Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell has operations in over 99 countries, employs over 86,000 people, and is the 15th largest company in the world. In 2020, Shell commissioned Global Diversity Practice to renew their online D&I curriculum with two new eLearning modules; Respect in the Workplace, and Conscious Inclusion.
KEY DELIVERABLES
Our work with Shell began with a diagnostic, in which we reviewed Shell’s existing eLearning modules to identify any gaps, and create a common set of design principles to guide our work. We supplemented this with a review of Shell’s Powering Progress strategy, Code of Conduct, and ‘Our Mindset & Behaviours’ leadership framework.
Shell assembled a cross-functional group of stakeholders and Employee Resource Groups (ERG) to collaborate with us throughout the design process. This group of stakeholders represented different business units, different regions, and contained a mix of diverse identities, demonstrating inclusion in practice.
Respect in the Workplace
The first module, Respect in the Workplace, focused on creating a shared understanding of inclusive workplace behaviours at Shell, and providing learners with the means to identify unacceptable behaviours as well as the tools to then challenge or report these behaviours. The learning objectives included:
- Understand what is meant by respect in the workplace and how it connects to who we are at Shell.
- Be able to recognise the different types of behaviours that get in the way of respect in the workplace.
- Know how you can practically contribute to creating respect in the workplace.
- Recognise when and how to intervene or escalate when you see unacceptable behaviour.
The module contained a mixture of interactive activities, models, videos, scenarios, quizzes, reflection points and checklists, to help bring the subject matter to life and create a compelling learning experience.
Conscious Inclusion
The second module, Conscious Inclusion, focused on exploring contemporary workplace themes such as privilege, psychological safety, mindfulness, and allyship. The module was designed to enhance the learner’s ability to role model Conscious Inclusion by applying a Learner Mindset, which is a critical part of Shell’s Leadership Framework. The objectives of the module included:
- Understand what is meant by Conscious Inclusion and how it enables Shell’s aspiration to become one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world.
- Recognise that we are all different and learn to be more mindful of the unintended impact we can have through our words and actions.
- Identify the barriers that can exclude people and the impact this has on our feelings and behaviours.
- Learn when and how to apply practical techniques to help people feel included, valued and respected.
The module began with an introductory video from Shell’s CEO, followed by an individual reflection exercise designed to help the learner assess their behaviours relating to inclusion. This self-assessment was later used to provide individualised feedback to the learner on their particular areas of development in relation to Conscious Inclusion.
IMPACT
The modules were rolled out to over 120,000 learners across Shell, and have been met with outstanding feedback. Shell have also cascaded the modules within their supply chain, making them accessible to contractors, suppliers and partners.
Shell are now looking to update the content of the modules and integrate the latest eLearning features in time for a 2024 refresh of the courses.
Feedback from learners included:
Both modules continue to create a very positive impact for our employees
Reflecting and typing in your own experiences, which then come back later in the module, makes such a difference. I can’t remember seeing this in any other course before.
- Category Utilities
