How do you include diversity in project management?
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Diversity is not only a moral and social responsibility, but also a source of competitive advantage and innovation for project management. However, including diversity in project management is not always easy or straightforward. It requires awareness, commitment, and skills to foster an inclusive and respectful environment for all project stakeholders. In this article, you will learn some practical tips on how to include diversity in project management, such as:
Define diversity
Diversity is a broad term that encompasses many dimensions of human differences, such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, education, culture, and more. Diversity also refers to the variety of perspectives, experiences, skills, and knowledge that people bring to a project. To include diversity in project management, you need to first understand and appreciate the diversity of your project team and stakeholders, and how it affects their needs, expectations, and contributions.
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Within SAP S/4HANA, diversity could be considered as a make up of multiple individuals that bring a range of core competency, perspectives, insights and experiences. Teams are typically spanned out across multiple geographical locations. As a manager, it is important to appreciate how your teams' unique backgrounds contribute to a successful SAP S/4HANA implementation by being adaptable to a global level of communication and leveraging your teams talents to come up with user-centric solutions and creative problem-solving approaches.
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People with different cultures, experiences, and points of view can add a lot to a team and a project, as long as there is a proper environment that makes people feel safe to share and fosters integration.
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Communicate effectively
Effective communication is essential for any project, but especially for diverse ones. Communication can bridge gaps, build trust, and foster collaboration among diverse project participants. To communicate effectively, you need to use clear, respectful, and inclusive language, avoid jargon and stereotypes, and adapt to different communication styles and preferences. You also need to listen actively, ask open-ended questions, and provide constructive feedback. Moreover, you need to use appropriate communication channels and tools, such as email, phone, video conferencing, chat, or collaboration platforms, depending on the context and purpose of the communication.
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Within an SAP S/4HANA Implementation, you have multiple teams to manage. Sometimes, this looks like different workstreams that report into you, sometimes, its based on managing the client team, and sometimes, its about managing team members that come from different backgrounds and skillsets. When starting your project, this is one of the first things you need to address. You have to look at this from every angle - where is the team located, what time zone is the team in, are there certain times that the team will be unavailable due to time zone or geographical restrictions? When you gain these insights, you can build a more effective communication strategy on a global level for a successful SAP S/4HANA Implementation.
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Committing to consistently building foundations of lifelong learning is essential for continuously tweaking communication styles. A few resources: ✨MBTI Communication Preferences ✨ Shadow & Soil - Consultant (Giving & Receiving Feedback) ✨ Gottman Institute - Soft Starts Up & Repair ✨ Non Violent Communication books (ie Thich Nhat Hanh) ✨ Consider consistent & psychologically safe feedback loops to gather engagement information regarding quality of interactions esp from team members with the least amount of structural power, and to enable changed actions in response to feedback
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Manage conflicts
Conflicts are inevitable in any project, but they can be more frequent and complex in diverse ones. Conflicts can arise from different opinions, values, expectations, or interests among project participants. Conflicts can also be caused by misunderstandings, miscommunication, or biases. To manage conflicts in a diverse project, you need to identify the root causes, acknowledge the emotions and perspectives involved, and seek win-win solutions that respect and leverage the diversity of the project. You also need to avoid escalating or avoiding conflicts, and instead address them constructively and collaboratively.
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In an SAP S/4HANA Implementation, one of the most common things I tend to see are conflicts on what solution needs to be implemented, and this is typically due to varied experiences and skillsets. The challenge is how to address a win-win scenario in solutioning. One of the key ways to ensure a proper decision is made on solutioning is to collaborate on finding the one that will deliver the highest level of value and quality, while maintaining efficiency in terms of cost and overall project timelines.
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Promoting diversity within project management is critical to ensuring that the team is representative of the population it serves. However, with diverse teams, conflicts are bound to arise. A good approach is to use active listening and empathy to understand where team members are coming from. This can help de-escalate the situation and identify a solution that works for all parties involved. As a project manager, it is important to constantly evaluate and improve your approach to managing diversity and conflict. Regularly seeking feedback from team members and reflecting on your own biases can help ensure that you are creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all team members.
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Promote inclusion
Inclusion is the degree to which project participants feel valued, respected, and supported by the project. Inclusion is not only about ensuring equal representation and participation, but also about creating a sense of belonging and empowerment for all project stakeholders. To promote inclusion in project management, you need to involve and consult diverse project participants in decision making, problem solving, and innovation. You also need to recognize and appreciate their contributions, strengths, and achievements. Moreover, you need to provide equal access and opportunities for learning, development, and growth within the project.
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When everyone can take part in project management, they can share different ideas and ways of thinking. This can help solve problems better and come up with new and creative solutions. When everyone feels included and valued, they are more likely to care about the project and want it to succeed. So it's not just important to be fair, it's also smart to make sure everyone is included in a project.
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Inclusion is important in any project, because it allows different voices to bring their unique perspectives to the project. Some people see things at a granular level while others see it from a high level. People’s experiences and backgrounds allow them specific insights someone else might not possess. By actively practicing inclusivity, you bring talents, strengths, and perspectives to your project.
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Learn and improve
Including diversity in project management is not a one-time event, but a continuous process of learning and improvement. You need to constantly monitor and evaluate the impact of diversity on your project performance, quality, and outcomes. You need to collect and analyze feedback from diverse project participants on their satisfaction, engagement, and challenges. You also need to identify and address any gaps, issues, or risks related to diversity in your project. Moreover, you need to celebrate and share your successes and best practices on including diversity in project management.
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In my experience, continuous learning in terms of celebrating diversity and celebrating success means ensuring that all team members feel they have a voice during the engagement, are comfortable with presenting different solutions and have regular opportunities to approach challenging circumstances. One way you can achieve this is by regularly offering coaching and mentorship to your teams and leading by example; with fairness to each person as a team member, a leader and an individual contributor.
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A great team is one who doesn't stop after celebrating success, but rather commits to its continuous improvement and further development. The project manager, quite obviously, leads the way. Be curious. Share your curiosity with the team. I invited my team to a decision making training, being it essential for a diverse and inclusive team to perform well. The majority accepted and attended the training. Are we a better team after the training? Yes, surely. Are we done with our improvements? Surely not!
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Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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A key way to include diversity in project management is to place a high premium on it and proactively embed it throughout the project lifecycle. Diversity has tremendous benefits - one of which is the opportunity to leverage collective genius! I’m a firm believer in leveraging collective genius to drive innovation and achieve results. This way, you give your project higher chances of success. It also helps you become a better project manager, as you will have perspectives and people that help cover your blind spots. Diversity in project management should not be an afterthought. It should be incorporated right from the planning phase. Clearly articulate what diversity on each project should look like, and define metrics to measure success.
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Listen. Then stop and integrate the perspective. Listen more. Repeat the process. Make people's opinion worthy. Those involved in the project are the true value.
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