Are you looking for some inclusive leadership activities?
It’s important to foster an inclusive workplace environment for all your employees. This means creating an atmosphere where everyone feels equally valued and included regardless of their differences.
Successful leaders know how to create a sense of belonging among their diverse workforce. That’s why you need the right exercises for your teams.
In this article, let’s see 10 inclusive leadership training activities that you can conduct with your teams.
10 Inclusive Leadership Activities for Your Workplace
Here is a list of inclusive leadership activities for your workplace.
So, let’s get started!
#1. Shared Values
This activity helps to promote inclusive leadership by creating a common team identity.
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Flipchart paper, and markers
Participants: 4-6 people per group
Instructions
- Ask each team member to list three core values on a flipchart paper that they feel are essential for their work and life.
- Give them a few minutes to brainstorm and jot down their values.
- Once everyone has completed the task, have the group discuss how these values overlap and differ.
Debrief
Ask the team to highlight any patterns or observations they have noticed. Discuss how they can incorporate these shared values into their everyday work.
#2. Building Bridges of Respect
The ‘Building Bridges of Respect’ activity encourages teams to brainstorm ideas about how they can show respect for each other.
Time: You decide
Materials: Flipchart paper and markers
Participants: Any
Instructions
- Divide the group into small teams of 4-5 members.
- Ask each team to brainstorm ideas about how they can show respect for each other in the workplace. Then, they can write down their ideas on flipchart paper.
- Give them 10 minutes to come up with ideas.
- Once everyone has completed the task, have the group discuss what they came up with.
Debrief
During the debrief, point out how the ideas can help create a shared team identity and foster an inclusive workplace.
#3. Cultural Appreciation Day
This activity encourages teams to come together and appreciate diversity through a cultural celebration.
Time: You decide
Materials: None (can be done virtually or in person)
Participants: 5-10 people
Instructions
- Ask everyone on the team to contribute something from their culture (food, stories, music, etc.).
- As a team, discuss and share different experiences.
- Try to learn more about each other’s cultures.
Debrief
During the debrief, figure out how the cultural appreciation activities can help create a shared team identity and foster an inclusive workplace. Additionally, reflect upon the experiences that were shared and discuss how they helped to create a culture of inclusivity.
#4. Diversity Mixer
This diversity mixer exercise can foster an inclusive environment by allowing team members to get to know more about each other’s cultures and share different experiences.
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: Small groups of 2-3 people
Instructions
- Have everyone on the team form small groups of 2-3 people.
- Ask them to talk about their backgrounds, interests, etc. for a few minutes.
- After some time, instruct them to move around and find new partners throughout the mixer.
Debrief
During the debrief, it is important to figure out how this activity helped create a shared team identity, as well as how it can be improved in the future. Additionally, discuss any potential challenges and solutions for implementing this activity.
#5. Inclusive Discussion Circles
This activity encourages team members to discuss topics related to DEI in order to gain a better understanding of each other’s perspectives.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: None (can be done virtually or in person)
Participants: Any
Instructions
- Divide each group into smaller circles and assign a topic related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Have the groups discuss their assigned topics for some time. Ask each circle to come up with ideas that can help foster an inclusive workplace.
- At the end of the discussion, have someone from each circle share their ideas with the entire group.
Debrief
During the debrief, discuss which ideas could be implemented for more inclusive practices in the workplace. Additionally, talk about any potential challenges that were discussed during the circles.
#6. Commonalities vs Differences
This activity helps the participants understand the commonalities and differences among their colleagues.
Time: You decide
Materials: A list of statements that are respectful and comfortable for the participants to answer.
Participants: 4-10 people per group
Instructions
- Read a few statements one by one.
For example:
“Are you a parent?”
“Do you speak two or more languages?”
“Are you the oldest sibling in your family?”
- Ask the participants to respond to each statement by raising their hands or coming forward if it applies to them.
- Have a discussion about how the similarities and differences among the group members can be used to create a more inclusive workplace environment.
- Ask them to share their ideas on how to foster an atmosphere of appreciation for diversity.
Debrief
In the debrief, explore how to use commonalities and differences to foster a culture of inclusion in the workplace. Encourage participants to think about how their experiences can be used to create an atmosphere of appreciation for diversity.
#7. Unconscious Bias-Making
The purpose of this activity is to increase awareness about unconscious biases and how they may appear in work settings. Here participants will have the chance to reflect on their personal experiences and exchange ideas for promoting a more equitable workplace.
Time: You decide
Materials: Examples of different types of unconscious biases, handouts or resources discussing strategies for managing these biases
Participants: Team members
Instructions
- Introduce the concept of unconscious bias to the participants.
- Break them up into small groups and ask each person to share an example of a common unconscious bias they have witnessed or experienced.
- Lead a discussion on how these biases can be managed in the workplace.
- Have participants work together to identify ways the organization can create a more inclusive culture.
Debrief
During the debrief, figure out what strategies participants came up with for managing unconscious biases and creating an inclusive workplace environment. What were their thoughts on how this activity can be adapted in the future?
#8. Diversity Poll
This Diversity Poll exercise allows employees to express their views and understand the values of their colleagues.
Time: 5-15 minutes
Materials: None
Participants: Any
Instructions
- Tell a debating statement like something given below:
“Employees should be allowed to take flexible hours without any restrictions.”
“Incentives must be provided to employees who complete their tasks on time.”
- Ask the employees to respond by silently expressing “thumps up” if they agree, “thumps down” if they disagree, and “cross the arms” if they are not sure.
- Give them a chance to express their opinion verbally and explain their response.
- After everyone has had the chance to express their opinion, ask if anyone wants to change their initial response. Then, repeat this process for 3-5 statements.
- At the end of the exercise, ask for feedback from the employees. Encourage everyone to share their thoughts on how to create an inclusive leadership culture within the organization.
Debrief
During the debrief, you should figure out how employees feel about the statements given and discuss how their views can be used to create a more understanding and diverse environment. You can also learn how different people react to specific topics or situations.
#9. Cross the Line
This activity is a fun, yet meaningful way to demonstrate the similarities between employees and promote inclusivity.
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: A masking tape
Participants: All staff members
Instructions
- Draw a line on the floor using the masking tape. Now, instruct your staff to stand on one side of the tape line.
- Ask 10-15 questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”. For example: “Has anyone here ever been to the Grand Canyon?”
- Instruct your employees to step across the line if they answer ‘yes’.
- Once all the questions have been asked, tell everyone to stop and look around.
Debrief
During the debrief, explore how similar each employee is to one another. Also, emphasize the importance of understanding different perspectives in order to create an inclusive working environment.
#10. Team Diversity Survey
This is an inclusive leadership activity that provides team members with the opportunity to learn more about each other’s backgrounds and cultures.
Time: You decide
Materials: None (can be done virtually or in person)
Participants: 6-10 people per group
Instructions
- Have everyone fill out a team diversity survey prior to the activity.
For instance, some survey questions you can try are:
“What is your cultural background?”
“How was your experience with diversity in the workplace?”
“How can we create a culture of acceptance within our team?”
- During the activity, have each participant share their answers and discuss their backgrounds with the rest of the group.
- Ask questions to encourage further discussion on themes related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- End with a wrap-up session where everyone shares any takeaways they had from the conversation.
Debrief
During the debrief, figure out what common themes arose from the discussion and how people felt about discussing their backgrounds with each other.
Want Some Unique Team Building Activities?
If you want some unique activities to make your teams inclusive, you can get my new e-book:
Or Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?
If you want some unique activities to equip your employees with leadership skills, qualities, and mindset, you can get my new e-book:
Final Words
Organizations can cultivate an inclusive environment by providing a platform for employees to engage in meaningful conversations with each other. By putting in some effort and creativity, you can ensure that everyone in your workplace feels included. The aforementioned activities aimed at inclusive leadership training can assist you in achieving this objective.