Diversity training doesn’t work.

I should know. I’ve spent over 15 years as a social justice educator and I can tell you…

…most “diversity training” doesn’t work.

Why not?

Because employers are conditioned to offer it for fear of litigation, and employees are conditioned to pass the exam to avoid recrimination.

But diversity training shouldn’t be about libel chill or scoring points with the HR department.

It should be about lasting cultural change in your organization…something that’s organic, that comes as second nature to your leadership team and your employees.

Quality diversity training should result in an actual shift in your understanding of the issues that impact every facet of your life – not just your work life.

“Every system is exquisitely designed to produce the results it gets.”

Frances Kendall summed it up nicely. It’s true.

When you relegate your diversity training to a 45-minute “pre-conference” mandatory session, or a break-out at a professional development retreat, what do your employees take away?

They sit through the seminar, listening to someone like me give a 30-minute presentation and a 10-minute Q&A, a 5-minute test. They fill out a test, they have a couple epiphanies, they congratulate themselves on their enlightened attitude. 

And they genuinely feel more informed. I’m not taking anything away from that 45-minute crash-course in diversity education.

But here’s the catch: the lesson fades.

If they remember my name, it’ll be a miracle.

I’m not going to lie.

If you said my participants would remember my name two days after a 45-minute presentation, I’d be ecstatic.

And I can’t blame them. 

Most company retreats are designed to immerse employees in the launch of a new product or get enthused about a new CEO. They listen to an inspirational speaker who beat the odds and rose to the top…

The information and inspiration cramming is useful…I’m not dismissing it.

But there’s a big difference between rolling out the features and benefits of a new software platform and teaching people about the economy, race, and gender imbalances embedded in society, their organization, themselves…

…and the meaningful ways to combat it.

Several years ago, I read an article in Forbes magazine penned by advertising executive Victor Lipman – Why Doesn’t Diversity Training Work?

I watched the responses carefully because I was curious to see how people – leaders – would respond to his message.

“Do people who undergo training shed their biases?”

Lipman’s conclusion was, “No.”

People who learned how to pass the exam didn’t actually learn how to overcome their preconceived notions of gender and race imbalance. The interactions weren’t meaningful and the lessons simply didn’t stick.

In the end, he merged his team – charged with creating a “diverse” ad campaign – with the Multicultural Marketing team, which was scattered all over the globe. 

They collaborated, and his creative staff absorbed the culture of diversity in a subtle, lasting way. It worked because, among other factors, they were all pursuing the same outcome: a successful ad campaign that boosted company profits.

Lipman’s message needs to be heard. Diversity training needs to go deeper than a 30-minute speech and a multiple-choice questionnaire.

The training has to be meaningful to be lasting…

Diversity training is more than ticking boxes

Getting a grasp on diversity has never been more important for leaders. 

We’re all working remotely, immersed in our own bubble. It can be easy to forget the complexity of the society in which we work…the voices that need be amplified.

Diversity training doesn’t have to be a static, stifling classroom. It can be a dynamic, immersive environment – even virtually – in which people learn and expand their understanding of the issues confronting us all every day, in our work and personal lives.

If you’d like to explore the possibilities for diversity training that doesn’t conform to the status quo, contact me and we’ll get the conversation started.

Meaningful change requires working on yourself first

Cultural differences – a matter of perspective & conditioning.

Class privilege wears a disguise…you can unmask it