As a Diversity Manager, you understand the challenges of trying to create a level playing field for employees as they seek to develop careers in your company. Invisible barriers and the “glass ceiling,” for example, still exist in many organizations.
While diversity training is an important strategy in breaking down these barriers, it often doesn’t go far enough. Too often, attendees leave these sessions knowing something about diversity but not really changing their perspective. Why? Because their behavior doesn’t change.
This is where a formal mentoring program that focused on diversity initiatives can help. Mentoring programs bring people together and empower them to share the “real” issues and, as a result, change the internal system to be more balanced and fair. Mentoring programs also take the theory from the classroom and provide a safe environment for honest dialogue between the majority/non-majority pairs. This type of exchange not only transforms the individuals, but also provides opportunities for them to effect change in the company.
If you’d like to learn more about how a mentoring program can support your diversity initiatives, download a copy of our free thought paper: The Power of Mentoring To Support Diversity Initiatives.