Develop your action plan
To achieve change in Queensland, more board members need to play their part in advocating for the value of inclusion and diversity.
This action plan contains areas for reflection, suggested actions and to access related support resources for:
Individual actions
Do I understand the business case for board gender parity (and diversity more broadly) and inclusion?
- Read the research that shows the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Have a conversation with a peer who champions diversity and inclusion and ask why it is important to them and the performance of their board/organisation.
- Benchmark the board’s diversity performance with other relevant boards.
- Find opportunities to network with other board members around the issue, for example, the 30% Club.
Do I talk about the importance of gender parity and inclusion regularly, and in an authentic way?
- Identify at least 2 opportunities per year to speak publicly about your support for diversity and inclusion.
Do I role model inclusion?
- Undertake a formal self-assessment of your inclusive leadership behaviours.
- Ask for feedback from others (e.g. peers, executive members, regular board presenters) on whether what you say, do and measure clearly demonstrates a commitment to gender parity and inclusion.
- Engage a mentor or coach to help you explore blind spots, set personal goals and take action to be more inclusive.
Do I hold myself, and others, accountable for gender parity and inclusion outcomes?
- Call out comments and behaviours by others (e.g. board members) that are not consistent with inclusion, including stereotypes and assumptions.
- Publicly recognise peers and others (e.g. CEO/executive members) who demonstrate inclusive behaviours.
- Establish a way to remove, or not appoint or re-appoint, board members who have a track record of non-inclusive behaviours.
Do I take action to support the nomination and pipeline of aspiring women board members?
- When asked for personal referrals, provide a gender balanced candidate list.
- Participate in a mentoring program and mentor at least 1 aspiring women board member.
- Connect aspiring women board members to others within your personal network.
- Commit to only speaking on public forums that have 50/50, to provide women leaders with profile-building opportunities.
Board actions
Do all board members share a personal belief in the value of gender parity and inclusion?
- Have an honest conversation about the topic of gender parity and inclusion with board members.
Do all board members role model inclusion and is it set as an expectation of future members?
- Make inclusive behaviour, including a track record of commitment to diversity and inclusion, a requisite in board member criteria.
- Have board members engaged in professional development relating to diversity and inclusion and inclusive leadership.
- Provide inclusive leadership training in the induction program for new board members (if applicable).
- Include inclusive behaviours in the board code of conduct/values to further set expectations regarding behaviour (and sign up to a charter).
Has the board established targets relating to gender parity and inclusion, and do those targets have ‘teeth’?
- Set targets relating to board diversity and inclusion.
- Make diversity and inclusion and achievement of targets part of the board and individual evaluation process.
Do board recruitment and succession processes support gender parity and inclusion?
- Request a review of the process for board recruitment to ensure it is fair and transparent.
- Request a role analysis for every board role you plan to recruit to (not just new ones).
- Notify key decision-makers where unnecessary criteria prescribed by policy and/or legislation is limiting diversity of candidates.
Organisation actions
Are organisational leaders (e.g. CEO) committed to gender diversity and inclusion?
- Make inclusive behaviour, including a track record of commitment to diversity and inclusion, a requisite criterion for future leaders.
- Set diversity and inclusion targets for organisational leaders and tie to remuneration.
Does the board understand the organisation’s performance with respect to diversity and inclusion?
- Ask the head of the organisation to present the diversity and inclusion strategy to the board.
- Regularly monitor performance data on diversity and inclusion.
Does the board ensure the organisation complies with good corporate governance principles with respect to diversity and inclusion?
- Set numerical targets relating to diversity and inclusion across the organisation and periodically review progress towards achieving them.
- Ensure the organisation has developed and disclosed a diversity policy.
- Ensure the organisation periodically discloses its progress towards its targets and gender representation across the organisation.
Industry actions
Do all board members take action to help build the pipeline of women board directors?
- Nominate a relevant board member to an external body that champions gender parity and inclusion (e.g. Male Champions of Change/30% Club).
- Advocate and support industry associations to implement gender parity action plans to increase the pool of women.