Although the concept of unlearning and relearning may be nothing new, it’s never been more important. Unlearning does not mean forgetting. But it does mean challenging one’s mindset from what we’ve come to know as “the way things have always been done”.
Arguably, the biggest issue that has been witnessed in the diversity and inclusion (D&I) agenda is in leaders trying to navigate a new world with knowledge gained from outdated and backward-looking lessons.
In the workplace, failure to diverge perspective, to discourage new thinking and to praise compliance makes for a workplace that does not serve the interests of equality. A leader closing their mind to different ideas and approaches is a dangerous thing.
Certainly, leaders are the captains of the proverbial ship. They dictate the culture, they set the tone and they navigate their teams through murky water. But leaders hold a power that can be as helpful as it can be fatal. The longer people play into the old fable that they are almighty and infallible, the longer it will take to create sustainable change. Worse still, the longer leaders teach these baseless lessons, the longer discrimination will be at large in our societies.
There’s no question that the way things have always been done does not align with current culture and the needs of businesses in today’s world. And the failure to admit, or recognise that, is a risk. The truth is, social justice cannot be achieved without unlearning racial prejudice, and gender equality cannot be embraced without unlearning gender stereotypes.
It’s time for leaders to address toxic lessons, here are three such lessons they should unlearn:
Unlearn the stigmatisation of salary transparency Many employers have long silenced their employees on matters of pay. There are a number of reasons companies keep salaries private. However, experience has taught that it’s often because someone has something to hide.
The benefits of pay transparency are plentiful; a company is more likely to attract new talent and improve retention, it will increase trust among teams and between the employer and employee, and, most importantly, it will help address gender, ethnicity and any other D&I characteristic pay gap. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, nearly 80% of the gender pay gap, across a sample of 16 member countries, can be attributed to wage inequity within firms. Pay transparency will help expose those employers who are discriminating and underpaying.
Unlearn that leaders should be untouchable Study after study has found that authentic leaders (or those that are perceived to be) have a positive impact on both their employees and their organisation’s bottom-line. Although the portrait of a great leader looks a little different to each of us, authenticity and autonomy are recurring characteristics for most. In fact, theoretical research strongly establishes the hypothesis that authentic leadership will have positive effects on employees’ hedonic well-being.
Disguising emotion, no matter what the cause, hampers a leader’s ability to build trust amongst their colleagues. The danger is that employees then mirror this behaviour. They learn that the way to lead is to hide one’s true self. In 2022, let them see you sweat. If someone at the height of power cannot show vulnerability, they will fail to connect with their workforce. There is common ground amongst us all - we are all human.
Unlearn that quotas should be set
Tackling diversity is not about fixing a number, it is about changing a culture. Which means, those companies that take a tick-box approach by focusing on aspects like quotas, risk building more inequalities. Quotas help companies appear to change, in comparison to genuinely wanting to change. Don’t fall victim to the pressure of change. Ill-considered strategies are praying into the hands of tokenism.
