The Power of Inclusive Goal Setting for Collective Success

You may have established a diverse work environment, but it’s important to recognize that diversity and inclusion are distinct concepts. A diverse team consists of individuals with varied backgrounds, insights, expertise, and perspectives. In contrast, an inclusive team actively integrates these diverse elements into decision-making, collaborative goal setting, and considerations of team equity, ensuring fair distribution of opportunities and recognition.

As a leader, it’s your job to develop a high level of cultural competence which fosters a more inclusive leadership style, leading to team empowerment and numerous other benefits.

Unsure where to begin? Keep reading to explore the importance of inclusive goal setting and four effective strategies for implementing it.

The Benefits of Inclusive Leadership in Goal Setting and Achievement

Before implementing inclusive goal setting, it’s essential to understand its key benefits. Research has shown that diverse and inclusive teams enjoy higher revenue growth, greater innovation, and a competitive edge in talent acquisition and retention. Employees who feel included show more engagement, take pride in their work, and stay with the company longer.

4 Strategies for Incorporating Diverse Perspectives in the Goal–Setting Process

So, how do you set goals that promote equity and foster a sense of belonging? We’re not talking about DEI-specific goals but any goal your teams might set related to your operations. Each goal your teams set is an opportunity to be a little more inclusive.

1. Engage Teams

First and foremost, ensure the goal-setting process isn’t overtaken by the decision-makers at the highest levels of power within your organization. Teams need to be engaged in the goal setting process if you want to harness the power of their diversity.

Not only will including teams in the entire goal setting process — from identifying opportunities for growth to establishing markers of goal success — boost inclusivity throughout teams, but it will also make it more likely that your teams reach the goals. When everyone has a hand in setting goals, they’re more likely to feel ownership over them and hold themselves accountable for achieving them.

2. Incorporate Continuous Improvement and Feedback

Once you’ve approached your goals through this more inclusive lens, don’t just “set and forget” them. Continuous improvement is necessary to ensure that your goal-setting process doesn’t become stagnant or begin to falter in effectiveness.

Power this continuous improvement by seeking regular feedback from teams. Ask them what’s effective, what could be improved, and any suggestions they may have. Then, acknowledge that feedback directly and make changes accordingly.

3. Use Inclusive Goal Setting as a Catalyst for Growth

As you work with teams to set more inclusive goals and adjust your goal setting processes based on teams’ feedback, keep an eye out for ways that you can use the process to identify potential growing talent within your organization. Recognize good ideas and creative opportunities for innovation and ensure that those ideas and innovations are celebrated and rewarded. As your goal setting process becomes more inclusive, doing so will ensure that your leadership becomes more inclusive as well.

4. Tap into Unheard Ideas

Understand that a truly inclusive work culture recognizes that not everyone will be comfortable voicing their ideas in the same environment or through the same means of communication. As such, be sure that you’re not just having team-wide meetings in a boardroom and expecting all voices to be heard.

Use the various tools at your disposal to gather ideas in other ways as well. Having an open-door policy regarding goal setting can help with this, ensuring that your team knows they can come to you with ideas at any point through the medium that best fits their needs. Whether through a one-on-one meeting, a broader team-wide meeting, email, or a simple Slack message, be open to receiving ideas anytime.

Examples of Successful Inclusive Goal–Setting Practices from Leading Organizations

In one case study, beverage producer Heineken aimed to build its inclusive leadership capabilities while taking a more inclusive approach to its aspiration and goal setting process.

According to the case study, this aim was realized through increasing education and awareness; Heineken “decided to build and work with a global community of more than 80 local I&D ambassadors, who embrace their ambassador role by working with their leadership teams and help them understand and respond to local I&D opportunities and requirements. The I&D ambassadors also help drive I&D action plans in their local markets.”

The result? The brand reported, “We have learned that our key success factors for I&D are gaining strong support from our local countries and our global and regional leadership along with ensuring our I&D ambassadors come from diverse functions — a mix of business and support functions, for example. Another of our key success factors is that I&D ambassadors create their own coalition by gaining more support in their countries from other colleagues who are interested and want to make a change through I&D. Building a global community that connects the I&D ambassadors also proved crucial. It is a place where they can share questions, successes, failures and best practices.”

The Bottom Line

Inclusive goal setting isn’t just about fairness; it’s a powerful strategy for unlocking your team’s full potential and driving organizational success. Be sure to assess your current goal setting practices for inclusivity.

Looking to learn more about effective goal setting for your organization? Register for our 7th annual Goal Setting Workshop on January 14th at 6 PM EST to learn more!