Diversity Wheel

[LenetteV]

Purpose: Increase awareness of the many dimensions of diversity and reveal the value that the diversity IN the team brings TO the team
TPI: Values Diversity
Tools: Tape or string to create a Wheel on the floor (like the Positivity or MetaSkills Wheel)
Size of group: If you have 8 wedges in the wheel, preferably you will have 16 participant (so you can have 2 in each wedge). However, if the group is smaller you can divide the Wheel into 2 halves and first work the 1st half with the group and then the 2nd half.

1. Create a Wheel on the floor (an eight-wedged wheel with a small circle in the center). Ask the team for 8 dimensions of diversity that are present in the room. These can be anything, you can help them with giving a few examples like: culture, age, tenure in the company, personality etc). Use any tool for decision making that you want. Mostly I have them brainstorm for a few minutes with yellow stickers or a flip chart, and then ask them to vote with 3 votes per person.
2. Put the topic in the center. This can be a topic that came to the surface during the coaching session, or you can ask the team for a topic. Make sure the topic is neutral, e.g. communication or integration of two teams or customer relations.
3. Place the 8 chosen dimensions into the Wheel (write on a piece of paper and put each dimension into one of the wedges). Ask the team to walk around the wheel in silence, stand still in each wedge and experience what it is like to be in that wedge in relation to the topic.
4. Ask the team to stand in one of the wedges they would like to explore further and have at least two members in each wedge. Have each sub group talk about what that dimension of diversity means to them, define it and create a gesture or movement that expresses it. Then have them share that with the larger group. It is critical that the participants define the dimension to themselves if the wheel is to be alive for them.
5. Have the team members explore the Diversity Wheel using questions like: what dimension is your greatest challenge? Which one is your greatest strength? Which one would you like to develop more. With every question the members move physically to that wedge.
6. Have each participant to choose one particular dimension of diversity they will work on from on the topic in the center and take an action (SMART and AIM) from there.

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