Advancing diversity training

Diversity training sessions have become a mainstay in professional life as a way to address concerns surrounding bias and discrimination. However, evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited at best, and indeed sometimes unintended negative outcomes can result. Drawing from the literatures on education, sociology, and psychology, we address areas where training sessions may be improved through a better understanding of how people learn. Repeated exposure of ideas, buy-in from leadership, appropriate expertise, opportunities for active engagement, and connective presentation styles (such as storytelling) are all tools available for positive change.