{"id":4665,"date":"2020-02-18T21:50:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T02:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/promptaai.com\/?p=4665"},"modified":"2021-04-27T13:53:07","modified_gmt":"2021-04-27T17:53:07","slug":"diversity-inclusion-practical-implementation-for-leaders-part-ii-building-and-maintaining-a-strong-di-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/promptaai.com\/es\/diversity-inclusion-practical-implementation-for-leaders-part-ii-building-and-maintaining-a-strong-di-team\/","title":{"rendered":"Diversity & Inclusion: Practical Implementation for Leaders – PART II: Building and Maintaining a Strong D&I Team"},"content":{"rendered":"
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So, you\u2019ve put together your diverse team (if you haven\u2019t yet, read Part 1<\/a>). Now what? There are three rules I used for all of my teams:\u00a0<\/p>

  1. I expect full transparency; don\u2019t filter your words, speak your truth and share your ideas respectfully.<\/li>
  2. EQ<\/a> is a must at all times.<\/li>
  3. \u201cOne Team One Dream\u201d; combining our strengths and focus to accomplish our goals\/vision.<\/li><\/ol>

    This is where Inclusion is crucial to your team\u2019s performance, potential and success. Rule one ensures that everyone has a voice<\/strong><\/span>; it is expected, encouraged and welcomed.\u00a0 Each person is hired to contribute to the overall goal, so let them (isn\u2019t that what we pay them for)!\u00a0 Therefore, I expected to hear ideas, opinions, disagreements, questions, concerns, agreements, etc. at all of my meetings from my team\u2019s members (not just during our weekly 1:1 meetings).\u00a0 As long as they were respectful and used EQ (sometimes called EI, which is my #2 rule) especially towards people with differing opinions, as a team I knew we would develop the best strategies, execute with accuracy and efficiency, provide the best insights, develop the strongest communicators and create the most business opportunities through creativity for growth.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Mistakes are opportunities for growth<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    In order to grow, there have to be mistakes.\u00a0 When mistakes happened, I focused on the lessons learned and how each person worked through the situation; what their actions were and how they improved as a result. \u00a0As a leader, my goal was to support everyone on my team to develop their required skillset in order to get to where they wanted to be (while we our business deliverables).\u00a0<\/p>

    Every person on your team has a goal or dream, how are you supporting them to get there?\u00a0 What skills do they have or still need to obtain?\u00a0 How are you ensuring they develop the skills required for a promotion or transfer? \u00a0What are their unique strengths and how are they using them?\u00a0 \u00a0I would create as many opportunities for my team as I could whenever I felt they were ready or they communicated they were interested.\u00a0<\/p>

    If a member of my team wasn\u2019t ready for the next steps, I would partner them with others, coach them, provide books or other educational materials to support their growth and preparation.\u00a0 I would volunteer my team members for corporate initiatives, have them represent me in meetings, or take them with me to meetings. \u00a0I did everything in my power to support them including to ask others in the company to provide development opportunities.\u00a0 I also ensured that when I was ready to move on, I had my predecessor ready to move in.\u00a0 I ensured my team members were successful when they moved to their next level through preparation and readiness; I never set people up to fail.\u00a0 Stay connected with your team, know their goals and support them through mistakes; we all make mistakes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Leaders can use constructive feedback too<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Every year I asked my team to complete an informal \u201cStart-Stop-Continue\u201d.\u00a0 I would select a person on my team to be the \u2018representative voice\u2019 to elaborate on details from their feedback. \u00a0Part of this process included my sharing of what I ascertained from them and enabling them to hold me accountable to my promises.\u00a0 When you do this exercise at key times during the year, you will often discover what your teams need from you changes based on the demands of the business.\u00a0 Some companies provide 360-feedback for their leaders which could replace the need for \u2018Start-Stop-Continue\u2019, but my teams always appreciated its format and in return it helped me to be a better leader for them.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Dealing with poor performers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    What if a person on your team isn\u2019t performing to your expectations in their current role?\u00a0 I always started with looking at their potential and considered whether or not they were set-up for success.\u00a0 I would lay out my expectations and review whether the individual had the capability to achieve the requirements of their role.\u00a0 If they had the ability, then I would ask them as well as their colleagues, \u201cHow we can we support \u2018you\u2019 to get there?\u201d and proceed with a plan including check-in points and measures for accountability.\u00a0 A \u201cteam\u201d only works if everyone is fully included, engaged and participating; if that isn\u2019t the case, then it won\u2019t work.<\/p>

    If this supportive approach didn\u2019t work, as a leader, I had to know when to end the struggle.\u00a0 It\u2019s not good for the team (they\u2019re picking up the \u201cslack\u201d and\/or it\u2019s causing disruptions to the work-flow) and the person who is struggling is also not benefitting. This leads to the third rule: \u201cOne team, one dream.\u201d Everyone has to be contributing and focused on our goals<\/u><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>

    It\u2019s the leader\u2019s responsibility to ensure their work environment supports the team and that each team member is set-up for success.\u00a0 Everyone has talent, sometimes the person just isn\u2019t a fit.\u00a0 Be respectful to everyone and let the individual struggling move on to another division or company where they can apply their talents.\u00a0 Be honest, considerate and supportive – remember, there was a reason you hired them or acquired them onto your team.\u00a0 Everyone will benefit from you taking the lead and cleaning up the situation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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    The other side of the D&I coin<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    As a leader, you must be the voice and a role model for your team.\u00a0 A successful leader is:<\/p>