Corporate America’s renewed commitment to facilitate an equitable and inclusive work environment is refreshing. But now comes the tough part. You actually have to do something. Because if nothing changes, nothing changes.
First you must acknowledge that your current company culture is a reflection of your leadership team, their decisions and their actions. Real change will require new leadership skills, tools and behaviors. Aligning awareness and education with targeted action and tools can begin to change the way things are done which when repeated will begin to shape new leadership behaviors.
A great way to get started is by launching a Leader Resource Group that provides your leaders with the learning environment, skills, tools and support network they need to hone their existing leadership skills and embrace new skills and behaviors needed for real change.
A Leader Resource Group (LRG) is a member led group that engages company leaders in learning and discussions. It combines best practices in adult learning with the proven infrastructure of Employee Resource Groups. The goal of an LRG is to help strengthen a leader’s ability to foster an inclusive and engaged workplace and deliver sustainable results that align with their organizational mission, values and goals.
Monthly 2-hour LRG events provide an interactive learning environment and establishes a network of people who can share common experiences. The approach increases knowledge retention, makes learning seem easier, is more cost effective than traditional training and provides the added benefit of strengthening your leadership team. It’s a low-cost approach and most LRGs can be launched using existing company resources.
Leaders who know how to build trust, leverage basic leadership tools and foster a work environment where everyone feels valued, respected and heard are able to quickly build top performing teams where everyone thrives. And that’s real change.