Often in business what is worse than non-performance is wasted untapped potential. The main reason for this is that we all know commercially, we need to lift the bar in all operational areas every year just to survive competitively. However, what we really want to do is create an inherent ability within organisations that is self-perpetuating and continually revitalises and creates new stretching opportunities.
Top diversity and inclusion consulting firms understand this imperative. They look critically at unlocking potential and capitalising on an organisation’s strength in the areas of diversity and inclusion to propel the business towards progress.
Top diversity and inclusion consulting firms shape the future of organisations by the realisation of not only best practices within them but also teaching new modes of interrogation where the most valuable opportunities for improvements lie. Diversity and inclusion management is about the quality of our insights and the purposeful adoption of the right action aligned with sound judgement.
Unique solutions
Top diversity and inclusion consulting firms also definitely cannot afford to introduce cut-and-paste solutions. First and foremost is the job of quickly understanding, at a deep level, what an organisation’s genuine challenges are. They must then focus on the maturity of diversity and inclusion management as a vehicle to accelerate change and constructively deal with obstacles as they arise.
A big part of a consultant’s engagement with the leadership in an organisation is sharing mechanisms to uncover hidden aspects of the organisational culture and climate that can stifle potential. The transference of this capability, plus a commitment to clinical honesty, is vital to confronting aspects in the workplace that destroy the belief in the crafted vision of diversity and inclusion in the future.
The mantra to be adopted by top diversity and inclusion consulting firms must equate to shaping the future together. It is always a partnership underpinned by respect for the combined contribution of all participants. On each assignment, given the uniqueness of each organisation, new learning for all parties will materialise. This is fed into the unfolding landscape of diversity and inclusion and influences choices within other organisations when faced with similar dynamics. The more curious we are about how others have created success, the more likely we are to better select and execute key plans chosen for adoption.
Seeing the light
When it comes to realising potential, we all know the value of having really good role models in our lives that exemplify what we are chasing. Top diversity and inclusion consulting firms will be able to share not only excellent models of how organisations that excel at diversity and inclusion operate but also what they anticipate for the future as their next horizon. Sketching pictures of success, debating pivotal issues and scenarios, as well as weighing the amount of effort and resources needed to secure outcomes will help organisations determine their status quo and readiness to move in a particular direction aligned with those organisations they admire.
There will be many competing forces when we strive to optimise potential. Diversity and inclusion management cannot ignore the overlay of other forces shaping the future such as increased automation, the changing nature of work and employment, as well as technological substitutes for the human mind such as artificial intelligence, etc. Top diversity and inclusion consulting firms will be very much aware of how these business transformation aspects are likely to create additional challenges and help organisations weave this into their diversity and inclusion strategies.
We can only lead the way when we anticipate and prepare more. In this regard, it is worth considering the statement of Blair Sheppard (Global Leader, PwC) who said: “We should remember that intellectual complacency is not our friend and that learning—not just new things but new ways of thinking— is a life-long endeavour”. Top diversity and inclusion consulting firms will certainly do this with the resultant upliftment of organisational and people potential.