise produces better outcomes. But those don’t necessarily surface during discussions. How can leaders and organizations get the most from diverse perspectives and enhance the quality of conversations to achieve the best decisions?

Trust is built slowly and erodes quickly. Netflix was lauded as an inclusive employer, but when it aired Dave Chappelle’s controversial special The Closer, it seemed unprepared for backlash from multiple stakeholders, including the LGBTQ+ community. What could it have done better to balance the paramount issues of freedom of speech and inclusivity?

How can those seeking to create diverse, equitable and inclusive workspaces bring opposing sides into alignment? The answer: Consider the various stakeholders in an organization as taking part in a multi-party, multi-issue negotiation. Here are three key tactics for leaders to use in an organizational context to implement DEIB more effectively.

Black police officers can be a model for how employees can do anti-racism work in the workplace, even in institutions historically entrenched in systemic racism. Any employee can learn to challenge racialized behavior, recruit and promote for representation, and go above and beyond outside of an organization.

New research uses neuroscience to examine how humans make decisions and presents a framework — proven to have startling accuracy — to predict what choices we’ll make under what circumstances. Darden Professor Zhihao Zhang discusses the role memory plays, as well as implications of his groundbreaking research for brand awareness and beyond.

For many patients battling disease, working with their doctors to find the most effective treatment can be a painful exercise of trial and error. What if you could more precisely choose medications and customize treatment based on people’s genes, environment, and lifestyle?

Too often, the world sees mega-threats: violent events that target marginalized identity groups and see with massive media coverage. These events arise from racism, bias and systemic oppression. How can one be a supportive ally if one is not part of the identity group that’s been attacked?

You’ve stepped into a leadership position, and leading diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts is a priority. Where do you begin? How do you set yourself up for success? How do you effect positive change and tackle DEIB challenges?

Human beings are inherently biased. Our biases come from certain heuristics — shortcuts we take that help us distill information and make fast judgements. To combat this, organizations can implement standardized procedures that minimize the discretion that managers use in evaluating people. How?

“Positive weird” needs to be another focus as we seek to understand how to create better organizations and communities that bring out the best in both marginal and dominant members.