Are you uncomfortable talking to your team about diversity? An important part of being a great leader is being brave enough to have the conversations that matter most.

 

And while study after study demonstrates diversity drives major business benefits, most people would still rather not talk about the issues that force us to have diversity strategies in the first place.

 

Asking our colleagues and employees about whether and how they experience gender (or race) bias getting in their way at work, strikes many of us as a conversation ten times more loaded than it’s worth. Even senior leaders fear they’re walking into territory strewn with red flags from HR.

 

But that anxiety can cause great harm to your workplace relationships. Employees may wonder if there are better opportunities elsewhere — feeling like you’re only interested in your experience, with no regard to theirs.

 

No matter how thorny the issue is, finding constructive ways to speak about it is essential.

 

Susan Drumm, CEO coach, shares her expert strategies for how to have that important conversation you’ve been avoiding with your team.