Managing Diversity in The Workplace Course (CMI Level 5)

Diversity, equity & inclusion (dei) is now a mainstream management role being a core competence for managers and leaders throughout organisations. Dei is a source of genuine concern for employees as well as a source of lasting competitive advantage in the workforce market of today. 

Our Managing Diversity in the Workplace Course provides a vital space for leaders, managers, team leaders, DEI champions, freedom to speak up guardians, staff network leads and allies at all levels to gain invaluable insights from topic experts into new ways of working and the latest research that can be applied instantly on returning to your organisation. The course will give you essential skills and confidence to impactfully make a difference in managing diversity in the workplace.  

The course will touch on all the differing characteristics of diverse workforces, and the considerations for a manager in a workplace in valuing difference, from the legal framework, understanding unconscious bias, challenging non-inclusive behaviour, allyships and becoming an active bystander, moving from equality to equity and more. 

Through the knowledge and experience of the course leader and your peers, you will be encouraged to consider your own role, discussing relevant issues, challenges and solutions.  

All participants in the course will benefit from the highly collaborative and participative delivery style, and all will leave with enhanced clarity about the personal role they play and practical tools to implement to manage diversity in the workplace harnessing the benefits for their organisation. 

This course is ideally suited to;  

• Practicing or aspiring managers and leaders who want to learn how to apply the principles of inclusion to their management style .  
• DEI champions, Freedom to Speak Up Guardians or staff network leads who want to develop wider and deeper understanding with tools that can be implemented back in the workplace. 
• Employee representatives or trade union representatives. 
• Individuals seen as a champion and would like to have a better understanding of DEI. 
• Practitioners with basic knowledge of DEI who want to deepen their knowledge and understand tools to practically implement.  
• Practitioners who will benefit from a highly collaborative and participative delivery style. 

On completion of this course, delegates will have:

• A clear understanding of the legal and business imperatives driving progress and action in DEI terms. 
• Manager roles and responsibilities in managing a diversity in the workplace, including approaches to engaging your team in DEI. 
• Knowledge of the ‘change levers’ needed to implement and deliver improvement through DEI. 
• Enhanced understanding of the personal toolkit required by leaders and managers to connect DEI with individual and team performance. 
• Plan the next steps they will take in ‘real-time’ to implement the learned practices in their organisation. 
• Develop individual and/or group action plans focused on creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. 
• Be equipped with inclusive leadership and management skills to enhance team performance, cohesion and collaboration. 
• Be able to identify and implant ways to create an inclusive environment 
• Confidently be able to deploy a range of inclusive management techniques and tools 

Session 1
DEI as a Business Imperative

• Welcome & introductions
• Distinguishing ‘equity’, ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ 
• Legal overview 
• The business case - and beyond 
• The role of champions 
• Leveraging the power of staff networks 
• Data driven approaches to managing diversity in the workplace

Session 2
The Personal Skills Toolkit

• The role of the manager in DEI; understanding reasonable adjustments 
• Aspects of ‘diversity’ 
• Linking diversity and performance 
• Exploring bias 
• Challenging non-inclusive behaviour; understanding ‘microincivilities and microagressions’’ and how to tackle them. 
• Developing conversational skills – scenario exercises 
• Helpful hints in ‘courageous conversations’

Session 3
Towards Inclusive Cultures

• The traits of inclusive leadership 
• Creating psychological safety in teams 
• Mapping development of inclusive leadership skills 
• The hallmarks of inclusive cultures 
• Approaches to engaging staff & stakeholders in DEI 
• Next steps – putting this into practice. 
• Round-up and close 

Is this course right for you?

• Gain a clear understanding of the legal and business imperatives driving progress and action in DEI terms
• Understand the change levers needed to implement and deliver improvement through DEI