Diversity, Inclusion + Team Working Flashcards
What is the role of a good manager?
- Identify strengths + weaknesses of team + play to them
- Share goals, objectives + successes
- Give feedback
- Keep work interesting
- Ensure team is adequately trained
- Delegate in responsible way
- Be fair + approachable
- Treat people with respect
- Listen to team
- Check in regularly with team
What is team working?
Group of people collaborating to complete a common goal or task
Involves sharing tasks, communicating effectively, and supporting each other to get the job done
What makes a good team member?
- Listening to other people’s ideas
- Discussing ideas with team
- Respecting others + their ideas
- Participation + ensuring all team members get involved
- Good communication skills
- Being positive + enthusiastic
- Not dominating discussions – letting quietest person have their say
What is the importance of team working / what are the benefits of team working?
Improves productivity
Increases efficiency
Increases creativity
Combines skills + strengths
Increases employee motivation + creates a positive work environment
What are the characteristics of an effective team?
Common sense of purpose
Clear understanding of team’s objectives
Resources
Mutual trust
Willingness to share knowledge + expertise
Willingness to speak openly
Range of skills among team
What are some key skills for effective teamworking?
Listening to other people’s ideas
Respecting other team members
Participating + encouraging others to participate
Identifying strengths + weakness of team members + playing to them
Communicating with others effectively
Helping others
What are some common barriers to effective team working?
Inadequate resources + training
Misunderstandings of objectives
Poor selection of team members
Wrong mix of skills + personalities
Poor leadership
Give me some examples of how you promote team working
Listen to other people’s ideas + ask questions
Am always honest with my team + maintain clear communication
I am enthusiastic + enjoy helping others + discussing ideas
Actively participate in team meetings
What do you contribute to your team?
My team has a shared goal of delivering work to clients within timescales agreed, making fees + always delivering a high level of client care + service
Individually, I carry out those things to reach our shared goal as a team
If members of the team are struggling, I step in + help them because of our shared goal
Tell me about an example of where you have worked well in a team
As a pool of graduates within my firm, we all work together to ensure we have the appropriate experience, while also meeting our clients’ needs
On one occasion, I noticed another graduate struggling with their workload, which was stopping them to gain experience in other areas
I stepped in to help them with their tasks. This helped them gain other experience + also provided me with experience in that area
The collaboration was mutually beneficial, enhancing both our skill sets + contributing to the success of our graduate team
Give me an example of how you use team working in your current role?
As part of a pool of graduates in my firm, we all have different APC competencies + experience
We work together as a team + regularly meet to ensure everyone gains the appropriate experience
By collaborating, we ensure everyone gains the necessary skills + experience to meet our competency requirements, while also ensuring our work remains on track + meets our clients’ needs
How would you measure team performance?
360 reviews (comprehensive evaluation method where employees receive feedback from multiple sources, e.g. peers, managers, clients. Provides holistic view of employee’s performance)
Client feedback (provides direct insight into how well team is meeting expectations)
Track KPIs (indicates how effectively individual or team is achieving key business objectives)
Monitor employment engagement levels
What is a common issue you have come across when working in a team?
Poor communication - can lead to misunderstandings + deadlines
When a new member joins your team, how do you welcome them?
Introduce them to the team + wider office
Provide an overview of team’s goal + their role
Pair them with a buddy
Ensure they have all the required resources, e.g. working laptop, training programme etc.
Schedule regular check ins
Why is accountability + responsibility important when working in a team?
Creates better working environments
Creates better relationships
Improves productivity
How would you deal with a member of the team who is negative towards a particular task?
Speak to team member + ask if everything is ok
Find out if they understand the task + communicate its important
Offer support if they need it + be positive
Speak to line manager if necessary
What is Tuckman’s Theory?
Describes the 5 stages teams go through as they develop
Why is Tuckman’s Theory useful?
Stages help understand team dynamics + improve teamwork
What are the 5 stages in Tuckman’s Theory?
- Forming
- Storming
- Norming
- Performing
- Adjourning/Mourning
What is Forming?
When people are working as individuals rather than as a team
Team members get to know each other
What is Storming?
Stage of conflict that teams need to pass through to achieve their potential
What is Norming?
Team starts to work together more effectively
What is Performing?
Team operates efficiently towards goals
What is Adjourning / Mourning?
Team disbands after achieving objectives
What is partnering?
When two or more parties form a relationship to share resources, risks + benefits to achieve shared goals
What is collaborative working?
Process of working together in cooperative manner, sharing knowledge, skills + resources to achieve better results than working alone
What is strategic alliance?
Agreement between 2+ parties to work together on a specific project or goal while remaining independent organisations
Allows them to share knowledge + resources to achieve mutual benefits
Explain your understanding of supply chain management
Process of overseeing entire flow of goods + services, from sourcing raw materials to delivering final product to customers
What does effective supply chain management mean?
It ensures products are delivered efficiently, cost-effectively + on time
What is the RACI matrix?
Project management tool that clarifies roles + responsibilities for tasks
Ensures clear communication + accountability within a team
- Responsible – who does the work
- Accountable – who ensures task is completed
- Consulted – who provides input
- Informed – who needs to be kept updated
What is diversity?
Refers to different characteristics that make each person unique
Includes visible traits, like skin colour + less obvious aspects such as education, religious beliefs + values
Diversity includes all the differences that shape our identities, both seen + unseen
Why is diversity and inclusion important?
Essential for attracting top talent
Firms + organisations with inclusive environments + diverse workforce have been shown to be more effective + efficient
What is equality?
Ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity (one size fits all)
Recognises that certain groups of people with protected characteristics may be at a disadvantage
What is the difference between equity + equality?
Equity recognises that not all employees will have been given an equal chance either growing up or as entered workplace
Equality in workplace provides employees with equal opportunities (one size fits all)
Has the RICS published anything in relation to inclusion and diversity?
DEI guidance
Supplements Rule 4 of Rules of Conduct
How does DEI guidance aim to support members + firms?
Provides good practice in 6 areas (inclusive spaces, inclusive recruitment, inclusive policies, inclusive culture, everyday life at work + career progression)
Aimed at supporting all business but recognises that small + medium businesses often cannot dedicate the same resources as larger businesses to optimise their DEI practices
What actions do your company take to ensure the team recognise the value of diversity and inclusion?
Host learning lunches with various topics, such as black history month
Have an EDI strategy in place + an EDI network to increase awareness
Diversity + inclusion policy which integrates EDI strategy
Tell me more about your firm’s EDI strategy/network
Aims to raise awareness + increase understanding of EDI
Acts as a consultative group to influence + improve policy + practice within Carter Jonas
Aims to provide a supportive + safe space for people to meet to discuss + express views, experiences, concerns, explore ideas, plan events + drive change
Provide regular training + CPD webinars, published an EDI calendar + plan regular fundraising events in the office
Tell me about your firm’s policy on diversity + inclusion
Company has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination of any type + has built diversity + inclusion KPIs into its people strategy
KPIs – increase number of women on management boards by 2025, reduce mean gender pay gap by 2025
Firm is dedicated to supporting a culture that values openness, transparency + fairness
What does diversity bring to a team?
New ideas + viewpoints
Prevents decisions being made based on stereotypes
Different backgrounds + qualities
More likely to be a successful team
Why is diversity important?
Promotes greater creativity + innovation, which are essential in a fast-changing world
Helps firms to be more effective + efficient in the workplace
What is inclusion?
Making sure everyone feels valued + welcome
Part of a workplace’s culture – choosing whether to involve everyone in conversations, projects + events
Why is inclusion important?
Helps firms be more innovative + profitable
People are more likely to stay in their organisation + be more productive
Ensures everyone feels valued + respected
How can leaders create an inclusive culture?
Manage change + encourage teamwork
Address + respond to bias
Actively seek out diverse perspectives + experience
Encourage representation
Foster psychological safety
What is inclusive communication?
Communicating in that means message is understood by as many people as possible, including those who are neurodiverse
Includes wide range of communication methods, e.g. visuals alongside text, using appropriate language, being flexible
Why is inclusive communication important?
To promote equality, respect + fairness
What are ERGs?
Employee Resource Groups
Brings together employees with shared identities + experiences to provide support, networking + career development opportunities
Common groups include those for woman, carers, veterans, LGBTQ+, faith, race, etc.
Explain how the RICS Rules of Conduct relate to inclusion + diversity
Rule 4 states that members + firms must treat each other with respect + encourage diversity + inclusion
What is bias?
A form of prejudice
What is conscious bias?
An intentional form of bias
Individual with conscious bias is likely to be explicit with beliefs + attitudes
Give me an example of conscious bias
Discriminatory behaviour towards individuals based on race, gender, sexuality, disability etc.
What is unconscious bias?
Learned stereotype that is automatic + mostly unintentional
Systematically ingrained + based on past experiences
Give me an example of unconscious bias
Manager thinking that men work harder than women
How can unconscious bias affect a team?
Lowers productivity
Reduces communication
Causes fractions in the team
Creates unfair advantages or disadvantages – some members might be favoured over others without realising it
Less diverse ideas + perspectives
What are the 3 types of unconscious bias
Affinity bias
Confirmation bias
Halo bias
What is affinity bias?
Favouring those with a similar interest or background
What is confirmation bias?
Unconscious tendency to look for information that supports someone’s pre-existing beliefs
What is halo bias?
When someone’s trait or characteristic is used to make an overall judgement on that person
When can biases be discriminatory?
When it relates to the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010
What are some strategies to overcome unconscious bias?
- Recognising any unconscious bias + being aware of generalisations
- Challenge your own decision making
- Take time to establish facts
- Make considered decisions
- Pay attention to biases linked to protected characteristics
- Avoid making assumptions
- Record reasons for decision (particularly when it comes to recruitment or promotion purposes)
As well as identifying the 9 protected characteristics, what else does the Equality Act 2010 identify?
4 types of discrimination
What are the different forms of discrimination?
Direct discrimination
Indirect discrimination
Harassment
Victimisation
What is direct discrimination?
When someone is treated less favourably or put at a disadvantage because of a protected characteristic
Give me an example of direct discrimination
If a qualified person is not hired for a job based on their ethnicity
What is indirect discrimination?
Occurs when a rule, policy or practice applies to everyone but disadvantages a particular group of people
Give me an example of indirect discrimination
If a company has a dress code that prohibits head coverings (may discriminate against employees who wear them for religious reasons
What is harassment?
Unwanted behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated, humiliated or offended
Can be based on protected characteristics
Give me an example of harassment
Making jokes about someone’s religion
What is victimisation?
Occurs when someone is treated badly because they have made a complaint about discrimination or supported someone else who has
Give me an example of victimisation
Being treated in a hostile manner by a senior member of staff after supporting a colleague’s complaint
What would you do if someone came to you and said they were being discriminated?
Raise the issue with my line manager and HR
What if you were a sole practitioner and didn’t have a HR department?
Speak with the victim – understand what has happened, understand severity of situation
Speak to the discriminator – inform them that someone has made complaint against them + ask them if they have anything to say
How does your office promote inclusion + diversity?
Our office is actually very diverse + inclusive
We have regular lunches + events hosted by the EDI network to educate employees on DEI
People feel comfortable to send an email to the entire office to celebrate different events. For example, someone bought in food to celebrate Diwali when it was Halloween
Our office social team also organises social events for the whole office – encourages people to mix with one another
