Design the Future: Breakthroughs with Diversity, Inclusion and Design Thinking

5 March 2019 | Rebekah Steele

Originally published on LinkedIN

We know that today’s D&I best practices are not achieving the results we need.

As we strive to keep pace with the increasing demands of organizational and societal complexity, we need innovation to elevate and accelerate meaningful, sustainable D&I outcomes for individuals, teams, organizations, and society. To deliver on the promise of D&I, we need breakthroughs.

During the past six years, I have worked to blend the principles of design thinking, diversity, and inclusion into my D&I Breakthrough Labs. Building on my extensive experience in D&I and business strategy, these labs expand upon traditional design thinking approaches by integrating principles of D&I into the process. In particular, my labs:

  • Actively focus on innovations enhancing D&I strategies and practices

  • Deliberately bring together a diverse mix of lab participants

  • Intentionally foster an inclusive lab environment

  • Explore whole system, business-relevant change for sustainable results that matter

Each lab is customized to help participants and their organizations re-imagine, learn, and co-create bold ways to pursue new terrain in D&I to overcome stubborn challenges. Across these experiences, I have witnessed groups engage their mix of ideas, perspectives, and knowledge to collaboratively drive the innovation we need to advance the field of D&I.

We must do better with D&I, and Design Thinking can help. That’s what this eBook is about. If you are eager to learn more, download a complimentary copy here.

This eBook is alive. To include your voice in the #DesignDIBreakthroughs conversation, contact me with your thoughts.

Rebekah Steele