Inclusion is a performance prerogative
Shifting the diversity paradigm
Many organisations are attempting to enhance workplace culture through diversity and inclusion initiatives, in order to create an environment that fosters a sense of engagement among employees. Inclusive organisations understand — and seek to capture — the power of a varied cognitive landscape. This inevitably results in a rise in performance and productivity, when people recognise that their contributions to collective success aren’t simply measured in one-to-five scales and hours worked.
Initiatives for building inclusion
D&I initiatives are no longer seen by colleagues as a ‘nice to have’ or a ‘soft skill.’ They are an expectation. APS offers a range of services to help with a number of D&I initiatives:
We still exist in an era of transactional leadership and differential experiences among groups of people in the workplace. An abundance of available evidence sadly doesn’t preclude the need for some ‘home truths’ about the performance advantages of an inclusive organisation. Speeches by John Amaechi can serve as a launchpad for your D&I efforts.
Our leadership development program helps identify and fill any gaps in your leadership skills, knowledge and understanding. Our Giant community provides access to a wealth of insight as part of a diverse cohort of leaders, and future leaders be challenged and supported in equal measure as you learn and develop
network in a unique community of professionals across all sectors across the UK and worldwide
ERG/Network evolution
All too often, employee resource groups and networks are limited to providing a much-needed sanctuary for marginalised people, This isn’t because of a lack of capability, but the organisation’s failure to see them as vital strategic sounding boards. APS knows how to move ERGs from ‘safe spaces’ to ‘skunkworks’, using a strategic approach rooted in governance, executive sponsorship, alignment with organisational objectives, and intersectionality.
The Big Question
The one-hour Big Question format provides a platform which combines APS expertise with on-the-spot answers to common D&I questions. We design the question to be addressed with internal sponsors in order to pinpoint a real-world issue that your organisation is facing right now. One of our most popular offerings, The Big Question provides vital information in a pragmatic way, delivering easy-to-implement tools that create more inclusive workplace culture.
Anatomy of Inclusion
The Anatomy of Inclusion workshop guides participants through frank conversations about the status quo of inclusivity and the desire within organisations to expand, and then maximise, cultural diversity. APS uses the best contemporary science on inclusion, explained through stories and vignettes that make the concepts relevant to a broad cross-section of people. Content will challenge participants, demand introspection, and inspire positive change.
Myths of D&I
Change doesn’t begin from a blank slate. It begins with numerous perspectives and strongly-held ideas about the status quo. In order to create effective change, an intervention must start by helping people unlearn false narratives and disavow ‘facts’ that are really myths. The Myths of D&I workshop is an interactive session creating ‘A ha!’ moments that serve as the foundation for new learning.
When it comes to D&I initiatives, organisations can ‘do something,’ or they can do something effective. Recent events mean that colleagues are watching closely to make sure that reactive rhetoric is matched with strategic plans for change that represent ‘something effective.’ APS provides advisory to Boards, C-Suite, and People Leaders to provide support to help organisations become rooted in inclusion for performance.
Effective D&I initiatives require a firm understanding of the status quo. Only with this knowledge can solutions with meaningful and sustainable outcomes be delivered. The Organisational Diagnostic doesn’t focus on ‘symptoms’ of non-inclusion, but rather digs deep to identify the root causes that prevent organisations from realising the performance benefits of being truly inclusive. If you need a place to start, this is it.
Do you offer ‘unconscious bias training’? Short answer: No.
You may have come here looking for unconscious bias training and found such an offering to be absent from our portfolio. This isn’t because we don’t have services to address bias in the workplace, which is a very real thing. We believe our approach is superior to the ubiquitous UBT training because we use an evidence-based methodology that goes far beyond ‘raising awareness’ and instead creates actual behaviour change. Please get in touch if you need a solution for addressing bias in the workplace. We’ll be happy to tell you what we know works for all.