Making DEI Trainings More Effective

Trainings, workshops, and conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion have become more commonplace across all kinds of organisations. Companies are beginning to understand the need for policies and cultures that allow people of all identities to thrive. This will never happen on its own and needs an active and ongoing effort to achieve. Inclusion is hard! There can be issues of competing belief systems, a lack of understanding of difference and identity, and a sense that these issues are not appropriate to discuss in the workplace.

But we spend a lot of time at work, with our colleagues and immersed in the organisational culture. Each person deserves to be able to show up at work as their full selves and engage in ways that feel comfortable and relevant for them. Many companies are realising that even though people will profess out loud a commitment to inclusion (“I’m not sexist!” “I treat everyone equally!” etc), there are still issues of discrimination, harassment, and policies that aren’t equitable for all staff.

It’s unrealistic to expect that every organisation has a myriad of staff who are well-versed in these issues. Inclusion is a skill. Inclusive hiring practices don’t magically happen because an inclusion statement is added to a job description – it takes awareness, knowledge, and skill to build these procedures. That’s where the training comes in! Diversity and inclusion are often seen as topics that exist within the public domain – meaning that many folks feel that they have a lot of knowledge on the topic simply because it is often presented in the news, through other media, and in day-to-day conversations. However, that simply isn’t true. Like any other field of study or inquiry, there are people who have more expertise in these areas. Organisations should tap on those folks when looking to bring trainings to their teams.

Research on what makes the most effective trainings is ongoing. For the most part, it’s inconclusive and different studies have shared different results. One meta-study, reviewing 260 independent samples, indicated that successful training can and does occur and that training that focuses on cognitive learning can create the longest-term impacts. Below are some things that I’ve noticed in my years of training (i.e., it’s not specific research! But I have done a lot of trainings J ) that create more effective learning and engagement.

First, I want to focus on the organisational intent and planning process. No training is going to be effective if it’s not clear why it is happening and connected to larger initiatives that an organisation is committed to. These are the items I consider to be the most important when organisations are considering engaging a trainer:

·      Leadership engagement – It seems strange, but inclusion efforts are one of the times where a top-down approach has been demonstrated to be effective. Senior leaders in an organisation need to be on board with the efforts, trainings, and initiatives. They can use various means to communicate the importance of attending sessions, affirm their own commitment to inclusion, and be an active participant in these conversations. Senior leader engagement with these topics also sends the message that everyone has something new to learn.

·      Know the need – Before engaging a trainer, organisations need to know what they want to get out of it. “More inclusion,” “better work environment” “awareness of gender issues” – these statements are not clear enough. Do you want to increase diverse representation in management by X%? Do you want to start up an employee resource group for LGBTQ staff? Do you want to give all staff the language to discuss unconscious bias?

·      Work closely with the trainer – I am personally not a fan of one-size-fits-all trainings. Staff are not going to see the rationale behind a workshop if it isn’t contextualised for their experience. Talking about inclusion in the education sector compared to the financial sector are too different to be given the same content. Organisations need to put in the time to work with a trainer to share context, examples, current organisational culture, etc so that the trainer can develop something that will speak clearly to the staff.

·      Try not to be scared – Diversity, equity and inclusion topics can be emotional, challenging, and uncomfortable to talk about. Which is exactly the reason we need to talk about them more. These topics can make people uncomfortable and normalising discussing them at work can help to reduce that. Topics like racism, privilege, transphobia, and ageism can bring up feelings, memories, and experiences that are less than pleasant. But those -isms and issues exist in the workplace, whether they are discussed openly or not. Discussing them allows teams and organisations to do something about it.  

·      Mandatory… Maybe? – I have personally found that there are two kinds of mandatory trainings. One is where a whole team or organisation is required to attend a session. I find these are the least useful sessions. It feels like a “check-the-box” requirement, and often, folks aren’t given the rationale as to why they need to attend. This results in minimal engagement and lack of interest. The other kind of mandatory is where a specific team is responding to a specific need, where everyone is required to go. For instance, I have done trainings on supporting students who have experienced sexual assault, where student-facing staff are required to attend. Even though this is mandatory, there is a clear link to their day-to-day work.

·      Avoid the one-offs – I often get asked to do trainings that can cover multiple topics, create awareness, and give skills… in one hour. This just isn’t possible and may be interpreted as something an organisation is doing to look good or check a box. Organisations that want effective diversity & inclusion training need to think about it holistically. What needs do different teams have? What outcome are bring sought and how much time is needed to achieve it? This is a great time to consult with the trainers- ask how much time is recommended for a team to learn about ability discrimination at work. A one-hour training on a topic that is never touched again is unlikely to leave any lasting impression.

·      It can’t be just training – Effective diversity training doesn’t mean anything without the organisational commitment to creating actual inclusion. If you have a series of workshops for Pride month, but don’t have insurance that covers same-gender partners or is trans-affirming or don’t give equal amounts of parental leave to people of all genders, then the trainings themselves may be seen as hypocritical and as replacements for actual change.

Now we come to the training itself! Training effectively is a skill – trainers need to know how to create useful and relevant content, deliver it in an engaging way, respond to unexpected comments/issues during sessions, and be very knowledgeable in their topic area. The right trainer and content can make a big difference in how teams respond to material, especially on sensitive topics. It’s always a good idea to source and speak with at least 2 trainers before selecting one for your organisation.

Here are some things to keep in mind when designing an effective D&I training:

·      Trainer must know the topic – This seems self-evident, but it’s important to make sure that the trainer knows the topic well and can deliver on it with confidence. With diversity & inclusion, this might also include whether the trainer has personal experience with the issues they are discussing. With D&I trainings especially, the trainer’s own identities may impact the audiences’ perception of their capabilities. For instance, I am a white cisgender male – so if I am asked to talk about gender issues, I am more effective when talking about male allyship and masculinity, because those are my lived experiences.

·      Acknowledge privilege & bias – A good training/trainer needs to set the stage for the sessions. We all have biases and worldviews that we are coming from, and an effective trainer will name those. It’s important to say “this is my perspective, informed from research and personal experience. That doesn’t mean it is categorically right or the only truth.” Trainers are not all-knowing and it’s necessary to acknowledge that.

·      Examples & case studies must be relevant – An effective training should always feel like it is tailor-made for the organisation. If using case studies, ask for specific examples from the organisation itself; random examples should be relevant as well. This helps the teams connect to the actual content and not see it is as a canned training with no relevance.

·      Teach concepts & skills – When I do sessions on inclusive language, I have shifted my focus from actual words to concepts. I still use examples of what non-inclusive language looks like, but trainings are more effective when concepts are being taught. Describing and explaining the general principle behind the idea of inclusive language teaches a concept; giving a list of words that you shouldn’t say doesn’t. Teaching simple skills (strategies for interrupting a microaggression, creating inclusive interview spaces, etc) is also key – this helps connect the concepts to direct action.

·      Comfort Zones should be stretched – Effective trainings are going to push people, and they should. As mentioned above, this stuff is hard. It gets at our core identities, might challenge long-held beliefs, and might create strong emotional reactions. Effective trainings are not afraid to challenge folks to grow, acknowledge their own biases & participation in oppressive structures, and help folks to sit in that discomfort.

·      Call it out! Or in! – Effective trainings and trainers need to be comfortable to name and discuss dynamics happening in the training itself. As people grapple with uncomfortable or unfamiliar topics, they might rely on stereotypes, bias, and/or offensive language when discussing the topic. Trainers shouldn’t fully shut down and dismiss someone’s thoughts, but comments that uphold oppressive structures should be responded to. My favourite method is to say “Yes, that is a comment that I hear a lot in these kinds of sessions and it is a widely held belief. AND, here is a different way of looking at it that might be helpful.” Using a method such as this allows for the validation of someone’s experience and thought while also providing a challenge and additional context.

·      Acknowledge socialisation openly – In every training I give on unconscious bias, I always start by saying:

“The question is not ‘am I biased or not?’ – you are, and so am I. The question is how biased am I, can I recognise when I am acting out of bias, and what can I do to correct that?”

This creates a foundation that is relevant and accurate for all participants. It’s never helpful to pretend that we aren’t biased, never believe in stereotypes, and act inclusive all the time – it’s unrealistic. But creating that foundation that everyone has something to learn about these topics allows participants to enter more calmly and freely into the discussions.

·      Find the “why” – Trainings that are effective will help the participants establish and determine their “why.” Why is this topic important to them? Why is inclusion relevant to their lives? How does it connect to their professional work? Having a specific connection to the topic at hand will help staff approach it with empathy and they will feel much more engaged and energized when participating.

There are, of course, many many ways to create effective trainings. The notes above are what I have learned during my time as a full-time trainer as well as my years working in education, conducting trainings for students and staff on a variety of topics. Talking about inclusion and taking steps towards creating a more inclusive organisational environment is an ongoing process. The training is just one step – but an important one.