The Best First Steps In Improving Organizational Climate

Experts agree that as demographic diversity plays an increasing role in the success of organizations, leaders must continue to consider the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) practices. As the emphasis on organizational DE&I becomes increasingly common, the industry approach is for organizations to initially focus their attention on training programs. This is a common misstep that “places the cart in front of the horse”. It is imperative that leaders assess and measure employee and stakeholder needs and expectations before determining what training and development may need to occur.

Although training and development on DE&I related topics may seem like an adequate and viable method for change, the practice is not always successful at leading to positive outcomes. When an organization implements trainings and workshops, often these are scheduled to address anecdotal feedback, an occurrence of hostility, a reaction to what competitors are doing, or a response to the latest trends or catchphrase in industry. The unintended impact of these trainings and workshops is that a company’s stated DE&I strategy may appear disingenuous and not intentional and therefore do not move the needle on stated organizational goals. This method does not disrupt the institutional practices that likely necessitated the prescribed workshops and training in the first place.

Before determining what direction an organization should head, decisions must be informed by data. Consulting employees and stakeholders on organizational needs must be step one. Assessing, measuring, and gathering data from this group will lead to emergence of an intentional strategic planning driven by stakeholders, ensuring buy-in at all levels of the organization. These same individuals will provide valuable insight when creating action plans to meet the newly developed strategic goals. Too often strategic decisions are made exclusively at a high level, in a vacuum without first having sufficient data and participation from team members at large.

While training and development will inevitably play an integral role in an organization’s strategic planning, we must be careful not to move abruptly in our organizational change. Begin with a formal needs assessment to determine state of the workforce climate and needs, might provide helpful insight in determining the right strategic direction for an organization. What is most important is that this strategic direction is supported by an action plan that is measurable that can periodically be assessed for progress.