We’re always striving for growth. Whether it’s a bigger house, a bigger bank account, or bigger muscles, more is usually considered merrier. However, with this constant quest for self-improvement and a bigger bottom line, one important factor can get lost in the shuffle: mindset. You may be gaining knowledge, but are you truly growing? 

We’ve discussed mindset a lot in recent blogs, and with good reason. It is fundamental to everything we are trying to achieve — both as L&D professionals and as human beings. This is especially true when it feels like everything is in flux; from strategy to skill requirements to working arrangements. How do you continue to thrive when it’s impossible to predict what tomorrow will look like? By adopting a growth mindset. 

In 2021, being fixed in your ways and resistant to change will get L&D teams nowhere. Adopting a growth mindset, on the other hand, opens up a world of possibilities. 

So, to help make 2021 a year of growth and continue our focus on Making L&D Sustainable, we’ll compare fixed mindsets and growth mindsets, before analysing how to apply a growth mindset to L&D. 

Stanford psychologist Dr Carol Dweck pioneered the concept of fixed and growth mindsets. According to Mindset Works, Dr Dweck’s research was borne out of an interest in students' attitudes towards failure. She had noticed that some students grow from failure, while others seemed “devastated” by even slight setbacks, leading her to coin the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset.

At its core, Dr Dweck defines a fixed mindset as people who believe “their qualities are carved in stone.” That is, people are born with inherent abilities or proficiencies that are largely fixed — you either have it or you don’t. 

Dr Dweck expands on this definition, explaining, “in a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success — without effort.”

For example, someone with a fixed mindset might believe that they are a natural-born musician, or, conversely, that they have no musical aptitude whatsoever. Accordingly, those who subscribe to a fixed mindset are less likely to put in the effort required to nurture or develop their abilities, as they believe they are inherent. 

Dr Dweck adds that those with a fixed mindset are more compelled to prove themselves, noting, “if you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character — well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics.” 

While it would be easy to dismiss a fixed mindset out of hand, most of us can probably relate to this on some level. Whether you’re attempting a new hobby or learning a new skill at work, it can be all too easy to say “I’m just naturally not suited to this” and give up if things don’t go your way. 

The good news is that this is relatively normal, as most humans operate with both a fixed mindset and a growth mindset depending on the task. Most of us know that hard work and effort will pay off when learning a new skill. However, we also know that no amount of preparation or belief in your ability will help you jump off a cliff and land safely. That particular mindset must remain fixed. 

So, how do you fix a fixed mindset? Growth.

In contrast to a fixed mindset, Dr Dweck defines a growth mindset as the belief that your “most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” That is, your knowledge, skills, and proficiencies continually grow and develop as you put effort into seeking new learning opportunities. 

Put simply, a growth mindset relies on learning from your mistakes and putting in time, effort, and perseverance to improve your knowledge and abilities. Those with a growth mindset will generally have a high level of resilience and see failure as a learning opportunity, whereas those with a fixed mindset may become embarrassed or discouraged if they fail at a task. 

For example, someone with a fixed mindset might say “I was born with two left feet, so I can’t dance.” On the other hand, someone with a growth mindset would say “dancing might not come naturally to me, but with hard work and practice I’ll be able to improve.” 

It’s also important to emphasise that “Dweck does not deny that people differ in their natural abilities, but she stresses that it is continued effort that makes abilities grow”, according to Training Industry.   

Dr Dweck summarises the difference between these two mindsets, saying a growth mindset “creates a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval.” She adds that “the passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset.”

To put it another way, a fixed mindset views intelligence as relatively permanent with little room for improvement, whereas a growth mindset views intelligence as changeable with significant opportunities for improvement. 

Another core difference between fixed and growth mindsets is fear of failure vs hunger for success. According to Dr Dweck, people with a growth mindset worry less about seeming smart and instead put more energy into learning. 

In a classroom setting, where much of Dr Dweck’s research took place, this can manifest in many ways. For example, students with a growth mindset may answer a question even when they are unsure, ask a ‘stupid’ question to clarify something they don’t understand, or seek out more difficult problems rather than staying in their comfort zone. 

Dr Dweck quotes a seventh-grade girl who participated in one of her studies, who she believes perfectly encapsulates this difference, saying, “I think intelligence is something you have to work for … it isn’t just given to you.… Most kids, if they’re not sure of an answer, will not raise their hand to answer the question. But what I usually do is raise my hand, because if I’m wrong, then my mistake will be corrected. Or I will raise my hand and say, ‘How would this be solved?’ or ‘I don’t get this. Can you help me?’ Just by doing that I’m increasing my intelligence.” 

Now that we understand what a growth mindset is, it’s also important to clarify what a growth mindset is not. According to Positive Psychology, Dr Dweck lays out three misconceptions she commonly encounters for growth mindsets. 

Firstly, a growth mindset is not as simple as just being optimistic and practising flexible thinking. A growth mindset is more specific than that, requiring additional effort and follow through. 

Secondly, a growth mindset is not just about praising and rewarding effort. While this is generally a good idea, you should not reward unproductive effort, while learning and progress — not just effort — also require praise. 

Finally, Dr Dweck says that it is not enough to just espouse a growth mindset and assume good things will follow. While espousing a growth mindset is a positive first step, she explains that “the mindset needs to be backed up with effort applied to worthwhile activities, and even then success is not inevitable.” 

It’s great to believe that you can learn and grow, however, actually putting this into practice requires a lot of behind the scenes effort from your brain. Enter, neuroplasticity — the foundation of a growth mindset. Our brains are constantly changing. This ability to change and adapt is attributable to neuroplasticity. Without pretending to be a neuroscientist, neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to learn from external stimuli, reorganise neural pathways, and adapt in response to our changing requirements over time. Think of it as an ongoing software update for your brain. 

According to Very Well Mind, neuroplasticity relates to the brain’s “remarkable capacity to reorganise pathways, create new connections, and, in some cases, even create new neurons.” 

Or, as Dr Celeste Campbell puts it, “[neuroplasticity] refers to the physiological changes in the brain that happen as the result of our interactions with our environment. From the time the brain begins to develop in utero until the day we die, the connections among the cells in our brains reorganise in response to our changing needs. This dynamic process allows us to learn from and adapt to different experiences.”

In the context of a growth mindset, this is fundamental. If the brain is capable of constantly learning, growing, adapting, and even creating new pathways and neurons when required, then there is no reason we can’t adopt a growth mindset. As Positive Psychology puts it, “you might say that a growth mindset is simply accepting the idea of neuroplasticity on a broad level.” 

Now that you understand what a growth mindset is, what it isn’t, and how it operates on a neuroscientific level, the question becomes how do you apply a growth mindset to L&D? 

In 2021, change is one of the few constants in L&D, so the first tip to embrace a growth mindset is to re-evaluate your relationship with failure. Obviously, this is easier said than done, but it can make a world of difference. As we’ve discovered, a large aspect of embracing a growth mindset is how you view your failures: are they learning opportunities, or do they make you shy away from attempting other tasks outside of your comfort zone? 

To apply a growth mindset to L&D, it’s critical to embrace your failures just as much as your successes, reminding yourself that they are opportunities to grow. Who knows, you may even come to look forward to failures, viewing them as just another learning opportunity. 

Another excellent strategy for embracing a growth mindset is getting in touch with your inner voice. Often, we are stuck in a fixed mindset without even realising it. That little, nagging voice in the back of your head tells you not to try something because you will look stupid, or says you shouldn’t do something because you’re not gifted and you will just fail. This feeling may be so ingrained that it is simply accepted as fact. 

To fully embrace a growth mindset, it is important to get in touch with this inner voice and challenge its underlying assumptions. Positive Psychology provides a helpful script to challenge these negative thoughts: 

“It may say, ‘Are you sure you can do it? Maybe you don’t have what it takes.’

You can respond, ‘I’m not sure I can do it now, but I think I can learn to do it with time and effort.’

If it says, ‘What if you fail—you’ll be a failure!’, respond with ‘Most successful people had failures along the way.’” 

Asking more questions is also a simple, positive way to snap out of a fixed mindset. For instance, if your boss gives you some criticism on a performance review, instead of beating yourself up about it, have the courage to ask “what can I do better next time?” 

Likewise, if you are struggling to pick up a new skill, instead of giving up at the first hurdle, go out of your way to ask a colleague for help. While this may seem like a small step, a few questions can go a long way to cultivating a growth mindset. 

Remember, there are no stupid questions, only opportunities to grow your knowledge. 

Finally, Dr Dweck found that different styles of praise or positive reinforcement have a huge impact on fixed and growth mindsets. As part of her research, Dweck gave students ten questions as part of a nonverbal IQ test. 

Following this, she offered the students two different types of praise. According to Brain Pickings, “Some students were told ‘Wow, you got [X many] right. That’s a really good score. You must be smart at this,’ while others were told, ‘Wow, you got [X many] right. That’s a really good score. You must have worked really hard.”

In other words, some were praised for their inherent ability, while others were praised for their effort.

Unsurprisingly, those who were given ‘ability praise’ adopted a fixed mindset, with Dr Dweck noticing “when we gave them a choice, they rejected a challenging new task that they could learn from. They didn’t want to do anything that could expose their flaws and call into question their talent.”

In contrast, 90% of students who received ‘effort praise’ wanted a challenging new task that they could learn from. 

Dr Dweck also found that effort-praised students were more likely to enjoy a follow-up round of harder questions, while their scores were also more likely to improve as questions got harder. 

On the other hand, ability-praised students no longer enjoyed the more difficult questions, viewing failure as a deficiency in their intelligence. They were also more likely to lie in private follow-up letters to their peers, with 40% inflating their scores to make themselves look more successful. According to Dr Dweck, this is because “in the fixed mindset, imperfections are shameful — especially if you’re talented — so they lied them away.” 

This is a poignant lesson for any L&D team that wants to implement a growth mindset in 2021. If you’re looking for a teamwide resolution this year, look no further than praising effort over inherent ability to bear long-term results. 

For more tips on implementing a growth mindset in your daily life, check out our blog How to develop a growth mindset for learning. 

For more insights, be sure to subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, you can book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

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To help make 2021 a year of growth and continue our focus on Making L&D Sustainable, we’ll compare fixed mindsets and growth mindsets, before analysing how to apply a growth mindset to L&D.  Let’s get growing!

Fixed mindset vs growth mindset: growing your L&D

To help make 2021 a year of growth and continue our focus on Making L&D Sustainable, we’ll compare fixed mindsets and growth mindsets, before analysing how to apply a growth mindset to L&D.  Let’s get growing! 

Fixed mindset vs growth mindset: growing your L&D 

A new year often heralds a host of exciting changes: resolutions, renewed hope, and, most importantly, new opportunities to learn. At Go1, few things excite us more than lifelong learning. However, these days, that outlook might need a slight rethink. While they say you learn something new every day, if current trends continue, this might be the year of unlearning. 

For many of us, this will sound immediately counterintuitive. Unlearning. It just feels wrong. After all, most people have been conditioned to value continuous, ‘acquisitive’ learning. We yearn for new information, and rightly cherish that knowledge when it comes along. If you’ve worked hard to learn something, why would you want to unlearn it? 

The answer is actually quite simple. Although we probably all know of someone who thinks they do, nobody knows everything. The human brain has a finite capacity. In overly simplistic terms, to make room to learn something new, you’ll usually have to discard some older, outdated information. 

Take a step back, and you’ll begin to realise how valuable unlearning can be. You’re doing it all the time — probably without even realising it. That’s the nature of a changing world. Think of unlearning as a software update. Your devices need constant updates, so why wouldn’t your knowledge?

So, to help say 'out with the old and in with the new', we’re kicking off our quarter-long theme of Making L&D Sustainable by asking what is the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle? We’ll offer examples of unlearning, before examining the role of unlearning and relearning in the current L&D landscape, and offering tips to help your team embrace the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle. 

While at first glance the idea of unlearning may feel wrong, it isn’t as scary as it sounds. To get a common misconception out of the way, unlearning doesn’t mean dumbing things down or tossing out knowledge for no reason. Rather, unlearning allows you to make room for more relevant, up-to-date information. 

Sometimes, you’ll unlearn little things. For example, you probably grew up learning that Pluto is a planet. Then, all of a sudden, you had to unlearn that, because it was no longer a planet. That’s just one of many examples. You may move countries and unlearn local customs, like driving on a certain side of the road. Maybe as a child, you were told that eating carrots will help you see in the dark, only to find out later in life that isn’t true (no matter how many carrots you eat). 

You can also unlearn and relearn new skills, like how to cope with working from home instead of working in the office, or how to best optimise SEO since Google updated their algorithm. 

Other times, unlearning can mean updating your beliefs and values to be more tolerant, diverse, and inclusive when presented with new information or a new perspective. 

Far from throwing away hard-earned knowledge for no reason, unlearning represents a healthy, natural, and necessary step in the learning process: being open to different perspectives, and willing to update your beliefs when presented with new information that challenges previously-held conceptions. 

Just think, if humans weren’t in the business of unlearning, relearning, and continuously updating knowledge, we’d still believe the earth is flat, leeches are a medicinal miracle, and tomatoes are evil and poisonous.

What is the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle? 

As mentioned, the process of unlearning and relearning has been around as long as humans have been learning. They go hand in hand. However, the formal idea of a  learning cycle involving learning, unlearning, and relearning was popularised by American writer and futurist Alvin Toffler, who posited that “by instructing students how to learn, unlearn and relearn, a powerful new dimension can be added to education…Tomorrow's illiterate will not be the man who can't read; he will be the man who has not learned how to learn.”  

At its core, the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle is self-explanatory. The name isn’t a trick, it’s exactly what it sounds like. For example, you may learn how to use an everyday communication tool like Gmail. Over time, you get used to the layout and interface. This is a skill you have learned. You might even consider yourself an expert. Then, one day, Gmail updates its interface. As a result, you have to unlearn the old layout and relearn the new one, to ensure your skills remain current and relevant in a changing world. 

It might help to take a second to reflect on everything you had to unlearn in 2020, to show just how common this phenomenon is. In a year of unprecedented change and copious ‘new normals’, you probably had to unlearn a lot. 

Unlearning can be challenging at first because many of us have been taught to practice ‘acquisitive’ learning. That is, constantly acquiring new knowledge, piling facts one on top of another. In contrast, the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle engages more critical thinking skills, encouraging you to continually analyse, evaluate, and challenge knowledge to ensure it is relevant and up-to-date. 

In simple terms, our ability to unlearn and relearn comes down to neuroplasticity — the foundation of a growth mindset. According to Very Well Mind, “today, it's understood that the brain possesses the remarkable capacity to reorganise pathways, create new connections, and, in some cases, even create new neurons—a concept called neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity.” 

As with most things, this ability becomes easier with practice, so there’s no time like the present to train your brain to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Unlearning for L&D: changing values for a changing world 

While the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle has been important for a long time, its relevance has accelerated in recent years. As such, 2021 looms as the year of unlearning and relearning. This is especially true for L&D practitioners. It’s safe to say that in 2021, those who are unwilling to continually unlearn and relearn are at risk of being left behind. 

Why is adopting the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle so important? In our deep dive into Digital Foundations last quarter, we discussed at length the rapid changes L&D needs to make to keep up with digital transformation. To name a few, according to Fosway Group, 94% of L&D professionals had to change their strategy due to COVID-19, with only 5% expecting their strategy to revert to what it was pre-pandemic. Additionally, according to Chief Learning Officer magazine, most respondents agree that their company will adopt new training methods (50%) and that their company’s blend of training methods will change (51%).

Skill requirements are also in a state of flux. 48% of L&D professionals believe their team is underskilled to deliver what is needed for their business while 79% of CEOs concerned that a “lack of essential skills in their workforce is threatening the future growth of their organisation.” In both instances, the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle can help. Further, 54% of employees will require extensive upskilling or reskilling by 2022, with soft skills replacing hard skills as a top priority for future-ready employees. This process will involve unlearning old skills and relearning new ones.

Collectively, this paints a picture of an industry undergoing significant changes at both a strategic and skills level. Implementing and embracing these changes will require significant amounts of unlearning and relearning. It is no longer enough to say you know something and assume that knowledge will remain constant for the next twenty years. Rather, you must continually reevaluate knowledge and relearn skills to ensure they remain up-to-date in a changing world.

Helping your team accept unlearning and embrace relearning 

As ever, putting the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle into practice is where issues can arise. Many people are set in their ways, while for others, the proposition of unlearning may feel intimidating or challenging. Relearning can be just as difficult. Many of us are resistant to change, after all. 

There are two keys to getting team members to embrace the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle.

If you simply walk in and announce ‘forget everything you thought you knew about L&D’, expect some pushback. Instead, it is vital to clearly communicate the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle to team members, and, more importantly, why it will benefit them. In doing this, it’s also important to dispel any common misconceptions that may arise. For example, unlearning means deliberately throwing away knowledge. 

Emphasise that we are unlearning and relearning all the time and that doing so is necessary to keep up with a changing L&D landscape. It can help prompt people to reflect on skills or behaviours they have had to unlearn or relearn recently, so they can relate this cycle back to personal experiences. Often, resistance to change comes from people not fully understanding why that change is necessary, so be sure to clearly communicate the benefits of unlearning and relearning to your team, while also encouraging them to check in with their skills to ensure they are future-ready. 

2. Provide resources and support to facilitate unlearning and relearning 

Once team members are over the initial hurdle of accepting why unlearning and relearning are necessary, it’s also important to provide the appropriate resources to facilitate this learning. This means offering team members relevant, up-to-date learning opportunities and creating a culture that embraces continuous learning. Managers and leaders should be heavily involved in this process, championing the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle, and providing support wherever appropriate. 

While they say you learn something new every day, this might be the year of unlearning.  As such, we take a closer look at the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle.

What is the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle?

While they say you learn something new every day, this might be the year of unlearning.  As such, we take a closer look at the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle. 

What is the learn, unlearn, relearn cycle? 

We’re always looking for opportunities to reset in the New Year. Using our learnings from the past 12 months, this can be the perfect time to take a positive step forward by creating new thinking habits to tackle the challenges ahead. 

With this in mind, we at Go1 are excited to share our sponsorship of the upcoming ‘Emerging Stronger’ masterclass, facilitated by L&D industry powerhouses Laura Overton, Michelle Ockers, and Shannon Tipton. 

Our decision to partner with Laura, Michelle, and Shannon was an easy one. We champion their drive to share years of research, evidence, and effective practices to enable anyone in learning and development to drive business value, while also creating opportunities to connect practitioners to solve real problems. 

At Go1, we are committed to an inclusive community, bringing people together through learning. Given this, we also recognise that learning and growth are personal experiences, a value that is reflected in the Emerging Stronger masterclass. 

With a constant need for L&D to adapt to a changing landscape, there has never been a more important time to apply new lenses to get ahead of the curve and emerge stronger. 

The Emerging Stronger masterclass will take place over six weeks, supported by a private, global community, which brings together the best minds in L&D to work on real problems. Participants will practice with a set of evidence-informed modern L&D lenses including data, community, technology, and experiments.

What's more, as a Go1 customer you can receive the Early Bird discount, right up until commencement!

Register here to secure your place at the Emerging Stronger Masterclass with Laura, Michelle, and Shannon.

We’re always looking for opportunities to reset in the New Year. Using our learnings from the past 12 months, this can be the perfect time to take a positive step forward by creating new thinking habits to tackle the challenges ahead. Secure your place at the 'Emerging Stronger' Masterclass to get ahead of the curve.

Get ahead of the curve and emerge stronger in 2021

As the new year begins, we have had time to reflect and set goals for the year ahead. The next step is to focus on how to stay disciplined and turn vision into reality.

In her famous Ted talk and book Grit, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth explains that IQ isn’t the only thing separating the successful from those who struggle. Her research is concerned with concepts such as self-control and grit, and how they can predict both academic and professional success. 

While this is useful to know, it doesn’t make it any easier to develop a disciplined mindset. Being disciplined doesn’t come naturally to us: it is far easier to give in to distraction than it is to dig deep and focus on the task at hand. We need to work on our thought processes constantly and strengthen them like muscle to keep growing.

One of the best ways to improve your resolve is through online learning. If you only have five minutes to spare at the end of the day, a course can give you the quick insight you need. We’ve hand-picked five of the best to help you build the right mindset for your professional development this year. 

When looking to improve your chances of success with the goals you set, it is helpful to understand the skills that set you apart. Where does the potential in your personality lie? 

The course Harnessing Your Strengths and Understanding Your Weaknesses can help you identify traits, characteristics, knowledge, and skills that positively impact your work. It will also help you to mitigate your bad habits, personality traits, and less developed skills that hold you back professionally. 

Deciding that you need to make a new, positive habit is the first step towards behavioral change. Sticking to the commitment is not as easy, but understanding the psychology can help. 

With The Complete Daily Positive Habits Building Course, you can build steady, healthy habits quickly and get rid of old, bad habits just as fast. The key is to find a simple way to reinforce these habits daily for them to take permanent root. 

Building positive habits will help you to develop the grit and discipline you need to see your goals through to completion. 

While setting goals for yourself is crucial to your professional development, you also need to factor in the vision of your organization and the needs of your colleagues. Focusing solely on yourself and your personal goals will have limited success. 

The aim is to consider your needs and the needs of those around you. This balancing act can lead to tension, but the course How To Manage Team Conflict can help you to navigate any disagreements. 

Each lecture will help you to implement relevant and meaningful strategies to support you as a leader and culture driver now and in the future.

Resilience is a necessary characteristic for bouncing back from adversity, managing stress, and reaching your full potential in life. 

Power Up Your Resilience is a practical online course which offers a great introduction to the topic, to help you change your mental health and thinking. 

The course is broken down into seven videos, based on content from Dr. Sven Hansen, founder of The Resilience Institute. Dr. Hansen is a medical practitioner with a background in special forces and sports medicine, and since gaining an MBA in 1993 has focused on applying the science of resilience to business.

Resilience can help you with all aspects of life, including your physical health, emotions, sleep patterns, stress levels, and relationships with others. 

Our brains are wired for learning and growth, no matter where we are or what we are doing. From an evolutionary perspective, our ability to learn has shaped us as a species and continues to do so.

To reach our potential, we have to be in the right place psychologically, and this is why developing a growth mindset can be useful.  

This course on leadership innovation provides you with a clear roadmap for creating an environment that inspires trust, cohesiveness, agility, and innovation.

Author Shawn Hunter will show you skills to help you grow into an impactful leader, including listening intently, acting with kindness, showing gratitude, and embracing challenges.

Go1 is your employee's gateway to professional development growth. With courses that cover numerous business functions, we help your staff grow into their role by unlocking their potential. Content is at all levels of difficulty and is suitable for any employee, in any department, in any region

Encourage your learners to own their personal development training, by giving them the flexibility to search and select courses that reflect their professional interests. This helps your employees take the learning outside of the workplace, so they can access it whenever and wherever they want.

Five courses to change your career trajectory in 2021 

Written by guest blogger Maureen Frank, Chief Disruption Officer at Emberin, and Diversity & Inclusion thought leader. Maureen challenges leaders and organisations to get real about inclusion and diversity. She has mentored over 35,000 people worldwide and has a passion for women in leadership and inclusive career development. Her approach to diversity and inclusion is challenging and unique, yet simplifies a complex discussion. 

I committed to having one hundred virtual coffees with leaders and diversity and inclusion experts from around the world. As a result, I have been having some very interesting conversations. My main question is:

What will the pivot in diversity and inclusion look like post-COVID?

This is the first article in a series of five, drawing from these conversations, my own research, and my hands-on experience supporting leaders to be more inclusive during the lockdown.

It may be tempting for businesses to see diversity and inclusion as non-essential in their struggle to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. But that would be a big mistake.

The change in emphasis might be unintentional as businesses focus on immediate, existential threats or move to adopt measures around new ways of working, workforce capacity, productivity, and the physical and mental health of their employees.

However, companies that reverse course on diversity and inclusion will put themselves at a severe disadvantage, risking a backlash from customers and employees now, while also limiting their potential for growth and renewal down the line.

As societies and economies prepare for the unknowable post-COVID world, it would be easy to tell ourselves that diversity and inclusion are non-essential add-ons, which we can put to one side until the crisis is over. Yet, recent months have reminded us that agile and flexible approaches to work are key components of surviving a crisis. A diverse and inclusive workforce will be critical to organisational endurance. This means D&I will arguably be more important than ever as we move from shock to emergence from the pandemic’s effects.

Some may argue that a global pandemic is not the time to discuss workplace diversity and inclusion as an imperative for organisations; that there are more pressing issues facing our world. But if you step back and look at what organisations need most right now, perhaps you would shift your view and contend that this moment is precisely the right time to recognise the importance of diversity.

What are the diversity and inclusion lessons we have learned from COVID that will impact our new normal?

Privilege is invisible to those that have it

If you’re in a position to stockpile, you’re privileged. If you’re ‘not worried about catching the virus because you’re young/fit/healthy’, you’re privileged. Having financial security, the ability to drive, access to a vehicle, good health, and even a reliable internet connection are all signs of privilege that many of us take for granted. 

With millions living in poverty around the world and millions more living with at least one long-term health condition, there are a lot of people (particularly the elderly, those experiencing homelessness, and folks from low-income backgrounds) who have simply not been afforded the same opportunities.

The pandemic has done much to help each of us understand our privilege. Of course, recognising our own privilege is one thing, but it’s what you choose to do with your privilege that really matters!

The need for rigorous inclusion protocols becomes patently obvious on long video-conferencing calls. It is no longer acceptable for a few people to dominate, interrupt, or appropriate ideas. Managers running calls have a duty to ensure a level playing field when they mediate conversations. 

Feedback, performance and pay evaluations – processes that have often been driven by bias – should become more analytical and metric-based. When the person who casually steps into the manager’s office to brag about their accomplishments can no longer swing by, managers will have the opportunity to be more impartial when handling important career decisions. 

Leaders of today must also exhibit more nuanced skills. The old-fashioned, hard-power style of command and control still plays an important role in crisis management. But other abilities such as showing empathy and appreciation, listening, and offering support take on equal importance.

These have typically been seen as soft skills and were less valued traits practised by women as members of the non-dominant group. Today’s most effective leaders will have to embrace both hard and soft skills to address the needs of their employees, customers, communities, and investors.

OK, so this isn’t breaking news, but the reality is many employees have repeatedly been told that their jobs couldn’t be done remotely, only to find out that they actually could. Imagine having a disability or caretaker responsibilities and asking for accommodations at work that would enable you to effectively balance your circumstances while still fulfilling your role. 

Often these accommodations are considered too expensive, impractical, or simply not feasible. Fast forward to the middle of a global pandemic and it's remarkable to see what the majority of businesses are capable of. Not only have many transformed almost overnight to support remote working and the needs of virtual teams, but they have managed to do so quickly and en masse.

The truth is, if more organisations had embraced remote working sooner, the situation with COVID-19 would have been much easier to navigate with less commercial disruption, financial impact, and emotional stress.

COVID-19 hasn’t only affected our physical interactions, but it has also forced a rapid rise in online conferences, training sessions, and community events. While many see this as less engaging than traditional physical events, it could increase participation for working carers who can’t attend evening events in person, folks with autism who need to avoid noisy spaces due to sensitivity to sound, or for those who might find networking overwhelming like introverts and people with depression. 

Digital engagement could be key to broadening participation, reaching a larger geographical spread, and breaking down barriers to access for many.

As we live through this extraordinary moment in history, with unexpected levels of uncertainty and risks not seen for generations, companies that can draw on a wealth of perspectives in their teams — across genders, generations, cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds — will ultimately be prepared for our new collective, global reality.

Globally, we see a lot of dissatisfaction with an approach to diversity & inclusion that doesn’t seem to work. Fortunately, the approach is changing, and we would love to know what you think. Take our Global Diversity and Inclusion Survey to have your say. 

What are the diversity and inclusion lessons we have learned from COVID that will impact our new normal? This is the first article in a series of five, written by guest blogger Maureen Frank, Chief Disruption Officer at Emberin, and Diversity & Inclusion thought leader.

Diversity and inclusion post-COVID: taking the lessons of COVID forward to our ‘new normal’

What are the diversity and inclusion lessons we have learned from COVID that will impact our new normal? This is the first article in a series of five, written by guest blogger Maureen Frank, Chief Disruption Officer at Emberin, and Diversity & Inclusion thought leader. 

Written by guest blogger Shannon Tipton, workplace Learning Strategist and owner of Learning Rebels. Shannon is excited to work with organizations to develop learning solutions to achieve applicable business results. Recently named in the top 100 eLearning‘ Movers and Shakers’ by eLearning Industry, Shannon’s blog ‘Learning Rebels’ is in the top 100 eLearning blogs.

The “workplace digital divide” is the gap between those organizations who are at the forefront of technical investment and use, and those who have failed to invest or have invested poorly in the wrong areas. This ultimately impacts employee productivity and employee motivation[1] creating a glaring divide between those companies who are technology leaders, being flexible and adaptable, and those who are falling behind. 

The divide between those companies who are technology risk-takers and those who are comfortable in their analog world, may not have been as apparent pre-pandemic but now with the sudden switch to remote working, the divide is now a chasm and have put their IT departments and their ecosystems into the fast lane. Now is the time to determine what specific aspects of your current organizational digital strategy is holding people back. 

It goes without saying that the challenge of bringing technology innovation into the workplace is going to be cost and culture. It may feel like waiting to implement a digital strategy may be wiser, because something new and shiny may be just around the corner. 

However, preventing the workplace digital divide is the difference between a proactive upgrade and an urgent, necessary upgrade. A proactive upgrade means the organization would feel and function at a higher level and keeps it a step ahead of the organizations that wait and find they have been left behind. 

It is important to point out the workplace digital divide is not about upgrading laptops and phones. The divide is about the failure of organizations to provide clear digital pathways for ease of communication and collaboration. 

Those organizations who exhibit technology leadership are those that create a culture of technology leadership in all areas of the business by addressing three missing links: technology education through data, communication and collaboration, and North Star connection to people and business results. The question then becomes, does your digital strategy connect people to each other and to business results? Let’s discuss why L&D should be paying attention. 

People who work in organizations that are technology challenged are more than 500 percent more likely to be frustrated with their employer and 600 percent more likely to want to leave and work elsewhere[2]. The ask from people to employers is simple:

Understand how we work, and how we want to work

Help us do our jobs better and faster, know our daily journey

Give us up-to-date devices and reliable access to collaborate and communicate beyond email

However, organizations create frustration across the board by wanting people to be creative and innovative[3] yet do not allow or take away access to tools that would support such initiatives. This creates gaps with employee engagement, productivity, and attrition – which is referred to as “Access Agony[4]” which is defined as employees being burdened with the following:

Limited devices, lack of BYOD (bring your own device) programs

When employees were asked about how the lack of a connected digital and technology strategy makes them feel, the responses were enlightening:

85% of employees feel frustrated in their jobs

14% feel the lack of appropriate tech support makes them want to work elsewhere[5]

These are telling figures. A 2017 Gallup report stated attrition costs US businesses a trillion dollars every year due to voluntary turnover. What's most intriguing is that for the most part, some of this damage is self-inflicted through not listening to what employees are clearly asking for. 

“Losing your best people means losing your reliable winners, your constant innovators, and your most effective problem solvers." - Gallup, 2017

Is the workplace divide breaking down your organization?

Employees today realize that a positive social structure within the workplace enhances overall mental health, but also improves engagement. However, those organizations who are technology laggards are removing the potential benefits of key collaboration, communication and relationship building tools. 

Not only does this affect employees in the workplace, but it also affects potential employees. Those who are of the most creative, flexible, and innovative mindsets will take their talents to organizations that have a digital strategy that reaches across the organization. In fact, according to a recent McKinsey report, 74% of people are influenced by the apps, tools, and devices a potential employer offers when making an employment decision. 

Devices and the lack of access to workplace social structures has been identified as one of the biggest pain points within organizations today with 45% of employees feeling that outdated devices and access limitations prevents workplace collaboration. We know that positive social interactions at work directly bolster resourcefulness i.e. enhanced productivity. 

So, what would happen to the workplace if we planned social connection into bridging the workplace digital divide?

Employees who are satisfied with their workplace relationships are more likely attached to the organization. Organizations and leaders who encourage connection and collaboration significantly improve employee satisfaction and organizations that invest in connecting employees see 4.2 times the average profit than those who do not.[6]

Organizations that support social interactions see a positive impact on employee engagement, which then equates to lower business costs, improved performance outcomes, lower staff turnover and absenteeism, and fewer safety incidents (Gallup, 2017).

Collaborative spaces and team settings can lead to knowledge and productivity spillover from trained to untrained workers. We know productivity is improved when employees can collaborate and communicate with more knowledgeable co-workers.[7]

Moments of “access agony” create additional hardships to employees which create pain-points in productivity achievement. When 71% of your employees must create work-around solutions for antiquated technology, there will be a productivity issue. When 35% download additional software to their PCs in hopes it will help them do their jobs quicker and smarter there may be a security issue. When 45% of your workforce feels as though their devices are outdated and use their personal devices instead, there is an engagement issue. 

The following data from a 2017 Gallup report is noticeably clear in the overall KPI results of organizations that are technology laggards: 

27% state the lack of up-to-date technology slows them down at work

28% state the lack of access to programs that are important to their work prevents them from doing their job

20% of employees report using 3 or more devices at work to get the job done. 

30% state the lack of interconnectivity prevents them from doing their work in less time

There is clearly a pattern of employees being so frustrated with organizational technology that they are creating their own bespoke solutions to get the job done – with or without approval. This likely creates actively disengaged employees which cost the US $583 - $605 billion in lost productivity. What is it costing your organization? 

What can L&D do to support the business and decrease the workplace digital divide?

Raise the “Tech IQ"[8] of your organization to create a culture of technology acceptance 

As with most things culture driven, education brings knowledge and acceptance. This means starting from the top, educating leadership through data and using cross-department partnerships and gaining an understanding of an organization's capabilities to shift the mindset.

Do this by helping business leaders understand what they should be exploring. Start with workshops and use-cases to build a foundation of technology curiosity. 

Take inventory of the employee’s journey. How do they use current legacy apps and tools? How do they want to use these tools? Identify all frustration points.

Your digital strategy must first begin with the end in mind, how we can help people to help the business? To do this, there are a few areas to address.

People will be afraid of technology. Some fear technology may take over their jobs or job roles. Help them to understand that technology may subvert some of the tasks we do, but not necessarily erase the actual jobs we have.

Create quick wins to display the critical advantage that bridging the divide will have. Create your hypothesis about the creative methods technology can support that help people work smarter, better, faster to create business results. 

Sharing data around the technology growth and success to show proof of concept.

Create a mindset of community and collaboration

Strong community ties with frequent social interactions (even remotely) with co-workers provide opportunities to experiment, collaborate and share experiences. Additional benefits reach deep and wide across organizations. 

Employees with broad cross-department access can help solve the problems of tomorrow because they see the problems coming. 

Create access to tools, apps, and up-to-date devices to take the handcuffs off people and allow for freer, more productive thinking. 

By creating broader and wider communities and connections, we create an organizational ecosystem. Where if one part falters the others are there to keep the momentum going. 

L&D has an opportunity to have a role in empowering the workplace to bridge this divide. Here are some questions to unlock this opportunity:

Do you know what employees have access to or not have access to?

Is L&D consciously or unconsciously limiting access to important connections and tools?

What decisions or actions can you influence? What bridges can you build across the organization?