| Actions for leaders and managers | Tips to listen and act |
|---|---|
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Make it safe and easy for all staff to speak up in meetings and team activities. |
How: Deliberately ask everyone in the meeting for their contribution. If staff find it difficult to do this off the cuff, talk with them before the meeting so they have time to prepare. Put this in place for face to face and online meetings. Why: Being open to getting the views of every team member provides the opportunity for all voices to be heard and different views to be expressed. It helps build trust that you are listening to different views, respectfully acting on contributions and information shared with you, and maintaining confidentiality. |
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Establish safe and appropriate ways to encourage staff to share information about their identities. |
How: Hold team events around significant celebrations of diversity (eg NAIDOC Week, International Day of People with Disabilities, R U OK? Day, Harmony Week and PrideFEST) and encourage discussions. Ideas include watching TED talks, listening to podcasts, inviting guest speakers and opening the door for further conversations. Why: This provides a forum for people to discuss their experiences and identities. It shows that the workplace is supportive and inclusive of different groups and willing to have open discussions about making the workplace better for people from under-represented groups and, by extension, all staff. |
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Seek suggestions and feedback on common communications norms and habits that can easily be changed to be more inclusive, and incorporate these into the norms for the team. |
How: Develop a team understanding on how you use more inclusive language (eg "Ladies and gentlemen" can be replaced with "Welcome, everyone.” Decide how the team responds to inappropriate jokes and terminology. This can include developing a charter or similar that outlines how the team communicates and challenges remarks that are ‘below the line.’ Reinforce zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment, and provide a complaints pathway for staff to feel confident in raising issues. Act on issues that are raised using your agency's procedures. Why: Even if no one in the team has openly shared dimensions of their diversity, this demonstrates how the workplace is consciously putting effort into providing more inclusive experiences at work. Demonstrating commitment to upholding a zero tolerance approach and acting on complaints show positive leadership behaviours and help support a psychologically safe workplace where staff feel comfortable to bring issues forward. |
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Give employees from under-represented groups access to career and professional development. Provide mentoring and leadership development for those from under-represented groups. |
How: Support development during business hours rather than outside work time. For part-time staff, be open to discussions to alter work times/days to accommodate their learning and development. Use the exceptions in the EO Act to target development and progression. Promote development opportunities through internal channels and discuss upcoming courses, training, shadowing and other development at leadership and team meetings so everyone knows what is available. Why: This helps remove unconscious bias and assumptions around what staff can or cannot do, or what is or is not of interest and importance to staff. It also shows part-time staff that the agency values them and is willing to invest in their development. Using the exceptions to support staff from under-represented groups in their development and career progression helps build an inclusive workplace where differences are celebrated. Over time, it can help minimise the pay gap and improve the equity index for people from these groups. It may also provide role models for other staff and help them feel psychologically safe to share their identities. |
| Champion diversity and be an ally to under-represented groups and individuals. |
How: Invite and show appreciation for the inputs of colleagues from under-represented groups in meetings, events and conferences. Get team members to become allies through formal or informal networks to support, advocate for and champion those who are likely to have less of a voice in the workplace. Why: This role models inclusive leadership and shows that staff knowledge and opinions are valued. It also helps eliminate unconscious bias around the assumptions of staff capabilities based on their membership of particular groups. |
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Use reliable data when making decisions about your teams and workforce. |
How: Use data from trusted sources such as annual reports, state of the sector report, quarterly diversity dashboard from the Commission, and your agency's surveys to inform decisions rather than making assumptions or using anecdotal feedback. Take time to explain to staff why decisions have been made. Why: Evidence-based decisions show how and why decisions have been made. Where a decision affects the agency's workforce, it can also act as a trigger to remind staff to update their diversity data to help inform and improve the quality and validity of future plans and initiatives. |
Action card: Leaders and managers
Leaders and managers help create psychologically safe workplaces when they support, encourage and actively champion their staff and colleagues.
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