Archive

Social mobility can widen talent pool – The Times – here. 

Video – Premiership Women’s Rugby & Rugby Players Association welcomed leaders from across the game in our first Inclusive Leadership Forum, discussing the importance of inclusive cultures and ways to grow the game. – here. 

Is the corporate DEI panic finally over?, Financial Times – here. 

To defend against disruption, build a thriving workforce, McKinsey & Company – here. 

What Needs to Change About DEI — and What Doesn’t, HBR – here. 

Pushback and cuts prompt diversity strategy refresh, FT – here 

The State of Organizations 2023: Ten shifts transforming organizations, McKinsey & Company – here.

Fairness: the hidden currency of the workplace, The Economist – here. 

To Avoid DEI Backlash, Focus on Changing Systems — Not People, HBR – here. 

Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact, McKinsey – here. 

Diversity wins: how inclusion matters, McKinsey 
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters
McKinsey’s latest analysis reaffirms the strong business case for both gender diversity and ethnic and cultural diversity in corporate leadership and shows that this business case continues to strengthen. The most diverse companies are now more likely than ever to outperform less diverse peers on profitability.

It’s (past) time to get strategic about DEI, McKinsey 
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/its-past-time-to-get-strategic-about-dei
Companies have committed to being more diverse, inclusive, and equitable, but many struggle to make significant progress in these areas. This article outlines how they can meet DEI ambitions—now and in the longer term.

Updating the business case for diversity, New Financial 
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yodlw40j4mpsxlkq4tqql/Radical-actions-Updating-the-business-case.pdf?rlkey=jy7ykt3u4xflokhj3pz2ia5lw&dl=0
A sophisticated look at broadening the business case for diversity. The article considers how to connect with evolving audiences, respond to more advanced data gathering and weave in risk management. Whilst the context is Financial Services, the arguments translate well and are particularly good at engaging a questioning audience of leaders. NB it was co-authored by one of our consultants, Jenny Barrow.

Middle Managers Are Exhausted. Top Teams Need to Listen, MiT Sloane Management review – read here.  

How Diversity And Innovation Drive Great Cultures In The Future Of Work, Forbes – read here. 

How to make ESG real, McKinsey – read here. 

The elusive inclusive workplace: What it is and why it matters
McKinsey & Company
Insightful podcast (transcript also available) on the deliberate and at times aggressive action that’s required to challenge decision making across the whole employee lifecycle to develop inclusive workplaces. The focus on diverse boards is good but Boards have a governance rather than leadership role, so organisations also need representation in the talent pipeline. Use AI to reveal deeper insights rather than for comparison against an existing population which is likely to lack diverse representation. And remember, inclusion is characterised by the relationship people have with their boss, their peers and how they experience the policies and practices of the firm in which they work. Use all three levers to create an inclusive workplace.

The people science revolution – improving diversity objectively
Financial Conduct Authority – Insight piece, October 2020
FCA thought paper that emphasises the importance of data in driving impactful D&I change but with the warning that while data provides an essential benchmark, it does not lead to change on its own. Insights need to be drawn from the data and factored into an analytical framework for an organisation to fully understand where to direct resources and leadership attention. Organisations need to capture more than diversity metrics – focusing on indicators that point to an inclusive culture is just as important.

Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident: measuring inclusion in a way that matters.
Diana Ellsworth, Drew Goldstein and Bill Schaninger
The authors make the case that increasing diversity by itself is insufficient – organisations must also enhance inclusion, which they define as “the degree to which employees are embraced and enabled to make meaningful contributions.” This brief post introduces a simple framework for measuring inclusion which takes into account both ‘enterprise perception’ i.e. views on the fairness of the organisation, alongside ‘personal experience’ – i.e. the sense of individual belonging, authenticity and being valued.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion still matter in a pandemic
Boston Consulting Group, December 2020
BCG encourages firms to continue to keep DE&I issues firmly on the agenda as rather than being a distraction, continuing to build diverse and inclusive organisations is a critical part of the solution to the challenges firms are currently facing. The main goal for companies is to continue devoting management attention on DE&I issues and to incorporate them into everything that the company does rather than run as a separate initiative.

Making the Invisible visible: What’s really preventing breakthrough progress on women in leadership?
Oliver Whyman report, January 2021
Pithy report that outlines why women get stuck in the middle rather than rise to senior levels. It covers common attitudes and obstacles, both those that are visible as well as the invisible ones, that stand in the way of greater diversity and inclusion at the highest levels of companies.

Are  Your D&I Efforts Helping Employees Feel Like They Belong? Four ways managers can go deeper than “inclusion.”
Harvard Business Review, Michael Slepian
Introduces the concept of ‘belonging’ to the D&I agenda, something that goes deeper than ‘inclusion’. The author argues that over-emphasising individual difference can make people feel less included. For example, when tackling diversity issues, everyone should be asked to contribute rather than just minority groups the organisation is trying to recruit and retain. Instead, when it comes to the day-to-day management, inclusion efforts should be focused more on the individual than the social group they represent. “People want their social group to be included and their individual self to belong.”

Virtual Inclusion in the City
The Inclusion Initiative, LSE
A fascinating report into what firms can do to overcome the challenges and maximise the benefits of virtual working. Practical guidance is given on how to avoid virtual presenteeism, in-groups and group think as well as how to motivate team members and assess them fairly in this new remote working environment. Primarily based upon financial and professional services firms, the findings are transferable to other contexts.

Diversity Still Matters
Kevin Dolan, Vivian Hunt, Sara Prince, and Sandra Sancier-Sultan,  McKinsey
McKinsey makes no bones about it – not only does inclusion still matter, but the best companies are doubling down on their efforts in the light of Covid-19. It describes the kind of systematic, disciplined, long-term approach that makes a difference. It clearly connects inclusion with having a demonstrable impact on culture and performance. If you are trying to convince leaders in your organisation to take inclusion seriously, this is great source material.

Companies: Now Is Not The Time To Put Diversity And Inclusion On The Back Burner
Janice Gassam, Forbes
Whilst acknowledging the pressure that Covid-19 is putting on the inclusion agenda – this piece argues why it is more important than ever. DEI (Diversity, Equity and inclusion) is likened to a muscle that needs to be exercised frequently for it to grow stronger, or progress will be lost.

How to survive as a business amidst an unexpected lockdown of the economy
Simon Hedaux, LSE
In this blog from the LSE, there is a 3 step plan to help businesses think about how to survive the lockdown and prepare for the new normal. At the heart of this plan is a call for organisations to deliver on their stated values – in particular by treating their teams ‘right’. Effectively including people is seen as integral both from an ethical and economic perspective.

Coronavirus Is Putting Corporate Social Responsibility to the Test
Mark R. Kramer, HBR
A challenge for businesses to step up and ‘make good’ on their stated commitments to social purpose, a set of values and ways of treating employees and stakeholders. The article makes a powerful case that this crisis is a defining moment for companies and the way they respond will be remembered for decades.

Keeping diversity and inclusion on the agenda during uncertain times
Nic Hammarling, HR Zone
A helpful commentary on the need to keep inclusion embedded into the fabric of the business, especially during times of economic uncertainty. It describes how the emotional strain of ambiguity makes us more likely to default to ‘tried and tested’ approaches – and what to do to counter that.

Strategies to remain inclusive during the Coronavirus crisisJohn M. Iino, Reed SmithA podcast from the global law firm Reed Smith, which makes the case for keeping focused on the principles of diversity, inclusion and equity during the coronavirus crisis. It shares practical insights on the need for strong communications, education and staying connected.

Why Leadership Diversity Matters in Handling Crises Like COVID-19
Robert Arvanitis, Wharton University Press
This leadership insight article from a Fortune500 CFO reminds us that, in times of pressure, it is easy to revert to traditional thinking and the impulse to be drawn to those who are like us – known as homophily or affinity bias. It outlines how vital inclusion is in looking at problems differently, considering a wider range of financial issues and meeting the diverse needs and circumstances of staff.

Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion in Times of Crisis
Fe-mi-nuity
This article is a very direct take on the real risks of discrimination and how a crisis can exacerbate inequalities. It looks at some of the language implications of the current crisis and identifies ways you can call out biased narratives regarding coronavirus.

The Silver Lining: Here Is How The COVID-19 Pandemic Might Lead To Greater Inclusion
Paolo Gaudiano, Forbes
A straightforward, refreshing piece that takes a look at the silver lining of the current situation and the positivity of unintended consequences. It considers how adaptions like remote working can provide greater workplace access and enable businesses to tap into a more diverse talent pool.

Minicast: Could diversity & inclusion programs become a casualty of coronavirus?
Tess Bennett, Which 50
An interesting podcast that considers the threat the coronavirus presents to diversity and inclusion programmes. Some good insights on the implications for millennial workers in particular.

Delivering through diversity
McKinsey & Company
When progress on inclusion is threatened by a crisis situation – it is vital for leaders to have a clear handle on the business case. They need to be able to articulate to themselves and others why diversity and inclusion is an advantage that they can’t afford to lose. This pre-virus piece from McKinsey is thoughtful, well-structured and explicit about the link between diverse teams and financial performance.

How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation
Rocío Lorenzo, Nicole Voigt, Miki Tsusaka, Matt Krentz, and Katie Abouzahr, BCG
This piece from Boston Consulting Group demonstrates the link between diverse leadership teams and an organisation’s ability to innovate. In a crisis situation, this capability to evolve and creatively respond to radically changed circumstances has never been more important.

D&I means growth
EY
From EY this article shows the global services firm’s experience in connecting the business performance of their employees with the degree of inclusiveness they felt at work.

Embrace the Business Imperative of Diversity
BCG
An interesting article and videoclips which describes the business imperative of diversity for organisations operating in a decade that will be characterised by geopolitical and economic uncertainty. It outlines how inclusion enables organisations to be ‘primed for innovation and reinvention.’

How to inspire people – The Economist – here. 

How to Get Your Team to Actually Speak Up – HBR – here.

Psychological Safety Levels the Playing Field for Employees – Boston Consulting Group – here. 

How Leaders Fake Psychological Safety – HBR – here. 

What Makes an Inclusive Leader? – Harvard Business Review – by Wei Zheng, Jennifer Kim, Ronit Kark, and Lisa Mascolo – read here. 

I don’t know, David Marquet  
https://youtu.be/YM0J6Oe9nVQ
One of many short clips on leadership nudges by a former US Navy Captain. This one outlines the importance of leaders saying three little words – “I don’t know”.

From insights to inclusion: On building diverse teams, LinkedIn Talent Solutions 
https://youtu.be/0HvQI13ucHQ

Short clip showing a range of voices talking about why building diverse and inclusive teams is important to them.

How leaders are falling behind on diversity, Management Today – read here.

5 diversity resolutions for CEOs in 2023, Management Today – read here. 

Why ending favouritism is the key to building a diverse workforce, Financial Times – read here. 

Beyond “Agree to Disagree”: Why Leaders Need to Foster a Culture of Productive Disagreement and Debate, BCG – read here. 

Boards need real diversity, not tokenism
Harvard Business Review
Simran Jeet Singh argues that it’s essential to hold three forms of identity together – identities, experiences and expertise, when auditing the effectiveness of Board decision making. This will help avoid tokenism and set the Board up to effectively oversee an ever changing future context. This approach will help leverage the collective perspectives of board members and ensure longer-term success.

It’s Time to Free the Middle Manager
Brian Elliott
Evolving models of work indicate that the Middle Manager’s role is changing substantially. The good news is that they have never been more important in developing talent, activating collaboration across a group by leading inclusively and communicating a shared vision and purpose. Inclusion sits at the heart of this shift.

Leaders’ Lessons: How do we fix the fallout for women and minorities?
Financial Times
The FT asked four international executives for their views on how the pandemic has affected women and minorities, and the specific actions they are taking in response. Although the contexts varied – each acknowledged the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and described how they were adapting their workplaces, work patterns and working practices to be more flexible, hybrid and inclusive. The main takeaway was the need to be deliberately responsive, rather than passive in the face of significant change.

Psychological safety and the critical role of leadership development
McKinsey & Company
While the benefits of psychological safety are well established, a new survey suggests how leaders can build psychological safety by creating the right climate, mindsets, and behaviours within their teams. The survey results show that this starts at the very top of an organisation and fostering psychological safety at scale begins with companies’ most senior leaders developing and embodying the leadership behaviours they want to see across the organization.

Choose To Challenge 100
WeAreTheCity
This short video puts a spotlight on Liz Grant OBE – principal at Fantail Business Development and one of the leading figures behind the Inclusion Under Pressure initiative. She talks about her early career in technology and what motivated her to focus on inclusion. There is also a practical steer on the importance of work allocation and how that can show up potential bias in an organisation.

Yes, good leaders are authentic leaders – but here’s what that actually means
Herminia Ibarra
The term authenticity is often linked to being an inclusive leader – but it comes with the risk of being seen as both cliched, and potentially rigid. Business is never static and the pandemic has doubled down on the pace of change. If an authentic leader is seen as someone who has a fixed sense of who they are and how they operate – could they be in trouble? In this article, Herminia Ibarra rehabilitates the term by taking it back to its original Greek meaning, ‘“authenteos” – that which you do with your own hands’ – in other words, being authentic is about learning, becoming your own person, experimenting, changing and a lifelong process. Perfect for an inclusive leader.

4 Conversations Leaders in the #MeToo Era Should Be Ready For
Harvard Business Review, Sarah Beaulieu
This article explores how leaders can equip themselves to confidently respond to sexual harassment disclosures and build an inclusive and positive working environment. Good leadership is more than responding to incidents when they occur. It’s about preventing them from happening in the first place. It explores 4 distinct areas of conversation – disclosure, intervention, creating an open and safe culture and support.

 The 5 Rules Followed By Accountable Leaders
Paloma Cantero-Gomez, Forbes
Clarity about one’s role and responsibilities coupled with standards and ownership is the key to accountability. We all need this but in leaders it is critical, as they hold their teams and themselves absolutely accountable.

Leading Out of Adversity
Rich Lesser and Martin Reeves, BCG
An article from the Boston Consulting Group arguing that resilience is no longer a theoretical concern. C19 has pulled it front and centre along with a need for firms and governments to demonstrate their values and purpose. There will be no ‘return to normal’ – leaders will have to adapt to the cultural shift that C19 has generated.

Why CEOs Should Model Vulnerability
Jeffrey Cohn and U. Srinivasa Rangan, HBR
Leaders face an unforgiving environment – sometimes described using the acronym ‘VUCA’ (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.) This article talks about how future CEOs can be helped to develop the traits that will enable them to cope. It particularly focuses on the value of vulnerability and being able to tolerate discomfort.

Finding the Right Words in a Crisis
Carmine Gallo, HBR
Concise article on the importance of choosing the right words in a crisis. Outlines how using short sentences, analogies, storytelling and the Rule of 3 can help ensure people understand the message you’re trying to convey.

How to demonstrate calm and optimism in a crisis
Jacqueline Brassey and Michiel Kruyt , McKinsey & Company
What does it take to maintain calm in the face of crisis? This article describes the importance of leaders developing ‘integrative awareness’ (combining awareness of your external context with self-awareness.) It outlines the six practices leaders can follow to build this capability.

Addressing the impact of COVID-19
Deloitte
This helpful 2-pager from Deloitte is a digest of the traits demonstrated by inclusive leaders and how these can foster a more inclusive workplace in the face of Covid-19. The article expands on 6 specific traits: commitment, courage, cognisance of bias, curiosity, cultural intelligence and collaboration.

Marriott’s CEO Demonstrates Truly Authentic Leadership In A Remarkably Emotional Video
Carmine Gallo, Financial Times
This Forbes article, leadership communication expert Carmine Gallo analyses the video statement sent out by Marriott International CEO, Arne Sorenson in response to the coronavirus. Gallo breaks down why he views this as an effective example of authentic leadership in action – isolating the five attributes that made it work so well as an inclusive piece of communication.

Covid-19 was a Leadership Test. It Came Back Negative.
Sam Walker, The Wall Street Journal
A challenging piece from Sam Walker in the Wall Street Journal on the leadership deficit exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. His view is that leadership should have prevented the pandemic and what we are now seeing is ‘crisis management’. Worth it for the parable of the drowning children in the water and the need for ‘upstream solutions.’ From an inclusion perspective – interesting to think about which voices get listened to and which don’t – particularly in advance of a crisis.

Are You Leading Through the Crisis … or Managing the Response?
Eric J. McNulty and Leonard Marcus, HBR
This HBR article from McNulty and Marcus identifies the leadership traps associated with crisis. Many potential pitfalls have a clear inclusion dimension, for example the risk of taking too narrow a view, over-centralising the response, failing to delegate and forgetting the ‘human factors.’

A Time to Lead with Purpose and Humanity
Hubert Joly, HBR
Hubert Joly (previously CEO at Best Buy) talks about the importance of applying the principles of ‘purposeful, human leadership’ in this time of crisis. He describes a type of leadership that puts people and customers first, with profit as an outcome not a goal in itself – and outlines what this means in practice.

Leadership in a crisis: Responding to the coronavirus outbreak and future challenges
Gemma D’Auria and Aaron De Smet, McKinsey & Co
An article from McKinsey & Co, which talks about the five leadership practices that will help senior executives to response effectively to a situation none of them will have experienced before. It is particularly good at identifying the biases that can get in the way – and the behaviours, mindsets and inclusive practices to counter them.

Decision making in uncertain times 
Andrea Alexander , Aaron De Smet, and Leigh Weiss, McKinsey & Co
This McKinsey & Co piece concentrates on effective decision-making in crisis situations. It establishes a few simple principles that will set leaders up to make the bold calls that are needed. From an inclusion perspective, the authors are explicit about the value of pausing to gain broader, diverse perspectives and rejecting a hierarchical model of leadership to involve more stakeholders in big decisions.

Strong leadership for uncertain times 
Financial Times
A series of mini-snapshot interviews with CEOs on what they are doing to exercise leadership through this crisis. Whilst there aren’t necessarily any major surprises here, there is plenty to support the importance of ‘seeking diverse sources of knowledge.’ Many interviewees also reinforce the importance of transparent, early, inclusive communications to help create some sense of stability.

Girish Menon: How to lead in a time of crisis
Girish Menon, Third Sector
A first-person piece from Girish Menon, Chief Executive of ActionAid UK, who models some of the candour and (well-judged) vulnerability that is a hallmark of inclusive leaders. He is also one of the first leaders we’ve heard talking about intersectionality and its relationship to resilience.

The inclusive leader
Korn Ferry
From Korn Ferry – this is a good primer on the business case for inclusion and the need for inclusive leadership. Written pre-pandemic, but we think it doesn’t hurt to pause and ground ourselves with a reminder on the basics of ‘why inclusion?’

The six signature traits of inclusive leadership
Bernadette Dillon and  Juliet Bourk, Deloitte
Another piece written pre-pandemic, this time from Deloitte. We like it because it clearly identifies the “6 signature traits of an inclusive leader’. It could provide a useful way for leaders to do a mini-audit to see which of those traits are showing up under pressure – and which might be faltering.

Language Bias in PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK – here. 

How managers can make feedback a team habit, Harvard Business Review – here. 
How managers can take the lead on creating a shared understanding of what feedback is for, increasing the speed and ease of feedback, and unlocking difficult conversations through the art of asking.

Responsibility vs. Accountability vs. OWNERSHIP  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHzxiNxq124
The difference between and importance of Responsibility, Accountability and Ownership 

An antidote to microaggressions? Micro affirmations, Harvard Business Review – here. 
An article exploring the power of Microvalidations. These are subtle
ut powerful actions or language that demonstrate affirmation, encouragement, and belief in a person’s potential.What Elon Musk Can Learn from Steve Jobs’s Return to Apple, HBR – read here. 

The Benefits Of Creating A Speak-Up Culture At Work, Forbes – read here. 

7 Ways to Practice Active Allyship, by Poornima Luthra – HBR – read here. 

How to Do Sponsorship Right – Mentorship isn’t enough. To develop productive career relationships, you’ve got to be authentic. by Herminia Ibarra – From the HBR Magazine (November–December 2022) – read here. 

Guide to ethnicity pay gap reporting
Business in the Community and Hogan Lovels
Guidance on approaches to introducing Ethnicity Pay Gap Reporting, taken from an analysis of signatories to the Race at Work Charter. Designed to start a conversation about an area of policy that is in flux, it debunks legal myths, provides case studies of how different organisations are approaching the area as well as an analysis of the anatomy of a really powerful ethnicity pay gap report.

4 Lessons for Building Diverse Teams
Naomi Wheeless
Four key lessons here for organisations aiming to diversify their talent base. And above all it requires courage and determination to stick to your plan. Some interesting insights on being public about your objectives, ensuring hiring panels are diverse, reviewing job descriptions and as ever start at the top.

How to Set Up a Remote Employee for Success on Day One
James M. Citrin and Darleen DeRosa
The reality of onboarding new employees remotely is going to stick with us all for some time to come. Onboarding is definitely one of those ‘Moments that Matter’ in an employee’s life cycle with their new company. This article considers how you can establish the basis for success for all new remote employees. Being explicit in terms of expectations, creating a cultural buddy to support each new colleague are two suggestions that will over the way for that success. There are many more. The truth is that new employees must feel welcome and included in the company to ensure they are happy and productive as soon as possible

Why We Should Be Disagreeing More at Work
Amy Gallo
Gallo sees disagreement as an ‘inevitable, normal and healthy part of relating to other people”, rather than something to be avoided. She outlines the real value of getting good at disagreeing effectively – from better work outcomes and opportunities to learn, through to improved relationships and a more inclusive work environment. She then breaks down some practical ways we can become better at disagreeing constructively.

Holding up the mirror: diversity data in the investment, wealth management and savings industry
PowerPoint Presentation (lgbtgreat.com)
A how to guide setting out the drivers for collecting diversity data, how to overcome challenges and top 10 tips for communicating why this is important when designing campaigns. Although primarily focusing on the financial services sector, the issues raised are relevant to all areas.

How to call out sexism or racism at work
Felicity Menzies, FCA
 Challenging offensive language and behaviours in the workplace can be daunting. We are taught to foster cohesion and to build a friendly working atmosphere. Fear of upsetting the equilibrium and of falling foul of a perpetrator often dictates a lack of tackling such behaviours. This article explains why this situation arises and offers helpful advice on how to take the offenders on

Why Reverse Mentoring Works and How to Do It Right
Jennifer Jordan and Michael Sorell
A brief but clear reminder of the value of Reverse Mentoring from retention to enhancing the understanding of difference. It also has some useful tips on getting it right.

Accountability is key to enabling diversity and inclusion in organizationsShane Crabb, Chief Learning OfficerThis article looks at the errors organisations make in executing on D&I strategies. It is the final summary statement that gives a key view: Infusing accountability at the organizational and individual level is key to building diverse organizations with inclusive cultures.

Microsoft made inclusion every employee’s responsibility. Here’s why.Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, MicrosoftEnsuring there was joint accountability for inclusion was a key strategy for Microsoft. In 2016, they tied components of executive compensation to internal diversity and inclusion goals. More recently, the company incorporated inclusion into its performance review process for every employee.

How Employees’ Expectations Have Changed Through The Pandemic: What Leaders And HR Officers Need To Know
Kathy Caprino, Forbes
A description of how employees’ expectations have been changed by the pandemic and their experience of different ways of working. It outlines the implications for leaders and HR officers who will need to respond to increased expectations around flexibility, inclusion, work-life balance and autonomy.

Employers: Imagining the New Normal
Jennifer Liston-Smith
We are hearing the phrase ‘the new normal’ a lot at the moment – an acknowledgement of how much has been changed by this crisis and the potential to build better ways of working. This blog by consultant Jennifer Liston-Smith, is particularly good at suggesting how HR leaders could envisage and prepare for that new normal, with inclusion as an absolute priority.

COVID-19 Resources for Coaches
ICF
This resource list from the ICF, one of the leading coaching bodies, is a helpful collation of materials and guidance. It provides a useful reference point for coaches, as well as helpful information for HR professionals when considering how to adapt their use of coaches in the light of Covid-19.

The coronavirus crisis thrusts corporate HR chiefs into the spotlight
The Economist
This article from The Economist describes the changing role of HR leaders. It tracks various milestones in corporate history and how the focus of the Chief People Officer has altered and become increasingly important to the executive suite. HR leaders are seen as vital in keeping the people agenda as a central priority during times of crisis.

Adapting workplace learning in the time of coronavirusAlok Kshirsagar, Tarek Mansour, Liz McNally, and Marc Metakis, McKinseyThis article provides a good view of the changing nature of Learning & Development and the need to adapt learning styles away from traditional classroom modes of delivery. This trend has only been accelerated by current circumstances.

Why Inclusivity Needs to be the Backbone of Performance Reviews
Aubrey Blanche, TLNT
A useful reminder that performance reviews need to be mindful of inclusion, with some good pointers on how to ensure those reviewing don’t lose sight of inclusion during the review process. Under the pressure of the current crisis, there is a greater risk that biases can creep in – so this is a good reminder about how to mitigate against that.

Weekly Wrap: Coronavirus for HR and Remote Work Resource Compilation
Lance Haun, TLNT
This website has a number of useful materials especially with regard to the impact Covid-19 is having on the workplace. It acts as a kind of portal and details information on communications, remote working, people styles etc. As one article in the portal says ‘By taking the time to understand how their people work, in their offices and at home, and how they relate to others, employers can equip their workforce with the tools required to manage stress, remain engaged, and be productive through this crisis’

How to create effective online diversity trainings
Janice Gassam, Forbes 
Some interesting insights on how distance learning can be used for inclusion training and the practices that make sessions engaging for participants.

Reverse / Reciprocal Mentoring

Why Reverse Mentoring Works and How to Do It Right
HBR article, October 2019 
Focuses on Millennials but also transferable to other groups. Key messages include that the right match is crucial, address participants fear of feeling vulnerable and speaking truth to power, and ensure strong commitment from mentees. 

Reverse mentoring – seeing things differently
Civil Service blog, October 2019 
A mentor and mentee share their thoughts on the power of reverse mentoring, including the challenges and benefits. 

What is reverse mentoring?
Business in the Community Factsheet
Brief factsheet that provides a basic guide to the benefits of reverse mentoring for both mentors and mentees. 

What is reverse mentoring and why do you need it?
2.5 min clip by Jacob Morgan outlining the basics of reverse mentoring. Initial focus is on Millennials but messages transferable to all groups. 

Reverse mentoring
NHS Northamptonshire Healthcare Trust
8 min clip capturing a mentor and mentee talking about the impact of reverse mentoring on the race agenda. Refers to concepts such as white privilege, emotional shift from theoretical understanding to wanting to use your influence to make change. Talks about creating the environment to have courageous conversations.

The Bottom Line – Meetings, BBC Radio 4 – here. 

Getting feedback right on diverse teams, Harvard Business Review – here. 

4 Phrases That Build a Culture of Curiosity – read here. 

Why Diverse and Inclusive Teams Are the Engines of Innovation – read here. 

Don’t Let Hybrid Work Set Back Your DEI Efforts
Alexandra Samuel and Tara Robertson
As organisations shift towards hybrid working, how do leaders ensure that the equity-enhancing aspects of remote working are maintained? Tracking data to assess who is working from home and who is spending more time in the office is key, along with leaders role modeling inclusive hybrid working practices. It’s also crucial to monitor the link between the path to promotion and time in the office to avoid people who spend more time in the office advancing faster. The move to hybrid working could be beneficial to everyone – let’s ensure it enhances inclusion rather than exacerbate inequity.

Designing the Hybrid Office
HBR
In response to the pandemic, the purpose of offices is being revisited as companies adapt to a new hybrid working model. This article explores how forward thinking companies are developing spaces to provide workers with an opportunity to make connections, engage in unplanned innovation, build relationships and foster a learning environment.

It’s time for leaders to get real about hybrid
McKinsey & Company
Employers are grappling with how and where people will work after fully working remotely. This article explores the reality that many people are struggling with the relationship they have with both work and their employers and many are expecting to move job. It also refers to the need for leaders to embrace fallibility, being open that they may not have all the answers and also for them to genuinely listen to their staff and hear what they want. Creating a workplace with inclusion and wellbeing at its heart will be essential as the workplace continues to evolve.

65 Predictions About the Future of Work and Life
Chris Herd, Medium
Chris Herd, CEO of Firstbase has written some fascinating blogs and tweet threads (@chris_herd) about the future of work, in particular how remote working is likely to revolutionise how we do what we do. Herd describes how Covid-19 has accelerated shifts in how employees and organisations engage with one another and the affect this will have on how we all live. This short article provides 65 top line trends he thinks we need to be watching out for.

How to manage a hybrid team
HBR
Managing a hybrid team can be challenge, especially in a context where people’s needs and expectations are constantly changing. This article outlines practical ways managers can engage with their team members, whether in the office or working remotely. Checking proximity bias, being clear about meeting schedules and applying transparent performance management and development approaches are key to managing a hybrid team in an inclusive way.

 5 Questions That (Newly) Virtual Leaders Should Ask Themselves
Melissa Raffoni
A challenge to leaders to identify ways they need to develop to lead effectively in a virtual setting. The article acknowledges the factors that make working together virtually so challenging, and then outlines the questions leaders can ask to help themselves adapt effectively.

What Will Work-Life Balance Look Like After the Pandemic?
Bobbi Thomason and Heather Williams
A call for business leaders to take the opportunity to learn from what has worked well during the crisis and to question the efficiency of pre-C19 ways of working, with a particular emphasis on navigating a better work-life balance.

 The “IBM Work From Home Pledge”
This is interesting because it moves beyond general principles into explicitly outlining what it means in practice to work well from home. The pledge gets really specific about the ‘how’ – for example when describing working flexibly, being family sensitive and checking in on one another.

 Coronavirus: How to work from home, the right way
Bryan Lufkin, BBC
With the coronanvirus making working from home (WFH) the ‘new normal’ – this round up from the BBC provides a good, accessible summary of what to do, and what to avoid. It offers practical advice for those getting used to WFH and is good on how to establish effective work patterns and boundaries.

7 Tips for Successfully Managing Remote Teams
Jason Aten, Inc
This piece is an accessible and easy to follow guide for people managers leading remote teams. A two-minute read that distils some sensible advice into a simple 7 simple point – with a clear emphasis on the need for frequent and effective communications.

How to work from home without losing your sanity
Kathryn Vasel, CNN Business
A guide for remote workers to ensure they set themselves up for success and take advantage of the new way of working. It also has some guidance on not overworking but in maintaining a good balance of work and life.

How the best remote teams communicate
Lila MacLellan, quartz at Work
This research-based piece gets beyond general advice on the importance of communication when people are remote working to pinpoint the type of communication that is most effective. It describes how “bursts of rapid communication, followed by longer periods of silence, are tell-tale signs of successful teams.”

8 Ways to Manage Your Team While Social Distancing
Timothy R. Clark, HBR
This piece from Harvard Business Review gives some good high-level thinking for managers in terms of how they should manage their teams remotely.

A blueprint for remote working: Lessons from China
Raphael Bick, Michael Chang, Kevin Wei Wang, and Tianwen Yu , McKinsey Digital
The reliance on good technology is never more important than when operating a remote working business model. This article from McKinsey gives very useful insights into the best technology products that are available and how well suited they are for the different modes of communication we can employ when managing remote teams.

Working from home? Here are five ways to reduce procrastination and be productive
The Conversation
This is a simple and clear article which emphasises good self-management techniques and principles so that remote workers pay important attention to their own wellbeing.

How to take a conference call when you absolutely hate taking conference calls
Hollie Richardson, Stylist
For those of us doing a conference call for the first time this has some interesting guidance on how to make the best impact.

Tips from our Global Coach team on how to find a remote working style that suits
Executive Coaching Consultancy
This thoughtful article describes the realities of working from home and the fact that for many it will take some adjustment. It also acknowledges that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’. Psychological health, goal setting and staying connected all feature here.

A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers
Barbara Z. Larson , Susan R. Vroman and Erin E. Makarius, HBR
A good overview of ‘how to’ for managers leading remote teams as well as some useful steers for those working remotely.

Quartz’s guide to keeping your remote team connected in times of crisis
Dasia Moore & Clarissa Pharr, Quartz
A simple summary from Quartz on what it takes to keep colleagues productive, healthy and connected during this crisis. It spans everything from software and hardware needs to establishing a healthy routine.