Diversity

Maximizing Excellence Through

  and Shared Responsibilities

As a multi-cultural organization your organization requires a work environment that is welcoming and supportive of people with talent and commitment. Success requires getting and keeping the best people in the community – the most talented and the most committed, regardless of other demographic characteristics – and channeling that talent and commitment toward goals.  

Traditional approaches to Diversity training and consulting often focus narrowly on the awareness and understanding of differences in certain categories of people.  While this is an essential piece, it is not enough. Cultural Inclusion, on the other hand, focuses on how to bring in and keep the best of all cultures so that you have the best problem-solving, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurial effort, and excellent execution – in short, so that your organization will be more successful. Cultural Inclusion is integrally linked to strategic direction, work plans, processes, and practices. It becomes embedded in the organization’s culture.

Our Approach  

AlexanderHancock Associates uses a 5-phase approach to implementing Cultural Inclusion.  These 5 phases are:

1.      Assessment

2.      Direction-Setting

3.      Strategic Planning

4.      Implementing

5.      Sustaining

1. Assessment

The purpose of assessment is to gather information about

Ÿ         The current climate for cultural inclusion

Ÿ         What is and is not working in the current environment

Ÿ         The goals of the leadership team in relation to cultural inclusion

Ÿ         Potential barriers to achieving these goals

Ÿ         Picture of what is needed for successful goal achievement

Ÿ         The level of management commitment to goals

2.      Direction-Setting: Vision, Mission , and Goals

We use a facilitated planning session with the Leadership Team to:

Ÿ Feed back the results of the survey and interviews, and provide analysis of this data

Ÿ Provide an overview of the process of building a culturally inclusive organization, and a culture of meritocracy

Ÿ Clarify the vision and mission with respect to diversity

Ÿ Agree on goals and measures

Ÿ Solidify commitment

3.      Strategic Planning

Once the direction is set by the Leadership Team, we  work with the Diversity/Training Officer (or appropriate staff) and the Human Resources department to flesh out the strategic plan to include:

Ÿ Initiatives

Ÿ Goals and Objectives

Ÿ Measures

4.      Implementation

Implementation will involve both training and other organizational initiatives:

a.       Design and deliver customized training

                                                               i.      Managers: Training will include what is required of managers to create and sustain a culturally inclusive culture with an emphasis on meritocracy.

                                                             ii.      Individual contributors: Training will emphasize individual responsibility for creating and sustaining a culturally inclusive culture with an emphasis on meritocracy, and responsibility for own development and growth.

b.      Other organizational strategies

AlexanderHancock Associates will provide consulting as needed to support efforts to create, strengthen, and sustain culturally inclusive systems and practices in order to ensure an environment that is welcoming and supportive to talented women and minorities.

  Emphasis will be on

Ÿ         Performance management

Ÿ         Recruitment and selection processes

Ÿ         Mentoring

Ÿ         Training and other development processes

Ÿ         Support systems for women and minorities (affinity groups, women’s roundtable, etc.)

Ÿ         Retention strategies

Ÿ         Minority vendor program

Ÿ         Other systems and processes as needed    

5.      Sustaining

a.       Measurement:

                                                               i.      Approximately 6 months after attending the training, a questionnaire will be sent to all participants. Results will be summarized and provided.

                                                             ii.      We recommend that the organizational climate survey be repeated approximately 12 months after initial survey and results will be compared to the initial results.

                                                            iii.      Data will be collected to measure progress against goals set in the strategic plan

b.      On-going Support

                                                               i.      AlexanderHancock Associates can provide on-going consultation during the implementation process as needed.

                                                             ii.      We can provide individual coaching (both distance and face-to-face) and/or team alignment consulting as needed.

Training Content  

The training workshops will be custom designed for Your company, working in partnership with your designated Diversity/Training Officer, to be focused around our A⁴  process: Awareness, Acknowledgement, Alignment, Action.

We frwquently propose a 1-day session for all employees and an additional 1/2-day session for managers regarding how to manage a culturally inclusive organization, beginning with top management wherever possible.  Training is designed to be interactive and fast-paced.  It will be aligned with the vision and goals and will be appropriate to the culture of the organization. 

Core modules will include:

Ÿ         The differences between “diversity” and cultural inclusion

Ÿ         What is a meritocracy?

Ÿ         Why cultural inclusion

Ÿ         The benefits of cultural inclusion: business and human factors; personal and organizational factors

Ÿ         Responsibilities: organizational, team, individual, and shared

Ÿ         The A⁴  process

Ÿ         Cross-cultural communication

Ÿ         Identifying and overcoming barriers to a culturally inclusive workplace

Ÿ         Individual alignment and action

Manager modules will also include:

Ÿ         Recruiting and selecting the best, with diversity in mind

Ÿ         Identifying potential

Ÿ         Coaching and mentoring talent

Ÿ         Ensuring a work climate that supports cultural inclusion and retains talent

Ÿ         Measuring progress

Ÿ         Aligning performance management processes

Ÿ         Aligning the minority vendor program   

AlexanderHancock Associates offers consulting assistance in this subject. Because of the custom nature of our consulting work, we request that you contact us directly to discuss your needs or email us at  inquiry@alexanderhancock.com.

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