Over the decades, I have developed dozens of models and frameworks. One I am especially proud of is also one of the least well known – the diversity awareness ladder. Created in the early 1990s, it was an attempt to understand the relationship between our internal, silent conversations when we encounter someone different and the spoken or written conversations we have with or about them. The more instinctive and lacking in reflection/ self-awareness that the internal conversation is, the more guarded and politically over-correct the external conversation we will be.
Diversity and inclusion begin with open, honest and authentic dialogue. So recognising and acknowledging our internal conversations allows us to exchange them for more productive, more humane versions.
The ladder is reproduced below. Use it to reflect upon the conversations you have (or avoid having) with a variety of categories of people, then decide what shifts you want to make.
| Stage | The inner conversation | The outer conversation |
| 1. Fear | What do I fear from this person?What do I fear learning about myself?What might I be avoiding admitting to myself? | What do we have in common?What concerns do you have about me and my intentions? |
| 2. Wariness | What if I say the wrong thing?Is their expectation of me negative and/or stereotyped?How open and honest can I be with them? | How can we be more open with each other?How can we recognise and manage behaviours that make each other feel uncomfortable/ unvalued? |
| 3. Tolerance | What judgements am I making about this person and on what basis?What boundaries am I seeking/ applying in dealing with this person? | How can we exist/ work together without friction?How can we take blame out of our conversations? |
| 4. Acceptance | Can I accept this person for who they are?Can I accept and work with the validity of their perspective, even if it’s different from mine? | What values do you hold? How do you apply them? How can we make our collaboration active and purposeful? |
| 5. Appreciation | What can I learn from this person?How could knowing them make a better/ more accomplished person? | What can we learn from each other?How will we learn from each other? |
The Ladder has been of especial value in the Reciprocal Mentoring programmes we have facilitated in recent years. These bring together people from the top of the organisation and an equal number of people from below, who represent various categories of diversity. Together, they identify systemic barriers to inclusion and belonging. Then all participants come together to prioritise issues and co-design systemic responses that align top and bottom perspectives.
If you would like to have a copy of our free guide to designing reciprocal mentoring initiatives, please contact info@clutterbuck-cmi.com
©️David Clutterbuck, 2025