Table 3 Positive capacity building (PCB)... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3

Positive capacity building (PCB) applied to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

PCB phase	Traditional DEI goals (deficit/Compliance focus)	Positive DEI goals (capacity/Strength focus)	Participants	Key activities/Tools
1. Develop	Training in compliance/legal risk and mandatory Unconscious Bias training	Build foundational Positive Capacity and shared language	All employees, starting with Senior Leaders/DEI Champions	Create shared individual and organizational purpose statements (Damon et al., 2003; Burrow and Hill, 2013) Conduct Positive Deviance studies (Spreitzer and Sonenshein, 2004) to identify teams/individuals already doing DEI well Psychological Capital (PsyCap; Luthans et al., 2007) training in Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism (HERO) Conduct strengths-based feedback and recognition Positive Emotions activation to buffer against negative affective reactions to diversity using the Broaden and Build Theory (Fredrickson, 1998) Well-being measurements (PERMA; Seligman, 2018) or (PERMA+4; Donaldson, 2019) Creation of Positive Energy Network (Cameron, 2021) within the organization Training on Transformational Leadership (Burns, 1978) principles
2. Desire	Set targets/quotas for demographic representation (often perceived as zero-sum)	Co-create an inspiring, shared vision of the ideal, flourishing organization	A cross-section of employees, including frontline workers and underrepresented groups	Values Identification (linking individual purpose to organizational DEI principles) Shared visualization/reflection exercises Reconnecting with the organization's highest purpose and social significance
3. Discover	Compliance audits and needs assessments to identify gaps and failures (deficit-focused)	Collective Appreciative Inquiry to surface the organization's “best self” in relation to inclusion	Focus groups and interviews across all departments and levels	“What is Working” Exercise (sharing stories of successful inclusion, equity and belonging experienced or observed) Identifying existing DEI best practices (e.g. successful ERGs, inclusive leadership actions) Analyzing common themes and peak experiences
4. Dream	Policy formulation to close identified gaps (often leading to generic, top-down mandates)	Envisage a future where diversity drives both organizational and individual well-being	The strategic planning team is informed by Phase 3 input	Reviewing discovered themes Envisioning the future state where the organization's Positive DEI Culture is fully realized Creating bold, provocative propositions for change
5. Design	Allocate resources to fill diversity slots or implement mandatory training	Develop an action plan to operationalize the dream, focusing on removing barriers and growing capacity	Project leads and pilot groups (e.g. managers, specific teams) are tasked with testing new practices	Action Planning focused on race-neutral barrier removal (e.g. blind recruitment, pay equity audits) Designing formative and summative Equitable Evaluation metrics Developing an overall implementation plan to avoid zero-sum perception
6. Deliver	Policy rollout and mandatory adherence enforcement	Implement the capacity-building action plan with transformational leadership and autonomous motivation	Designated project teams and managers	Project Management focusing on psychological safety and Positive Energy Networks Monitoring progress with regular check-in sessions Using metrics focused on engagement and internal mobility
7. Determine	Summative evaluation: Did we meet the numbers? (Often only focuses on demographic targets/compliance)	Measure effectiveness and impact on well-being and capacity for sustainable change	External or internal evaluation specialists, Leaders and Champions	Summative evaluation, often including measures of PsyCap, PERMA Well-being (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, achievement) and inclusion assessments Analyzing impact beyond demographics (e.g. retention, trust, sense of belonging)
8. Decide	Report on results; Adjust quotas/penalties for next cycle	Review findings collaboratively, celebrate successes and plan for continuous capacity building	All stakeholders (organizational leaders, employees, partners)	Review and reflection session Next Steps Planning for future PCB cycles (viewed as an ongoing, iterative process) Identifying the next positive challenge for the organization

PCB phase	Traditional DEI goals (deficit/Compliance focus)	Positive DEI goals (capacity/Strength focus)	Participants	Key activities/Tools
1. Develop	Training in compliance/legal risk and mandatory Unconscious Bias training	Build foundational Positive Capacity and shared language	All employees, starting with Senior Leaders/DEI Champions	Create shared individual and organizational purpose statements (Damon et al., 2003; Burrow and Hill, 2013) Conduct Positive Deviance studies (Spreitzer and Sonenshein, 2004) to identify teams/individuals already doing DEI well Psychological Capital (PsyCap; Luthans et al., 2007) training in Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism (HERO) Conduct strengths-based feedback and recognition Positive Emotions activation to buffer against negative affective reactions to diversity using the Broaden and Build Theory (Fredrickson, 1998) Well-being measurements (PERMA; Seligman, 2018) or (PERMA+4; Donaldson, 2019) Creation of Positive Energy Network (Cameron, 2021) within the organization Training on Transformational Leadership (Burns, 1978) principles
2. Desire	Set targets/quotas for demographic representation (often perceived as zero-sum)	Co-create an inspiring, shared vision of the ideal, flourishing organization	A cross-section of employees, including frontline workers and underrepresented groups	Values Identification (linking individual purpose to organizational DEI principles) Shared visualization/reflection exercises Reconnecting with the organization's highest purpose and social significance
3. Discover	Compliance audits and needs assessments to identify gaps and failures (deficit-focused)	Collective Appreciative Inquiry to surface the organization's “best self” in relation to inclusion	Focus groups and interviews across all departments and levels	“What is Working” Exercise (sharing stories of successful inclusion, equity and belonging experienced or observed) Identifying existing DEI best practices (e.g. successful ERGs, inclusive leadership actions) Analyzing common themes and peak experiences
4. Dream	Policy formulation to close identified gaps (often leading to generic, top-down mandates)	Envisage a future where diversity drives both organizational and individual well-being	The strategic planning team is informed by Phase 3 input	Reviewing discovered themes Envisioning the future state where the organization's Positive DEI Culture is fully realized Creating bold, provocative propositions for change
5. Design	Allocate resources to fill diversity slots or implement mandatory training	Develop an action plan to operationalize the dream, focusing on removing barriers and growing capacity	Project leads and pilot groups (e.g. managers, specific teams) are tasked with testing new practices	Action Planning focused on race-neutral barrier removal (e.g. blind recruitment, pay equity audits) Designing formative and summative Equitable Evaluation metrics Developing an overall implementation plan to avoid zero-sum perception
6. Deliver	Policy rollout and mandatory adherence enforcement	Implement the capacity-building action plan with transformational leadership and autonomous motivation	Designated project teams and managers	Project Management focusing on psychological safety and Positive Energy Networks Monitoring progress with regular check-in sessions Using metrics focused on engagement and internal mobility
7. Determine	Summative evaluation: Did we meet the numbers? (Often only focuses on demographic targets/compliance)	Measure effectiveness and impact on well-being and capacity for sustainable change	External or internal evaluation specialists, Leaders and Champions	Summative evaluation, often including measures of PsyCap, PERMA Well-being (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, achievement) and inclusion assessments Analyzing impact beyond demographics (e.g. retention, trust, sense of belonging)
8. Decide	Report on results; Adjust quotas/penalties for next cycle	Review findings collaboratively, celebrate successes and plan for continuous capacity building	All stakeholders (organizational leaders, employees, partners)	Review and reflection session Next Steps Planning for future PCB cycles (viewed as an ongoing, iterative process) Identifying the next positive challenge for the organization

Source(s): Adapted from Cabrera (2021)