DIVE – A Change Management tool for Managing Diversity
Background
Within a national project in Sweden, funded by the European Social Fund, we investigated the existence of diversity tools with a holistic approach. Since we realized there was a lack of diversity tools integrating diversity management and business development we were given the assignment to develop a new diversity tool, integrating all areas of discrimination. The project was funded by the European Social Fund. The tool DIVE (The Diversity Toolbox) was developed and piloted in 13 organizations in West Sweden.
The tool
DIVE consists of a main book, a book for self-assessment and a CD with forms for statistics and information. The purpose of the tool is to give organizations support in their development process as to implementing Diversity Management in their businesses.
Synergies from effective Change Management processes and Diversity Management processes have been combined. The core of the tool is that Diversity Management should always originate from the specific change requirements of each organization.
The toolbox includes a number of steps according to a continuous improvement cycle. Each step in the tool contains; an overview, description, review and forms to fill in.
The process
You can either use DIVE by following each step in the tool, from beginning to end. Or you can use the toolbox as a framework and decide what parts and how you want to use it according to the specific conditions of your organization.
The toolkit is based on a continuous improvement circle. The idea is that you create a cross -functional team who will be responsible for the work process. Observe that this does not mean that the team is supposed to do the all the work but the team has the overall responsibility for the process.
The work starts with you setting the ground for your diversity work. In this step you will, if not already done, work with your diversity definition, your business drivers, your implementation and communication plan etc.
In the next step you will do an assessment of your diversity work. The assessment consists of 7 areas and you can choose to do all of them or use one or more of the areas depending on your needs. The assessment consists of three parts, first you assess your diversity base line, after that you do an analysis of the situation and finally you set up strengths and areas for improvement for each area.
The next step is to set your diversity objectives and your action plan. Before setting the action plan we recommend a search conference or similar in which as many employees and leaders as possible take part to determine what actions, at different levels in the organization, need to be taken to reach the objectives.
After and during implementation, learning and review is taking place. This is an important part of the process, in which you decide what specific methods and processes should be mainstreamed. In this process we also recommend a learning conference in which employees and leaders take part to decide upon what methods and learnings to take further.
The objective of the whole process is that finally you should not have to use the DIVE process as a separate process but will integrate your diversity work in your ordinary business planning and review processes.
If you want more information about DIVE, get in touch:
Åsa Helg
GlaGlaZo AB
Tel: +46706 68 18 84
Mail:
Git Hansson
Centrum för Förändringsledning
Tel: +46 70 820 28 36
Mail:
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