TRENDING
achieve this objective, teams must consist
of multidisciplinary, diverse members with
the autonomy and accountability to act and
to realise financial targets. Diversity and
inclusion (D&I) is critical for the success of
those teams.
“D&I initiatives will only contribute to
business results if they are scaled properly
and actually reach frontline employees,”
said John Kostoulas, Senior Research
Director at Gartner. “Enterprises often
overlook extending D&I programmes, such
as unconscious bias training, to frontline
employees. Numerous technologies can
enhance the scale and effectiveness of
D&I programmes, such as by diagnosing
the current state of inclusion, developing
leaders who foster inclusion and embedding
inclusion into daily business execution.”
D&I initiatives are an area where CIOs
and CHROs can cooperate easily and
26
INTELLIGENTCIO
effectively. For example, CIOs can
champion empowerment behaviours, as
they already gained a lot of experience
with agile development and product teams
working together. The IT department must
partner with HR to set up programmes for
monitoring, measuring and enhancing
inclusion. “It’s worth the investment. Gartner
research shows that inclusion can improve
performance by over 30% in diverse teams,”
Kostoulas said.
Gartner clients can learn more in the
report Predicts 2019: A Dynamic Culture
Will Accelerate Digital Transformation.
More predictions for all aspects of the IT
industry can be found in the Gartner Trend
Insight Report, Predicts 2019: Leadership
Means Expanding Options, Not Limiting
Them, a collection of research aimed at
helping CIOs and IT leaders focus on how
the landscape is shifting for individuals,
businesses and IT organisations. n
Elise Olding, Research Vice President
at Gartner
www.intelligentcio.com