How Blended Learning Is Important To Inclusive Leadership

In today’s business environment, companies are always looking for ways to become more inclusive. There are many benefits to doing so, such as increased staff engagement, improving employee retention, and better decision making. One such way of working towards a more inclusive workforce is by embracing a Blended Learning strategy. Below, we break down how you can create development opportunities for all kinds of learners, benefiting your business down the road.

Inclusive Leadership Matters

Strong leadership is the pillar of successful businesses. Employees need someone to help them rally behind a shared mission and keep them focused on the tasks at hand. In today’s workplace, your leadership needs to prioritize inclusivity and diversity to help you build out a future-ready and skilled team.

When it comes to identifying inclusive leaders, there are a few characteristics that stand out. These include:

• They focus on relationship building — For your team to be successful, you need to know what support they need to successfully perform their jobs. An inclusive leader builds rapport with everyone and understands their teams’ needs, making all members feel respected and included. 
• They prioritize recognition — Strong leaders know the importance of recognizing good work. When you celebrate your team’s wins, you can foster an inclusive environment by letting them know they are seen and valued. This is also a way to positively reinforce the same behaviors. 
• They are empathetic — Inclusive leaders try to see the situation from every perspective. They put themselves in their teams’ shoes, working to understand the reasoning behind their actions and decisions. This helps you to build deeper connections with your team and show that you are there to support them.
• They encourage people to get engaged — Inclusive leaders try to engage with others not only in the workplace but outside of the office setting. This helps your team become more comfortable and confident working alongside one another, leading to higher engagement rates and better communication overall.

Leaders should appreciate the factors that inclusion brings to the table, such as a collaborative environment and strategic alignment, which help build an inclusive environment where employees feel they truly belong.

Being an inclusive leader means learning about yourself and your team to suit your company better. As a leader, it is crucial to recognize the role you play in building an inclusive environment. You can do this by taking the time to listen and understand those you work with.

Did you know: only 31% of employees believe their leaders act inclusively.

What is Blended Learning?

Often, organizations work to create an inclusive culture by hiring employees from all walks of life. But, there is another level of inclusivity that many organizations overlook. Your team of diverse individuals is sure to have differences in the way they learn and tackle projects. So, it is important for your company to offer personalized approaches to learning and development. One way to do this is through embracing a blended learning strategy. 

Blended learning focuses on combining the two environments of face-to-face classroom education and e-learning. This offers employers a chance to customize their learning approach based on each individual employee.  Due to the global pandemic, many face-to-face learning opportunities are now over platforms such as zoom, allowing for more freedom and flexibility in when and how employees develop their skills. 

Blended learning is an inclusive approach to teaching. It highlights the importance of catering your development strategies to the work style and pace of your team members. This allows people to learn at their pace and contribute to their teams with their unique strengths.

Leveraging Inclusive Leadership and Blended Learning In Your Organization

At its core, blended learning is focused on creating equal access to support and opportunities for professional growth. This means that all employees have the same chances to develop new skills and further their careers. When you invest in blended learning strategies, you’ll find an increase in retention rates, enhanced productivity, and higher levels of employee engagement. 

What’s more, your company can take its inclusivity efforts one step farther by identifying and supporting inclusive leadership. Your workplace leaders can leverage their skills to build deeper workplace connections, encourage their teams to respect and support one another, and create a workplace focused on developing strong, self-sufficient employees. 

A company that has inclusive leadership and a blended learning approach will help promote a more inclusive workplace. Your employees will feel valued and involved with your processes, leading to better business outcomes and a more skilled and loyal workforce.

Did you know? 73% of people embracing blended learning strategies say their efforts have helped increase engagement levels.

Blended learning offers organizations a chance to take an inclusive approach towards professional development. By working to customize the training initiatives to the needs of each employee, you can better support your teams’ needs while helping your employees to learn at a pace that works for them. The results? You’ll find a more highly skilled team and more inclusive workplace culture.

Are you trying to identify and develop inclusive leadership at your company? Learn how leaders play a role in fostering an inclusive culture and the competencies that contribute to an inclusive environment with our white paper. To see how our team of experts can help you build a strong, skilled team, reach out to us today. 

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