When pursuing your organization’s DEI goals, team functionality is key for employee engagement and effectiveness. Yet many teams struggle with dysfunction due to unresolved conflict, poor communication, and a lack of sustained collaboration. It’s clear that traditional DEI workshops – which attempt to tackle the issue with one-off trainings – haven’t been effective.  

That’s why we’re excited to share more about our Team Collaboration Program, which was born out of the need for a more comprehensive approach to fostering inclusivity in the workplace. The aim of the solution is to help diverse teams work more effectively together, and since DEI principles are good management practices, your organization can also expect more bottom-line business benefits.

From our experience, traditional DEI workshops – which highlight unconscious bias and conflict management through one-off sessions – aren’t particularly effective in driving meaningful change. After all, long-term changes come with best practices of DEI solutions, which include ongoing learning and practical application. In our Women’s Leadership Development programs, for example, we’ve seen success with assigning homework for individuals to practice new skills on their own in between our workshop sessions. Another missing link in conventional DEI training is the absence of a shared language within teams. In a diverse workforce, employees often begin their DEI journey at starting points, and the mismatch in understanding amongst team members can lead to friction.

To accommodate individuals at diverse starting points, we built the Team Collaboration program as a revolutionary hybrid program that blends both synchronous and asynchronous learning. The asynchronous portion of the solution allows participants to learn at their own pace and needs on a customized plan that’s guided by a coach. During synchronous learning, all participants will have the opportunity to come together for collective discussions. Team learning is a space for individuals to apply learned techniques and skills to real-world problems in the workforce. 

The impact of the Team Collaboration program is clear. Teams develop a shared understanding and language that they can use to tackle real-world situations in the workforce. With time and dedication, you’ll see your teams move up the taxonomy of team collaboration, and potentially even reach an unprecedented level of synergy. It’s time to bridge the gap from traditional DEI solutions to an innovative hybrid model with the Team Collaboration program.