February 02, 2022 - Harvard Business Review - Recently, a client asked us to put together a program to accelerate promotion opportunities for what it referred to as its “diverse talent.” Based on our additional research, we realized the requirements for promotion at this company were skills that many employees were struggling with at the time — both those folks with marginalized identities and those without.Summary. Professional development initiatives intended to help underrepresented employees don’t always lead to the progress leaders think they will — especially if those initiatives are designed around a harmful expectation of assimilation. The authors suggest examining the company’s expectations of assimilation and professionalism, reframing professional development programs, adjusting feedback processes, and focusing on relationships.
By targeting only a select few with this promotion program, it created a false narrative that only individuals from underrepresented backgrounds needed help developing these skills and that something was inherently wrong with how they performed. What’s more, these kinds of programs set a single standard for professionalism and therefore promote and lead to assimilation — the opposite of real inclusion...
Ken Notes: Let me know if these "Non Wisconsin" items are useful. I found this one very interesting...
Share this article on you social outlets
Our Sponsors
- - Volume: 10 - WEEK: 6 Date: 2/2/2022 4:26:06 PM -