Addressing diversity and inclusion in project management

Revision as of 17:27, 8 May 2023

Abstract

The principles of diversity and inclusion (D&I), although often neglected in project management, are crucial to the success of the project. Taking these principles into account offers many advantages, from better performance and innovation to a more pleasant working environment.

Although the themes of D&I re covered in other articles, they are regularly studied from a team perspective (http://wiki.doing-projects.org/index.php/Diversity_in_teams). However, to my knowledge, no comprehensive guide for a project manager to address these issues in a project. This guide will try to give all the resources for a project manager who has to lead a project with a new team and with limited time. For the coherence of the article, a time limit of six months will be set.

While inclusion and diversity policies are substantive and therefore long-term policies, the following article aims to propose effective short-term solutions, which are best suited for project management. Indeed, project management presents unique diversity and inclusion challenges due to the typically tight schedule and temporary nature of the teams.

The article begins by explaining the importance and benefits of diversity and inclusion, while providing a theoretical framework. It will then try to provide a tool to give strategies for taking diversity and inclusion into account in project management, and how to monitor and evaluate its implementation. Finally, the article will discuss the limitations of the approach.

Theory

What is Diversity and Inclusion ?

Diversity refers to the presence of difference backgrounds, experiences, and perspective in a team. The most well known examples of diversity are gender diversity, age diversity, ethnic diversity, physical ability and neurodiversity… An even broader definition can be adopted, according to Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler “We tend to think about that in terms of things like racial diversity and gender diversity and ethnic diversity. Those things are all important. But it’s also important to have diversity in how people think.” ^[1].

Inclusion refers to the active involvement and equal treatment of all team members. According to McKinsey & Company ^[1], an inclusive workspace is one that takes into account all employees individually while allowing them to have a significant impact.

Furthermore, the aspects of diversity and inclusion are fundamentally linked; it makes no sense to have a diverse workspace if minorities do not feel included.

Application

Limitations

Annotated bibliography

McKinsey & Company. What is diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)? McKinsey & Company. 2022 Aug 17. Available from: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion. This article explains the definitions and differences between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), as well as why they matter for organizations today. The article also provides examples of how organizations can implement DE&I strategies across various dimensions, such as talent management, customer engagement, social responsibility, and innovation. ^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} .