In our content series so far, we’ve encouraged learners to venture past awareness, flip the script of traditional DEI training, dive into immersive learn-by-doing experiences and grapple with the grey areas of often uncomfortable conversations. 

And we stand by all of these ideas. But in our last instalment here, we have to admit there’s a catch: none of these things will go very far without the most important pillar in our Triple A framework – accountability.  

Account for accountability 

This isn’t a new message, but it’s one that bears repeating because it’s so often overlooked and so rarely implemented in a substantial way in DEI training programmes. 

What will really bust fatigue is a programme that starts at the top, and is meaningfully tied to initiatives embedded in every part of your organisation. 

Your people will need to see and feel it happening. In other words, effective learning around diversity, equity and inclusion has to begin well before you get to the training zone.

As we noted in our first article, you can look for pieces of that accountability in your strategic plans and OKRs (objectives and key results), hiring practices, procurement (who you partner with and what you expect of them), the benefits you provide (and who you partner with for that), your policies and the results of your employee satisfaction surveys or similar and the input you get from your Employee Resource Groups. 

It’s one thing to have specific goals around diversity and equity, but to gain any traction it will need to become a part of ‘how we do things around here’.

Effective learning around diversity, equity and inclusion has to begin well before you get to the training zone

Getting past the muddle in the middle

While it’s true that real accountability begins outside of L&D, it absolutely should be baked into the learning process and training programmes themselves. 

What we’ve found in interviews with respondents is that many find themselves stuck ‘in the middle’. 

Maybe they’ve had their enterprise-wide foundational elearning, and put that rainbow filter on come June. But they know there has to be something that comes next. 

This especially pertains to the L&D needs for senior leaders and front line managers, who’ve been through their inclusive leadership training, and have a firm understanding of both the business and ethical cases for diversity, equity, and inclusion. They’ve got the theory – but they’re not sure how to put it into practice every day. 

To get past the muddle in the middle, we often recommend accountability exercises and opportunities to sustain senior leaders, providing a ‘through line’ on their DEI learning journey. 

Here’s a few we’ve seen executed with success at organisations with high maturity and commitment to DEI.

Small cohorts, lasting impact

One flexible approach gaining traction is the incorporation of small leader cohorts known as 'Accountability Groups’. These groups meet regularly to review goals and share ideas aimed at fostering a sense of belonging for all. 

We usually recommend Accountability Groups stay small, with no more than three to five people per group. 

Small groups allow for meaningful interactions, enable participants to engage in deeper discussions, create safety to share personal experiences and to be able to ‘learn out loud’, and offer valuable feedback. 

This close-knit setting encourages participants to form genuine connections, building trust and empathy among members. 

Through this supportive network, participants are more likely to build the psychological safety required to challenge their own biases, engage in open dialogue and help hold each other accountable for fostering inclusivity. 

Depending on where people start with this and their background, this can be a journey indeed, so give them a safe space to grow into this. 

To get past the muddle in the middle, we often recommend accountability exercises and opportunities to sustain senior leaders, providing a ‘through line’ on their DEI learning journey

Cadence, criterion and consistency

A small network with open dialogue still needs structure, however. 

Supportive and engaging instructional materials, such as infographics, templates for setting personalised DEI development plans, action plan guidebooks, and thoughtful conversation prompts that operationalise key concepts, are all potential components of an accountability group’s toolkit. 

These help participants collectively set measurable objectives that align with your organisation's broader diversity and inclusion goals. 

These objectives could range from fostering an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ employees to improving representation in leadership roles.

Regularly reviewing these goals provides a sense of direction and purpose, while also allowing participants to recalibrate strategies if necessary. 

Inclusion circles for cross-functional collaboration

Another creative way to get past the ‘muddle in the middle’ are Inclusion Circles that bring together senior leaders from different departments or functions to collaborate on DEI initiatives. 

Similar to accountability groups, they work well when limited to five to seven participants and meet on a defined cadence. 

These interdisciplinary discussions can lead to innovative solutions and a more holistic approach to fostering diversity and inclusion. 

Inclusion Circles also work well as a place to take a deep dive on a particular DEI topic or domain, such as LGBTQ+ representation and inclusion. They provide fresh perspectives and inspire leaders to think creatively about their initiatives. 

Supportive and engaging instructional materials, such as infographics, templates for setting personalised DEI development plans, action plan guidebooks, and thoughtful conversation prompts that operationalise key concepts, are all potential components of an accountability group’s toolkit

…But don’t forget the scorecards

Of course, accountability design elements aren’t just about social connection, personal development plans, collaboration and reflection. It’s got to show up in the numbers too. 

Some ways to approach this include: 

• Have accountability groups identify a set of key metrics that align with your organisation's DEI goals and strategic priorities, or engage with data on offer, like your employee satisfaction surveys
• Establish a baseline for each metric, reflecting the current state of diversity and inclusion within the organisation, or within your team or department. Collaboratively set challenging yet achievable targets that reflect the desired improvements over a defined period
• Develop visual scorecards that display the selected metrics, baseline data and target goals. Scorecards can be presented in a clear and accessible format, so that they’re easily updated and shared with the groups during their meetings
• Allocate dedicated time to review the progress made toward each metric. This serves as a platform for sharing successes, identifying areas for improvement and fostering collective problem solving

Celebrate achievements

If all of this sounds a whole lot like work, that might be right. A quick-fire training piece is unlikely to bring about the change you and your current and prospective employees are looking to see. 

The good news is you don’t have to do everything at once. Make a start, keep listening to your people and build from there.  

Any improvement will start to open up space for people to come in and to come forward, and for stories and ideas to be heard that would have remained hidden otherwise. 

Doing the work will foster braver conversations and decisions within your leadership and the entire organisation, which will make you more resilient and opens up more space for innovation, which will ultimately also benefit your business. 

The energy this liberates will help blow away the cobwebs of fatigue. There is a lot of cynicism around all kinds of rainbow-washing, green-washing, and so on. 

Be the organisation that does something with real accountability. 

If you enjoyed this, read: Grappling with the grey areas in scenario-based learning