An Iterative and CircularJourney in the Art of:
INCLUSION,
DIVERSITY, EQUITY &
FAIRNESS
An Iterative and CircularJourney in the Art of:
INCLUSION,
DIVERSITY, EQUITY &
FAIRNESS
The 4i Leadership Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) program is immersive and experiential. In this program we nurture inclusion, build diversity, and foster genuine equity, fairness and bring attention to bias throughout the process.
Why Conventional ED&I Programs Often Fail
- NO NUTURING: They do not nurture conditions within the existing culture for people of diverse backgrounds to succeed before Diversity hires come in or are promoted. During this point quotas are relied on to tell a story that's never been developed, then the quotas become problematic.
- WRONG FOCUS: The focus of Diversity & Inclusion is on Diversity. The assumption is that Inclusion will organically happen without on-going development and support for ALL members of the team. Inclusion is more than inviting someone to meetings, it entails inviting them wholeheartedly into the discussion, the entire process, from ideation to implementation, while maintaining sensitivity standards and practices.
- MISPLACED PRIORITIES: Equity and fairness often take a backseat in hierarchical organizations that depend on competition and meritocracy which naturally put people at odds with each other. Equity and fairness then become binary instead of part of a reciprocal, iterative, and respectful exchange of ideals.
- MISUNDERSTANDINGS: Sensitivity is usually scoffed at by many because it is seen as a weakness, or people think they need to walk on tiptoes, or just not say the wrong thing. Sensitivity is a subset of inclusion that, when done well, becomes part of the culture and cultivates attitudes of embracing differences in viewpoints, cultures, beliefs, and power.
Our approach seeks to mitigate these potential downfalls
nuture INCLUSION
Inclusion is an action to consciously recognize, welcome and another person's value as a team member. To nuture inclusion is iterative. Paying attention to bias and unconscious bias begins at the start and maintains throughout the process. We don't know what we don't know until we experience situations with awareness.
build DIVERSITY
Diversity comes in many forms of race, age, socioeconomic, educational, disadvantaged, disabled, fully functional, socially challenged, cultural, experiential and organic forms. When we build diviersity we recognize the value in someone from their entire lived experience and build on that for themselves, the team, and the organization.
genuine EQUITY & FAIRNESS
When we start from a genuine and authentic respect for each other as individuals doing our best in the circumstances we have set before us, we can wholeheartedly embrace equity, fairness and our attention to bias as a community building process that takes ongoing active listening and empathy.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AT THE CORE
When we nurture, build and foster growth throughout the process of improvement, we aim to build greater emotional and conversational intelligence which are the cornerstones for building high-performance teams and high-performance collective intelligence.
Working alongside the organization culture, we build awareness of the lived experience of diversity within the range of stakeholder groups the organization functions through and impacts on – teams, Boards, Associations, Customers, Suppliers, Communities etc. This range of experiences becomes our basis for building an inclusive culture.
Our programs inform through experiential learning modes & participative educational forums. The focus is to illuminate the real-life experience of Diverse people both in the workplace and in a broader societal context.
Fostering authentic dialogue within the existing organization/team around minority views, perspectives, biases, and expectations towards diverse people is essential. Working towards recognition of what may need to change to embrace a more Diverse, Equitable, & Inclusive team and creating action around inclusion brings this experience to life.
We work to activate greater empathy, curiosity, and openness towards diverse groups of people.
Working beyond quotas, seeking to become ‘Lighthouses’ to attract diverse thinking, cultures, beliefs and ways of being is the goal. We collaborate to identify how Diversity in roles to be sourced via referral, direct approach, and professional and personal networks should be embraced the achieve the full-range of diverse experiences.
Percentage quotas to match the overall population stats will only satisfy that quota measure. We collaborate to build a diversity program that fosters diversity in discussion, diecision-making, ideation, creativity, problem-solving, competitive advantage, ROI and community building.
Age, gender, LGBTQIA+, race, geographic/cultural origin, disability, religion, language preference, educational level, cognitive ability, cognitive and socioeconomic status can evolve into more than words. People grasping the advantage of everyone's value is the objective.
Having nurtured conditions and created a truly diverse workforce/team, we move to build high levels of psychological safety, foster a consistent sense of belonging for all, and build community amongst employees. This cultivates the potential for real equity and fairness based on sustained inclusion, lasting bonds of comradery, friendship, connection, and shared humanity. By opening to this shared experience, we maximize the potential of diverse teams for boundless creativity, innovation and success.
Developing genuine authenticity through this process requires reviewing, analyzing, evaluating, and observing unconscious bias. We cannot fix that which we do not observe, so we foster learning around how to identify bias when it occurs. When we are aware, we can then create solutions for evolving into our ideal selves.
Human-centered & Experiential Design
Human-centered & Experiential Design
At our core we embrace human-centered and experiential designs in everything we develop. We know people embrace and internalize learning as they experience the human condition.
Storytelling, interviews, interactions, intentionality in activities, and community action with purpose are tools we incorporate to influence change and build empathetic, adaptable, innovative, and resilient leaders.
1on1 Coaching. For those severely lacking self-awareness and emotional intelligence requiring more attention and coaching
Group Coaching. For groups up to 8 members from diverse backgrounds, positions, ages, races and cultures to foster authentic and lively discussions for growth.
Facilitation. For introduction of larger concepts and company direction to set the stage for commitment from the C-Suite.
LMS System. We can work with your own, or build a custom learning management system to keep track of the evolution of each member.
Assessments & ROI. We are advocates of assessment tools and KPIs to measure ROI and growth. We also constantly have the participants assess ourselves so we can iterate and improve for more impactful programs.
LEADERSHIP MODELS within the ED&I Program
LEADERSHIP MODELS within the ED&I Program
- Servant Leadership
- Authentic Leadership
- Regenerative Leadership
- High-Impact Leadership
- Human-Centered Leadership
- Emotional Intelligence