Recent times have seen growing recognition of the value and importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) to organisational performance. Although the intent and ambition to foster diverse and inclusive workplaces may be stronger than ever, the gap remains in terms of turning these aspirations into reality.
Making the necessary changes to develop a culture of inclusion can be challenging. Success requires ensuring individuals are both willing and able to change personal behaviours they may genuinely not recognise as problematic. Nowhere is this more evident than in the brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults towards others. Known as microaggressions these comments or actions erode feelings of trust, belonging and inclusion.

One organisation that is stepping up to the challenge of creating an inclusive culture where people can bring their whole selves to work is Skanska. A leader in construction, Skanska has set its sights high, with a vision to become recognised as a leader in diversity.

The Hatching Ideas team have been hard at work over recent months meticulously co-creating, designing, and developing the approach and material for a series of Active Bystander workshops to be delivered at Skanska sites across the UK. All scenarios and examples in the workshops are based on the lived experience of staff, providing real world context for maximum impact. Central to the design is the co-facilitation of the workshops by a member of Hatching Ideas’ People Development practice alongside a Skanska employee. A diverse pool of more than 20 staff from all levels across Skanska have volunteered as co-facilitators, signing up to deliver the workshops and provide ongoing signposting and support to embed the change. In late November the group met for the first time to complete their facilitators development session and are now ready to roll out the Active Bystanders workshop in the coming months.

The employee-centric approach to both the Active Bystander workshop design and its delivery is key to the sustainability of the initiative, ensuring it engages and resonates with staff who are instrumental in the process. Recognising the need to embed D&I initiatives within functions and processes across the organisation, Skanska’s Active Bystander workshops are part of a broader series of actions to increase inclusion across the business.