Within Myself

Increase my awareness of diversity and inclusion

Performance Criteria

• I can manage my own development.
• I proactively seek feedback.
• I’m open to constructive feedback.
• I reflect on my performance with the goal of self-development.
• I recognize my biases and how they impact on my behaviour.
• I can change or adapt my behaviour to develop myself.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Feedback: in an ongoing, informal, or formal context e.g. during assessments. You can use this competency inside and outside the workplace g. in feedback from colleagues (360 degrees), clients, or from your personal network and influencers.
2. Behaviours: including performance on diversity and inclusion

Required knowledge

• Self-Awareness of values, beliefs, cultural conventions and language use, barriers, enablers
• Reflective practice: the ability to reflect on your actions to continuously learn
• Feedback: effective ways of obtaining feedback, feedback styles, barriers, enablers.
• Emotional intelligence, understanding of behaviour change
• Stereotypes, prejudice, bias: techniques to challenge assumptions about others, ways to minimize stereotyping, how become aware of your biases, evidence-based decision-making
• Organizational culture.

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• Becoming aware that your team is less diverse than others in the organization.
• Recognizing that your post-secondary credentials affect your appreciation of some colleagues with college diplomas and work experience.
• You take the last 10 minutes in a day to reflect on one interaction that could have been more positive and come up with other ways of responding.
• After working through an issue with a difficult client for the first time, you ask your supervisor for feedback on your performance.
• Becoming aware of your unconscious assumptions and preferences.

Advocate for diverse perspectives

Performance Criteria

• I can be curious and open.
• I seek to understand and respect there will be differences between my perspective and the perspective of others.
• I can identify when others share my perspective.
• I use active listening methods.
• I use language that does not exclude.
• I engage with the diverse people in my environment.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Perspectives: opinions, cultures, experiences, beliefs, ability, age, gender, roles, friends, affinity groups
2. Advocacy: behaviour within the workplace should align with organizational values and be in accordance with local legislation (e.g. safety, protected grounds)
3. Language: verbal, non-verbal (cues, free from words, phrases) and that reflect stereotypical or discriminatory views of people or groups, whether deliberately or inadvertently

Underpinning knowledge – what do people need to know to be able to demonstrate this competency?

1. Communication:
   • The role of context in communications.
   • Language that can avoid people feeling excluded.
   • Examples of language that commonly excludes people and why it does this.
2. Techniques and strategies that help supressed differences to become clear.
3. Barriers and enablers to openness.
4. Active listening techniques.
5. Methods of inquiry, appreciative inquiry techniques.
6. Emotional intelligence.
7. Stereotypes, prejudice, bias.
8. Organizational culture.
9. Applicable legislation.

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• You overcome your impatience during long drawn out debates in the team, and you learn to recognize their value.
• You read recent research findings on the achievements of diverse teams.
• You ask HR for help to adapt your interviewing style to attract more diverse applicants for your team.

Adjust and adapt communication styles to be effective in a diverse workplace

Performance Criteria

• I recognize the impact of communication  on different people.
• I consider how different perspectives, situations and contexts  affect meaning and messaging.
• I can anticipate, plan for and deal with ambiguous and confusing situations.
• I demonstrate respect for diversity in communication with all people.
• I select the appropriate communication method for the person/people I’m communicating with.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Communication: formal (e.g. meetings), informal (e.g. social event, breaks, kitchen), spoken (e.g. face to face, phone, virtual), written (e.g. email, chat), body language, space and how we use it, facial expressions, appearance, voice, touch, speed, tone, volume
2. Perspectives: opinions, cultures, language, ability, age, gender, roles, experiences, beliefs, friends, affinity groups

Required knowledge

1. Basic differences in communication styles
2. Barriers to effective communications (e.g. impact of culture, age, gender, stereotypes etc on communication)
   • Strategies to overcome communication barriers
   • Impact of cultural values on communication (e.g. low context / high context, direct/indirect, collectivist/individualist, hierarchy/equality)
   • How to identify unwritten rules, ways of doing things, norms, organizational culture (specific to organization)
3. Ways of adapting to different communication styles
4. Mindfulness: definition and impact

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• You observe that a member of your team has misunderstood the intent and meaning of a colleague’s comment.  You use active listening and paraphrasing to further explore the comment with both parties, acknowledging that cultural differences might be a factor.
• Recognizing that you manage a diverse team with diverse perspectives, you understand that you need to play a stronger facilitative role during meetings, encouraging team members to have patience for others’ perspectives.
• Knowing that the participants in an upcoming meeting will have diverse perspectives based on their backgrounds, you plan an agenda that allows more time for exploration and mutual understanding of views.
• You recognize that your direct communication style is offensive and sometimes misunderstood by your colleagues. In which case, you seek out the colleague and attempt to clarify when the situation allows.

Model inclusive behaviour

Performance Criteria

• I value diversity.
• I acknowledge my biases.
• I identify opportunities to demonstrate inclusive behavior.
• I demonstrate inclusive behaviour consistently.
• I anticipate, plan for and deal with ambiguous and confusing situations.

Required knowledge

1. Techniques to dispel common myths, perceptions and stereotypes about people, diversity and inclusion
2. Group work

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• An employee who has just joined an organization finds that it is not as inclusive as her previous workplace. She decides and expresses her intent to create a diverse network of new colleagues.
• A project manager intentionally creates a heterogeneous team to solve a longstanding operational challenge.
• In an executive leadership meeting, you challenge a comment that is intended to be humorous but which reflects a common stereotype.

Within My Team

Contribute to inclusive workplace relationships

Performance Criteria – in my team, I…

• Can identify shared perspectives.
• Challenge assumptions about myself or others.
• Engage with people and respond flexibly and positively in diverse groups.
• Apply knowledge and self-awareness to deal effectively with the diversity-related dimensions of ambiguous situations.
• Try to understand alternative perspectives.
• Address micro-inequities that I observe
• Take action within the team to mitigate the impact of systemic inequities.
• Use a variety of strategies to develop trust amongst the team.
• Provide support to colleagues and team members on how to work effectively in a diverse team.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Perspectives: opinions, cultures, experiences, beliefs, ability, age, gender, roles, networks
2. Assumptions: stereotypes, prejudice, biases, conscious or unconscious attitudes
3. Support: coaching, mentoring, training, feedback, recognition, commitment, information, resources, tools

Required knowledge

1. Techniques for helping others to adapt their behaviour.
2. Effective practices for interacting with others within a diverse group.
3. The elements of Describe-Analyze-Evaluate.
4. For each of these issues:

• Stereotypes, assumptions, prejudice, and biases
• Micro-inequities
• Systemic inequities

You need to know

• What they are
• Common examples
• Causes and contributing factors (societal dynamics, power, neuroscience, etc.)
• How they impact within the workplace
• How to recognize them (signs and indicators)
• How to address them

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• You seek out a colleague with whom you have recently had an argument discussing how to fix a product issue, in order to better understand why you are so at odds and make sure your relationship has not been damaged.
• You suggest arranging the quarterly team retreat so the team member from out of town can also participate.

Collaborate in diverse teams to foster productive outcomes

Performance Criteria – in my team, I…

• Communicate in ways that can be understood by all members of the team.
• Manage time to enable engagement and inclusion by all members of the team.
• Continuously seek input from team members, recognizing and respecting their different perspectives and motivations.
• Leverage the strengths and innovative ideas of the diverse team members.
• Acknowledge contributions of others in an appropriate way.
• Explicitly acknowledge and manage the dynamics of a diverse team.
• Encourage productive and collaborative team behaviours and processes.
• Assume shared responsibility for the effectiveness of the team and contribute our own perspectives and ideas to our work.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Diverse: (protected grounds under applicable human rights legislation) race, colour, ancestry, creed (religion), place of origin, ethnic origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, record of offences.
2. Diverse: (other dimensions of diversity) education, work experience, work style, personal habits, management status, work location, job title.

Required knowledge

1. The potential performance advantages of diverse teams
2. Different communication styles

• Dimensions of diversity that can affect teamwork, including cultural differences, gender differences, personality styles, generational differences

1. Group facilitation techniques
2. Team management / leadership principles
3. Working knowledge of colleagues’ and team members’ preferences, styles, etc.

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• A supervisor supports her diverse team discussing their preferences and then agreeing on the best approach to team knowledge sharing.
• A manager encourages her team members to contribute in discussions and meetings
• A junior team member challenges their superior because they are concerned a decision or instruction is wrong and potentially dangerous.

Manage issues within diverse groups

Performance Criteria – in my team, I…

• Identify any diversity-related issues in advance and take action to mitigate their impact.
• Collaborate with colleagues and team members to establish group norms that will prevent or minimize issues.
• Analyze any issues that occur, considering the impact of dimensions of diversity and our personal assumptions.
• Am alert to verbal and non-verbal communication that might signal diversity-related issues.
• Where issues occur, I take appropriate action to de-escalate and resolve them, seeking assistance if needed.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Issues: tension, difficulties, misunderstanding, failures of communication, assumptions, inequities, micro-inequities, micro-aggression, conflict.
2. Dimensions of diversity:
   • Diverse: (protected grounds under applicable human rights legislation) race, colour, ancestry, creed (religion), place of origin, ethnic origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, record of offences.
   • Diverse: (other dimensions of diversity) personality, education, work experience, work style, personal habits, management status, work location, job title.
3. Assumptions: stereotypes, prejudice, biases, conscious or unconscious attitudes.

Required knowledge

1. Sources of potential conflict; differences that may cause misunderstandings or other difficulties
2. Specific sources of conflict between specific groups

• The elements of Describe-Analyze-Evaluate

1. Conflict resolution styles
2. Conflict resolution techniques

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• A manager helps their direct report to respond without recrimination to any challenges to their authority.
• When developing a project plan, a team member suggests the group considers the events and holy days of different religions in the work schedule.
• You watch for micro-inequities and coach affected individuals on how to address them.

Assess performance and capabilities in an inclusive way

Performance Criteria – in my team, I…

• Use a strength-based approach to capability assessment.
• Am explicit about the assessment criteria.
• Question assumptions about job and task requirements, qualifications, need to conform to norms, and “potential”.
• Collect evidence for assessment in appropriate ways.
• Avoid bias in assessing the performance and capabilities of others.
• Provide feedback on performance and capability in an appropriate way.
• Recognize that individuals can gain and demonstrate knowledge and skills in a variety of ways.
• Demonstrate open and positive curiosity about people’s skills and capabilities.
• Invite others to share their knowledge and experience with the team.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Assessment: formal, informal, diagnostic, formative, summative
2. Feedback: formal, informal, verbal, written
3. Appropriate ways: appropriate to the assessment criteria, and to the individual’s culture, personality, understanding, ability to express, objectives, career history, expertise
4. Others: direct reports, peers, supervisors, managers, clients, suppliers
5. Individual: team member, colleague and peer, candidate, applicant
6. Evidence: work samples, witness testimony (from colleagues, supervisors, customers, suppliers), video of you performing

Required knowledge

1. Assessment criteria
2. Giving feedback
3.  Biases:
   • Common biases related to dimensions of diversity
   • Common cognitive biases that affect decision-making (e.g. confirmation bias)
   • How to identify one’s own biases
4. Assessment tools and methods
5. Foreign credential recognition resources and tools
6. Objective knowledge of the role / task (e.g. required qualifications vs. nice to have)

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• In an upward feedback process, you provide specific behavioral examples of situations when your manager’s actions did not feel inclusive.
• In a meeting to review employee potential and performance, the HR advisor challenges underlying assumptions about “appropriate style” of people with leadership potential.
• To uncover your own personal biases, you review the candidates for promotion with your HR Advisor, specifically asking him to challenge your choices.
• A supervisor asks a colleague to provide an additional perspective on a recent incident to avoid a misunderstanding due to cultural differences.

Support learning and development

Performance Criteria – in my team, I…

• Provide ongoing feedback in appropriate ways.
• Identify potential gaps in each others’ knowledge or performance.
• Encourage others to learn and develop and seek appropriate support.
• Facilitate equal access to opportunities, information, resources and other supports.
• Provide learning opportunities and other formal or informal support in a form and style that suit the person’s and the workplace requirements.
• Conduct candid and constructive discussions about potentially sensitive differences between a person’s behaviour and workplace culture and norms.
• Provide opportunities for people to learn and practise new knowledge and skills, and to help other people to learn.
• Encourage people to both seek and provide challenges and opportunities for learning and development.
• Provide a safe learning environment by minimizing the probability, stigma and effects of possible failure.
• Seek opportunities to leverage people’s strengths to support others’ learning and development.

Definitions – what the terms used in this competency mean

1. Person/people: team members, colleagues and peers, supervisors, managers, clients, suppliers.
2. Feedback: formal, informal, verbal, written.
3. Appropriate ways: appropriate to the learning required, and to the individual’s culture, personality, understanding, ability to express, objectives, career history, expertise
4. Support: feedback, learning opportunities, information, resources, time, encouragement, recognition.
5. Learning opportunities: training, coaching, mentoring, access to learning materials, safe environment in which to practise new behaviours, new challenges, tasks, experiences and responsibilities, stretch assignment.

Required knowledge

1. Methods for giving and receiving constructive feedback.
2. Information and resources that are available to support learning.
3. The organization’s culture.
4. Diversity dimensions that affect the process of learning and development.
5. The strengths of colleagues and team members.
6. Development methods.
7. Effect of possible failure on a member of an under-represented group.

Example(s) – what might this look like in practice?

• As an older employee, you ask a younger employee to support you to better understand social media opportunities. At the same time you provide them with insights based on your years of experience with customers.
• You respectfully help a supervisor who is a newcomer to Canada to understand that his culture’s focus on empathy and sharing personal information about team members medical issues is in conflict with privacy laws and how those are practiced in the organization.
• To ensure equal access to opportunities, you reach out to employees who are uncomfortable with the expectation or need to be self-promoting.