DEI Reflection Exercises to Make You a Better Manager
DEI is at the core of people operations. It impacts your team’s productivity, satisfaction and psychological safety. DEI reflection exercises are a useful way to step back and re-evaluate your leadership, along with its impact on your people. Engaging in regular reflections as a manager can strengthen your empathy for others, boost problem-solving and make you a better leader overall.
Start with the basics: What does DEI mean to me and my company? What does it mean for my team? What values do I want to keep top-of-mind? From there you can go into deeper thematic areas of leadership. Here are some themed reflection prompts with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion to get you started.
Do I feel well-equipped to reflect on DEI at my org?
It can be hard to find the right terminology to express what you think and feel about DEI. If you feel unprepared to reflect, take some time to learn and listen first. This Crescendo resource breaks down common DEI terminology and how to know what to use. If you’re not sure where to start, you can also book a free consultation with one of our DEI Strategists.
Reflect:
Do I engage with DEI topics regularly? Do I feel comfortable addressing them?
What skills do I need to reflect on DEI? Are there any tools or training that I need to feel better equipped?
Does my team represent diversity of thought and experience?
Diversity is at the basic level - or the bare minimum for DEI. There are countless reasons that make the case for diversity, including increased creativity, innovative solutions, better problem-solving, and advantages for the bottom line. Our culture often shapes our experiences, and so do our abilities, ethnicity, nationality, gender, etc. A truly diverse team has a wide range of experiences, professional and otherwise, that contribute to their work and collaboration.
Reflect:
What does diversity mean to me? What does it mean to my team?
What role do I play in cultivating diversity?
Does my team represent a range of visible and invisible attributes that make up a diverse team? You can consider culture, race, gender identity, disability, neurodiversity, and more.
Are my hiring methods equitable enough to accommodate diversity? E.g. Are there screening biases I need to consider? Would a different technique like a blind resume review be more effective? Do I use a culture-fit or culture-add lens when evaluating candidates?
Remember: The goal is not to have a diverse team for the sake of it. Hiring underrepresented and minority employees for virtue-signaling leads to bad consequences for them and the business. Diversity only works when inclusion and equity are a part of the picture too (more on this soon). When done right, diversity contributes to real strides in all areas of business.
How is my team’s retention?
Reflecting on the retention of your team members is key to understanding the driving forces behind diversity. That is, the factors that lie beyond the surface - inclusion, equity and belonging. If team members feel accepted, heard, and able to fully bring themselves to work, they are likely to stay on longer.
Reflect:
How many people have left my team in the last 6-12 months? The last two years?
How long is the average employment period for employees? How about for underrepresented and minority employees specifically? Are there any noticeable trends?
Are there any patterns in the reasons for leaving? Do I conduct exit interviews?
Do my employees get opportunities for advancement, up-skilling/development?
Is there a disconnect between leadership and employees? Does the state of inclusion at your organization play a role in this?
How you see your own leadership style often doesn’t match up with how your team sees you. You can bridge this divide with 360-degree feedback - getting input from your team, other managers at your org and your supervisor.
Reflect:
What do other leaders think about the state of leadership at my company? What do I think about my own leadership?
What do my employees think about my leadership? How about underrepresented employees?
If there is a difference in perspective, what are some reasons for this?
How often do I collect feedback on my leadership?
Feedback from your employees is integral to understanding the state of DEI at your org and your leadership efficacy. You can collect feedback at intervals but just be sure to be regular. At minimum, you should aim to get feedback from your employees at least once per quarter.
Reflect:
How do I feel about feedback? Am I receptive to it?
Is there any friction in the feedback process? For example, if you send out an anonymous survey, do people avoid giving feedback out of fear of getting in trouble for being honest? Is the process too time consuming and not incentivized?
Do I take accountability for the feedback I receive? Does it translate into action?
See our resource on How to Invite Real, Honest Feedback from your Direct Reports for insight on how to collect genuine feedback that you can use to improve your leadership.
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We recommend reflecting on these prompts regularly - such as quarterly or monthly. This consistency will help you make smoother changes over time, rather than sudden ones that are difficult for you and your team to adapt to. You can also change these exercises up to suit you and your team’s individual needs.