Effective DEI Training Builds Skills

Welcome to the third and final installment of our overview on how to spot an effective training around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging... even if you aren't a subject matter expert in DEI work!

If you're just catching up, the first component of effective DEIB training is that it's science-backed, and the second component is that it takes adult learning methodologies into account.

Which takes us, of course, to our third and final component of effective DEIB training: any effective training should go beyond simply reciting, and even teaching, new material. Effective DEIB training should offer an opportunity to build and practice new skills. 

Why teaching material isn't enough

The most fundamental aim of any DEIB training is behavior change. 

Think about it: why do organizations and teams seek out DEI training? Here's a short, totally non-encompassing list, just off the top of my head based on our last few clients:

• Maybe they want to create a more welcoming, inclusive space for their team members, partners, customers, and vendors to feel a sense of belonging.
• Maybe they want to save money on the costs of bias by decreasing workplace attrition, lost productivity, or even lawsuits.
• Maybe they want to expand into new customer bases, and they know they can't do that without first creating a brand that resonates across demographics.

No matter what you learn in a DEIB training, you actually cannot accomplish any of the above unless whatever you learn is also accompanied by behavior change.

And you can't commit to long-term behavior change unless your team has been offered the chance to practice new skills that teach them new ways of doing and being.

I challenge anyone reading this to share a compelling reason to undergo a training around inclusion or equity that doesn't ultimately require long-term behavior change in order to be realized. So why do so many "trainings" stop short of discussing the habits required to make true change?

We've ended the last two blog posts of this series with a quick check you can use with a potential vendor to ensure that they "live up to" these guidelines for identifying effective trainings. In this case, my question to any DEIB practitioner would be: how do you build your trainings in a way that prioritizes skill-building and new habit formation? How do you ensure that you go beyond presenting new ideas?

I hope this series has been helpful to you, especially if you're tasked with bringing DEIB work to your organization, but might not be an expert in the field. If you're interested in learning more about how this works, get in touch with us today -- we'd love to walk you through our portfolio!