The Snowball Effect: Using “Nudging” to Move Diversity & Inclusion Mountains
Diversity and inclusion is all about progress - not perfection.
As you get cozy this winter, do you ever wonder if your organization’s diversity and inclusion initiatives are like snowflakes? Nice to look at but not making any real impact on the “mountain” of progress you want to achieve?
Having a diversity and inclusion mandate, strategies and training programs are all fantastic. But your team may need a little nudge for long lasting change.
“Nudging” is a behavioral science concept. It involves small, targeted interventions that steer people to make better decisions while respecting freedom of choice. When done well, nudging can help shift organizational and culture change.
So, what makes nudges effective?
Typical corporate messaging can seem overly directive, nagging or “in-your-face”. While nudges offer choices to guide desired behaviours/habits, without shaming, punishing or rationalizing.
Nudges can include personalized messaging, subtle reminders or automatic opt-in actions, which are easy to understand and follow.
Over time, nudges create a snowball effect of increasingly better decision making.
Nudging may be exactly what’s needed to trigger an avalanche of progress towards your diversity and inclusion goals.
As a leader, here are a few examples of simple but effective nudges you could try immediately with your team:
“Adopt a best practice”
Update your Teams/IM status each week with an interesting diversity and inclusion statistic or link to a blog article (like this one!). Try to make it relevant to what your team is working on right now. For example, you can link to the How to Create Inclusive Hiring Practices podcast when they’re recruiting or How to Make Performance Appraisals More Equitable blog when it’s employee review time.
“Actions we want to encourage”
Acknowledge one of your team’s diversity and inclusion “wins”, however small, at least once a month during a branch meeting (perhaps reward the individuals involved with a coffee card!). Provide personalized and regular acknowledgement of “actions we want to encourage”. This nudge will encourage employees to continue finding new ways foster diversity and inclusion.
“Be somebody’s best advocate”
Encourage employees to amplify the work and ideas of others, especially when the person is not present. This simple nudge supports employees who are often overlooked to feel seen, heard and valued. (“Be somebody’s best advocate” is a nudge used by McKinsey & Company and mentioned in their blog: Building inclusion at scale, one nudge at a time.)
Thank you for reading this blog. You can also check out my Diversity and Inclusion Resources for more great information and tips on fostering workplace diversity and inclusion.
And do keep in mind, just like snowflakes, every workplace is different. You can book a free consultation with me to discuss nudges and other diversity and inclusion solutions tailored to your needs.
