The good news: There is a huge body of knowledge on what works and what doesn’t.  There are hundreds of studies published in diversity science journals with relevant findings.

The bad news:  Many D&I approaches to-date reflect a very superficial understanding, if not outright misunderstanding, of this complex body of knowledge. This has led to widespread failure of D&I efforts.  Organizations are not only wasting resources – in many cases, things have gotten worse.

D&I trainers and consultants do not need to be diversity scientists. However, they do need to find a way to ensure that their approach reflects current knowledge.   Before signing up for training or consulting…

Ask these 5 Questions:

  1. There are hundreds of studies on diversity and inclusion published in scientific journals.  How do you go about translating the knowledge gained from these studies into your approach?

  2. What aspects of your approach might trigger stereotype threat (or identity threat) (in employees/patients/clients/students) and how do you address that?

  3. Many approaches to bias awareness increase inter-group anxiety.  How do you handle that?

  4. What are other potential unintended negative consequences of bias training – and how do you prevent them?

  5. How often do you revise/update your approach in response to new evidence?  Can you give me an example of the last time you did that?

 6 Warning Signs That Should Make You Walk Away:

  1. They minimize concerns about unintended negative effects.  Either they don’t know enough to be concerned (be afraid, very afraid) or they don’t care.

  2. They imply that they can change exclusion and/or implicit (unconscious, automatic) biases through education and self-awareness.

  3. They think teaching about white privilege is an effective strategy for promoting deep inclusion.

  4. They do not describe a strategy for minimizing backlash or white “racist” identity threat.

  5. They are dismissive of the evidence from the diversity sciences and/or the researchers conducting the studies.  This is very dangerous brand of ignorance.

  6. They do not have an evaluation plan and/or consider collection of “satisfaction” data sufficient.

How to Choose Diversity & Inclusion Trainers and/or Consultants