Introduction to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) training is becoming a major investment for firms, with an annual spend of $8B within the US alone. However, traditional methods for conducting these trainings have often been proven to do more harm than good, putting participants on the defensive and solidifying biases quite than dismantling them. To address this issue, Myra LalDin is working on a platform called Perspectives that leverages Virtual Reality (VR) technology to assist people experience the biases and behaviors that impact underrepresented populations.
The Inspiration Behind Perspectives
Myra LalDin’s interest within the DEI space was sparked by her upbringing in multiple countries with different cultures. She attended a world boarding school in Pakistan, where she observed people talking in a way that looked as if it would carry a way of superiority, casting their western beliefs on others and appearing to belittle the very culture and folks they got here to assist. This experience, combined along with her studies in cross-cultural management and cognitive science at Harvard, drove her to create equity by helping people query on a regular basis biases.
The Role of Virtual Reality in DEI Training
Myra LalDin cofounded an organization called VECTRE, which provides training solutions in immersive VR environments. She saw a chance to make use of her expertise to handle current gaps in DEI learning & development in the company sector. The Perspectives platform allows users to virtually experience what someone from an underrepresented identity might experience within the workplace. For example, users can virtually put themselves within the position of a lead character in a scenario and make decisions for them, controlling their hands and selecting what they are saying.
How Perspectives Works
The Perspectives platform is designed to deal with many scenarios that clients can select and download. Users can experience different scenarios, reminiscent of gender-bias or microaggressions, and make decisions that impact the final result. The platform provides an immersive experience that helps users understand, at emotional and behavioral levels, how biases can impact work life. The goal is to create a visceral experience with emotional realism at its core, allowing people to transcend storytelling into story living.
The Benefits of VR in DEI Training
Myra LalDin believes that VR helps people absorb DEI concepts in another way than traditional learning methods. Perspectives doesn’t impart rules or tell participants what to not do; as an alternative, users construct their very own learning by experiencing situations from another person’s vantage point. This interactive experience, combined with facilitated discussions, helps teams practice methods to discover bias and methods to address it. The shared, participatory experience in sessions also helps improve team dynamics.
Reactions to the Perspectives Approach
The reactions to the Perspectives approach have been significant. A senior leader of a Fortune 15 company participated in a scenario and got viscerally upset in regards to the way male peers were treating him. When he finished, he turned to a female colleague and said, "that was infuriating – but this does not actually occur, right?" However, the truth is that it does occur. Women who participate often share how they’ve faced similar situations, and employees have reported feeling empowered after realizing they will make decisions to handle microaggressions.
Conclusion
The Perspectives platform is a dynamic experience that might be effective for any organization. It is critical that top-level leadership or the C-suite believes in DEI as a business strategy and goes through the modules first. Organizations eager about learning more about Perspectives can reach out to VECTRE for more information. By leveraging VR technology, Perspectives provides an progressive approach to DEI training, helping people experience the biases and behaviors that impact underrepresented populations and making a more inclusive work ecosystem.
