The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is a think tank dedicated to creating work environments centered on inclusion and innovative thought leadership. The Alliance empowers organizations with the tools necessary for advancing women, fostering flexibility, and retaining top talent.
To learn how we can help your organization, please get in touch.
Action Step – Building A Compelling Case for Workplace Flexibility
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
The Current Flexibility Landscape
We find ourselves at a critical juncture in workplace flexibility, with organizations taking dramatically different approaches. Some are mandating full-time office returns, while others are deepening their commitment to flexible work. This division makes building a comprehensive business case more important than ever. Recent data and organizational experiences demonstrate that flexibility isn’t merely a workplace perk – it’s a business imperative driving measurable results across multiple dimensions of organizational success. Organizations that recognize the business value of flexibility remain committed to it – they understand the strong, varied benefits related to business continuity, retention, recruitment, engagement, productivity, diversity, and wellbeing, to name a few.
The Foundation: Starting with Purpose
Alliance CEO Manar Morales’s new book, “The Flexibility Paradigm,” provides an innovative framework to help organizations optimally reflect, design, implement and iterate their flexibility initiatives. The Flex Success® Framework begins with “Reflect” because a clear purpose drives successful implementation. Before examining metrics or crafting policies, organizations must establish why flexibility matters in their specific context. This foundation ensures your business case resonates with leadership and supports sustainable success. Recent research reveals organizations that recognize the business value of flexibility understand its varied benefits across several key areas.
Building Your Business Case: A Strategic Approach
Members: Continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center.
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Action Step – KICKSTART 2025: BUILDING TEAM SUCCESS THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
As we begin 2025, energize your team and set the foundation for success through purposeful team retreats. These gatherings, whether in-person or virtual, provide an ideal platform to strengthen team bonds, align priorities, and create shared momentum for the year ahead. Here’s your roadmap for a productive kickoff:
1. Pre-Retreat Engagement: Set the stage for meaningful discussion by gathering team insights before the retreat. Team members often have valuable insights that may not surface in group settings. Pre-retreat questions allow for thoughtful reflection and help identify themes that might otherwise be missed. This step ensures all voices are heard and helps leaders identify common themes and concerns before the retreat, leading to more productive discussions.
Questions to send:
Review responses carefully to identify themes and incorporate insights into your retreat agenda.
2. Choreographed Connection Activity: Begin with an engaging choreographed team connection that deepens team relationships. Choose questions that reveal professional and personal dimensions, such as “Share a favorite holiday tradition” or “What’s one activity outside of work that energizes you?” These conversations build connections and understanding across the team.
Members: Continue reading this Action Step in the Member Resource Center
To read this entire Action Step become a member of the Diversity &
Action Step – INCREASING GENDER PARITY WITH CONSISTENCY & INTENTIONALITY
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
Our 2024 New Partner Report demonstrates concerning results. The 41.6% share of women in the 2024 new partner class represents a nearly 2% decline from last year’s figure of 43.3%. Further, we saw declines across AmLaw 50, 100, and 200 firms, a nearly 3% increase in the gap in the share of new women partners compared to the share of women associates, and a reduction in the new partner class size by an average of 1.3 partners. These data points demonstrate consistency in the reduced share of women in new partner classes across firm sizes, a pipeline challenge at the top, the shrinking of the overall pool of advancement opportunities, and a boomerang effect over the years pointing to the volatility of women promotions.
Firms need to adopt an intentional, structured and data-driven approach to make consistent progress with gender parity at the top.