NRO received just-in-time education, training and practice sessions at division and store levels on the application of a process for holding difficult conversations. The session also included ways to address the challenges leaders feared would arise when locked-out employees returned to work.
- Beginning at the top of the organization, corporate leaders developed a clear understanding of the craft of diversity management and a given a common diversity management framework around which to plan their process going forward.
- NRO developed a diversity management infrastructure (Leadership Council) which included establishing of working councils, affinity/networking groups for underrepresented populations and under-leveraged work groups, and a consistent metrics template for each division to gauge their individual efforts on their quarterly business reviews.
- Hourly employees were given skill development training through eLearning.
- A representative division was selected to undergo an organizational assessment, the results of which were used to develop an organization-wide diversity management strategy and plan.
- A pilot application project using the Store Council in one region was introduced to apply the strategic diversity management process to a store turn-around project. A diversity management curriculum was developed for all levels of the organization.