How can you create a sense of belonging for employees from diverse backgrounds?

1 What is cultural competency?

Cultural competency is the ability to interact effectively and respectfully with people from different cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives. It involves recognizing and challenging one's own biases, assumptions, and stereotypes, as well as learning and appreciating the values, beliefs, and practices of others. Cultural competency is not a fixed state, but a continuous process of learning and improvement. Developing cultural competency can help you build trust, rapport, and collaboration with your diverse team members, as well as enhance your leadership skills and performance.

2 How to assess your current level of cultural competency?

Before you can create a sense of belonging for others, you need to understand your own level of cultural competency and identify your areas of strength and improvement. You can use various tools and frameworks to assess your cultural competency, such as the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQ), or the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ). These tools can help you measure your awareness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to cultural diversity and intercultural interactions. You can also seek feedback from your peers, managers, and mentors, as well as reflect on your own experiences and challenges in working with diverse teams.

4 How to demonstrate your cultural competency as a leader?

As a leader, you have a significant influence on the sense of belonging of your team members. To demonstrate your cultural competency, you should be authentic and transparent in your communication, decision-making, and actions; be adaptable and flexible in your approach; and be respectful and inclusive in your interactions. Share your vision, goals, and challenges with your team, invite feedback and input, admit mistakes, and show vulnerability. Be open to change and innovation, embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, experiment with new ideas, respect the dignity of team members, include them in decision-making processes, support their development and well-being, and advocate for their interests.

5 How to measure and improve your sense of belonging initiatives?

Creating a sense of belonging for employees from diverse backgrounds is not a one-time event, but an ongoing effort that needs to be regularly measured and improved. Surveys and interviews can be conducted to gather opinions, perceptions, and experiences related to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Metrics and benchmarks should be used to track the progress and impact of initiatives, while action plans and goals can be created based on the findings. Communicate these plans to the team and other stakeholders, then monitor and report on their implementation and outcomes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?