Top Tier Managers

Are our leaders and managers inclusive enough?

Change Management
People Management

A marketing and communications agency wanted to explore how their leaders could demonstrate a commitment to authentic inclusivity, by becoming role models and advocates for inclusivity across the business.

Our brief was to answer the following:

  • How can we ensure that our leaders make employees feel valued and that they belong?
  • How do we encourage our team members to speak up, challenge our thinking, make recommendations and be proactive problem solvers?
  • What can we do to help leaders stay curious, pay attention to diversity of thinking and seek to understand those around them?

The solution

A 360 facilitator ran a series of 90-minute workshops for senior leaders on the five behaviours associated with inclusive leadership. We defined how we believed inclusive leaders behaved: with commitment, humility, curiosity, collaboration and emotional intelligence. Through the use of reflective exercises and organisational specific case studies we built an understanding of the strengths and shortfalls in these areas. The benefits of inclusivity to the organisation as a whole were also discussed: if employees felt recognised and listened to, they were more likely to air their views, contribute to company objectives and go the extra mile.

Results

Leaders came away with a clear understanding of where both collective and individual action needed to be taken. There was a significant uplift in commitment to demonstrating behaviour on a daily basis that would help to build an inclusive culture. The use of coaching as an inclusive practice was highlighted and learners focused on coaching as a tool to help drive innovation, engagement and problem solving.