What's The Difference?: Recent Episodes
Sara Taylor
Diversity is an incredible resource that is likely going untapped in your organization...Here is your chance to change that.
Look around this country. Diversity & Inclusion professionals, as well as countless committed leaders and employees have been working hard for decades to create organizations that are more diverse and inclusive. They are working hard to make Diversity & Inclusion (or D&I) a part of the DNA of their organizations and communities. Yet for every two steps forward, we still take one step back. Or two. Or three.
It's time for our approach to make sure that two steps forward remains just that: two steps forward. It's time for Diversity 3.0: Transformational Diversity.
Transformational Diversity requires us to build new skillsets to go along with new mindsets. It requires us to respond to ever greater levels of complexity. When we operate at this level we ensure that the fact of Diversity, the fact that we are all different to one degree or another, actually transforms individuals with ideas and experiences from ineffective siloed belief-bunkers into truly inclusive environments where everyone interacts at the peak of professional effectiveness.
Sara Taylor is author of the best-selling book Filter Shift, and founder of deepSEE Consulting. Each podcast episode of What's The Difference? provides the tools, resources, and insights you need to begin to transform your organization or the organizations with whom you work into the inclusive, effective powerhouses of the 21st century.
The 5 Stages of Cultural Competence What You Will Learn: * What the 5 stages of cultural competence are. * How the first three stages of developing cultural competence cultivate cultural humility. * How cultural humility encourages cultural responsiveness.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are Good for Business What You Will Learn: * The ways that diversity, equity, and inclusion promote innovation. * How diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts influence long-term employee retention. * Why inclusive, equitable, and diverse organizations generate a strong sense of belonging for employees. * The cost of losing an employee due to lack of DEI standards. * The value of managers maintaining a firm commitment to diversity. * How cultural competence allows us to be our best selves in diverse workplace environments.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
What is Diversity? With Sara Taylor What You Will Learn: * The value of answering the question “what is diversity?” * How diversity was once defined, compared to the way organizations are encouraged to define it today. * What aspects or characteristics of a person should be calculated into “diversity” metrics and where to draw the line. * The limits organizations face when trying to implement diversity programs. * The importance of finding out why people with specific identities are not finding their place in your organization.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
Other Resources: * Recession Report: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/reports/recession-report
Predicting Recession Outcomes with Organizational Diversity What You Will Learn: * What the Great Recession can teach us about the impact of diversity in organizations * How diversity can impact your bottom line * The difference between companies that thrived or flatlined between 2006 and 2014 * What five marginalized groups impacted organizations the most * What five key experiences these groups highlighted as having the greatest impact on them * Where fairness, inclusivity, and validation matters for marginalized groups
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
Other Resources: * Recession Report: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/reports/recession-report
Women’s Wealth and Pay Equity Part III What You Will Learn: * More about the insights into women’s wealth that Robyn Ross developed over 20 years in the finance workforce. * How the talent acquisition system in the financial services industry is currently backward compared to other industries. * What women are doing to stand up for themselves and correct the system. * Why diversity is the financially wise choice for financial services companies to make. * How to allow people to make honest mistakes that make your company better. * What we can do to be more vulnerable about our own biases regarding women’s wealth.
Countering Bias in The Finance Sector The finance sector is notoriously lacking when it comes to diversity. Only 8% of workers in this field are women, and an even tinier 0.4% of firms are owned by women. With these statistics in mind, it should be evident that women may feel like a fish out of water upon entering the workforce in this industry.
Worse yet, some may never enter the industry because they fear they will be unable to have a rewarding career. While they may have the skill and talent needed to thrive in the field, issues with hiring and biased leadership could easily set a woman behind their male counterparts.
In this week’s episode of What’s The Difference podcast, Sara Taylor invites guest Robyn Ross to discuss her actions to counteract bias in the finance sector.
Currently, Fear Drives Decision-Making Many leaders in the financial space refuse to embrace diversity because they fear changes to their own position in their respective companies. They use phrases like “meritocracy” to describe why they deserve to succeed in finance while others do not. Yet, quite often, they disregard the reality that many of the people in positions of power in this industry come from incredibly privileged backgrounds. Understanding this, it is up to business leaders to create culturally competent hiring standards that help people who do not come from a place of inherent privilege.
Show the Work That Matters Old systems are starting to fade as more women stand up for themselves and male allies support them. In time, the structural bias that has become commonplace will only be a chapter in the past. Yet, some companies are rushing to show off results that they haven’t really achieved yet. They promote themselves as having embraced diversity, solely to make notes in their sustainability reports. Rather than considering the human element of diversity and inclusion, their actions are superficial and purely transactional.
Change Won’t Come all at Once You may not be around to see the impacts of the work that you’ve done. Still, that does not mean you shouldn’t do it. Making the financial sector more diverse and inclusive is a collaborative effort that will take every one of you to work together to achieve a specific goal.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
Women’s Pay and Wealth Equity: Part II What You Will Learn: * Women earn less, and have less wealth to invest with * The majority of investment management firms are owned by white men; less than 1% by women * Why women get worse advice from financial advisors * How women in investing outperform men by 40 basis points * How gender plays a role in the treatment of investors by advisors and firms * The effect of biases on wealth equity in society
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
Breaking Down the Wealth Gap, Part 1 What You Will Learn: * + What is Equal Pay Day, and what does it represent? + How pay disparities between men and women increase for different ethnic groups + Where women are continuously losing wealth outside of their jobs + How much longer would a woman have to work than a man in a single year to earn the same wealth + How education level actually increases the wealth gap + The hiring and promotion gap between men and women
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
Other Resources: * Merrill Study: https://www.ml.com/women-research.html * Fortune study: https://fortune.com/2020/06/19/investment-management-diversity-hedge-funds-mutual-funds-real-estate-pe-private-equity/ * Lifting as We Climb: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c50b84131d4df5265e7392d/t/5c5c7801ec212d4fd499ba39/1549563907681/Lifting_As_We_Climb_InsightCCED_2010.pdf * Women’s Wealth Gap: https://womenswealthgap.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Closing-the-Womens-Wealth-Gap-Report-Jan2017.pdf * Student Loan Debt Gap: https://www.aauw.org/resources/news/media/press-releases/analysis-women-hold-two-thirds-of-countrys-1-4-trillion-student-debt/ * Amazon, Women in the Workplace: https://wiw-report.s3.amazonaws.com/Women_in_the_Workplace_2019.pdf * HBR Women’s Raise Gap: https://hbr.org/2018/06/research-women-ask-for-raises-as-often-as-men-but-are-less-likely-to-get-them * Forbes Unconscious Bias: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2020/08/27/financial-advisors-unconscious-bias-works-against-women/?sh=654a9c213f76
Cultivating an Equitable Hybrid Workplace: Part 2 What You Will Learn: * Why it’s important to consider the impact your decisions have on individuals in the workplace * How our unconscious biases create distrust * Why assuming difference will help us to break away from unconscious bias * Why we should be outcome-focused; managing work over managing people * How distrust of our workers keeps us from cultivating equity * Strategies that can help us see other perspectives and do more to create equity * Examples of the pitfalls leadership often faces when making decisions about equity
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
The Pitfalls of Creating Equity over Equality, Part 1 What You Will Learn: * The difference between equality and equity in the workplace * How approaching equity from the minimization stage (we’re all the same) is actually creating more inequity * How the status quo perpetuates ineffective strategies and practices at work * Why focusing on the outcome of work (rather than the input) positively contributes to creating equity * How “fairness” keeps us in minimization and doesn’t achieve what we want it to * Why we should challenge status quo thinking in a push for equity
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara
What Florida’s Stop WOKE Act Means for Organizations What You Will Learn: * What is Florida’s Stop WOKE Act * How this will affect educational and workplace organizations in the future * What motivated this type of legislation to be created * What the bill is trying to achieve vs. what it will actually achieve * How some of the bill’s overarching concepts are okay but fall flat in reality * How this bill promotes continued polarization and minimization (stages 1 and 2 of cultural competence) * Why the most important place to address cultural differences is still in schools and workplaces
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara * The Journey to Equity and Inclusion * Florida Senate Stop WOKE Act
Five Stages of Cultural Competence Part III What You Will Learn: * Perceived orientation vs. developmental orientation: What is it, and how does it affect cultural competence? * How unresolved issues from previous stages of development keep us stuck * What is trailing orientation, and how does it create more polarization? * How both dominant and marginalized groups can reverse their orientation and feed off of polarization * Why our best intentions and moving toward equality often don’t work * How to begin breaking the cycle of trailing orientation and polarization in DEI work
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara * CNBC Closing the Gap * Digest of Education Statistics
What You Will Learn: * How we see differences in each stage of cultural competence * The specific areas of development that contribute to us getting stuck in one of the earlier stages * Understanding why it’s so difficult to approach DEI work from stage four or five * How our own judgments based on which stage we’re in can affect our perception of others * Where most of the population sits on this scale of awareness * Why the “us vs. them,” “good vs. bad” mentality continuously stagnates our cultural understanding * How discomfort and fear play a role in the hesitancy to move into deeper stages of competence
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara * CNBC Closing the Gap
Five Stages of Cultural Competence Part I What You Will Learn: * What are the five stages of cultural competence * How to view each stage from a conscious and unconscious framework of awareness * Why DEI work can be so tricky when considering the stages of cultural competence * Where most of the population sits on this scale of awareness * Why our best intentions in DEI work are often not enough based on our own conscious beliefs and perceptions * How the Intercultural Development Continuum Model explains why people can have different perceptions of identical experiences
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota, for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” which explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepSEESara @deepSEESara * CNBC Closing the Gap
What You Will Learn: * Should organizations respond to identity-based trauma events * How Americans view the responses of organizations following incidents * What can organizations do if they misstep, and how can they strengthen their brand afterward * How ongoing transparency and accountability impact the strength of a brand * What consumer demographics expect the most and the least from brands * Which demographic is the most loyal and less likely to shift * How the language used when addressing social justice issues affects public opinion
About Del Esparza & Dr. Brandale Mills Cox Del Esparza is a DEI advocate and the CEO of Esparza Advertising, a full-service marketing firm, focused on driving successful brands by making a scene. Del has a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry and is skilled in digital marketing, web design, market research, management, direct marketing, and marketing strategy.
Dr. Brandale Mills Cox recently published her book, “Black Women Filmmakers and Black Love on Screen,” which offers a definition of Black Love and an analysis of how it is portrayed from the perspective of a Black female filmmaker. She has presented her research at international and national conferences, with her scholarship including issues related to feminism, social media, racial politics, film, female representations in the mass media, and popular culture.
Dr. Mills’ passion and desire for positive social advocacy is reflected in many of her roles in the journalism, communication, public relations, and event coordinating fields. Her position as Senior Coordinator for the National Diversity Council and as Operations Coordinator at d-mars.com Marketing and Communications, (publisher of the only African-American Business Journal in the city of Houston), has given her the opportunity to advocate for diverse communities and organizations. Dr. Mills has also served as a Public Relations Consultant for several Houston area non-profit organizations dedicated to assisting under-served communities.
How to connect with Del Esparza & Dr. Brandale Mills Cox: Del Esparza:
- Website: https://esparza.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/del-esparza-8b49781/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/esparza-advertising/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esparzaadvertising/
- Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/esparzaadvertising/
Dr. Brandale Mills Cox:
- Website: https://drbrandalemills.com/
- https://www.inclusivemarketresearchgroup.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandale-mills-cox-ph-d-327751b/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/inclusive-market-research-group/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inclusivemrg/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/InclusiveMRG
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * How working as a Resident Advisor during college introduced Gina to DEI as a profession * In what ways bias impacts productivity in the workplace, and how to overcome it * How peer equity/inclusion coaches fit into the MnDOT organization * Why it’s important to contribute to DEI conversations that are already being held * How to select peer equity/inclusion coaches for your organization * What are the most important parts of peer equity coach training * Why it’s crucial that peer inclusion coaches know what is beyond the scope of their job
About Gina Kundan Gina Kundan is Deputy Director and D&I Manager for the office of Equity and Diversity with MnDOT. She has a strong passion for equity and remains committed to integrating a culture of inclusion into best practices.
Gina holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School, focusing on culturally competent leadership and management, and a Master’s degree in Social Theory from Hamline University. She is a certified Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), Intercultural Conflict Styles (ICS) administrator, and a trained mediator.
Making good use of her BFA in Dance from Wright State University, Gina spent several decades performing and teaching. She is currently board Chair for Ananya Dance Theatre. She’s a proud mother, grandmother, spouse, and auntie.
How to connect with Gina Kundan: * Website:
- MnDOT - Diversity and Inclusion Contacts (state.mn.us)
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GinaKundan
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-kundan-ma-mpa-ba53231/
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * How organizations support employees after DEI related trauma * What are peer inclusion coaches, and how are they able to help organizations in being more effective and proactive in DEI efforts * Why are the reasons that organizations need readily available resources * What are the goals for peer equity coach programs in organizations * What peer equity coaches are not, and what are their required qualifications * How does deepSEE Consulting train peer equity/inclusion coaches
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why authentically listening to others is so important for leaders * How Jason’s personal experience allowed him to consider how minority groups feel in the workplace * Why leaders should focus on impacting employees’ lives outside of the workplace to foster a better workplace culture * Why prioritizing equity and fairness resonates with more people than focusing on diversity * How Jason discovered that men are often promoted over women because they are the loudest in the room * What makes systems and processes in an organization not equitable
About Jason Medley Jason Medley is Codility’s Chief People Officer where he manages the People Ops, Talent Acquisition, and IT Security teams. He brings with him experience scaling multiple VC-backed technology companies through hyper-growth. As a recruiting leader and thought leader, Jason works closely with Codility’s customers, Go To Market teams, and Product to help push the limits on Codilitys capabilities in the market. Jason graduated from the University of North Alabama with a degree in communications and marketing.
How to Connect with Jason Medley: * Website: www.codility.com * Twitter: https://twitter.com/JasonDiscovers * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmedley/
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * What are the four different root causes of microaggressions * What are unconscious filters, and how do they impact our associations * How do we typically respond or act based on filter associations * How does our lack of exposure to different cultures, regions, or experiences affect our associations * What are the three different ways that someone can be partially conscious of microaggressions * What seven strategies can you take to reduce your likelihood of microaggressions
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * What are microaggressions, and how they emerge as patterns * How microaggressions can become pile up and become traumatic for the receiver * Why an employee who has experienced microaggressions will often fight, fly, or freeze * Why stereotypical unconscious bias reinforces the advantages for dominant groups and reinforces the disadvantages for non-dominant groups * What should organizations do when their employees experience microaggressions
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * What is the origin story of Black history month and why do we still have it * How other heritage months differ from Black history month * Why do we separate Black history from general United States history * What is dominant culture and how does it create an advantage * How to address Black history month in your organization * Why history often doesn’t mention races other than the dominant race
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why black professionals have lost faith in DEI efforts * What is the most consistent frustration among black professionals throughout corporate America * Why we should first focus on leading with inclusion rather than diversity * What is the problem with only focusing on diversity in recruiting * Why it’s important to first understand how we got here to truly create a culture of inclusion * How does the mindset of black millennials differ from other generations * How to help leaders of organizations to understand what they can do to drive DEI work * What should the goal and focus be for new DEI practitioners
About Keith Wyche Keith Wyche is a recognized thought leader in the areas of Change Management, Executive Development, Leadership, Business, Career Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Transformation, and Innovation who excels at talent development and has a consistent record of growing revenue and expanding margins across a broad range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, outsourced services, and grocery retail.
A frequent public speaker and author of Good Is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals (nominated for an NAACP Award as an Outstanding Literary Work,) and Corner Office Rules: The 10 Realities of Executive Life, Wyches work and insights have been featured in TIME Magazine, USA Today, The New York Post, The Miami Herald, and Black Enterprise Magazine. He has appeared as a guest on NPR, Fox Business, NBC’s The Today Show, Business News Network (BNN), and more.
Wyche was named to the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Renaissance Leaders by Morehouse College for his dedication and commitment to the mentoring and talent development of young talent. Wyche holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administrations from Cleveland State University and an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace University.
How to Connect with Keith Wyche: * Website: https://www.amazon.com/Diversity-Not-Enough-Roadmap-Recruit/dp/1736939009/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithwyche/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeithWyche
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * How Tadé discovered the transformative power of education through his father’s career * Why Tadé believes that providing access to higher education to oppressed communities will allow them to solve their own problems * What unintentional barriers are often presented to minorities during their educational careers * What is the difference between health equity and healthcare disparities and equity and equality * How the healthcare practitioner and the healthcare industry’s bias leads to health disparities * What question should be asked before considering how to address health disparities * What three items when utilized together can have a great impact on healthcare disparities * How to understand the difference between implicit and explicit bias
About Tadé Ayeni Dr. Tadé Ayeni is the Director of Diversity and Equity as well as Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. He is also the host of The Black Professional podcast and the CEO of Beyond Performative, a consulting firm specializing in the synthesis of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles with organizational growth and success models.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University where he was first introduced to the study of societal inequities and people who have been historically marginalized. As an undergraduate student, he originally intended to major solely in English Literature and ended up accidentally double-majoring in Africana Studies as well. When he discovered that there was a field dedicated to understanding the historical contexts behind present-day inequality, he took so many courses in the discipline that his academic advisor informed him that he only needed a few more courses in Africana Studies to earn a major in that field.
This began an increasingly developing interest in learning about domestic and global cultures and societies. From there, he completed a Master’s degree in English Literature at Fairleigh Dickinson University and a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Saint Joseph’s University. His dissertation was a phenomenological study of the experiences of underrepresented minority students in medicine as they matriculate to and through medical school.
Dr. Ayeni has worked in various aspects of higher education from admissions to advising to teaching. This variegated background has equipped him with a detailed understanding of the student perspective as well as the systems and programs that help and hinder students in their academic pursuits. As the Director of Diversity and Equity, he enjoys creating meaningful connections with people from various backgrounds within and outside of the medical school to work toward a more genuinely equitable educational experience for all students, which is a key piece in the fight to produce more equitable health outcomes in society.
In his role as a faculty member in the Human Dimension program, his educational philosophy centers on moving away from merely teaching students to memorize facts, and helping them to enter a more genuine learning process by focusing on equipping them with the tools of inquiry to become lifelong learners and researchers.
How to Connect with Tadé Ayeni: * Website: https://www.bpconsultants.org/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/TadeAyeni * LinkedIn: Tadé Ayeni
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
The Forgotten Identity: Disability at Work What You Will Learn: * How Victor found his way to DEI work and to shining a light on the important issues around disability at work and its overlap with other minority identities * Why Victor's goal in his role as Commissioner for the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities is to bring awareness to disability and accessibility issues * What big wins and significant progress Victor has been able to facilitate in his role, including helping New York's park system become the most accessible in the world * How around 11% of New York City's population lives their lives with disability, and why people's fear of self-disclosure makes underreporting a real challenge * Why many of the technological innovations developed specifically for people with disability benefit all of us * Why laws and systems to support people with disability in the workplace are crucial for allowing people to thrive in their roles * Why the disparity between New York's pre-pandemic unemployment rate for non-disabled people (4%) and people with disability (79%) highlights key challenges * Why people with disability experience employment discrimination far more often than most of us may realize * What's next for Victor, and why making New York more accessible for people with disability is taking place at all levels of the city’s government and infrastructure
About Victor Calise As Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (PWD) under both the Bloomberg and the de Blasio administrations, Victor sets policy, advises the Mayor, agencies, creates public/private partnerships and initiatives, advocates for the passage of legislation; chairs the Accessibility Committee of the NYC Building Code and is responsible for helping to make New York City the most inclusive city in the world. In addition, as a Board Member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Victor plays an integral role in the planning and decision-making for the largest public transportation system in the United States.
Spending the early part of his life as a plumber and later working in parks and playground design, Victor has a keen understanding of design and construction. He worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation Capital Projects Division, leading efforts to make one of the world's largest and most complex urban park systems universally accessible.
Diversity is a workforce’s biggest strength and Victor has worked to find diverse employers and candidates. He has secured relationships with businesses in technology, retail, finance, transportation, state and city government, hospitality, not-for-profits, and healthcare. Achieving gainful employment for these diverse candidates requires a network of public and private academic institutions, state vocational rehabilitation services, and service providers. He has achieved positive sustainable outcomes.
Victor is a global expert in disability. He works and consults with not-for-profits, funders, technology companies, educators, and corporations. He has been a keynote speaker at conferences and has participated in numerous panel discussions in many US cities as well as Europe, South America, and the Middle East. On December 21, 2018, the Republic of Italy bestowed the honorific title of Knighthood in the Order of Merit to Victor for his work promoting stronger relations for people with disabilities between NYC-Italy.
Resources: * AccessibleNYC annual report: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mopd/initiatives/accessiblenyc.page
How to Connect with Victor Calise: * Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/victorcalise/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYCCalise
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: In this unique episode of What’s The Difference, you’ll hear audio from a panel at the Stevens Institute of Technology about the benefits of inclusive leadership, in which we discussed Cultural Competence as a business skill, when it is and isn’t appropriate to point out the “differences that make a difference,” and why context is vital. Hear insights about:
- Why developing your Cultural Competence is a key business skill that goes far beyond “knowing when to kiss, bow, or shake hands”
- Sara shares a story of being asked to point her husband out in a group and relates why people often become uncomfortable pointing out differences such as race
- Why the only time we should be identifying people by the “differences that make a difference” is when that difference is relevant to the situation
- Why preventing difficult situations and creating a more Inclusive environment is more effective than reacting to uncomfortable situations when they arise
- Why relying on research-based models is the key to developing your Cultural Competence skills and fostering an Inclusive work culture
- What benefits of inclusive leadership your organization can expect by doing the hard but necessary DEI work
- What difficult experiences Sara has had with regards to interacting across differences, both as part of the dominant and non-dominant groups
- Why it’s important to avoid falling into a “savior” mentality if you are part of the dominant group in your workplace
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
Resources: * Stevens Institute of Technology Website: https://www.stevens.edu/
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why objecting to change, feeling like giving up something, and feeling it’s too much extra work are common points of resistance to diversity in the workplace and DEI efforts * Why real change must happen across all levels of an organization, and why individual growth and transformation is the key to changing the organization * Why the process of developing Cultural Competence isn’t about giving up anything but about adding on new skills and abilities to navigate difference * Why DEI efforts do require extra work upfront but will make for a more effective and enjoyable workplace on the other side * Why DEI work is about creating organizational change by teaching people how to add new skills that will benefit them both individually and as an organization in the long run
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why it feels awkward and oftentimes uncomfortable for most of us when we are called by the wrong name incorrectly * How Sara recently participated in a panel presentation on inclusive leadership and relationships at the Stevens Institute of Technology * Sara shares comments from the other panelists that explain why “preferred pronouns” aren’t really a preference, and why it’s important to avoiding calling trans people by their deadnames * Why a better way of referring to someone’s chosen pronouns is by calling them “identity pronouns” rather than “preferred pronouns” * Why calling by someone by the wrong name can leave them feeling uncomfortable, and why being referred to by the correct name and pronouns isn’t a preference but an identity
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * How Hope transitioned her career from mechanical engineering to a brand new career in DEI practice * Why Hope found her passion in making things better and affecting change, and why she chose to leave her engineering role behind to focus on DEI full time * What challenges Hope faced and unexpected surprises she has experienced as a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practitioner * How working with an outstanding mentor helped guide Hope’s career and gave her a better understanding of the career path * Why many of the leaders Hope has worked with started with the Diversity piece, and why she believes that we should focus more on Equity and Inclusion * How Hope pushed through feelings of overwhelm when she first moved into her new role, and why she is passionate about always continuing to learn * What advice Hope has for new practitioners and anyone interested in becoming certified in DEI practice
About Hope Scheeler Hope Scheeler is a self-proclaimed cultural engineer who helps organizations create inclusive, equitable, culturally competent workforces and workplaces. A mechanical engineer by training, she chooses to apply the problem-solving principles of STEM to people and cultures in the field and personal life-calling of Diversity & Inclusion. Her scientific background helps her utilize Lean Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, and Project Management to drive sustainable results founded in data and analysis. Hope is currently a senior program manager on the D&I team at Riot Games, where she’s working to drive meaningful change in the gaming and entertainment industry.
How to Connect with Hope Scheeler: * Website: www.riotgames.com/en * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lhopescheeler/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/riot-games * Facebook: www.facebook.com/RiotGames/ * Twitter: @riotgames
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Who Leads DEI? DEI Leaders and the Importance of Roles What You Will Learn: * How a survey of 383 U.S. employers from Xpert HR revealed that only 11% of these employers had Chief DEI Officers leading their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts * Further findings of the Xpert HR survey: * 15% had DEI efforts led by volunteer employee groups * 17% said no one leads their DEI work * 19% said a “social justice workgroup” or board of directors led their efforts * 36% responded that it was lead by their CEO * 52% said a Chief Human Resources Officer led their efforts * 7% said a Chief Operating Officer led their DEI work * 5% responded that their Chief Financial Officer led the way * 4% said their General Counsel ran their efforts * 2% responded that an outside consultant led their DEI efforts * Why General Counsel, the CFO or even the CEO aren’t the right people who should be leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, and why it’s crucial to appoint the right DEI leaders to oversee your efforts * Why organizations who are truly committed to DEI work should follow best practices and assign an experienced, dedicated Chief DEI Officer
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
Resources:
- Xpert HR “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Employer Trends in 2021” Survey (requires site registration to access): https://bit.ly/3zJ6o3w
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why 75% of people surveyed responded that, due to the global pandemic, they no longer feel comfortable shaking hands in a job interview * Sara describes a pre-pandemic training exercise she and her team would employ to demonstrate the discomfort people sometimes experience when getting close to others * Why shared meaning around our cultural behaviors informs how comfortable or uncomfortable we feel doing those behaviors * How the “handshake” ritual came to be historically, why many of us don’t know this origin, and what this tells us about how we view and question other cultures’ behaviors * Why it takes a significant disruption to change the shared meaning we associate with certain long-held cultural behaviors * Why understanding the shared meaning behind behaviors is the key to understanding and changing our organizational culture * Why our actions are created by our conscious thoughts, which themselves stem from our unconscious filters * Why it is crucial to define the behaviors that you want to see or change and then work on the shared meaning that informs those behaviors
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Sara shares the story of “Jaden,” the manager of her local coffee shop who desperately needed a day off from nonstop work, an example of what happens when leadership does not invest in DEI work and learning * Why Jaden chose to give her two-weeks notice because she felt her manager didn’t respect her or her family * Why Jaden’s story demonstrates the need for businesses and organizations to invest in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work * Why Jaden’s manager’s internal bias and lack of cultural competence has cost her a fantastic employee * Why employees “quitting their managers” can be just as damaging to a company as employees leaving their jobs, and why this is a perfect example of the ROI of DEI work
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why Generation Z as a cohort is the most broadly diverse generation in history, and why DEI expectations from Generation Z in the workplace are important to understand * Why Generation Z often defines Diversity as “who we are”, and why Cultural Competence is a crucial skill to help navigate their workplace expectations * Why greater inclusivity in Generation Z’s upbringing has played a big role in defining their expectations for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace * Why Generation Z is adept at creating systemic and social change through collective advocacy * Why generations engage differently with DEI workplace issues, and what differences are found in DEI expectations between Millennials and Generation Z in the workplace * Why members of older generations often assume that Generation Z is inherently more culturally competent even though it isn’t necessarily true * How Generation Z finds strong motivation from making a difference for the people who matter to them * Why it isn’t possible to make blanket statements about Generation Z, and why their views on DEI work can vary broadly * What steps you can take to better engage with Generation Z in the workplace around DEI issues
DEI Expectations from Generation Z in the Workplace In episode 91 of the What’s The Difference podcast, my guests were Dr. Corey Seemiller and Dr. Meghan Grace, researchers who study Generation Z, the generational cohort of people born between 1997 and 2012.
We had a remarkable discussion about things employers should be aware of that can help the transition as more and more of these people join the workforce. In this encore episode, Dr. Seemiller and Dr. Grace join me for an even deeper discussion about Generation Z in the workplace, their DEI expectations, and how this Generation differs from their older peers.
Generation Z in the Workplace: The Most Diverse Generation in History Not only is Generation Z incredibly diverse racially and ethnically, they’ve also grown up in an environment in which we openly discuss Diversity in a way that our society hasn’t done before. This means that members of Generation Z hold a greater expectation for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and they’re adept at recognizing and challenging inequities while working within the existing framework and systems that exist in their work environments.
How Gen Z pushes back against these inequities also differs from previous generations. Whereas sit-ins were popular in the 1960s to protest racial injustice, Gen Z today uses viral social media content to spread awareness and amplify their voices. They often focus on collective effort and recognize the strength of numbers.
Diversity in Perspectives It’s important to remember that with greater Diversity comes more perspectives and points of view. We must avoid making the mistake of blanket assumptions about Generation Z in the workplace, such as believing that they are inherently more Culturally Competent than previous generations.
As Dr. Seemiller and Dr. Grace pointed out in our conversation, it’s also important to engage with members of the majority when it comes to DEI issues. While members of Generation Z from marginalized groups are often adept at advocating for themselves, it is the majority that holds the power to enact real change. By engaging their extraordinary ability to work collectively, Generation Z can truly become a catalyst for greater Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace.
If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Corey Seemiller and Dr. Meghan Grace and their extraordinary work, please visit their websites at www.coreyseemiller.com and www.meghanmgrace.com. I also encourage you to read their book Generation Z: A Century in the Making.
About Dr. Corey Seemiller Dr. Corey Seemiller is a faculty member in the Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations at Wright State University, teaching undergraduate courses in organizational leadership as well as graduate courses in leadership development and student affairs and higher education. She is the author of The Student Leadership Competencies Guidebook and associated tools and assessments to help educators develop intentional curriculum that enhances leadership competency development. She has served as an issue editor for New Directions for Student Leadership, the co-chair for the National Leadership Symposium and the Leadership Education Academy, and an associate editor of the Journal of Leadership Studies.
Dr. Seemiller also has a deep understanding of today’s young adults. She is the co-author of several articles as well as four books on Generation Z (born 1995-2010) including Generation Z: A Century in the Making, Generation Z Goes to College, Generation Z Leads, and Generation Z Learns. She also co-authored the Gen Z Voices on Voting research report. Her highly popular TED Talk on Generation Z at TEDxDayton showcased how Generation Z is making a difference in the world. Her work has been featured on NPR and in The New York Times as well as in several other news publications and academic journals. She has also been interviewed for podcasts as well as TV and radio shows worldwide.
About Dr. Meghan Grace Meghan Grace is a generational researcher, author, speaker, consultant, and podcast host. She began her journey as a generational researcher in 2014, when she and her research partner, Dr. Corey Seemiller started to notice differences in the college students they worked with on campus and wanted to better understand their perspectives, values, and behaviors. In 2014, they launched their first independent study on Generation Z, which has since led to two more independent studies, two books, and two guidebooks about Generation Z. Meghan also serves as a consultant with Plaid, LLC., an organizational development firm, where she specializes in research and assessment, curriculum and program development, and strategic projects.
Resources: * Generation Z: A Century in the Making by Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace: https://amzn.to/2SUtPYx * Revisit What’s The Difference episode 91 “Generation Z in the Workplace” with Dr. Corey Seemiller & Dr. Meghan Grace: https://whatsthedifferencepodcast.com/podcasts/generation-z-in-the-workplace/
How to Connect with Dr. Corey Seemiller: * Website: www.thegenzhub.com * Website: www.coreyseemiller.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/seemiller/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/coreyseemiller/ * Twitter: @CoreySeemiller * Twitter: @thegenzhub
How to Connect with Dr. Meghan Grace: * Website: www.meghanmgrace.com * Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/meghanmgrace/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/meghanmgrace * Twitter: @MeghanMGrace
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Sara defines Cultural Competence as understanding how our unconscious minds make decisions for us and taking conscious control of our behaviors * Why the first step in defining the benefits of Cultural Competence involves recognizing the “differences that make a difference” * Why our level of Cultural Competence is involved in virtually every interaction we have in the workplace * How research by Joseph DiStefano and Martha Maznevski found that diverse teams make up both the worst and best performing, with Cultural Competence being the deciding factor * Why less than 17% of our population falls within the two most effective stages of Cultural Competence, and how we can develop those skills * Why major organizations like Google and Target even struggle to recognize and respond to the differences that make a difference * Why tying Cultural Competence to your strategic priorities like breaking into new markets or mergers/acquisitions can help you make the case * Why the “do nothing” strategy of maintaining the status quo is the only alternative to working on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
Resources: * Creating Value with Diverse Teams in Global Management by Joseph J. DiStefano and Martha L. Maznevski
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why there are many business benefits of Inclusion in the workplace, and why Inclusion allows you to create an environment that takes advantage of the benefits of Diversity * How the cost of talent turnover is anywhere from 40% to 150% of an employee’s annual salary, and how an inclusive environment increases engagement and retention * How Gallup found that 13% of the global workforce are actively engaged at work, and why management’s strong commitment to Diversity is the #1 factor in increasing this number * Why Diversity without Inclusion can result in high talent turnover, and why an inclusive environment is crucial for avoiding that turnover * Why the level of engagement is lowest for workforce members born after 1980, and why Inclusion is necessary for helping them feel engaged * What to look for to identify issues with Inclusion in your organization, and how to analyze your data to get a better picture of Inclusion at your workplace
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Making the Case Part I: Why Diversity is Good For Business What You Will Learn: * Why it is important to examine why Diversity is good for business, just as we examine the benefits of all the other business decisions we make * Why the first component of why diversity is good for business is the moral implications of increased Diversity * How studies have shown that the top 25% racially and ethnically diverse companies are 36% more likely to outperform less diverse companies in financial performance * Why greater gender Diversity gives companies a 25% increased likelihood of outperforming the average and increase the value of these organizations * How Diversity can help fuel innovation, new and fresh ideas, and more perspectives in decision-making * Why tokenism isn’t enough, and why diverse team members and business leaders need to be brought in as full members of the team * Why our workforce is increasingly diverse and why organizations that value Diversity have greater access to talented team members * How immigration is helping push back against the declining numbers in the workforce and helping fill the increased demand for workers * Why Diversity is crucial as BIPOC people are becoming an ever-growing segment of our society
Making the Case Part I: Why Diversity is Good For Business We all know that most business decisions are made on the basis of the impact they have on the bottom line. Luckily, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work does have a positive impact on the success of our organizations. The challenge is making the case for why we need to do this work in a way that illustrates this impact.
In this first episode in a special three-part What’s The Difference podcast series, I want to talk to you first about why Diversity is good for business and what effect increased Diversity can have on your organization’s success.
Why Diversity is Good For Business At deepSEE Consulting, we’ve designed a template to help you make the case for DEI work in your organization, which you can find on our website at www.deepseeconsulting.com. This template serves as the basis of our three-part series, so I urge you to check it out.
First, let’s talk about why Diversity is good for business. Just as we carefully consider the pros and cons before we make other key business decisions, we should consider these same factors when making the case for DEI work in our organizations. Of course, there’s the moral imperative, but there are also tangible benefits of increased Diversity. McKinsey & Company periodically releases a report on the business impact of greater Diversity. First, they rank organizations based on their racial diversity and then they examine these companies’ financial performance.
According to their findings, organizations in the top 25 percentile of racially and ethnically diverse organizations were 36% more likely to outperform the median. Additionally, companies in the top ¼ of companies with Diversity in their leadership roles had a 20% higher probability of above-average performance. Greater gender Diversity also offers a 25% greater likelihood of outperforming the financial returns of less diverse organizations.
It Takes Real Commitment Allow me to be clear, just hiring a female or BIPOC employee isn’t enough to enjoy these benefits. Your organization must be truly committed to greater Diversity, and diverse team members need to be truly welcomed at the table. For example, gender Diversity doesn’t have a major impact on performance until Diversity reaches a critical mass and at least 22% of the executive leadership team are women. It takes work and honest dedication. But the benefits go beyond just the financial boost.
Princeton researcher Scott Page wrote an article in which he shared these findings: greater Diversity in an organization’s leadership team enhances problem-solving because “organizations can improve their performance by tapping the power of differences in how people think. Likewise, Harvard Business Review found that homogeneity in business actually stifles innovation, and a Forbes study found that Diversity is a crucial driver of innovation in the workplace.
Diversity is important, not just because it’s “the right thing to do,” but because it helps our teams operate more effectively, it sparks innovation, and these are proven to have tangible financial benefits. If you’d like to learn more about the template we’ve created containing hard data highlighting these benefits, please visit us at www.deepseeconsulting.com. And please join me for next week’s episode of What’s The Difference, when we take a close look at the benefits of Inclusion.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * What possible reasons may be contributing to so many people asking Sara and her team at deepSEE Consulting for help defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion * Why it is especially important to have a shared clear, defined meaning around the important concepts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion * How the team at deepSEE Consulting define Diversity as “the differences that may make a difference” * How any business with more than one person inherently has Diversity, and what kinds of differences make a difference in interactions with others * Why our “frames” and “filters” are so important in our interactions, including within the workplace * How Inclusion represents acts and actions that create an environment where everyone feels they matter and are “a part of” rather than “apart from” * How Equity differs from Equality, wherein Equity takes into account individual and systemic bias, and why Equity is about parity rather than fairness
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
- Why the increased conversation around unconscious and implicit bias is significant, and why “affinity bias” (positive bias) is often overlooked but just as influential
- Sara shares a personal story from her daughter that illustrates the impact of positive and negative bias and responding to microaggression
- Why positive bias can create negative reactions, and why it is important to understand positive bias in our workplaces
- Why recognizing and responding to positive bias is an important component of bringing equity to a workplace
- Sara shares examples of highly visible affinity bias that her family experienced while visiting the Dominican Republic
- Why passing through Customs and Immigration was made easier by having Sara take the bags and go through before her husband
- Why it is vital that we begin addressing affinity bias in the same ways that we address implicit and unconscious bias
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Namita shares how others’ filters lead to comments from them on her lack of a “foreign” accent, which belies the occasional language differences that she sometimes encounters even today * How people often have the expectation that Namita, an Asian woman, will be passive or quiet, and how they are surprised when she steps outside their expectations * How Namita has experienced expectations around her ability with technology and computer programming entirely because she is Asian * How the stereotypes Namita has experienced over her career have impacted her, even (and especially) when she doesn’t fit the stereotype * How Namita also experiences these expectations from others in the Asian community, and how people often assume Namita is her kids’ nanny rather than their mom * Namita offers her perspective on the increase in incidents of violence against Asain women, and why that race-based hate is frightening to Namita * Why negative news headlines often reference the race of an individual when they are non-white but not when they are white, and how this impacts marginalized communities * Why it is vital to consider the possibility that someone else’s experiences aren’t the same as your own and recognize your own cultural filters * What advice Namita offers for anyone who is being forced to confront microaggressions and bias situations in the workplace
Cultural Filters: Examining How Our Filters Impact Our Workplace Interactions We all have specific cultural filters, unconscious lenses through which we see the world. These follow us from interaction to interaction, from our home lives to our workplaces. Recognizing these filters is crucial for engaging with others more effectively, especially across the “differences that make a difference”.
In the previous episode of the What’s The Difference podcast, I was joined by Namita Eveloy, an expert and senior consultant here at deepSEE Consulting. Namita has a fascinating and unique perspective to share as a first-generation Asian immigrant to the United States who moved here when she was just eight years old.
Namita has experienced many different situations of bias, microaggressions and other situations that spawned from the filters through which others viewed her and set expectations of her. In this week’s follow-up episode, Namita shared how these experiences often run both ways, when people are surprised when she doesn’t fit their expectations.
These two special episodes of the podcast are all about cultural filters and how they inform our interactions, often unconsciously. What happens when filters clash, when two parties are viewing the exact same situation through different lenses? And what happens when you defy someone’s expectations set by their filters? Understanding filters can lead to engaging in a much more effective way, in the workplace and in any other situation in which we find ourselves needing to interact across differences.
When Cultural Filters Differ Here in the United States, our dominant culture typically places a greater focus on individuality, on determining one’s own destiny. This isn’t universal, of course, but at the wider cultural level we do lean towards greater individualism. However, in other cultures around the world, the emphasis seems to lean more towards a collectivistic culture in which there is greater pressure to conform to a unifying standard.
So, what happens when these filters clash? Frequently, misunderstandings, miscommunications or friction result. Whether it is in how we communicate, what actions we consider to be “polite” or socially expected, or even in how we engage with figures of authority, we must remember that our filters aren’t universal. What we consider to be “casual office banter”, someone with different filters might see as disrespectful or inappropriate.
When We Defy Others’ Expectations and Stereotypes As Namita explained in our conversation, she is often greeted with surprise by other moms when they realize she isn’t her own children’s nanny but rather their mother. Her children are mixed race and lighter skinned than she is, and so she is often presumed to be their nanny. These kinds of microaggressions often come from situations in which we step outside the expectations of others.
Likewise, throughout her career people have assumed certain details about Namita’s personality based on their cultural filters and expectations. As an Asian woman, she is often expected to be demure, quiet, great with technology, and other stereotypes, even if the truth is wildly different from people’s expectations.
However, this isn’t always a two-way street. As Namita mentioned, when incidents of violence occur, the news headlines often mention the person’s race if they are non-white but seldom or never mention their race if they are white. When the September 11 terror attacks took place, there was a swift and violent backlash against many members of the Middle Eastern-American community, and the news media made a constant point of mentioning the race of the terrorists. However, when a white gunman shot and killed 23 people in a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas in 2019, the fact that he was a white man wasn’t mentioned in the headlines nearly as often, even though he was specifically targeting the Latinx community.
This is why we must work to be aware of our own filters and to ask the very important question “can we consider the possibility…?” Can we consider the possibility that someone else’s experiences don’t match our own? What changes if that possibility were true? How would that inform our interactions? Recognizing our filters is crucial for more effective communication, and the first step is to ask ourselves, “can we consider the possibility?”
To reach out to Namita Eveloy, you can email her at namita@deepseeconsulting.com or visit our website at www.deepseeconsulting.com. I also invite you to visit our podcast archive found at https://whatsthedifferencepodcast.com/ for more informative episodes like these.
About Namita Eveloy Namita Eveloy is an experienced professional with a broad background in Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Organizational Development. With extensive experience facilitating learning for multinational companies, Namita knows how to navigate large, matrixed corporations. With professional experience in five countries, in both public and private sectors, Namita offers an unmatched international perspective.
Namita holds an MBA from the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Master’s in Education from the University of Minnesota.
How to Connect with Namita Eveloy: * Email: namita@deepseeconsulting.com * Website: https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/namitaeveloy/
What You Will Learn: * How Namita’s unique experiences as an immigrant to the United States informs her work in the DEI space * What Namita’s experiences were like after immigrating to Minnesota at the young age of eight years old, and how she first recognized differing cultural filters in others * How Namita began making friends, and how she started to recognize differences in formalities in family life from what she was used to * How Namita’s experiences with difference carried over to her transition into the workplace, and how she had to consciously work to acquire the skill of using her voice * How differences in individual and collective cultural filters can sometimes cause misunderstandings or miscommunications in the workplace * Why it is important to recognize that our own filters may differ from those of others, and why misaligned expectations can cause workplace tension * Namita shares the story of a colleague who considered resigning from a new job because he hadn’t been approached by his boss and made to feel welcome to the company * Why the differences in cultural filters between “collectivistic” and “individualistic” societies can cause friction in the workplace
About Namita Eveloy Namita Eveloy is an experienced professional with a broad background in Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Organizational Development. With extensive experience facilitating learning for multinational companies, Namita knows how to navigate large, matrixed corporations. With professional experience in five countries, in both public and private sectors, Namita offers an unmatched international perspective.
Namita holds an MBA from the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management and a Master’s in Education from the University of Minnesota.
How to Connect with Namita Eveloy: * Email: namita@deepseeconsulting.com * Website: https://www.deepseeconsulting.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/namitaeveloy/
What You Will Learn: * How the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” needs to give way to the Platinum Rule, “do unto others as they would want done unto them” * How oftentimes people struggle to let go of the Golden Rule and embrace the Platinum Rule, especially in terms of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace * Which myths and misperceptions around the Golden Rule reinforce its existence as the default way to interact and often lead people astray in DEI work * Why the Golden Rule isn’t necessarily “wrong”, and why we need to reframe our thinking to realize that the Platinum Rule is more effective rather than “more right” * How most of us are already using the Golden Rule daily, and how our unconscious minds often make an assumption about similarity despite our very real differences * Why assuming that others want to be treated the way we want ourselves to be treated is based on fallacy and doesn’t respect others’ individual filters and experiences * Why our own experiences aren’t universal, and why seeing past the assumption of similarity is crucial to “doing unto others as they would want done unto them” * Why it is important to consider how behaviors under the Golden Rule might be perceived as disrespectful by others, and how the Platinum Rule circumvents this problem
The Platinum Rule: More Effective Than the Golden Rule We’ve probably all heard the adage “do unto others as you would have done unto you.” It’s the Golden Rule, and most of us are taught to inform our interactions with others through this rule from a very early age.
However…is that really the most effective way in which we can interact with others? The Golden Rule doesn’t take into account what happens if the person we’re interacting with doesn’t want to be treated the same way we’d want to be treated. The Golden Rule is focused on our perceptions, experiences, and expectations and is centered around ourselves rather than the people around us.
In this week’s solocast episode of the What’s The Difference podcast, I discuss the problems, myths, and misperceptions around the Golden Rule that prevent it from being the ideal north star of navigating our interactions with others, and I compare it to the Platinum Rule of “do unto others as they would have done unto them.”
The wonderful thing about the Platinum Rule that makes it so effective is that it takes into account differences between the lenses and filters through which we view the world versus others and their own filters. It asks us to stop and consider how others might feel about a given interaction, rather than centering our behaviors on what we want. This difference is crucial!
The Problem With the Golden Rule Consider for a moment that our subconscious minds process orders of magnitude more information than our conscious minds do, from moment to moment. Our subconscious minds serve as the filters through which we see the world around us, and most of our behaviors come from the subconscious.
This means that when we’re interacting with others, we are inherently practicing the Golden Rule. We’re using our own filters to process our interactions and inform what we say and how we behave, on a natural and fundamental level. The problem is…what if the other person doesn’t see the world in the same way? Could “doing unto others as we would have done unto us” be perceived as disrespectful? Absolutely. The other party is viewing our actions through their filters, not ours. Interacting with the assumption that they want the same things we do can absolutely lead to misunderstanding and miscommunication because we’re rooting our behaviors in our expectations and our filters without considering theirs.
Using the Platinum Rule for More Effective Interactions It is important to remember that the Golden Rule isn’t “worse” than the Platinum Rule. Treating others as you would like to be treated is an admirable starting point, but it’s not the most effective way to interact. The Platinum Rule helps us step outside our own filters and ask the right questions so that we better understand what others consider to be respectful and positive interactions, and it helps us make conscious decisions about the words to say and the actions to take.
In Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work especially, it is critically important to consider others and their filters and perspectives. This is precisely why the Platinum Rule can be such a powerful and effective resource to help us engage with others more effectively, especially across the differences that make a difference. I hope you enjoy this week’s episode of the podcast, and I encourage you to visit our website at www.deepseeconsulting.com for more information and resources.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
Resources: * Read Emotional Acknowledgment: How Verbalizing Others’ Emotions Fosters Interpersonal Trust by Alisa Yu, Justin M. Berg, and Julian Zlatev
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Generation Z in the Workplace What You Will Learn: * How Meghan and Corey each found their way to generational research and began studying Generation Z in the workplace * How Corey and Meghan each bring their own perspectives to the research due to belonging to different generational cohorts * How the scope of Corey and Meghan’s work has grown over time, and why they have focused on qualitative data * What common misperceptions exist around Generation Z in the workplace, and what key formative experiences the generational cohort has collectively experienced * What important points to be aware of about Generation Z as they begin to enter the workforce * Why there are patterns within cultural groups in their experiences and perspectives, but why it is important to remember that these patterns aren’t universal * Corey and Meghan share some of the common patterns in how Generation Z sees hierarchy, individuality, leadership and transparency * How Corey and Meghan’s research shows that the perception that Generation Z is flighty or less likely to stay with one company is a misconception * What steps Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practitioners can take to better engage with Generation z in the workplace
Generation Z in the Workplace Generation Z includes anyone born between 1997 and 2012. This means that in 2021, the oldest members of this generational cohort are turning 22 years old. As members of Generation Z begin entering the workforce, it is important for employers to address some of the commonalities and misconceptions surrounding these young adults.
My guests for this week’s episode of the What’s The Difference podcast are Dr. Corey Seemiller and Dr. Meghan Grace, generational researchers and the co-authors of Generation Z: A Century in the Making. During our conversation, we discussed several of the major misconceptions that are often held about Generation Z that aren’t supported by the facts.
It is important to note that, while common patterns do appear within members of any generation, those patterns are by no means universal. It is important to remember that every individual is unique and that generalizations don’t always apply.
Common Misconceptions About Generation Z One of the most common misconceptions people tend to hold about Generation Z is that they’re “glued to their phones”, that they excel in technology but struggle to operate without it. As Corey and Meghan explained, members of every generation have adapted to smartphone technology. Generation Z is the first generation to have never seen life before the internet, it’s true, but the evidence shows that they aren’t significantly more attached to their phones than other age groups.
Generation Z can also be seen as flighty, ready to leave their employer for another job opportunity at any moment. However, Corey and Meghan’s research shows that Generation Z will happily stay with an employer, provided their needs and expectations are being met. Many members of Generation Z value transparency and honesty from their employers, and they want to feel satisfaction in their work.
Addressing the Needs and Expectations of Generation Z in the Workplace Many members of Generation Z value diversity, equity and inclusion, and they are adept at detecting inauthentic action. If a DEI practitioner truly wants to engage with Generation Z employees, it is important to be authentic about your work. If a business says they value diversity and inclusion but their senior staff is made up exclusively of straight, white, cisgender men, their DEI messaging might very well appear inauthentic.
As another example, if a business changes to a rainbow logo for LGBTQ+ Pride month in June but then does nothing to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and employees within the organization who identify in that community, Generation Z employees may call attention to this lack of alignment between stated DEI messaging and an organization’s visible actions.
If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Corey Seemiller and Dr. Meghan Grace and their extraordinary work, please visit their websites at www.coreyseemiller.com and www.meghanmgrace.com. I also encourage you to check out their book Generation Z: A Century in the Making.
About Dr. Corey Seemiller Dr. Corey Seemiller is a faculty member in the Department of Leadership Studies in Education and Organizations at Wright State University, teaching undergraduate courses in organizational leadership as well as graduate courses in leadership development and student affairs and higher education. She is the author of The Student Leadership Competencies Guidebook and associated tools and assessments to help educators develop intentional curriculum that enhances leadership competency development. She has served as an issue editor for New Directions for Student Leadership, the co-chair for the National Leadership Symposium and the Leadership Education Academy, and an associate editor of the Journal of Leadership Studies.
Dr. Seemiller also has a deep understanding of today’s young adults. She is the co-author of several articles as well as four books on Generation Z (born 1995-2010) including Generation Z: A Century in the Making, Generation Z Goes to College, Generation Z Leads, and Generation Z Learns. She also co-authored the Gen Z Voices on Voting research report. Her highly popular TED Talk on Generation Z at TEDxDayton showcased how Generation Z is making a difference in the world. Her work has been featured on NPR and in The New York Times as well as in several other news publications and academic journals. She has also been interviewed for podcasts as well as TV and radio shows worldwide.
About Dr. Meghan Grace Meghan Grace is a generational researcher, author, speaker, consultant, and podcast host. She began her journey as a generational researcher in 2014, when she and her research partner, Dr. Corey Seemiller started to notice differences in the college students they worked with on campus and wanted to better understand their perspectives, values, and behaviors. In 2014, they launched their first independent study on Generation Z, which has since led to two more independent studies, two books, and two guidebooks about Generation Z. Meghan also serves as a consultant with Plaid, LLC., an organizational development firm, where she specializes in research and assessment, curriculum and program development, and strategic projects.
Resources: * Generation Z: A Century in the Making by Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace: https://amzn.to/2SUtPYx
How to Connect with Dr. Corey Seemiller: * Website: www.thegenzhub.com * Website: www.coreyseemiller.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/seemiller/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/coreyseemiller/ * Twitter: @CoreySeemiller * Twitter: @thegenzhub
How to Connect with Dr. Meghan Grace: * Website: www.meghanmgrace.com * Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/meghanmgrace/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/meghanmgrace * Twitter: @MeghanMGrace
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why the way in which leaders engage with emotions at work matters, and why a lack of emotional support can be damaging * Why emotional support in the workplace is key to allowing team members to feel engaged and valued * Why too few business leaders see feeling involved in emotions at work as part of their leadership role * How research by Alisa Yu and Justin Berg at Stanford and Julian Zlatev at Harvard Business School shows that people need emotional support and acknowledgment * How the research shows that emotional acknowledgment is vital, and what important results the researchers discovered that business leaders can learn from * Why incurring the “risk” of acknowledging employees’ emotions out loud builds a strong sense of trust and can help leaders strengthen their leadership * Why asking “how are you feeling?”, especially in the case of negative emotions, is crucial for building that trust
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
Resources: * Read Emotional Acknowledgment: How Verbalizing Others’ Emotions Fosters Interpersonal Trust by Alisa Yu, Justin M. Berg, and Julian Zlatev
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * How Frank Slootman, CEO of Snowflake, recently told Bloomberg that the company’s focus should be on “merit” rather than achieving diversity goals * How the scientific data shows us that an organization that has a diverse workforce paired with greater cultural competence performs better than their peers * Why the statement that the focus should be on “merit” over “diversity goals” is implicitly saying that white men are more capable than women and ethnic minorities * Sara defines the term “meritocracy” and explains why the meritocracy fallacy doesn’t stand up to logical scrutiny * How only 1% of Fortune 500 CEOs are Black/African American, demonstrating that white CEOs are overrepresented in the Fortune 500 * Why the meritocracy fallacy is based on false assumptions and ignores systemic and individual biases employees face * Sara highlights key studies that demonstrate the very real problem of unconscious racial and gender biases in the hiring process * How a study proved that white men with criminal records were more likely to be hired than Black men without criminal records * Why the belief that you have to sacrifice merit to pursue diversity in the workplace is itself based on biases
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
Resources: * Read Frank Slootman’s Interview with Bloomberg: https://bloom.bg/3gMtoHk
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why managers can’t effectively set their employees up for success if they can’t recognize inequity in the workplace * Sara shares a story of a rockstar physical therapist who had to do lots of extra, unnecessary work because his manager wasn’t setting him up for success * Why one theme that always comes up in workplace focus groups with employees from non-dominant groups is that they have to work much harder for less recognition * Why managers or supervisors who can’t see the presence or impact of inequity in the workplace can’t set their employees up to succeed * Why self-awareness of your own cultural competence development is the first step in making positive change * Why you should acknowledge employees’ additional burden and then ask how you can help ease that burden, and why you must be prepared to listen to the hard truths
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why it is important to reflect on how DEI work has evolved in the workplace, from when intentional DEI work began to the present * Why the intentionality to seek greater Diversity within the workforce is a more recent phenomenon, beginning with Affirmative Action * How DEI work began with a focus on Diversity and equality primarily in recruitment, and how inclusion was added around 25 years ago * How Equity is the most recent aspect of DEI work, and how it focuses on going beyond the concept of “equality” to achieve true parity * Why it is important to identify the systems of bias and our individual biases within our organizations to progress toward parity * Why developing our cultural competence is the starting point for DEI work, so that we can begin to recognize biases and inequities in our organizations for what they are
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why many, many times over the years of her work, Sara has been asked for a “list”: an instruction list of what to do and what to say in given situations * How this desire for a “list” can be likened to a “fast food drive-thru” approach to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues, attempting to shortcut the real equity work * Why there is no magic list that offers a shortcut, and why ongoing development, recognizing issues and addressing them with new policies and processes is unavoidable * Why this desire for a list does come from the positive intent of wanting to not offend or cause issues, but why it also trivializes real equity work and its complexities * Why doing the hard, intentional development work and understanding the unconscious lenses through which we see difference is vital for lasting change * Why a lack of time and fear or uncertainty about the unknown are the two driving forces behind the desire for a magic list
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * How we are genetically programmed to deal with danger situations through the “fight, flight or freeze” response * How marginalization in the workplace and minimization of differences cause people to often respond through the same survival mechanism * Sara shares her personal experience of minimization and marginalization in the workplace when she was a young woman on a team of otherwise older men * How another way people respond is through the “fight” response by pushing back against minimization and loudly calling out the things that make them different * How there is often an undiscussed fourth response, “fawn”, where people seek the approval of those who are minimizing them * How all four of the responses (fight, flight, freeze and fawn) are natural reactions for someone who is marginalized in an environment of minimization * Why feeling marginalized, overlooked, excluded and having your differences minimized makes it that much harder to contribute or to do your best work * Why too often, the response to someone reacting with fight, flight, freeze or fawn is to blame the victim rather than recognizing that their responses are natural * Why these responses are also the typical responses to trauma, and why a minimization culture dramatically impacts an organization’s bottom line
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What Has Changed Since George Floyd: The New Landscape of DEI Work What You Will Learn: * What has changed since George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police a year ago, and the global protests his killing sparked * Dawn shares her thoughts on DEI practice today and on our society’s evolving views of equity and diversity * Why it is crucial to remember that Diversity is not new, and how the murder of George Floyd opened people’s eyes to the reality that has been with us all along * How in some regards we’ve slid backwards in our collective cultural competence, and why some people now feel free to voice racist opinions openly * How Diversity’s slow slide towards being a “political” topic has created an additional challenge for DEI practitioners * Why more businesses are making public statements after race-based violent events take place, and why they are sometimes getting pushback from employees * How DEI work has evolved since the 1980s and 1990s and moved beyond just training to more organizational and strategic efforts, and what work still needs to be done * Why “training” isn’t the quick fix for racial equity in the workplace, and what positives Dawn recognizes in our progress * Why Dawn is happy to see that we’re still having conversations around these subjects and providing a framework for new DEI practitioners to build on * Why Dawn suggests new practitioners focus on understanding where your organization is, where they want to go, and what challenges they face
What Has Changed Since George Floyd It has been nearly a year since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. In that time, so much has changed in the collective awareness of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But as the expression goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
In some regards, the national and global conversation about racial equity sparked by George Floyd’s murder has opened society’s eyes to the pervasive inequities that were here all along. But in other ways, it feels like we’re sliding backwards into further divisiveness and race-based hostility, as though people with racist views and opinions feel empowered to air those views openly.
So what has changed since George Floyd was killed, and since the video of his murder forced us to have a global conversation about systemic racism and police violence against unarmed Black people? How has DEI work changed in the last year, and what work do we still need to do?
Pushing Forward and Sliding Backward To answer these questions, I invited Dawn Cooper to join me on this week’s episode of the What’s The Difference podcast. Dawn is a Diversity and Inclusion practitioner with an extensive and extraordinary depth of experience, consulting for some of the biggest brands in the world, from American Express to Amoco.
During our conversation, we discussed how things have changed in the last year, both in positive ways and in negative ones. Somehow, the concept of Diversity has become a “political” topic, and some organizations who have voiced support for a more diverse, equitable and inclusive society have received resistance for “pushing a political agenda”.
This politicization of DEI work has created yet another obstacle for practitioners to have to overcome, and the reality can feel overwhelming and progress can feel nearly impossible. However, new data, new methods and a new understanding of the challenges we face mean that we can make progress. It’s important to remember that, as Dawn said in our conversation, Diversity isn’t a new concept, and the last year has only illuminated issues that have been a part of our world all along.
One key piece of advice Dawn shared for anyone new to DEI work, especially if you’re entering the field in today’s complicated environment, is to focus on understanding where your organization is now, what goals your organization has for the future, and what challenges your organization faces in achieving those goals. Doing so will offer you a road map for the work you must do, and that can be invaluable in helping you navigate the complexities.
If you would like to connect with the extraordinary Dawn Cooper, you can reach out to her on LinkedIn.
About Dawn Cooper Dawn Cooper, MA is Principal of DMC Consulting Services and a seasoned Diversity and Inclusion professional who provides strategic and tactical direction, consultative support and training to clients looking to implement change, manage conflict, and improve organizational effectiveness. She also consults to organizations on ways to leverage diversity and build inclusion as an organizational imperative. She specializes in cross-cultural communications, program development including initiating diversity councils/ committees, developing and facilitating training programs, retreat facilitation, program evaluation, leadership development and executive coaching. She has served in diversity leadership positions at The Arc of the United States in Washington, DC; Erickson Living in Baltimore, MD; InterAction in Washington, DC; Freddie Mac in McLean, Virginia; Amoco in Chicago, Illinois; and American Express in New York, New York.
Dawn specializes in developing strategic diversity plans and has worked with organizations to create action items and deliver measurable results. She developed the 5-year diversity strategic action plan for The Arc and implemented a Diversity Annual Report for monitoring progress.
As an independent consultant, Dawn has taught courses in Diversity Certification programs at Cornell, Georgetown and most recently at Thomas Jefferson University including: Facilitating Strategic Diversity Planning and Goal Setting, Diversity Strategy and Leadership, Fundamentals of Conducting a Diversity Assessment, Introduction to Diversity as Organizational Change, Strategic Approach to Diversity Councils and Measurement and Evaluation.
Dawn has a M.A. in I/O Psychology from New York University and a B.S.in Psychology from
Howard University. She is based in Washington, DC.
How to Connect with Dawn Cooper: * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dawncooperhr/ * Twitter: @dmedinacooper
What You Will Learn: * How our unconscious minds work, and how thoughts begin in the unconscious mind before being passed to conscious awareness * How the brain processes 11 million separate pieces of information in one second, and how 10,999,960 of those pieces of information are never passed to the conscious mind * Why the unconscious mind is prone to making the assumption that our own personal experience is actually a universal experience * How our lives are highly segregated, with people in the US averaging only one person in their circle of friends from a different racial group * Sara shares a story of an encounter she had while playing tennis with her Black/Latino husband and her young daughter * Sara shares a different story of how her son was stopped and interrogated by police multiple times a week in their neighborhood * How the difference in experience shows up in the workplace, and how marginalized groups have a very different work experience from dominant groups * How asking yourself “can I consider the possibility?” consciously tests your unconscious mind and helps you recognize that others have different experiences * How Black and Brown people statistically have a very different experience interacting with police, even when they have committed an identical crime to White people * Why the next step is to ask yourself the question “what would it mean if it were true?”, and how that can lead to greater understanding
Universal Experience Did you know that your mind processes eleven million separate pieces of information per second? That number is astonishing and hard to believe, right? That’s because 10,999,960 of those pieces of information are processed within your subconscious mind and never rise to the level of conscious thought.
Why does this statistic matter? It’s because our minds naturally gravitate towards believing that our own personal experiences are actually universal experiences; that our path through life is shared by everyone else. The reality is very different, however, and we must learn to consciously be aware that universal experience isn’t an accurate way to view the world.
At one year out from the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, Black and Brown people are still being murdered by police. Why isn’t there greater outrage, specifically from White people? It’s exactly because of the tendency to believe that our experiences are universal. “I’ve never had a problem interacting with police” can quickly become “therefore other people don’t either or the situation is overblown.”
How do we press back against our tendency to believe in the universal experience?
Asking the Right Questions When I am working with people to help them understand that our experiences aren’t necessarily universal, I challenge them to ask themselves a very important five-word question: “Can I consider the possibility?” Can they consider the possibility that Black and Brown people have a very different experience in life in this country than White people? Can they consider the possibility that the statistics are true and that their own personal experiences don’t reflect the experience others have?
When you ask this question, you are challenging your subconscious thoughts by bringing them forward into your conscious mind. You are considering the possibility that injustices and disparities do exist, even if you have never personally experienced them.
The next question to ask is: “What would it mean if it were true?” By asking this follow-up question, you are telling your mind to extrapolate from the basic premise that our experiences aren’t actually universal. “What would it mean if it were true that a person from a different racial group was having a very different experience in my workplace than I am?” How would that impact their ability to feel safe at work? How would that impact their feeling that their work is valued, respected, and recognized for what it is?
The universal experience is a fiction our subconscious minds prefer, because it fits with our past experiences and reassures us that the world is as we see it and believe it to be. By questioning our subconscious beliefs and challenging them with conscious thought, we can open our minds to the “differences that make a difference”, and that’s the first step to real change and progress.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara * YouTube video from the show “What Would You Do? with John Quinones” that shows an example of very different experiences
What You Will Learn: * How Polarization is the us/them stage of development, and why it often leads to defending the indefensible and hurtful actions of others * Why Minimization sweeps differences under the rug, and why the language of minimization is a key component in defending the indefensible * How the tragedy at the Unite the Right rally and counterprotest in Charlottesville is an example of defending the indefensible * How the then-President of the United States used Minimization language by saying that there were “very fine people on both sides” * How the Catholic church’s sexual abuse scandal led to Minimization statements defending the abusing priests * How Minimization language continues to be used to defend the police murders of Black and Brown people * Why we must recognize where the defense of indefensible actions comes from and address the root cause if we hope to move beyond Minimization
Defending the Indefensible When terrible events like the murder of peaceful protester Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017 happen, we often hear people defending the indefensible actions that created those events. In this case, then-President Donald Trump famously claimed that there were “very fine people on both sides” between the protesters and counter-protesters.
What is the justification and rationale behind defending the indefensible? Where does this mindset come from? To answer this question, we must look to the five stages of cultural competence for answers.
As we’ve discussed before, these stages in order are:
- Denial
- Polarization
- Minimization
- Acceptance
- Adaptation
Defending the indefensible begins in the Polarization stage, the “us versus them” stage of development in which we focus solely on the differences. However, defending the indefensible uses language from the Minimization stage, in which we ignore or refuse to recognize difference and instead draw similarities that may not exist.
This Minimization language can be found in former President Trump’s response to the terror attack in Charlottesville. “There are very fine people on both sides” seeks to minimize the differences between the groups of protesters and counterprotesters and equate one group with the other, despite the many differences in behavior and mindset that existed between the two groups.
So how do we respond when others use Minimization language to defend actions that by all rights are indefensible? Acceptance, the fourth stage of cultural competence, does not mean that we must accept the defensive statements at face value. Rather, we must work to look beyond the words and understand and address the root causes that lead people to defend these actions. We must work to move beyond Minimization into the more effective stage of Acceptance.
Unfortunately, attacks like the police murder of Black and Brown people continue to occur. And when they do, people will continue to use the language of Minimization to defend the indefensible. We must pay attention and recognize this when it happens if we hope to achieve a greater level of cultural competence in our society.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why it is as important as ever to continue making the case for DEI in the workplace in today’s competitive environment * How DEI work directly connects to business results, and how to use this information in your case for DEI work * Why more racially diverse companies and teams tend to outperform companies that are more racially homogenous * Why gender diversity in a company’s leadership team has a direct result in the value of the organization * Why the increasing diversity of the labor pool highlights a growing need for a work environment that attracts that diverse talent * Why it is important to tie your case to actual data from your own organization and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (or lack thereof) * Why DEI work has an impact on talent retention and can help you dramatically lower your turnover and its associated costs * Why cultural competence has a powerful and positive impact on an organization’s bottom line, and why developing your organization’s cultural competence offers a competitive advantage * Why cultural competence is a vital skill that can help you in many common business scenarios and challenges
Making the Case for DEI It can sometimes feel overwhelming when making the case for DEI in the workplace. It can feel a bit like swimming upstream, especially if your organization doesn’t truly understand the benefits they could be reaping from a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment…or the price they’re paying for not putting in the effort to create one.
However, it has never been more important to keep making the case for DEI than it is today. The labor pool is growing increasingly diverse, and creating a work environment that attracts that diverse talent is a crucial competitive advantage.
Why DEI Work Matters to Your Bottom Line It isn’t just about the moral benefits of a healthier and more equitable organizational culture, though that is a powerful positive side to DEI work. It’s also about the direct productivity and financial benefits of doing the work. A frequently-cited McKinzie & Company study found that the top 25% of racially and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to outperform the median. On the flip side, the least diverse companies tend to lag behind their competition. Likewise, those in the top 25% of gender diverse companies were 15% more likely to outperform the median on financial returns.
The effect is just as impressive when we’re looking at the diversity of leadership teams. Research from the University of Maryland found that gender diversity in business leadership correlated with a staggering $42 million increase in the value of S&P 500 firms. In his book The Diversity Bonus, Princeton University researcher Scott Page found that diversity in organizational leadership teams enhances problem-solving due to a greater variety of perspectives. The Harvard Business Review published a report showing that homogeneity stifles innovation.
With so much published research demonstrating the profound impact of Diversity on an organization’s success at all levels, making the case for DEI in the workplace is vital for giving your organization these powerful competitive advantages. The data proves beyond a doubt that the “do-nothing” strategy has a real, tangible cost on your organization’s effectiveness, profitability, and overall success.
Where to Start in Making the Case for DEI It can feel like a daunting task, but making the case can be made easier by connecting it to your organization’s real data and to the impact DEI work can directly make on the business needs of your company. You need to understand where your organization is now, so that you know what areas need to be worked on and what positive benefits you’ll be able to achieve going forward.
It all starts with data as a foundation you can build upon. Getting buy-in from your organization’s leadership team can be made much easier if you can show exactly how DEI work stands to strengthen your organization, even beyond the moral case for a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive workplace. The effort is certain to pay off in the end.
At deepSEE Consulting, we offer a number of resources you may find helpful as you collect and collate your data. Please feel free to visit our website and explore the many tools found in our resource library at www.deepseeconsulting.com/resources.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What You Will Learn: * Why mental health in the workplace during Covid-19 is changing, and how this is impacting individuals and teams * Why the mental health impact of the pandemic is having an outsized impact on women and BIPOC, amplified by systemic disparities * How the CDC released a report in early April about the impact the pandemic is having on mental health, and what crucial information that report contains * How the layers of traumas we are all experiencing in trying to adapt to the realities of the pandemic are making it more difficult to navigate through our normal work life * How all of the various changes in our lives are feeding each other, and why marginalized people especially feel these changes * How 42% of Black, 27% of Asian, and 22% of Latinx and 19% of multiracial people have experienced an increase in race-based hostility, compared with 1% of White people * How 40% of women and nonbinary people and 42% of transgender people have experienced gender-based harassment compared to only 2% of men * Why more than 1/3 of respondents said that they don’t trust their employer to react fairly to harassment situations * How you can help within your organization, and what strategies you can follow to make your workplace more safe and supportive for the mental health of team members * Why intentionality and accountability are vital ingredients to creating positive, lasting, systemic change in your organization
Mental Health in the Workplace During Covid-19 At the beginning of April, the Centers for Disease Control released a report on the impact the global pandemic has had on mental health in America, and the results probably won’t surprise you. Overall mental health is on the decline, and many people are struggling to access mental healthcare due to economic disparities, lockdowns and many other factors.
Just as in the population at large, mental health in the workplace during Covid-19 is also displaying many troubling warning signs. Isolation and work/life balance struggles due to working from home, increase in anxiety and depression, and a lack of support systems are all factors.
It probably also won’t surprise you to learn that people within marginalized communities are experiencing an outsized impact on mental health in the workplace during Covid-19, because disparities within our systems have an amplifying effect. While 1% of White people have reported an increase in race-based hostility during the pandemic, a staggering 40% of Black people have reported the same. For people of Asian ethnicity, that number is 27%. 22% of people in the Latinx community reported an increase in hostility, and 19% of multiethnic and multiracial people reported an increase.
Gender-based harassment is also on the rise during the pandemic. 2% of men reported an increase of harassment based on gender, but 40% of women and nonbinary people and 42% of transgender people experienced harassment during the same period.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that there are steps you can take in your workplace to make your organization more safe and more supportive for team members who are dealing with mental health challenges, now and in the future.
What Can Be Done to Support Mental Health in the Workplace During Covid-19 Here are the steps you can take to foster a work environment that can better meet the mental health needs of your team members:
- Acknowledge your team’s experiences and the ongoing impact of mental health in the workplace during Covid-19.
- Identify existing resources in your organization that can help, and look for opportunities to create new ones.
- Seek organizational policy flexibility that gives team members the freedom to take time away as necessary.
- Ensure that staff know who they can go to internally in your organization if they need help and support.
- Get comfortable talking about mental health and talking about how people from different groups are impacted differently.
- Take your DEI work seriously, make it a priority, and treat the work with intentionality and strategic thinking.
By following these steps, you can have a massive impact on your workplace and on creating an environment where employees feel safe to voice their concerns, talk about their mental health needs, and seek the support they need.
If you’d like to learn more, please explore www.deepseeconsulting.com/resources where you’ll find more tools, resources and information that can help you create lasting transformation within your organization.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why adapting and responding to others’ filters is one way to communicate and interact across the stages of development * Why responding to stage-appropriate development is crucial, and why leading up in cultural competence is important for communicating effectively across stages * Sara cites an example of Polarization and offers how to communicate with someone in Polarization by focusing on commonalities * Why it is important to use the developmental strategy for each stage to move conversations into a more effective place * How to use the developmental strategy for minimization, by “seeing self” and understanding your own filters without judgment * Why it is important to avoid moving into the Polarization stage along with the person you’re interacting with, and how you can move the conversation beyond Minimization * Why it is important to be patient and understanding toward people who are operating from lower stages of development * Sara shares an analogy of a teacher working with a student struggling with fundamental skills and explains how this relates to communicating across stages of development
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why people often struggle with talking about minimization and addressing Diversity and Inclusion issues with leaders they report to in their organizations * What the “situational leadership” model is, and how it specifically addresses “skill and will” in any given situation * Why high will, low skill leaders are often clueless to the fact that they are lacking in particular cultural competency skills, and why telling them what they aren’t seeing is usually counterproductive * Why keeping a high will, low skill person’s will at its high level while gently guiding them to the skills they need to develop is crucial * Sara offers an example of a high will, low skill situation with her daughter when she was very young and how Sara guided her to find her own solutions * Why “leading up” in the workplace means helping leaders above you in an organization discover and see things you can see and they can’t
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- What is dominant culture (and what isn’t), and how being a part of the dominant culture can sometimes cause you to be blind to other perspectives
- Why everyone else is forced to adjust to the dominant culture, and how multicultural people sometimes struggle to identify with all parts of themselves
- Why cultural engagement offers a sense of belonging, and why cultural disengagement makes it more difficult to navigate difference
- Sara offers examples of people straddling multiple cultures and how they navigate within them, as well as examples of frames vs. filters
- How identification and engagement are the keys to recognizing and navigating your own culture, and why it is important to recognize your advantages
Resources: * Free Activity to Resolve Cultural Disengagement
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Why the first step in developing cultural competence is to “see self”, the secret to more effectively understand yourself and understand others
- Sara offers a simple exercise that can help you better define and understand your culture, and she explains how uses this question in training to create an eye-opening experience
- Why it is important to differentiate your cultural descriptors by whether they are frames or filters, and how frames and filters differ
- Sara defines her personal frames, such as being White, cisgender, and female, and her filters, such as being extroverted, competitive, and a woman small business owner
- Why identifying your filters is critical in seeing yourself and understanding how you relate to the world and the people around you
- Why paying attention to your interactions throughout your day can help you see how your filters often make your decisions for you
- Why it is so important to understand your own culture and see yourself, and how this can help you better understand others when you first understand yourself
What is Your Culture? Understand Yourself and Understand Others What is your culture? It’s a deceptively simple question…but the answers you arrive at can help you understand yourself and understand others in a more personal way. Take a moment to think about it and list as many identifying factors about your culture as you can.
Now, let’s talk about the difference between frames and filters. Frames are descriptors about you, immutable facts such as your ethnicity, your age, your gender and your sexual orientation. Filters, however, are the ways you interact with the world, such as being highly focused, introverted or patient.
Your frames are defined traits, but your filters are subconscious tools you use to make decisions. It’s within these subconscious filters that you can get to the heart of how you interact with difference. These filters inform many of the choices and decisions you make, and truly “seeing” yourself and your filters clearly can enable you to understand yourself and understand others better.
How You Show Up in the World We often allow our subconscious minds to make quick decisions for us; it’s a natural process and one that generally happens in the background without our active mental input. However, developing cultural competence requires us to take a look at these filters on a conscious level.
When you understand the filters through which you interact with the world, you can begin to consciously change your filters to better suit your interactions. This can be transformative, and it’s the key to improving your skill in cultural competence.
Understand Yourself and Understand Others In this week’s episode of the What’s The Difference podcast, I gave an example of trying to teach fish about land and air. Fish only have experience with water, and so teaching them about land and air would mean first teaching them about their own environment so that they can identify and recognize how land and air differ from their experiences in water.
There are parallels between teaching fish about land and air and recognizing and learning about difference in people and in cultures. For us to understand someone else’s very different experiences in life, we must first create a reference point by understanding ourselves. Then we can begin to see and acknowledge the difference.
Here’s an exercise to try: in the coming week, really begin to pay attention to your filters and how they inform your interactions and choices. Observe yourself and your moment-to-moment thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and try to recognize when your filters come into play. In doing so, you may begin to recognize patterns in yourself that can truly help you understand yourself and understand others on a more effective level.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- What patterns and challenges people often struggle with when developing their cultural competence, and why the sense of “having to give up” is a common obstacle
- Sara gives a hypothetical example to illustrate the importance of how you deliver a message to get your intent across effectively
- Why shifting our filters isn’t about giving anything up but instead can be a powerful way to “add on” in our messaging
- Why Black women are often given the message that to be “professional” or “promotable”, they must have the “right” hair
- Why we don’t have to abandon our preferences but instead shift how we see and understand those preferences
- Why people often retreat to their “favorite tools” if they’re in a lower stage of effectiveness, and how moving out of our automatic responses gives us more effective tools
- Why pushback from the perspective of the dominant culture often comes from fear of losing out, whereas from a nondominant culture it comes from frustration
- Why we must first recognize and acknowledge the frustration someone from a nondominant culture may feel
- Why shifting our filters allows us to be more effective in navigating difference, and why being intentional isn’t about losing something but about gaining
Giving Up or Adding On: The Benefits of Cultural Competence One of the most common forms of pushback against DEI work is that people often feel like they’re being forced to “give up” something…often something they consider to be a key part of their identity.
However, one of the benefits of cultural competence — the ability to navigate the differences that make a difference — is that it gives you new tools to be able to use rather than taking anything away from you.
As I explain during this week’s solocast episode of What’s The Difference podcast, it’s like a mechanic having a favorite tool, a wrench for example. Adding more tools to the mechanic’s toolbox doesn’t mean they can’t still use that trusty wrench…but that wrench may not be the right tool for every situation. Cultural competence gives you more options, more tools to use so that you can choose the one that fits the situation. It doesn’t strip anything away from you. That favorite wrench is still there, waiting for the moment when it’s the right tool for the job.
The Benefits of Cultural Competence in Effective Communication Communicating effectively often requires tailoring your messaging to your audience. You probably wouldn’t communicate with a teenager in the same way you would communicate with your grandparents, for example. Cultural competence allows you to more effectively communicate across differences by adding new tools and filters you can use to better understand a situation.
Again, this is additive, not subtractive. You don’t have to give anything up to add new communication skills. Your existing skills are still there, you are just adding another layer of depth to them.
So often, the pushback we as DEI practitioners see from the perspective of someone in the dominant culture is coming from a place of fear. The unknown can be scary — but that’s precisely why developing your cultural competence can be so powerful. It can help you tackle unfamiliar situations more effectively. The work is hard, but it is always worth it.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the New York Post recently featured an article titled “(company) slammed for diversity training that urged workers to be ‘less white'” * Why “White” is a frame but “whiteness” is a filter, and why the first can’t be changed but the second can * How our dominant culture is White, cisgender, straight, able-bodied, and male, and why it is vital to recognize the difference between the frame of White and filter of whiteness * Why it is important to approach, think about and discuss the topic of White vs. whiteness from the later stages of cultural competence development * Why clarity, not judgment, is the key to better understanding the role of race in our individual interactions and our organizational structures and systems
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Why organizations do more and more DEI work but seem to make no real progress, because they focus on Minimizing the differences instead of maximizing them! focused on Minimization
- How to determine if your organization is operating from Minimization, and what impact this can have on your workplace and your team
- Why being in Minimization will predictably bring lukewarm compliance and wasted resources without getting results.
- How to do DEI work with intense and effective commitment Why Minimization means being unable to differentiate the “differences that make a difference” when you need to be able to differentiate
- Why the Minimization stage can be a difficult barrier to hiring, retaining and promoting diverse talent
- How the inability to differentiate can also be costly in your market and within your relationship to existing and potential customers or clients
- Why cultural competence is shown to be a key separator between the lowest performing and highest performing teams
DEI Work and the Minimization Barrier If you’ve been following the What’s The Difference podcast for a while, you know that there are five stages of cultural competence that individuals and organizations move through as they learn to navigate what makes us all different from each other. Today, I want to talk to you about the third stage, Minimization, and its impact on your organization’s DEI work. Minimization is the stage that the vast majority of organizations and individuals find themselves operating from. The big problem here is that the first three stages (denial, polarization, and Minimization) are the ineffective stages, and it isn’t until the fourth stage where we can recognize and accept our differences that we are able to successfully navigate across differences and create a truly diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.
So what exactly is Minimization? This is the stage in which we focus on “equality” by attempting to treat everyone as “fairly” as possible…without taking into account the differences that make a difference. It’s about setting the finish line for the marathon at the same place for everyone, without taking into account how close or far away everyone is starting the race. Minimization attempts to treat everyone equally and turn a blind eye to their differences, without recognizing that sometimes they really are “differences that make a difference”.
This is why many organizations who have the best of intentions spend time, money, and resources on DEI work without actually moving the needle, and the Minimization barrier can be a difficult one to cross if you aren’t able to see and recognize the differences that make a difference.
DEI Work that Moves the Needle So what can be done to ensure that the DEI work you’re doing gets traction and makes a difference? First, you need to identify where your organization is within the hierarchy of cultural competence. Look at your leadership team, at the managers within your organization. Are you hiring, retaining, and promoting diverse talent? If your leadership team doesn’t reflect the organization as a whole, this is a strong indicator that you’re in the Minimization stage.
The next step is to begin doing the difficult, important development work to help you move out of Minimization and into the fourth stage, acceptance. This requires a strong buy-in from your entire organization and an ongoing commitment to development, individually and collectively.
Why Does it Matter? According to the findings of researchers Martha Maznevski and Joseph Distefano, diverse teams that lack cultural competence are among the lowest-performing teams. The good news is that teams that are both diverse and culturally competent are some of the highest-performing teams. Cultural competence makes a dramatic difference in a team’s ability to work together and operate at the highest levels. So, while the necessary development work can be difficult, the results speak for themselves.
Research shows that cultural competence results in greater diversity and higher levels of engagement and inclusion. DEI work is vitally important, but before it can make an impact we must move our organizations out of the first three stages of cultural competence and into the higher fourth and fifth stages, acceptance and adaptation. Only then can we begin to gain traction and move the needle forward.
About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
How to Connect with Sara Taylor:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Verona Mitchell (she, her, hers) is a certified intercultural development & diversity executive coach and global leader aligning DEI performance with personal, business goals and strategies. Her strengths are DEI management, leadership and intercultural development for both personal, groups and teams. Verona aids business in discovering the beauty and value of intercultural experiences and diversity as a part of their return on their human investment (ROHI). That’s Verona’s term, ROHI.
In 2003, 2005 and 2017, she delivered groundbreaking research on cultural frameworks to communication at the Worldwide Conferences on Culture and Education at John Cabot University and George Washington University, both in Rome, Italy. She holds both a B.A. and M.A. in Organizational Leadership and has credit towards a Phd. in Public Policy Administration with specialization in International Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). Verona is a certified intercultural development & diversity executive and a global leadership professional who has dedicated her career to aligning DEI performance with personal and business goals and strategy. She yields from New Orleans, Louisiana and resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Verona’s career path led her to doing diversity, equity and inclusion work, and how that work naturally aligns with her interest in understanding people
- How the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police has created a sea change in global DEI work and shined a light on the level of inequities we face in society today
- How businesses, organizations and individuals are struggling to deal with the reality of the racial inequities that led to George Floyd’s murder
- How increased awareness of racial inequity has started a difficult but important conversation in many organizations, and how DEI work needs to adapt
- How DEI practitioners have a unique opportunity to help organizations make positive changes in their workplaces
- What new trends have developed since the murder of George Floyd in the DEI space, and how individuals are increasingly feeling empowered to speak out
- Why authenticity and telling stories is crucial to effectively deliver the diversity, equity and inclusion message
- What advice Verona would share with new DEI practitioners just entering the field and uncertain how to start the necessary work
Additional resources:
- Website: https://cultivesimpact.com/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/veronamitchell
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cultural-perspectives-consulting-&-associates-llc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cultivesimpact
- Twitter: @IMVERONA
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Why we typically pay attention to and notice another person’s visible actions and behaviors, rather than the thoughts that drive those actions
- How our unconscious filters are what drive our thoughts that lead to our actions, and why recognizing and paying attention to filters is the key to breaking the feedback loop
- Why, in any unpleasant interaction, it is important to stop and consciously consider the filter the other person is experiencing that started the interaction
- Why in the workplace we often focus on rewarding positive behaviors and reprimanding negative ones but don’t consider where those behaviors are coming from
- Why the conscious thought isn’t always a part of the process and is sometimes skipped when unconscious filter leads directly to action
- How we sometimes have well-worn “go to” filters that cause us to skip the conscious thought process and go straight from filter to action
- How repetitive experiences and interactions can form pathways that help us unconsciously make decisions
- Why the thought step, the one we often skip, is the important one that we need to expand on and spend more time in
- Why taking the time to think allows us the opportunity to decide whether there is a better response to the situation
- Why it is important to consider what advantages and disadvantages your filters may give you in your interactions with others
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 highlights deep racial inequities, especially when compared to the Black Lives Matter protests
- How the national outcry over the nonviolent protest of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other players further illustrates racial inequity compared to the storming of the Capitol
- How the treatment of the rioters at the Capitol demonstrates how the almost exclusively white crowd were treated very differently from protestors of color
- How the “blue lives matter” slogan was never really about law and order and was instead designed to depower the slogan “Black Lives Matter”
- Why most of the rioters who were arrested were middle or upper-middle class and weren’t acting out of economic anxiety but out of fear of losing their privileged status
- Why race and economic caste are inherently connected in the United States, and how caste plays a major role in racial inequity
- How many people who looked like the 9/11 terrorists experienced attacks based on appearance, and how the same hasn’t been true for people who look like the insurrectionists
- Why white people are typically viewed as individuals, and why people of color are often viewed as part of a group
- How to begin conversations in the workplace to begin addressing fear and moving out of polarization
Additional resources:
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson: https://amzn.to/35QPnsf
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Why we often feel discomfort discussing differences that make a difference, and why opening dialog is necessary even if it is uncomfortable
- How our subconscious minds take in 11 million pieces of information per second, but our conscious minds are only aware of 40 at most
- What “stereotype threat” is and how it causes us to second-guess our subconscious thoughts, and how it impacts our behaviors
- How our worries caused by stereotype threat cause us to act differently when navigating challenging situations
- How our concern about inadvertently stereotyping others can affect our interactions across differences
- How “racial anxiety” is a specific type of stereotype threat that happens when interacting across racial differences
- Sara provides examples of stereotype threat and racial anxiety from her own professional experiences
- What strategies we can employ to reduce racial anxiety, and why it is important to recognize and acknowledge it when it is happening
- Why more frequent exposure to people who are different from us can help alleviate stereotype threat and racial anxiety
- Why developing cultural competence can help improve our ability to interact with difference and reduce polarization
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Kjirsten Mickesh is Co-Founder and CEO of ConnectHuman. She has been a student of human and organizational behavior for over two decades, having led all aspects of Human Resources at global companies in multiple industries. Kjirsten is an ICF certified coach with specialized training in social and emotional intelligence.
Kjirsten is known for her courageous leadership and ability to address complex opportunities with focus and alignment to achieve differential results. Her approach to building relationships allows her to create boundaryless partnerships and collaboration.
In Kjirsten’s own words:
“I have experienced a life-long journey with anxiety AND have also experienced great success in life and work. But I traveled most of my journey alone because I was ashamed and afraid. It makes me sad to think about how alone and scared I often felt, and that I never asked the people in my life who loved me and were there to support me for help. But I can’t go back. So, as I look back, I choose to focus on the gifts I discovered in my fear and all that I have learned along the way. So many people suffer alone, and they don’t have to. Now I hope my story can inspire others to ask for the support they need or be the person others can come to for support.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Kjirsten has found a balance between her lifelong experiences of anxiety with her successful career
- How a fear of being seen as weak led Kjirsten to hiding her anxiety, from others and from herself
- How Kjirsten’s fear and anxiety impacted Kjirsten’s behaviors in her workplace, and how she realized her anxiety was affecting her work
- How giving herself permission to feel and to cry helped Kjirsten manage her feelings in a healthier way
- How the global pandemic, the election, the murder of George Floyd, and other societal issues have amplified our anxiety and depression
- Why the pandemic and social distancing is forcing many mental health facilities to close, causing even more strain on our support systems
- What steps we can take to improve our mental health fitness each day, and why self-awareness is key
- Why our feelings often come in layers, for example feeling anxiety on the surface but with a layer of fear underneath the anxiety
- Why being aware of mental health issues and creating a workplace space for employees to feel safe in expressing what they are feeling is critically important
- How to encourage team members to share their feelings, and how to be receptive and responsive to those feelings
Additional resources:
- Website: https://connecthuman.net/
- Website: https://connectionzoo.com/
- Blog: https://connecthuman.net/blog/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kjirstenmickesh/
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/connecthuman/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kjir @Kjir
In this unique episode of What’s The Difference, you’ll hear audio from Sara Taylor’s recent guest appearance on the Undeclared podcast. Undeclared is a higher education marketing podcast hosted by Allison Lanier and Scott Fogleman from Up&Up, a branding and marketing agency focused exclusively on the unique challenges and needs of colleges and universities.
Scott and Allison speak with Sara about the importance of diverse, equitable and inclusive marketing in the higher education space, and how it plays a key role in creating a welcoming and safe environment for students of all backgrounds.
Allison Lanier’s Bio:
As a Business Development Manager for Up&Up, Allison Lanier brings her experience in sales leadership and execution from past employers such as Verizon Wireless and PepsiCo. At Up&Up, she uses her passion for people to create a positive, effective, and rewarding campaign experience for the West Sales Region.
Allison is our resident mud lover and spends most of her free time at obstacle course races with her husband, David. They also enjoy various outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, geocaching, and Pokemon hunting.
Scott Fogleman’s Bio:
Scott Fogleman is The Director of Business Development for Up&Up and he brings together his passions for the creative world and the impact education has on students.
After graduating from Clemson University, he began his career in advertising sales at The Wall Street Journal, followed most recently by a successful sales career with SYNNEX Corporation managing the Google Brand inclusive of Chrome Education.
Scott’s passion for higher education began during his time with Clemson’s Undergraduate Student Government and as a member of the President’s Cabinet. At Up&Up, he leads the East Sales Region with a mission to impact change by bringing strong, positive, executable campaigns to his clients and their constituents.
Outside of work, Scott takes full advantage of the wonders of the outdoors ranging from hiking, water sports, snow skiing, photography, concerts, as well as lawn care (yes, he actually loves to cut grass)! Scott also enjoys spending time with his wife, Kate, their cat George, and friends and family.
Sara Taylor’s Bio:
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Why Sara and her team at deepSEE Consulting define diversity as “differences that make a difference”
- What unconscious bias is and how, of the millions of pieces of information we take in every second, we are only conscious of around 40 of them
- Why bias isn’t just about negative feelings toward marginalized groups but also includes positive feelings toward dominant groups
- What the five stages of cultural competence are and how each stage affects our ability to navigate difference
- How Sara helps people overcome feelings of self-consciousness over their unconscious biases and move forward
- How diversity can be included in marketing in an authentic and effective way, and what organizations should avoid doing
- Why diversity alone isn’t enough to improve productivity, and why a team’s cultural competence makes a big difference
- Why developing cultural competence is a process that starts with your own subconscious bias first
- How to best deal with situations in which people push back against diversity and inclusion work, and why commonality is the key
- Why equality isn’t the same as equity, and how doing the work can impact all aspects of an organization
Resources:
- Website: www.theundeclaredpodcast.com
- Website: www.upandup.agency
- Email: contact@upandup.agency
- Scott Fogleman’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/foglemanscott
- Allison Lanier’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/allison-lanier
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/upandupagency
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/upandupagency @upandupagency
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the individual traumas we experience differ from our collective, societal traumas such as the murder of George Floyd * How the murders of unarmed Black men by police officers have continued unabated, even since George Floyd’s murder * Why the staggering number of reported murders of unarmed Black men only speaks to part of the story and represents only part of the true tragedy * Why the desensitization of these tragic experiences causes us as a society to keep going under the status quo * Why organizations need to create resources to support people directly or indirectly affected by these societal traumas * Why it is important for diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners to take the time for self-care * Why Sara considers conducting focus groups to be the most draining and difficult part of her work in the DEI space * Why the number one challenge that marginalized people in organizations face is feeling the need to operate at 150% just to be perceived as working at 80% * How diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners are positioned to stop the downward spiral in organizations, but only if they take care of themselves
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why equality and equity are very different concepts, and why working toward equality rarely creates equal results * Why equality doesn’t take into account of individual bias, structural bias, systemic bias, and lack of cultural competence * How individual bias can begin to create patterns that impact different social groups in profound ways * How the two types of individual bias (stereotypical and preferential) are magnified when we come together in groups * How Sara believes structural bias and systemic bias differ, and how both are challenging to recognize * How systemic bias is impacting the world of education, and how the global pandemic is amplifying this bias and its impact on students and teachers * How systemic bias touches almost every aspect of our lives and our society, from economics to healthcare to criminal justice * How the five stages of cultural competence interact with the dynamic of equality versus equity * Why we only focus on equality within the first three stages of cultural competence, and why it is only in the last two stages that we can shift our focus to equity * Why we must begin recognizing and addressing disparities now, and how deepSEE Consulting’s Equity Framework can help
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Kristen Anderson is currently the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Barilla and has been a member of the D&I Board since its formation in 2013. Kristen reports to the CEO of Barilla and leads a 12-member D&I Board, comprised of internal members from eight key countries and two external advisors. Previously, Kristen was VP of R&D for the Asia, Africa and Australia region for Barilla, based in Singapore. She joined Barilla in 2010 as VP of Research, and she is now based at the Barilla Headquarters in Parma, Italy.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Kristen made the transition from working in research and development at Barilla to her role as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer * Why a strong commitment and engagement from leadership at Barilla is instrumental to the work Kristen does, and how D&I work at the global scale differs * How the individual circumstances of countries around the world drive the need to focus on different initiatives at the local level * What significant achievements, milestones and progress Kristen and her team have made, including how they were able to achieve gender pay equality * Why Kristen and her team have found strong backing data, a clearly defined process and intentionality crucial for their effort to close the gender pay gap * How Barilla partnered with Microsoft to develop an app to help team members manage their time working physically in the office and use of common spaces * How Italy-based Barilla has seen an influx of refugees and has created a refugee program to help refugees enter, integrate and train for new careers * How Barilla has worked closely with Italian government agencies and local organizations to help place refugees in jobs with the company * What important lessons Kristen has learned in her work in the diversity, equity and inclusion space, and what advice she has to share with other practitioners
Additional resources: * Website: www.barillagroup.com/en/diversity-inclusion * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-anderson-aaa44a8/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/barilla_group/ * Twitter: @barillagroup
Dwight Hamilton, J.D. is the Director of the Office of Equity and Access for the Adtalem Global Education Group. Prior to coming to Adtalem, Mr. Hamilton worked at Northwestern University as its Associate Vice President for Equity and Smith College as its Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity and was its first Chief Diversity Officer. After practicing law for fifteen years, Mr. Hamilton transitioned into higher education by working at Grand Valley State University as its Associate Vice President for Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Dwight’s background in legal practice transitioned into his career in diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education * How the Adtalem Global Education Group runs a number of educational institutions in the US and throughout the world * What impact Dwight recognizes from the global pandemic on diversity, equity and inclusion in the online education space * Why there are differences between diversity, equity and inclusion work within higher education versus in other settings, and how those differences impact the work itself * Why faculty play such a crucial role in creating an inclusive learning environment, and why there is an important power dynamic between tenured and non-tenured faculty * What Dwight believes the diversity, equity and inclusion field can do better, both within and outside higher education * Why a double standard exists where people sometimes look down on students getting in through Affirmative Action initiatives but not through being legacy students * Why “food, flags and festivals” are great for engagement but aren’t sufficient for creating meaningful change within an organization * Why greater diversity at higher education institutions benefits all students, and why the Supreme Court agrees that it is a compelling governmental interest * What advice Dwight would share with people who are just beginning to enter diversity, equity and inclusion work
Additional resources: * Website: www.adtalem.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dwight-hamilton-9571623/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/adtalemglobaleducation/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdtalemGlobalEducation * Twitter: @adtalemglobal
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the office of the President of the United States has issued an executive order banning diversity and inclusion training for all federal agencies and employees * How the census is predicting that the US will be a majority-minority country by the year 2044, and why diversity and inclusion training is more important than ever * How research shows that homogenous teams have mediocre performance, while diverse teams represent the lowest and highest performing teams * How cultural competence determines whether diverse teams are in the lowest or highest performing brackets, and why diversity and inclusion training is critical * Why polarization, the second stage of cultural competence, is based on fear and on a win/lose mentality * How a pair of segments on FOX News featuring Chrisotopher Rufo and his so-called “critical race theory research” led to this executive order from the President’s office * How Christopher Rufo stoked race-based fear and polarization with his segments, and why turning to solid research is vitally important to make fact-based policy decisions * How the research that Christopher Rufo cited is based on misconstrued information, and how the claims he made come from a place of polarization * Why the claims Rufo makes about diversity and inclusion training being unAmerican aren’t backed by facts or reality * Why viewing the world through a lens of polarization is a choice we make, and why moving beyond the polarization stage is also a choice we can make
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Andie Kramer is a partner at an international law firm. Alongside her demanding legal career, she has become a nationally known advocate for women’s advancement. Because mentorship opportunities for young executive and professional women are often limited, she co-founded the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance (WLMA) and has developed numerous women-specific leadership training programs.
Andie is the recipient of a long list of accolades and awards for both achievements in her legal career and her advocacy of women. Among her accolades is being named on National Law Review’s 50 most influential women lawyers in America for her “demonstrated power to change the legal landscape, shape public affairs, launch industries, and do big things.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the impact of the global pandemic has been different on women than they have been on men, and why women are shouldering a disproportionate amount of the burden * How working mothers with school age or younger children are struggling with a lack of support during social distancing from both their workplaces and their partners at home * Why women are paying a higher emotional tax during the pandemic due to increased bias and expectations on women * Why men need to accept increased personal accountability to pick up some of the slack, and why the bias that women should be doing the heavy lifting is magnifying the disparity * How the intersectionality of gender bias and racism is creating even greater challenges for women of color * Why white people need to make the effort to understand how much more difficult things are in the workplace and in our culture for people of color * How the present environment is creating a crucial turning point and the dual crises of the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd are magnifying the strain * What steps organizations can take and strategies they can use to help overcome gender and intersectionality bias * How forcing people to think more slowly as opposed to making knee-jerk reactions can help eliminate bias
Additional resources: * Breaking Through Bias 2nd Edition by Andie Kramer and Alton Harris: https://amzn.to/3b7vui5 * It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace by Andie Kramer and Alton Harris: https://amzn.to/2QUeAtD * Website: www.andieandal.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andiekramer/ * Twitter: @AndieandAl
Andie Kramer is a partner at an international law firm. Alongside her demanding legal career, she has become a nationally known advocate for women’s advancement. Because mentorship opportunities for young executive and professional women are often limited, she co-founded the Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Alliance (WLMA) and has developed numerous women-specific leadership training programs.
Andie is the recipient of a long list of accolades and awards for both achievements in her legal career and her advocacy of women. Among her accolades is being named on National Law Review’s 50 most influential women lawyers in America for her “demonstrated power to change the legal landscape, shape public affairs, launch industries, and do big things.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How making the transition from a tiny law firm to a large international firm opened Andie’s eyes to the realities of gender inequity * How the men at Andie’s firm would give themselves glowing praise in their self-evaluations but the women would credit the entire team in theirs * Why Andie is releasing the second edition of her book focusing more on the increased prevalence of explicit bias since the election of Donald Trump * Why there are certain communication techniques women are hesitant to use, and how using a sense of humor to navigate situations can be a powerful tool * How implicit gender bias typically shows up in the workplace, and why women must walk a careful tightrope between “nice, kind and sweet” and “competent and confident” * How women often have to adapt to situations to be able to navigate through the workplace, and how to do so in an authentic, true-to-yourself way * What suggestions and advice Andie would offer to women experiencing gender bias in the workplace * Why men must understand that the workplace isn’t a perfect meritocracy, and why men have a responsibility to help solve these issues * Why men shouldn’t just be a part of the conversation but should be starting the conversation when they identify problems
Additional resources: * Breaking Through Bias 2nd Edition by Andie Kramer and Alton Harris: https://amzn.to/3b7vui5 * Website: www.andieandal.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andiekramer/ * Twitter: @AndieandAl
Born and raised in Ukraine, professional diversiculturalist Dr. Fiona Citkin came to the US as a Fulbright Scholar studying languages and cultures at Kent State University, OH.
Fiona’s first book was on language/translation (Terminology and Translation, Lviv, Vischa Shkola, 1988, in Russian) and it brought her recognition in European academia.
For the book “Transformational Diversity: Why and How Intercultural Competencies Can Help Organizations to Survive and Thrive” (SHRM Publishing, 2011), Fiona has been recognized as a Top 2012 Champion of Diversity by diversitybusiness.com, a think-tank. This book was a seminal stepping stone for further exploration of the diverse American culture and the real-world ways to instill inclusion.
Fiona’s new book, “How They Made It in America”, started with a desire to explore how diverse talented individuals make it big in America. She focused on prominent women immigrants as the book subjects—just because she knew from her own experiences that women face frequent tribulations on their way to success. The topic appeared so rich that it soon became clear she’ll need to write a book series to at least solidly scratch it.
Since April 2013, Fiona’s monthly Huffington Post column explores the issues of multicultural women and what it takes to make it in America: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fiona-citkin-phd/. It was Arianna Huffington (an immigrant from Greece) who invited Fiona to blog there, build the future readership, and see how the public responds to the issues covered. And Arianna’s insights made her a perfect role model for Fiona.
With experience as Director of Berlitz, FGI, and a personal consulting portfolio with major corporations, Fiona accumulated skills in public speaking, marketing, coaching, training, magazine and TV interviews, entrepreneurship, and of course, intercultural communication and languages.
Fiona speaks three languages: English, Russian, and Ukrainian. After living and working in Europe (Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Austria, Great Britain, and Switzerland) she now resides in Warren, NJ, USA, and can be reached at fiona@fionacitkin.com.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Fiona first came to the United States under a Fulbright scholarship 25 years ago, and how her unique perspective as a female immigrant has informed her work * How Fiona transitioned from teaching in Ukraine to becoming a consultant in the United States, and how her career took a “downgrade” when she immigrated * How women immigrants often have to start over regardless of their professional background in their nations of origin * How immigrant men and women share common challenges like language barriers, and how women experience additional challenges like sexual harassment and the glass ceiling * Fiona shares her advice for practitioners looking to create a more welcoming, inclusive and equitable workplace for immigrant employees * What important topics and lessons Fiona discussed in her book, and how human resources professionals can help strengthen a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment * Why offering new skills to immigrant employees is only the first step, and why creating a safe and welcoming environment is the other critical part of the equation * Why having an exit strategy is vital, and why understanding the immigrant experience during these difficult times is critical * Fiona shares her perspective on the growing sense of nationalism and hostility toward immigrants, both in the United States and globally * What wisdom Fiona would share for new immigrants before they enter the workplace in their new home country
Additional resources: * How They Made It in America by Fiona Citkin: https://amzn.to/2YiCHGN * The Bridge: Women Worldwide YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnjxZ7nqAi83I-EHOqdVlw * Website: http://fionacitkin.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-citkin-b7416310/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/FionaCitkinAuthor/ * Twitter: @FionaCitkin
Joe Gerstandt is a speaker, author, and advisor bringing greater clarity, action, and impact to organizational diversity and inclusion efforts.
Joe has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, small non-profits, government entities, and everything in between. He speaks at numerous conferences and summits and is a featured contributor for the Workforce Diversity Network Expert Forum. His insights have been published in Diversity Best Practices, Diversity Executive, HR Executive, numerous other print and on-line journals, and he co-authored the book Social Gravity: Harnessing the Natural Laws of Relationships.
Joe has also served on the Intersectional Culture and Diversity Advisory (ICD) Council for the social networking platform, Twitter, and currently the board of directors for the Tri-Faith Initiative, which brings together in permanent residency a synagogue, church, mosque, and interfaith center on one 38-acre campus in the middle of America’s heartland.
Joe grew up on a family farm in NW Iowa, served four years in the United States Marine Corps, including participation in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, attended Iowa State University and then spent 6 years working in management and business development for technology and communication companies. He then made a career change and went to work for a grassroots non-profit organization, and this is where he found himself drawn to issues related to diversity and inclusion and then became actively involved in that work.
Today, Joe believes that we can ill afford to continue applying a 20th century approach to an increasingly critical set of 21st century issues. A strong advocate for resetting the diversity and inclusion conversation, Joe sees diversity and inclusion as poorly understood and often misunderstood.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Joe came to work in diversity, equity and inclusion through working in the nonprofit sector * What factors Joe believes have contributed to our slowed progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and why leaders often see confuse this work with compliance issues * Why Joe isn’t a fan of best practices since organizations and their needs vary so greatly from each other * Why organizations often forget that inclusion is separate from diversity and often don’t understand why inclusion matters * What major challenges organizations are facing today, and why the global pandemic is having a major impact on diversity and inclusion * Why our society is more polarized than ever, and why organizations must work for clarity on the behavioral component of the issue * Why diversity, equity, and inclusion within organizations isn’t inherently partisan or political and why organizations must set a standard of expected behaviors * What Joe hopes we will be doing differently in this work ten years from now, and why organizations who are doing the work now are laying the foundation for a strong future * What advice Joe would offer to new practitioners in this space, and why getting clear on why the work is important to you matters * Why you should define and work toward the unique contribution you can make within the realm of diversity, equity and inclusion
Additional resources: * Website: www.joegerstandt.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joegerstandt/ * Twitter: @joegerstandt
With fifteen years of HR leadership experience, Anthony Paradiso has become very passionate about Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace. He is the owner and founder of AllThingzAP, where their primary mission is for all to always be your authentic self.
Anthony is a Human Resources Business Partner with Industrial U.I. Services and enjoys being on a host of boards and committees, such as the Diversity & Inclusion Director for the Garden State Council – SHRM (GSC-SHRM) and the VP of D&I with the North Jersey – Rockland Chapter SHRM. Additionally, he is on the Board of Advisors with the American Conference of Diversity and a Bergen County Human Relations Commissioner.
Anthony has written a number of published articles for SHRM, WorkHuman, Workology, Rezoomo, Achievers, etc. and has been quoted in HR Magazine, Namely, & Bonusly. He has given a number of presentations and lectures about D&I, inclusion, being your authentic self, unconscious bias, employee relations and facilitated workshops surrounding diversity & inclusion that include the privilege walk.
His education includes a BA from Binghamton University, MS in Human Relations & Business, and HR Certified. Serving as a Speaker, Influencer, Blogger, and Educator, Anthony is proud to have influenced the industry regarding unbiased and inclusive work environments.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Anthony discovered his passion for diversity, equity and inclusion work, and how coming out as a gay man fuels his passion for helping others * Why, for the last 20 years, too many companies have focused on diversity without giving enough attention to inclusion for existing employees * How sharing our stories are the necessary starting point for inclusion and equity, and why it is important to pay attention to leading indicators within organizations * Anthony shares a story of a “privilege walk” activity and how a participant’s story made a powerful impact on the group * Why sharing our unique stories helps connect us with the people we work with and can help us form strong, productive relationships based on commonality and empathy * Why it is important to conduct a privilege walk activity correctly with the help of an experienced practitioner to avoid reinforcing participants’ bias * How Anthony sharing his own coming-out story helps develop trust between himself and his audience * Why all of our stories are valuable and worth telling, and why being a great orator isn’t necessary for sharing your story * What advice Anthony has for HR practitioners with regards to developing their skills in diversity, equity and inclusion work * Why mental health stories are important to share, and why mental health is becoming a growing part of diversity, equity and inclusion
Additional resources: * Website: www.allthingzap.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aparadiso/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/allthingzap/ * Twitter: @allthingzap * Instagram: @allthingzap
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why companies often treat diversity, equity and inclusion work differently than they do any other aspect of the organization, and why comparisons between the ways companies approach DEI work with the way they treat other major decisions can be valuable to help highlight the disparity * Sara compares a CEO announcing sudden changes they want to see in their company’s DEI to a CEO announcing relocating the business to Brussels * Sara compares a CEO dodging bold action suggested by a DEI practitioner within the company by consulting a non-practitioner first to a CEO consulting a DEI practitioner about the company’s marketing * Sara provides another example of an organization forming a committee of volunteers to make DEI decisions, compared to forming a committee to revamp the organization’s finances * Sara compares a company who says DEI work is important but then allows employees to do whatever they want with no coordination, with allowing everyone in the organization to choose their own company retreat location individually * Sara compares a CEO sending a Diversity 101 video from YouTube to their DEI practitioner as if it’s new and exciting information with sending a patient care 101 video to the chief medical officer * Sara compares an experienced practitioner telling a new leader about the efforts they’ve been making and the leader sending them a link to an organization doing elementary work and wanting to do the same, compared to a school principal sending a 7th grade teacher the kindergarten lesson plans and asking them to do that same work with the 7th graders * Sara compares people suddenly interested in DEI work going to the company’s practitioner and asking why they aren’t doing anything with a teacher of another subject telling the math teachers what to teach when they have no idea what the math teachers have been teaching all along * Sara compares a company assigning DEI work to the HR department three levels down with a company assigning their marketing work to the operations team three levels down * Sara compares a CEO sending out public messages after the murder of George Floyd without consulting their DEI practitioners but instead consulting their black friend, with a governor sending out a message about the pandemic without consulting their health department but instead consulting a a podiatrist * Why taking this work seriously by including DEI practitioners and their expertise is the only way our companies will create solutions
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How companies and organizations of all kinds spoke out with clear, decisive messaging after the murder of George Floyd, and why following those messages with action is vital * Why the first step to taking action is to decide your approach of whether you want to take a transactional strategy or a transformational strategy * Why you should only promise what you truly plan to deliver, and why you should conduct an equity audit to identify gaps that exist within your organization * Why you need to shift from an equality-based approach to an equity-based approach, and why the two are fundamentally different * Why an effective equity strategy must go beyond the obvious, and how a cadre of culturally competent equity coaches throughout the organization can be powerful * How a Safe Space program can be invaluable for employees who have experienced identity-based trauma * How springboard positions can help prepare and elevate employees from marginalized communities into higher positions within the organization * Why an organization must focus on developing leaders first and then holding them accountable for creating an equitable workplace * Why focusing on leading indicators rather than lagging indicators can help you steer your organization toward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace * Why it is important to only put people who are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in charge of your organization’s efforts
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are reluctant to start or join the difficult conversations about race * How “IVI” (intent, vulnerability, inoculation) can help you overcome your fear in talking about race * Why signaling your intent to join the conversation can help prepare you and others for the discussion * Why signaling positive intent is healthy and helps give others perspective on your hopes for the conversation * Why entering conversations about race requires courage, and why people may be afraid to enter these conversations * Why we are socialized and conditioned to remain silent about race, and not to talk about difference in a broad sense * Why leaders, in particular, can build trust with their teams by expressing their own vulnerability * How inoculation, preempting resistance and acknowledging discomfort from the people you’re speaking with, can help you address potential reactions * Why these important conversations are the foundation on which our organizations can begin to take action
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Sara discusses the impact of a recent post listing the names of Black individuals who were killed or experienced racism during everyday activities like walking home * How Sara’s pain, frustration, and anger after George Floyd was murdered caused her to feel a rawness that her family’s loved ones didn’t understand the pain they were experiencing * How Sara’s unique perspective as a white woman married to a black man with a mixed-race family has shown her two distinct worlds, with privilege and advantage when she is alone and a world of racism when she is with her family * Sara shares her own list of the places and situations in which she has experienced bias and racial discrimination with her family * How Sara’s own son was stopped and questioned by police simply for walking, on an almost weekly basis * Why the fact that it isn’t every walk makes systemic racism all the more insidious and traumatic and make it easy for outsiders to dismiss and victims to second-guess themselves * Why there are distinct parallels between systemic racism and familial dysfunction, and why gaslighting plays a major role in both * Sara shares the definition of gaslighting from Wikipedia and explains why it applies both to disfunction within families and racial disfunction in society * Why recognizing racism and acknowledging that it happens is the key to fighting back against the collective gaslighting
Additional resources: * “It’s Not All Walks”, source unknown: https://whatsthedifferencepodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image001.png * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why there are so many differing, personal opinions over what the words “Black Lives Matter” actually mean * How our stages of cultural competence development determine how we view the message of Black Lives Matter * Why some people view the statement as “Black Lives Matter More” while others hear “Black Lives Matter Equally” * How people stuck in the second stage of development often retort with the response “Blue Lives Matter” * Why some people view Black Lives Matter as a win/lose scenario, a viewpoint reinforced by centuries of systems of power and oppression * How to download a free checklist to help you better communicate with your employees, external stakeholders, and the community during painful, traumatic events * How 15% of the population exists within the polarizing second stage of development, while nearly 70% are in the third stage and still controlled by our unconscious biases * Why people in the third stage of development minimize differences, replying to “Black Lives Matter” with “All Lives Matter” or “Black Lives Matter Equally” * Why the second and third stages of cultural competence aren’t just ineffective but serve to perpetuate systemic inequities * How the fourth stage of development allows us to move from an equality-based approach to a more effective equity-based approach
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Tali Lavarry is the founder of Yum Yum Morale, a DEI Consultancy that focuses on the retention and advancement of diverse hires. Organizations large and small look to her, to bridge the gap between their leadership team and marginalized hires.
She is known for her ability to be diplomatic, approachable, educational, and understanding. Through her own personal stories, she boldly moves corporate power brokers from resistant to receptive. Candid conversations and vulnerability are her superpowers. Her talks, workshops, trainings, and retreats never fail to open minds and soften hearts.
Tali is the author of Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague, a former collaborator with Haas Berkeley’s Center for Equity, Gender & Leadership; and a member of Washington State University’s Foster School of Business Alumni.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Tali’s experiences as a “token Black” informs her work in diversity and inclusion and became the backbone of her book “Confessions from Your Token Black Colleague” * How a series of microaggressions at her workplace caused Tali to reach an internal breaking point in her career * Why “white solidarity” is a real problem for People of Color in the workplace, making it even harder to push back against racial bias * Where stereotypes such as “the angry Black woman” come from and why they live within our unconscious minds * Tali discusses the process of writing her book and how it is structured, and what lead her to write it * How Tali has experienced internal realizations that she deserves better than some of the experiences she has had in the workplace * Why Tali found herself having to fight against conditioned responses and internal corrections when writing her book * Why Tali teaches white male CEOs the importance of taking a stand and speaking out against racism * Why the pressure shouldn’t be on Black employees, but on the business leaders who can affect change within the organization * Where you will be able to find Tali’s book once it releases in August 2020
Additional resources: * Website: https://yumyummorale.com/ * Website: https://yourtokenblackcolleague.com/ * Email: info@yourtokenblackcolleague.com
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Sara discusses the pain and trauma felt by “Fernando,” a gay man at a company she was working with, six months after the PULSE night club tragedy in Orlando * Why a non-response from Fernando’s employer after the shooting made him feel unvalued, unrespected, and unimportant to his employer * How hate-based violence targeting marginalized communities is on the rise, reflecting the injustice, inequities, and disparities built into our society’s systems * Why employer silence after these attacks leaves their employees feeling unsupported and leaves external stakeholders in the dark about what the organization stands for * Sara shares an important checklist of dos and don’ts organizations can use to better respond to and address these tragedies * Why empathy, authenticity, sincerity, clear, and frequent communication, and deep commitment to your employees and their pain are vital * Why short-term messaging isn’t enough, and what steps you can take to clearly demonstrate your support over the long-term
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Marlene Schoenberg has many years of experience as a speech consultant. Over the past 25 years, she has become an accent expert, specializing in working with international scientists, engineers, and executives. Her award-winning work has been honored by her professional peers. Ms. Schoenberg holds a master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Boston University and an Adult ESL Certificate from Hamline University. She has worked with clients from around the world at major corporations in the Twin Cities and nationally. Industries she has served include food, computers, defense, education, health care, insurance, adhesives, tools, electrical power, and banking. Corporate CEOs and VPs have benefited from her services.
Marlene is the author of Pronunciation for Career Growth and Speech Insights for Success. She was a columnist for China Insight News for 3 years. Her work has been featured in The Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, Info World Magazine, and the IBM Speech Viewer Times as well as on cable TV, Internet, Radio, and Channel 11 News with Kerri Miller.
In addition, she has been an adjunct instructor at several community colleges where she established speech biofeedback labs using the IBM Speech Viewer II. Marlene worked at the forefront of using speech recognition technology with high-level clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Marlene began helping newcomers to the United States modify their accents using her experience as a speech pathologist, and how this became a new career direction * Why it is important to remember that every one of us has an accent, and why no accent is either good or bad * Why there is a distinct difference between a discernible accent and an unintelligible one, and how Marlene believes speech patterns to be “old habits” * Why assumptions based on accents are entirely listener-based bias, and why certain accents are considered more “sophisticated” than others to many American listeners * Marlene outlines how she helps native speakers of American English better listen to and understand speakers with other accents * Why learning to listen to and understand accents can be a powerful and marketable business skill * How accents often trigger more bias than skin color, and how polarization can play a role in accent bias * Marlene shares examples of accents triggering bias and of students who were able to use accent training to advance their careers * Why the discernibility of an accent often depends on situational factors like background noise and differences between in-person and telephone communication
Additional resources: * Website: http://accentwisdom.com/ * Telephone: (651) 699-9233 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/marlene-schoenberg-13b4037/
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Sara shares some of the important race and culture lessons that, as a white person, she wasn’t taught but had to learn through the experiences of her mixed-race family * Why it is important to recognize that our life experiences and opportunities often aren’t universal * Why What Would You Do’s “Bike Thief” Episodes featuring John Quiñones highlights how the experiences we have can change solely based on who we are * How individual bias creates disparity in many different aspects of our lives including how we are disciplined and even our economics * Why large majorities of people have been proven to have unconscious stereotypical biases against people of color and other marginalized groups * How widespread individual bias becomes systemic bias, with shocking statistics to demonstrate these systemic disparities * How this systemic bias leads to very different interactions with police for black and white people * Why we all need to know that divisiveness and polarization aren’t just bad for the “other” group but is harmful to ourselves as well * Why remaining silent perpetuates the systems of dysfunction in racism, and why fear, ignorance, and guilt support racial anxiety * How our economy was built on a foundation of slavery, and how even our religious institutions supported slavery at one time * How White Guilt isn’t helpful, but White Accountability is necessary
Additional resources: * What Would You Do’s “Bike Thief” Episode from John Quiñones: https://youtu.be/ge7i60GuNRg * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the dominant culture in the United States is strongly focused on individualism rather than the group * How the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging our individualistic society with new requirements sometimes at odds with our natural inclinations * Why all of the challenges brought by COVID-19 are group-oriented and require a group-oriented mindset to effectively address * Why many are struggling to see any personal connection to the group, resulting in some people protesting the measures we are taking to address the pandemic * Why our orientation towards individualism is neither right nor wrong but is culturally ingrained * Why viewing the individualistic perspectives of others requires a lack of judgment and an understanding of where these feelings are coming from
Additional resources: * The ADL H.E.A.T. Map: https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resource-knowledge-base/adl-heat-map * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the COVID-19 pandemic has created powerful change in all of our lives, including health challenges and work changes * How the team at deepSEE is using William Bridges’ Transition Model, both for themselves and with their clients, to help adjust to these major changes * Why change is far more than transactional, with psychological reorientation happening behind the scenes * How the Bridges’ Transition Model works with three stages of change: the “ending” or “letting go”, the “neutral zone”, and the “new beginning”, and why the middle stage is the most complex and difficult to navigate * Why COVID-19 has put us all in the low-productivity and chaotic neutral zone, and how knowing we are all at this stage can help better understand ourselves and our peers * How to validate your feelings and narrow your focus to better deal with being stuck in the neutral zone
Additional resources: * The ADL H.E.A.T. Map: https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resource-knowledge-base/adl-heat-map * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why everyone is naturally predisposed to automatically identify who is a part of their “group” and who is “apart from” * Why those that we see as “apart from” can instill discomfort and even fear, and why that sense of discomfort or fear plays a role in how we see the “other” * How polarization, the second stage of development, limits people to painting groups in broad brush strokes with all members sharing the same traits and qualities * Why our internal filters completely define our experiences of others, especially for those in the first three stages * Why the social context of an environment and fear combine to determine whether we classify someone as “part of” or “other” * Sara shares a story of a Jewish woman killed in a mass shooting and discusses the shooter’s stage of development and inability to see his victim as a complete person * Why you should take a look at the Anti-Defamation League’s H.E.A.T. (Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terror) Map * Why the staggering increase of hate-based violence from 2015-2020 is based on our society’s increased polarization and fear * Why fear often quickly turns into anger, and why anger is almost universally the primary driver in incidents of violence * Why the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing social fear, resulting in an 85% increase in gun sales during the month of March 2020 * What steps we can take if we begin to feel polarization or fear to help break out of those feelings
Additional resources: * The ADL H.E.A.T. Map: https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resource-knowledge-base/adl-heat-map * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Sara reads an article she wrote for Forbes titled Full Contrast: How a Pandemic Exposes and Amplifies Systems of Inequity * How COVID-19 is exposing many of the already-present injustices in our country in greater detail than ever before, and why injustices within our socio-economic, healthcare and education systems are of particular note during the pandemic * How “equality” and “equity” differ in focus and impact, and why our cultural focus on equality created systems of inequity that give systemic advantage to some but not all * Why those who are within the first three stages of cultural competence focus on equality rather than equity * How there is inequity in our education system that causes black, brown and poor kids of all races to be two years behind white and wealthier kids as early as fourth grade * How COVID-19 is impacting students who have limited or no access to the internet, with only 56% of households making $30,000 a year or less having access to the internet * How the average white family has significantly more wealth than the average black or Latinx family, and how unemployment rates are impacting blacks far more than whites * Why whites are twice as likely to be able to work from home, meaning black and brown workers are more likely to be forced to go to work, exposing themselves to health risks * How a staggering number of black people prematurely die in America every day as a direct result of racial inequities in healthcare * Sara shares state-by-state statistics of the disparity between the percentage of black residents of each state and the number of lives lost to the coronavirus
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara * Forbes article: Full Contrast: How a Pandemic Exposes and Amplifies Systems of Inequity
Ana Elisa Souffront has a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago. She brings a perspective of advocacy and activism to Diversity and Inclusion. As an activist herself, she speaks to the importance of difference. Her experience within advocacy includes working on the Right to Marry Campaign in Minnesota, interning for Embrace Dignity, a non-profit working to partially decriminalize prostitution in South Africa, and also working as a fellow at the Minnesota Youth Collective, a non-profit political organization. She continues to push for the importance of diversity and inclusion as she looks to the legal field, attending law school in the fall of this year.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Generation Z, which is just now beginning to enter the workforce, is far larger than the other 4-5 generations in our workforce today * How growing up with a diversity and inclusion practitioner for a mom made a lasting impression on Ana Elisa * Ana Elisa shares some of the most common misconceptions about Generation Z, typically defined as workers born after 1997 * How Ana Elisa feels key experiences, such as growing up with the first African American President and the legalization of same-sex marriage, have impacted her generation * Why being younger and more comfortable with difference doesn’t necessarily translate into Millennials and Generation Z being more culturally competent * Why Ana Elisa feels that Generation Z tends to expect more responsive and engaged managers and want face-to-face interaction * How Ana Elisa anticipates Generation Z will impact the workplace, and how Generation Z is uniquely different from Millennials * What advice Ana Elisa would offer to diversity and inclusion practitioners wanting to attract and retain Generation Z employees
Additional resources: * Website: www.mnyouthcollective.org * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ana-elisa-souffront-272b1a16a/ * Instagram: www.instagram.com/mnycollective/
Patricia Jesperson is Chief Curiosity Officer at EmployeeEXP, and co-author of the newly re-released Reversing the Ostrich Approach to Diversity: Pulling your head out of the sand. With more than 25 years working on the people-side of the business, she specializes in working with employers to create better Employee Experience outcomes.
As the curious type, Patricia has spent the majority of her career exploring how to maximize the talent experience with an emphasis on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) and Total Rewards. This drive for exploring what-ifs enables her to deliver custom content as well as EmployeeEXP proprietary models to help her clients attract, retain, develop and engage talent. Examples include The EmployeeEXP 8 x 9 Box Communication Analysis™, a re-imagined/re-purposed 9-Box that invites organizations to explore their approach to communicating key programs to increasingly diverse talent. It asks the question, “how confident are you that what you spend on Employee Experience is aligned efficiently to attract, retain, and engage today’s diverse talent?” She also introduced The Inclusion Matrix™ (IM) in 2019, which elevates the conversation from traditional DEI training to creating inclusive and engaged leaders.
Believing that one must continue to learn to keep current, she seizes opportunities to always-be-learning through teaching at Augsburg University as a professor in the MBA and adult-education programs and her Board experience e.g. Human Resource Executive Forum Board, Augsburg University Alumni Board, Chair of the Workforce Development and Education Policy Committee for the MN Chamber, and Director of Diversity Inclusion for SHRM MN State Council.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Patricia transitioned her career to working in diversity and inclusion and the people side of business * Why Patricia believes that diversity and inclusion practitioners can learn valuable lessons from business development and marketing * Why an outcome-based approach to diversity and inclusion can be more effective than a content-based approach * How Fortune 500 and 1000 businesses lead the way for diversity and inclusion, and why now mid-market businesses are realizing the need to embrace D&I to compete for talent * Why support for a sustainable diverse and inclusive culture needs to be available at all leadership levels of an organization * Why human resources and diversity and inclusion shouldn’t be compartmentalized into separate silos but be viewed as a part of an organization’s overall success * How Eric S. Raymond’s computer programming essay, The Cathedral & the Bazaar, can teach the value of a faster, more innovative and collaborative process * Why organizations often make the mistaken assumption that they have communicated their message clearly and that it is universally understood
Additional resources: * The Cathedral & the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond: https://amzn.to/2xnJnsT * Reversing the Ostrich Approach to Diversity by Amy Tolbert, Patricia Jesperson, and Alexis Parra: https://amzn.to/2XxDtjH * Visit The Forum Podcast, where Patricia Jesperson is an upcoming guest: https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/podcast/ * Website: https://employeeexp.com/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/patriciajesperson/
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How we have three kinds of cultural preference filters that exist as a spectrum: direct vs. indirect communication, hierarchy vs. egalitarian, and task vs. relationship * How the direct vs. indirect communication filter determines whether we prefer to address things face to face and with specificity, or indirectly and through metaphors and stories * Sara offers an example of a past client company in Germany looking for help dealing with Japanese employees where direct filters were clashing with indirect filters * Why working remotely creates a unique challenge due to missing out on conversational cues and body language that help us communicate face-to-face * What steps you can take to communicate with someone who prefers a communication style opposite your own * Why someone who prefers a hierarchy filter will look to leadership for decision-making, while an egalitarian expects others to make their own decisions * Why working remotely can create a disconnect between hierarchical and egalitarian team members, and why generational differences might also have an impact on this disconnect * Why trust and communication are the solutions that can help bridge the gap between hierarchy and egalitarian * Why working remotely is particularly challenging for people who have a preference for relationship-based work over task-based work * Why frequent check-ins and other daily touch points can help build trust and strengthen communication
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How nearly everyone has been impacted by the global pandemic outbreak, and how there is a universal sense of stress * What changes and reactions experiencing trauma and stress cause in our bodies and our brains, even small day-to-day stress * How our sympathetic nervous systems activate a survival response that redirects energy from our core organs and channels it to our extremities when we are under stress * Why overtime repeated exposure to stress can create a host of health problems that we may not even be aware are related back to the stress * Why the best response to stress is to intentionally activate our parasympathetic nervous system to redirect energy back to our core organs * Which three key techniques and practices can be used to help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system during times of stress
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
The 32nd Annual Forum on Workplace Inclusion Conference was held from March 10-12, 2020 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Conference brings together attendees from across many industries and from many different backgrounds who all share a passion for and focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
In this special episode of What’s The Difference, host Sara Taylor attends the Forum on Workplace Inclusion 2020 Conference and speaks with special guests Scott Fearing (Manager of Diversity Education at the University of Rochester), Lisa Fain (CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence), Patricia Jesperson (Chief Curiosity Officer at EmployeeEXP), Richard Webb (founder and principal Diversity and Inclusion consultant at Second Layer Consulting), Kurt Wiger (Coordinator of Volunteers and Interns at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute), Rosemond Owens (Director of Health Equity Integration at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota), Jackie Thomas-Hall (Director of Culture, Diversity & Inclusion at Allina Health), Deborah Dagit (President of Deb Dagit Diversity, LLC), and Chris Matuseski (Organizational Development & Effectiveness Consultant at HealthPartners).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Scott Fearing, the University of Rochester’s Manager of Diversity Education, discusses why today’s divisive and polarized political climate is a particularly challenging obstacle for the furthering of diversity and inclusion, and he explains why being invited to a seat at the table isn’t the same as being included. He discusses why the increasing prevalence of digital conversations has made no impact on the commonality of marginalization, and he discusses why focusing on commonalities is the solution to polarization. * Lisa Fain, the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence, explains why she believes that social distancing, remote work and virtual offices can make building a thriving workplace culture more challenging due to the increased difficulty of building trust and relationships. She explains why intentionality and creating deliberate touch points is the key to overcoming this challenge. * Patricia Jesperson, Chief Curiosity Officer with EmployeeEXP, shares why she believes that a fully integrated diversity and inclusion curriculum rather than a chapter-by-chapter approach is the secret to adapting to the needs of today’s organizations. * Richard Webb, the founder and principal consultant at Second Layer Consulting, shares why diversity and inclusion frameworks used today often date back to the 1960s and 1970s, and he shares why there is an urgent need for more modern frameworks. He explains why there is often a disconnect between older and newer educational models, and he suggests that moving from viewing diversity and inclusion as a job to viewing it as a way to live is the key to modernizing our understanding. He shares why it is important to devote time to developing your understanding of the field.
Additional resources: * Scott Fearing’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scottfearing/ * Lisa Fain’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisazfain/ * Trish Jesperson’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/patriciajesperson/ * Richard Webb’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardwebb2/
A seasoned digital professional with over 15 years of experience, Stephen Ruiz has worked directly with high-profile brands including Google, Bank of America, Mattel, Disney, and Toyota to name a few. He is an expert at the conceptualization and execution of multi-channel digital marketing campaigns, complex data-driven websites, the development of intricate digital ecosystems for consumer and B2B markets, SaaS software and the use of analytics tools to optimize digital properties to increase the ROI for clients based on tactical strategy and deep research of the end-users.
Stephen has a firm commitment to championing diversity within the technology sector. As host of the UX of Diversity Podcast, and founder of the Silicon Valley Diversity Meetup, he is striving to create a more level playing field in the tech industry for women and minorities.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the tech industry has historically struggled with becoming more diverse, and why there is an urgent need for improvement * What kinds of racial and ethnic microaggressions Stephen has experienced throughout his own career * Why many different communities would greatly benefit in many ways from a more diverse and inclusive technology industry * How more than $1 billion has been spent by major players in the tech field since 2014 without showing notable results * Why an improvement in the level of cultural competence in tech is the first step to improving the situation * Why a more diverse tech environment would benefit the bottom line of organizations within the industry * Why designing technology for a more diverse consumer base can also improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the tech * Stephen offers examples of how software and tech devices can be designed for a broader and more diverse consumer group * What steps organizations can take to improve their cultural awareness and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace
Additional resources: * Website: https://stephenruiz.com/ * UX of Diversity podcast: www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/the-ux-of-diversity * Silicone Beach Diversity Group: https://www.meetup.com/Silicon-Beach-Diversity/
Melissa currently works in organizational development in the private industry, focusing on building and sustaining diverse and inclusive workplace environments. Prior to her organizational development work, Melissa was a contract lecturer and researcher at York University, Queens University, and the Ontario Technical University in Canada. At York University, she was involved in developing and implementing the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Infusion in the Mainstream Teacher Education Program from 2008 to 2016. Research on the successes and challenges of this work has been published in several Canadian Education Journals. In December 2018, she defended her Ph.D. in Language, Culture, and Teaching in the Faculty of Education at York University in Toronto, Canada. Melissa is a member of the Algonquins of Greater Golden Lake First Nation from the Kichi Sibi (Ottawa) Valley in Ontario, Canada. She is an auntie to eight four-legged creatures, including 3 Newfoundland dogs, 1 rescue hound, and 4 cats.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How three key familial experiences in Melissa’s life drove her to work as a diversity and inclusion practitioner * How Melissa’s experiences as a member of Canada’s Indigenous population have given her a unique perspective into the work she does * How Melissa explored her heritage through a diverse group of Indigenous teachers from across Canada * Why accepting the differences between groups of First People rather than putting all Indigenous populations into the same category is key * Melissa explains the concept of and communication power of a Talking Circle and its origins with Indigenous people * Melissa describes a widespread protest across Canada sparked by the construction of oil pipelines crossing the land of Indigenous people * Why learning the history and culture of a group is the ideal starting place for opening a dialogue and creating better understanding and inclusion * Why a passion for learning new things has been a key skill that Melissa has relied on throughout her career
Additional resources: * Website: www.cnl.ca/en/home/default.aspx * Email: melissa.blimkie@cnl.ca * Telephone: (313) 584-3311 ext. 46308 * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-blimkie-33296a46/
Lisa Fain is the CEO of Center for Mentoring Excellence, and founder of Vista Coaching, the coaching division of the Center. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work is fueled by her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results.
She has conducted mentoring training programs for corporate, government and educational institutions. Lisa coaches mentors, mentees and program administrators on how to achieve mentoring excellence and create the right environment for achievement of career and personal goals. She is highly regarded for her special combination of knowledge, expertise, humor and a no-nonsense practical approach.
As Senior Director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc. (the parent company to automated retail giants Redbox and Coinstar), Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of its diversity initiative, including launching the company’s first mentoring program for its Women’s Business Resource Group. Prior to that position, she worked as Outerwall’s in-house counsel, where she coached leaders and partnered with Human Resources to establish fair and effective policies and practices that would sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue and renown.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Lisa shares how she found her passion for diversity and inclusion work when she brought her mother Lois to her workplace to help set up a women’s mentoring program * Why mentoring programs can help build meaningful business relationships across differences and help empower people to thrive in their careers * Why Lisa feels that diversity and inclusion training by itself doesn’t work, and why it needs other programs to support it * Why successful diversity and inclusion initiatives create a fundamental cultural change throughout all levels of an organization * Why a mentorship needs to be a two-way relationship between the mentor and the mentee, and why the mentorship needs ground rules and clear communication * Why it is important to measure the success and progress of a mentorship through mutually established and agreed-upon goals * Why leadership skills don’t necessarily imply mentoring skills, and why developing your mentoring ability is an important ongoing process * Why listening is a cornerstone skill that an effective mentor needs to have, and why leaders may struggle to listen effectively * Lisa shares an experience she had with a well-meaning senior partner while working at a law firm after returning from maternity leave * Lisa shares an important takeaway from her book, Bridging Differences for Better Mentoring
How to contact Lisa Fain: * Website: www.centerformentoring.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CenterForMentoringExcellence * Twitter: + @C4Mentoring + @lzfain * LinkedIn: + https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazfain/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-mentoring-excellence/
Murray Allen Moshe ben Gershon Martinez Mann is of Argentinean, Mediterranean, and Russian heritage; he lived in a Catholic and Jewish household – as Murray says “with a round guilt trip ticket.”
He is male, straight, and an LGBT ally. Being a person with a disability is one of those things Murray “forgets,” until someone, consciously or unconsciously, treats him in marginalizing ways.
Murray is a parent of four who lost two adult children. He is a Baby Boomer and a member of the Sandwich Generation caring for an aging parent and a grandson whom he adopted at the age of two.
Murray’s guiding values are Amor de La Vida (Love of Life), Familia (family) y Comunidad (community). Early on, Murray’s multicultural upbringing and experience navigating physical barriers and human biases taught him to see every person as unique and differently gifted and started him on a life-long journey to empower people and organizations to follow their calling.
For Murray, trust in the workplace does not come immediately because one has a title or credentials. Trust evolves through the building of relationships, creating mutual understanding and actual experience. Culturally it often involves creating a safe space for self-disclosure and being authentic. Just as respect looks different in various cultures, the same applies to the many cultures of “people with disabilities.” For Murray, Respect, Dignity, and Personhood are intertwined.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Murray’s multicultural upbringing and his family’s experiences as victims of hate crimes sparked an interest in diversity and inclusion * How Murray has observed what started as affirmative action evolve over time into diversity, equity and inclusion work over the course of his remarkable career * How coaching for diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners differs from other types of coaching * Why people who are working in this field often lack the resources and support they need from their organizations * Why there is a significant need for coaching for people of marginalized and underrepresented communities * How recent study results show that most Latinx professionals feel the need to compromise their authenticity to conform to mainstream expectations * How Murray founded the Forum On Workplace Inclusion’s Coaching Center, and what it offers to conference attendees * How the Coaching Center has served more than 600 unique individuals from more than 90 corporations since its founding * How to participate in the Coaching Center’s one-hour coaching session if you plan to attend the Forum On Workplace Inclusion Annual Conference
Additional resources: * Email: murray@interculturalworkplace.com * Website: https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/diversity-inclusion-coaching-center/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/murrayamann/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/workplaceforum/
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The definition of the words ‘appropriation’, ‘frames’, and ‘filters’, and how cultural appropriation is really about taking someone’s cultural frames * Why it is difficult or impossible to honor the symbols of a culture without honoring the people belonging to that culture * Sara shares why wearing Native American war bonnets (headdress) while being ignorant of their spiritual and cultural meaning is an example of cultural appropriation * Why it is important to consider the power differential and history between dominant groups taking from marginalized groups who have been historically oppressed by them * Sara provides an example where black women often experience heavy social pressure to straighten their hair but white models wear cornrows on the runway * How to identify whether appropriation is truly cultural appropriation, and why cultural appropriation is often harmful to marginalized groups * Why understanding a cultural group requires looking beyond its frames and going deeper by understanding its filters
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the Superbowl LIV football game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs sparked controversy over the team using the name “Chiefs” * How the Kansas City Chiefs organization defended the use of their name as well as cultural icons such as traditional Native American headdress and face paint * How a recent article defending the use of the name “Chiefs” made the case that the name can’t be offensive because the intent is to convey strength * Why intention doesn’t equal impact, and why personal experiences determine how we take in and feel about information * Why listening to others, acknowledging their differing experiences, and being sensitive to their reactions is the key to understanding
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
As president and CEO of the Science Museum of Minnesota, Alison Rempel Brown leads an organization that is firmly committed to science education and equity. Under Alison’s leadership, the Science Museum has adopted a new strategic plan designed to transform the organization into a resource that captures the power and talent of all people – especially women and people of color – so they see themselves as scientists. New programs, like 2018’s Year of the Engineer and the ongoing Water Planet initiative, leverage the Science Museum’s relationships and rich assets. And the adoption of a brand new Statement on Equity and Inclusion captures the museum’s vision to use STEM as a tool to advocate for justice and equity, acknowledging that significant change must start from within. Alison was named one of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s People to Watch in 2017, and she received the publication’s Women in Business Award.
Alison came to the Science Museum from the California Academy of Sciences, where she oversaw infrastructure and operations and helped lead the organization through the construction and opening of a spectacular new facility in Golden Gate Park. She is a graduate of Pomona College and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Juliette Francis joined the Science Museum’s senior leadership team in November 2013. She brings experience in employee relations, workforce planning, compensation and benefit management, and training and development to her position overseeing the museum’s service to both its paid staff and its expansive volunteer corps.
Juliette comes to the Science Museum from College Possible, a national nonprofit headquartered in Saint Paul that provides low-income students with an intensive curriculum of coaching and support to help them earn college admission and college degrees. As Director of Human Resources and Operations, Juliette oversaw the organization’s HR, new site operations, and technology functions. Her professional experience also includes human resources work at Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys and Fury Motors.
Juliette has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She has been actively involved in the Saint Paul Winter Carnival for more than 13 years, and she sits on the Business Programs Advisory Board at Inver Hills Community College.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Alison discusses the history of the Science Museum of Minnesota, and its purpose and goal to empower and educate the community * Alison describes her vision for the museum and shares her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion work * Alison shares how eye-opening statistics from an employee culture survey helped her realize the importance of intentionally focusing on internal work * Juliette shares the steps the Science Museum of Minnesota has taken to support individual cultural competence growth in its employees * Juliette describes the cultural competence coaching program that the Science Museum has developed internally to support its employees * Alison shares how the Museum works to bring everyone into their cultural competence processes and continue to improve their program * Juliette shares the Museum’s success, and she explains why the Museum intentionally avoided pairing employees with coaches with whom they had a reporting relationship * Alison explains why CEOs need to focus on working on their own cultural competence to most effectively lead the organization’s efforts * Alison describes the Science Museum’s “RACE: Are We So Different?” exhibit and its traveling component
Additional resources: * Website: www.smm.org * Website: www.smm.org/equity * Science Museum of Minnesota RACE Exhibit website: www.smm.org/race * Facebook: www.facebook.com/sciencemuseum/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/science-museum-of-minnesota/ * Alison’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alisonrempelbrown/ * Juliette’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/inspieringu/
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why “systemic filters” are really just shared patterns of unconscious judgment across a group, and why systems are perfectly designed to create the results they create * How 95-98% of Fortune 500 CEOs are white males, how 58% of them are more than six feet tall, and why this is an example of a system at work * An example of unconscious filters creating a real world impact, reflected in the extreme disparities of the initial price a car buyer is given based on their race and gender * Further examples of how racial, gender, sexual orientation, and body weight bias are factors considered in many different scenarios * What the Harvard Implicit Associations Test (IAT) is, and how researchers at Harvard use it to test unconscious associations we make automatically * How the Harvard IAT test results teach us that the vast majority of us hold to the stereotypical bias, and very few of us hold to the opposite of the stereotypical bias * How systemic disadvantage and systemic advantage create strong disparities between advantaged groups and disadvantaged groups * How systemic advantage and disadvantage have far-reaching implications up to and including mortality rates * What the “three sees” are and how they can help you recognize systemic bias, recognize the part you play in the system, and recognize how to take action to change the system
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
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Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competence in the workplace adds rather than detracts from the organization * How teaching people to improve their cultural competence gives them new tools to approach challenges and situations * Why these new tools only serve to add to a person’s existing filters but don’t take away from them, and why fear is often the root of pushback * Why increasing cultural competency doesn’t mean catering to groups whose purpose is to polarize, such as ISIS or the Ku Klux Klan * How organizations focused on polarization are trapped in the second stage of cultural competence, and how the best response to their ideology is to find commonality * Why diversity, equity and inclusion work means rejecting polarization and doesn’t mean accepting every group
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
As President and Founder of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) – an educational non-profit organization that makes the business case for developing cultural intelligence in the workplace – Gerry has spent decades educating and advocating for the business benefits of cultural diversity and inclusion in the foodservice & hospitality industry. An engagingly energetic Speaker who practices straight talk, he travels across the US and internationally, bringing authentic perspective on building Cultural Intelligence that raises the topline, improves the bottom-line, and builds brands cultural authenticity. Gerry was named to Nations Restaurant News 2018 Power List of the 50 Most Influential People in Foodservice, the definitive list of industry leaders who are not only setting trends today, but also shaping them for tomorrow.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Gerry’s career path ultimately led to his current role as President and Founder of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) * How attending a Women’s Foodservice Forum conference sparked Gerry’s idea for a multicultural foodservice organization * Why the foodservice industry tends to be highly diverse at lower levels but becomes much less diverse at the top * Why the foodservice industry is uniquely positioned to create opportunities for people who would otherwise have few options to grow a career * Why cultural competence is a vital skill for anyone working in foodservice and hospitality management * Why Gerry’s work in the area of unconscious bias creates a platform for business leaders to further improve their cultural competence and creates top-down change in organizations * What common trends and challenges Gerry recognizes in diversity, equity and inclusion work across the foodservice and hospitality industry * Why the hyper partisan political tone and the constant charged rhetoric in our political atmosphere is having an outsized effect on ethnic minority groups in foodservice * How MFHA has partnered with the National Restaurant Association to broaden the reach of their message and content * Gerry shares an example of how the Denny’s restaurant chain has become an industry leader in diversity, equity and inclusion
Additional resources: * Website: https://mfha.net/ * Facebook: www.facebook.com/MFHA.net/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gerrymfha/ * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/mfha/
“It’s my mission to close the diversity gap between the Executive Suite and the C-Suite by ending career plateaus and off-ramps that derail the careers of minority women and men. There’s a tiny space between making a difference and accepting the status quo – I work within that gap.” – Margaret Spence
A transformational keynote speaker, author, coach, business strategist, and visionary, Margaret has 30 years of experience inspiring organizations to value talent. Engaging employees in a shared vision, creating inclusive initiatives, and fostering collaboration across silos are central tenets of her work.
Determined to create a glide path for diversity and inclusion in executive leadership, Margaret launched The Employee to CEO Project, a global initiative aimed at increasing the representation of women, with specific emphasis on minority women, in C-Suite leadership roles. Her latest book, Leadership Self-Transformation: 52 Career-Defining Questions Every High-Achieving Women Must Answer, challenges women to clarify their vision, find the power, and the limitless courage to build the career they want.
Margaret’s journey to the executive suite was nontraditional. She began her career managing workplace injuries and, consequently, observed injured employees being discarded from the workforce. From a catapulting question written on a napkin in 1999, her company, C. Douglas & Associates, currently manages a claims loss portfolio valued at over $95 million for its multinational client base.
Voted Top 20 Speaker seven consecutive years at SHRM Society for Human Resource Management Annual and Diversity conferences. A six-year member of SHRM’s Special Expertise Panel. She is the five-term Conference Co-chair of the Return to Work section of the WCI Workers’ Compensation Education Conference. In 2017 she received the InTouch Excellence Award “Women Leading the Way” in Workers’ Compensation.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Margaret’s journey to Diversity and Inclusion work began by working in workers’ compensation and helping employees with disability remain in the workforce * Why Margaret recognized a need to help women achieve C-suite roles after seeing a dramatic lack of women in executive teams * What common organizational patterns and myths Margaret sees that are often holding women back from reaching the C-suite * Why organizations focus too much on who is and isn’t ready to move ahead into a leadership role and don’t focus enough on developing people to get them ready * Why more work needs to be done to promote management development programs in addition to leadership programs * What steps and strategies Margaret recommends to organizations interested in helping women advance, and why co-mentoring is key * Why “checking the Women box” isn’t enough, and why companies need to consider the opportunities women in marginalized racial groups have for advancement * Why the question “what do you want, and why don’t you have it now?” is a powerful and career-defining question to ask
Additional resources: * Website: www.margaretspence.com * Website: https://employeetoceoproject.com/ * Leadership Self-Transformation by Margaret Spence: https://amzn.to/2DfAcKi * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/margaretspence/ * Twitter: @margaretspence
Eric Kussin is an 18-year pro sports executive who has worked at the NBA league office, the Chicago Sky & Bulls, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Devils, & Florida Panthers. Eric was fortunate enough to find a higher calling after an intense mental health battle. A little over a year ago, he formed a global alliance of athletes and celebrities, along with expert practitioners: The Global Mental Health Alliance. Its members know that life affects all of us, no matter our background or status, and that mental health exists on a continuum, as opposed to sufferers vs. non-sufferers.
Together, they are using platforms and consistent messaging to change the narrative around the world, educate the masses, implement much-needed programs on the ground, and make it comfortable for everyone to ask for help when they need it. Their #SameHere Movement is a campaign that’s woven throughout their communication. It’s a sign language gesture that can be used universally in the context of the mental health world to mean: same here, I too struggle with some of life’s inevitable challenges. We’re in this together.
Eric travels around the country and the world, presenting to audiences everywhere from athletes at Michigan to USC, to First Responders in Vancouver, to the Clippers & the Cavaliers, to CNBC to NYU Langone Hospital.
Eric holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell’s Dyson School of Business, Marketing & Management, and “keeps his foot in sports, consulting for a number of professional sports teams and leagues.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Eric came to his role in promoting mental health awareness and education after his own two-and-a-half year mental health crisis * Eric shares his powerful personal struggle with mental health issues and the remarkable amount of medications and treatments he tried with little success * How Eric realized that mental health is an issue that affects everyone, and why this profound realization and a desire to share his story became the foundation of his work * What mental health misconceptions Eric has seen in his work, and why trauma is a universal experience * Why the commonly repeated statistic that “one in five people are mentally ill” is overly emphasized * Why “stop the stigma” campaigns can create an unhelpful divide between “mentally ill” and “mentally healthy” people * How and why Eric came up with the concepts behind his organization, including the slogan and logo “We Are All A Little Crazy” * What steps HR and diversity & inclusion practitioners can take to create a supportive workplace, and why an organization’s culture needs to change on a foundational level * Why business leaders’ willingness to share their own vulnerability and experiences is an important key to creating a positive workplace atmosphere * What steps and practices Eric teaches employers to help them better support their employees’ mental healt
Additional resources: * Website: https://weareallalittlecrazy.org/ * Instagram: @weareallalittlecrazy * Facebook: www.facebook.com/WeAreAllALittleCrazy/
Dr. Lynette Louise, aka The Brain Broad, has a doctorate in bioscience, holds two board certifications in Neurofeedback (BCIA, NTCB) and is working on her Ph.D. (and is now ABD) in Psychology, with a specialty in Psychophysiology at Saybrook University.
Lynette is an international mental health and parenting expert, specializing in autism. She is a speaker, author, performer, popular podcast host, neurofeedback & autism expert, and creator/host/therapist for the international reality series FIX IT IN FIVE with LYNETTE LOUISE aka THE BRAIN BROAD, now showing on The Autism Channel. She is also the single mother of eight now grown children; six were adopted and four were on the autism spectrum. Only one of her sons retains his label and remains dependent.
In 2003 Lynette Louise became the only professional from the Autism Treatment Center of America to be certified in two modalities: Option Process Mentor Counselor and Child Facilitator. Though she is experienced in many behavioral modalities training from The Autism Treatment Center shaped her approach the most. Lynette has been practicing the Option Process since 1997 and working with autism since 1983, when she first began adopting children. Having helped hundreds of adults and children with a combination of playroom, dialogue, and family dynamics counseling, in 2004 Lynette began using Neurofeedback as an additional therapeutic modality for healing the brain. Formerly of The Brain Injury Therapy Clinic in Westlake where she worked closely with Dr. Burke chief scientist for EEG Spectrum, Lynette has successfully helped clients with Bipolar Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Tourettes, Seizure Disorders ADHD, Depression, Addiction, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and Traumatic Brain Injury.
Lynette Louise is also a speaker for RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) and does important talks on topics such as sexual abuse, domestic violence, and the effects of abuse on mental health. Her popular college topic, Getting Beyond Your Sexual History and Raising Your Relationship IQ – A Look at Tend and Befriend, teaches about the brain’s natural defense in abuse situations, the common mistake of victim-blaming and the relationship between the two. She then offers tools and simple tips for changing the story and staying safe.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Lynette was motivated to begin working with and specializing in autism after she adopted children who were on the autism spectrum * Why beginning her work with autism in the 1980s when few experts were even talking about autism offered new experiences and challenges to Lynette * What autism is, why it exists as a spectrum instead of a clear yes-or-no, and what common symptoms and traits exist in people on the autism spectrum * Why catering to common myths about autism can create and strengthen the challenges a person on the autism spectrum may experience in the workplace * How Lynette’s “four-to-one” strategy works, and how it can help with accessibility and comfort in the workplace for people on the autism spectrum * What perseveration is and why it specifically matters for people on the autism spectrum in the workplace when it comes to the tasks they are asked to complete * Why there are multiple factors that can make eye contact and communication difficult for people on the autism spectrum * Why it is vitally important to view people on the autism spectrum individually rather than as a group
Additional resources: * Website: www.lynettelouise.com * Website: www.brainbody.net * MIRACLES ARE MADE: A Real-Life Guide to Autism by Dr. Lynette Louise: https://amzn.to/2ORzR7Q * Twitter: @lynettelouise * Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebrainbroad/ * Instagram: @the_brain_broad * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lynette-louise-the-brain-broad-4aa8291/
For over three decades, Sara Taylor has been helping organizations and the individuals within them to be more effective and inclusive through her engaging diversity and inclusion trainings, comprehensive leadership development programs and innovative cultural competence frameworks.
Since 2002, as the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting, she has worked with HR managers, chief diversity officers, and high-level executives at 3M Company, AARP, Cleveland Foundation, Coca-Cola, Marriott International, General Mills, United Way Worldwide National Credit Union Administration, Ingersol-Rand, Seagate Technologies, Thompson Reuters Thrivent Financial, and many others.
She is the author of a new book, Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World, that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why little-t “traumas” have physical and mental effects on our us that are similar to big-T “Traumas” * Sara relates the story of a comparatively minor trauma she experienced as a child growing up on a farm, and the lasting fear it created that she experiences to this day * How our sympathetic nervous systems draw energy from other biological systems to activate the “fight or flight” response * How repeated first- and second-hand exposures to racial trauma can create lasting health and economic struggles for the people affected * How epigenetic modifications of gene sequences in our DNA can create trauma responses not just in those who experience them, but in their children and grandchildren as well * Sara shares real-world examples of traumas creating an intergenerational response that affected the children of people experiencing those traumas * Sara provides details of a fascinating experiment of how mice began relating a certain smell to traumas that happened to their parents and grandparents * Why our response to trauma is intended to help us avoid and escape danger, and how that relates to experiencing trauma in the workplace
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com * Twitter: @deepseesara
Phyllis Braxton-Frierson is the CEO and Founder of PINK Consulting, LLC and The PINK Brand. She has been in the DEI field for nearly 20 years. Phyllis is a native of Moss Point, Mississippi and has resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the last 24 years. She is the daughter of Viola, mother to Ivy Zaire and wife to Marcus Frierson III.
PINK Consulting provides trauma-informed counseling, intercultural assessment, training and development, personal and professional coaching, keynote and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations nationwide.
Prior to starting PINK Consulting LLC 13 years ago, Phyllis worked for several organizations and educational institutions. She was an adjunct professor teaching graduate-level courses in diversity; received her master’s degree at the University of Minnesota, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Ga. Phyllis served as Co-Director and team leader for Minnesota S.E.E.D. (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The hard work that went into getting to where Phyllis is today * Why dealing with trauma is so foundational to functioning in work and life * The different kinds of trauma and the nuances that separate them * The biological mechanisms associated with trauma and how it looks in the workplace * Why companies often recruit for diversity but are really onboarding for assimilation * Making the workplace emotionally safe for victims of vicarious trauma * Historical trauma and how it passes through our tissues and DNA
Additional resources: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PhyllisAkaShowtime * Website: https://pinkconsultingllc.com/ * Phone: (763)-301-5119
Mita Mallick is a corporate change maker who believes businesses have a responsibility to make social impact.
As the Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Marketing at Unilever, Mita’s efforts to build an inclusive culture are being celebrated. Under her leadership, Unilever is gender-balanced at the manager level and above. Unilever was named the #1 Company for Working Mothers by Working Mother Media in 2018. She also co-created the first of its kind Cultural Immersions series to increase the cultural competency of marketers training over 4,000 marketers to date.
Mita has also had an extensive career in the beauty and consumer products goods space. Mita is a passionate storyteller who believes in the power of diversity to transform businesses and brands. She was one of the chief lieutenants in launching The Vaseline Healing Project in the U.S., signing award-winning actress & activist Viola Davis as the brand’s ambassador.
Mita was named a Working Mother of the Year by She Runs It (formerly Advertising Women of New York) and a Valiente Award Finalist at SXSW for her inspiring work in 2019. She received the Inaugural Diversity Innovator Award from the National Association for Female Executives in 2018 and was on the “50 People Under 40 Shaking Up Beauty” Youthquake List by Women’s Wear Daily 2017.
Mita has a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Duke University.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How working at Unilever – and her family background – helped Mita discover her purpose * What Mita’s background in marketing has done to contribute to her work with diversity, equity, and inclusion * The qualities and knowledge marketing professionals need to be leaders in the modern workplace * The importance of examining intent and impact from a marketing perspective * Understanding backgrounds and how cultural competencies affect marketing * What Unilever’s brand campaigns have done to draw attention to diversity and inclusion * How Unilever is fighting stigmas around a variety of issues and helping their employees * Mita’s advice for practitioners just starting out in diversity, equity, and inclusion
Additional resources: * Email: mita.mallick@unilever.com * Website: https://www.unilever.com/
“As a white male, I lived privilege without noticing it — I never had to. But adopting my daughter and traveling to her home country to do so opened my eyes to the reality of the world and began my diversity journey. That was 30 some years ago. By strange turns of fate, I now run one of the largest diversity, equity, and inclusion conferences in the world. My journey of self-discovery became my occupation, but discovery of my privilege has never stopped.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- The impact that adopting his daughter from Honduras had on Steven’s worldview
- Steven’s perspectives on privilege and how his experiences inform them
- The development and mission of the Forum on Workplace Inclusion
- The process by which the Forum curates content for its conference
- What corporations need to be doing to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Why multinational companies need to be acknowledging all of their cultures – not just the American one
- How organizations can help employees cope with the tragedies facing the world nearly every week
- What we need to be doing to bend the arc of the moral universe toward real justice
Additional resources:
- Email: sehumerickho@stthomas.edu
- Website: https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJH2AMvV76o50ik3yEIr9tg
For over three decades, Sara Taylor has been helping organizations and the individuals within them to be more effective and inclusive through her engaging diversity and inclusion trainings, comprehensive leadership development programs and innovative cultural competence frameworks.
Since 2002, as the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting, she has worked with HR managers, chief diversity officers, and high-level executives at 3M Company, AARP, Cleveland Foundation, Coca-Cola, Marriott International, General Mills, United Way Worldwide National Credit Union Administration, Ingersol-Rand, Seagate Technologies, Thompson Reuters Thrivent Financial, and many others.
She is the author of a new book, Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World, that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- The difference between an “up” and a “down”
- Why ups don’t have to interact with downs, but downs have to interact with ups
- How easy it is to be blind to one’s “upness” and others’ “downness”
- The systems that support inequities between ups and downs
- Why three ups meeting is a board meeting, but three downs meeting is pre-revolutionary activity
- How being up can make people stupid and how ups try to remedy this
- The fact that we’re all have situations of both upness and downess
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- The widespread negative impact of political polarization in people’s business and family lives
- Extreme trends in polarization and violence that reflect the current reality of our political and cultural spheres
- What cultural competence is and the five stages of it (and how wine is a great metaphor for this)
- The “my team vs. your team” mentality that we all need to break out of to foster a better workplace
- How hyperpolarization turns everyone against each other, including people who share the same ideologies
- Moving conversations in the workplace forward from polarization using minimization and common ground
- Fighting the fear that underlies various problems and divisions in people’s personal and professional lives
- Best practices for addressing hyperpolarization among employees and how to approach specific scenarios with the right perspective
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.
Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- What micro-inequities are and where they come from
- Examples of micro-inequities that people may experience on a daily basis, including Sara’s own examples
- The innocent, “hand slap” nature of micro-inequities and why that makes them that much more dangerous
- “Stupid question syndrome” and its impact on others
- The intent vs. impact dichotomy and how to reframe your perspective on interactions with others
- How to stop, slow down one’s thoughts, and reevaluate what you want to say and why you want to say it
- What your organization can do to address micro-inequities and create an inclusive, safe work environment
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara
Colette Campbell is the Director of Talent Acquisition, Diversity and Inclusion for Bremer Bank. Prior to joining Bremer, Colette served as faculty in the disciplines of Business, Human Resources and Human Development. Thirteen years ago, she started a consulting firm that provided coaching, training, and consulting services for many years. She has become known for her dynamic ability to help others create powerful shifts in their own thinking and behavior. Others find her to be enthusiastic, thought-provoking, and innovative in her unique approach to creating significant breakthroughs. She is an expert at finding the strengths within the differences between people and leveraging them to achieve remarkable outcomes.
Colette holds degrees in religious studies and counseling, as well as management and leadership and human development. She was raised in Canada by Jamaican-born parents and has lived and/or taught on almost every continent in the world, providing her with a rich world perspective. In 2015, her family moved to Guatemala for a year and if you are a fan of HGTV, she was on an episode of House Hunters International. She lives in St Paul with her husband, three kids, and pet bird.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Colette’s childhood as an immigrant to Canada influenced her interest in and understanding of diversity and inclusion
- Why Colette chose to pursue her first Bachelor’s degree in Religious Education and Counselling Studies
- How Colette came to teach GED-equivalent courses and ESL, and why she chose to move to Korea for four years
- How traveling all over the world as a black woman informed her work in diversity and inclusion, and why curiosity is a key component of her work
- How Bremer bank has recently done a brand relaunch to showcase the bank’s historical background and its founder’s immigrant history
- What advice Colette would offer to people who are just starting out in diversity and inclusion work
- Why finding great partners and getting involved in groups with others who are doing diversity and inclusion work can be a powerful resource
How to connect with Colette Campbell:
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/colette-campbell-673bb07/
Shamayne Braman was born in Guyana and immigrated to the United States with her mom and extended family when she was four years old. She lived in an urban center, just outside of Newark New Jersey, where the educational outcomes for students in the school district were bleak.
In 6th grade, Shamayne earned a full scholarship to a prestigious private school three towns away, where the communities, teachers, and students differed from me racially and socio-economically. That same year, her mother suffered a massive stroke. The combination of these events at the same time in her life shaped her understanding of inequity as well as a racial and cultural difference. It also taught her two important skills how to maintain her authenticity among very different social contexts and how to keep pushing when faced with an extreme challenge in her case keeping up her grades while watching her mother lose her ability to speak, write, walk, and otherwise live the healthy normal life that shed lived previously.
After graduation, Shamayne attended Princeton University where she fell in love with education and social justice and went on to pursue her Masters in education policy and management at Harvard University. Shamayne then joined Teach for America where she returned to the community that she grew up in and spent a few years in the classroom. These were formative professional years for me, where she determined the kind of leader she wanted to be and her commitment to equity solidified. During this time, she met her husband, an educator and school administrator also committed to social justice but with a desire to become a social entrepreneur.
The year that she married, they moved to the Twin Cities where he grew up and he started his own real estate business which in addition to residential sales also focuses on reducing housing inequity in the community. She too decided to embark on a new adventure and transitioned from the classroom to Diversity and Inclusion work, in healthcare. It felt paradoxical for her, given the experience that her mother had in the healthcare system as a black woman for Shamayne to work for a hospital system.
Each day, Shamayne works to ensure that every patient, member, and colleague not only feel welcomed included and valued when they walk through their doors but that regardless of identity (race, LGBTQ+ identity, socioeconomic status or any other factor), their patients and members get equitable access to quality care and service and help them live happy and healthy lives.
Through her work, Shamayne had the opportunity to study at Harvard through the Young American Leaders Program, focusing on cross-sector collaboration to create shared prosperity in their communities. She has been fortunate to be named one of Minneapolis St. Pauls 40 Under 40 Honorees and I'm humbled by the recognition. Shamayne has had the opportunity to serve on boards that advance issues she passionate about including OutFront MNs commitment to LGBTQ people, AchieveMpls advancement of opportunities for Minneapolis Youth, and One Heartlands determination to improve the lives of marginalized young people through summer programming.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Shamayne’s first introduction to the idea that inequalities exist and how to navigate and engage within the different communities helped her become more self-aware
- How America Corps showed her the inequalities that existed in her community, particularity with children and families of color
- What health disparities and how it relates to healthcare
- Why people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community experience worse health outcomes than those who identify as white or those who are not racially diverse
- Examples of health disparities between women of color compared to women who are white
- An overview of the work that Shamayne is doing at HealthPartners as it relates to making sure that everyone receives the best quality care as possible
- The unexplored consequences of not being an inclusive environment from a health equity and diversity inclusion perspective and ways HealthPartners is addressing them through collecting data
- How having data on those whose English was not their first language has helped HealthPartners become more inclusive and create an opportunity for them to participate more in therapy
- The top three things that Shamayne advises practitioners wanting to move into diversity and inclusion work specifically in healthcare can do
Additional resources:
- Twitter: @ShamayneBraman
- Website: healthpartners.com
Sara Taylor is the president and founder of deepSEE Consulting. She is a nationally-recognized speaker and consultant specializing in the areas of leadership, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. With over 25-years of experience, Sara balances her real-life anecdotes with research-based theories to deliver for her reader what she delivers for her clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- Sara shares an activity she uses to help people better understand feelings of inclusion and marginalization
- Sara shares a specific example from her own career of feeling like a valued part of a group and knowing that she mattered
- Sara also describes a particular personal example of having felt marginalized and not being heard by a group
- What negative workplace situations can be created by feelings of marginalization, and common reactions marginalized people often feel when being confronted by exclusion
- Why people who feel that they matter and are being included will often work even harder and go above and beyond
- Why people who feel marginalized will often give less than their full potential or even leave the organization entirely
- Why the positive effects of inclusion and the negative effects of marginalization affect everyone within an organization, even dominant groups
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepSEEconsulting.com
Tweets:
- What is inclusion and why should it matter to you? On this episode of What’s the Difference, I show why inclusion or marginalization affects everyone: http://bit.ly/2R7JJcp
- On this episode of the podcast I share personal stories of feeling included and feeling marginalized, and I discuss why both matter: http://bit.ly/2R7JJcp
- Have you ever felt like your good ideas were being ignored and you weren’t being heard? That’s marginalization. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2R7JJcp
- Marginalized team members feel less engaged and often feel pushed out. That’s why inclusion matters to everyone. Listen: http://bit.ly/2R7JJcp
- Even if you aren’t a part of a minority group, you should still care a great deal about inclusion in your workplace. Find out why: http://bit.ly/2R7JJcp
Dr. Rohini Anand is Global Chief Diversity Officer for Sodexo, responsible for the strategic direction, implementation, and alignment of Sodexo's integrated global diversity and inclusion initiatives, as well as Sodexo's corporate social responsibility and wellness strategies.
Under Dr. Anand’s leadership, Sodexo received the prestigious 2012 Catalyst Award and has ranked in the top ten for nine consecutive years on the DiversityInc business index of Top Companies for Diversity and Inclusion. In addition, The Human Rights Campaign has given Sodexo a 100 percent rating on its Corporate Equality Index for nine years and Sodexo was named Global Sustainability Industry Leader in its sector for the 13th year in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). Additionally, Sodexo has been ranked as the top-scoring company in its sector for its excellent sustainability performance in the benchmark RobecoSAM ‘Sustainability Yearbook 2017’ for ten consecutive years. Today, the Sodexo brand is synonymous with diversity, sustainability, and wellness leadership. Sodexo’s remarkable global culture change, led by diversity and inclusion, is featured in a Harvard Business School case study entitled Shifting the Diversity Climate: the Sodexo Solution as well as profiled in several books on global diversity and inclusion.
Dr. Anand received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. She chairs the Catalyst Board of Advisors and serves on the boards of several organizations including the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), Community Wealth Partners, the National Organization on Disabilities (NOD) and Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation. She also serves on the Charter Communications External Diversity and Inclusion Council.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How moving to the United States after growing up in India showed Rohini how it feels to be a part of a minority group for the first time
- How transitioning from being a consultant to working for a single company at Sodexo was a powerful opportunity for her
- How Sodexo is a giant worldwide organization as well as a global leader in diversity and inclusion
- How Sodexo managers are held accountable for inclusivity behaviors by linking a portion of their bonus pay to inclusivity metrics
- What specific measures are found on the inclusivity scorecards at Sodexo, and why it goes beyond checking off boxes
- What kind of backlash Sodexo initially saw when tracking inclusivity practices and linking them to bonuses, and how adding the right metrics made a difference
- What advice Rohini would offer to organizations who don't have the ability to link inclusivity metrics to bonuses
- How Sodexo has done studies that determined that more diverse teams are more productive and effective than less diverse teams
- Why cultural competence is a vital component for Sodexo, especially as a global company, and why trust and respect between teams across borders is key
- How Rohini keeps everyone engaged in inclusivity and diversity work, and why ingraining it into the organization's culture is vital
- Why global populism is causing a regression in diversity and inclusion around the world, and why corporations rather than governments will lead the charge for change
- What advice Rohini would offer to people who are new to diversity and inclusion work, and why partnerships and allies are key
Additional resources:
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rohinianand/
Mark E. Fowler is responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of Tanenbaum’s programmatic trainings. Mark has been involved in New York City’s education community for over 20 years and is a skilled facilitator/trainer who worked with teachers, counselors, administrators, and students at the Anti-Defamation League on prejudice reduction, conflict resolution, and reducing bias and bullying. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator who has addressed organizations throughout New York on issues of equality in race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. He earned a B.A. in English and Education at Duke University and was trained as a Mediation and Conflict Resolution Specialist with the NYC Department of Education. Mark also is a graduate of the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and is an ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual minister.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Mark’s career journey led him to work at the Tanenbaum Center, and how he joined the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary
- Why Tanenbaum's mission is to promote religious tolerance and help eliminate religious prejudice, and how that work especially matters in the workplace
- How Tanenbaum is a secular and non-sectarian nonprofit with a long history of leading the forefront of religious diversity work
- What surprising findings Tanenbaum has discovered in their religious diversity research, and how information from their surveys has helped guide their work
- Why having clear processes for registering complaints around religious diversity issues can actually help with the retention of staff
- How Tanenbaum is partnering with companies to help improve their religious diversity to allow staff to believe and practice their faith or non-faith freely
- What factors have contributed to a drastic increase in hate crimes in recent years compared to in previous decades
- Why the effects of hate crimes expand far beyond their victims and touch the lives of everyone the victim is connected to, and why no religious faith is immune to violence
- Why education is the key to combating extremism, and how Tanenbaum is working to improve public education with free resources
- Why it is important to understand not just why hate happens and how people become indoctrinated into hate but to understand what strategies are effectively bringing people out of that life
- Why understanding your own biases and limits around religious diversity is critical to working in diversity and inclusion
Additional resources:
- Tanenbaum Center Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TanenbaumCenter/
- Tanenbaum Center Twitter: https://twitter.com/TanenbaumCenter
- Tanenbaum Center LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/company/tanenbaum-center/
- Mark Fowler's LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fowler-9468b36/
- Mark Fowler’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/revmarkfowler
- Tanenbaum workplace resources: www.tanenbaum.org/workplace
- Tanenbaum resources website: www.tanenbaum.org/combatingextremism
- Anti-Defamation League H.E.A.T. Map tool:
-
- https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resource-knowledge-base/adl-heat-map
Mark E. Fowler is responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of Tanenbaum’s programmatic trainings. Mark has been involved in New York City’s education community for over 20 years and is a skilled facilitator/trainer who worked with teachers, counselors, administrators, and students at the Anti-Defamation League on prejudice reduction, conflict resolution, and reducing bias and bullying. He is a sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator who has addressed organizations throughout New York on issues of equality in race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion. He earned a B.A. in English and Education at Duke University and was trained as a Mediation and Conflict Resolution Specialist with the NYC Department of Education. Mark also is a graduate of the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and is an ordained Interfaith/Interspiritual minister.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Mark’s career journey led him to work at the Tanenbaum Center, and how he joined the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary
- Why Tanenbaum's mission is to promote religious tolerance and help eliminate religious prejudice, and how that work especially matters in the workplace
- How Tanenbaum is a secular and non-sectarian nonprofit with a long history of leading the forefront of religious diversity work
- What surprising findings Tanenbaum has discovered in their religious diversity research, and how information from their surveys has helped guide their work
- Why having clear processes for registering complaints around religious diversity issues can actually help with the retention of staff
- How Tanenbaum is partnering with companies to help improve their religious diversity to allow staff to believe and practice their faith or non-faith freely
- What factors have contributed to a drastic increase in hate crimes in recent years compared to in previous decades
- Why the effects of hate crimes expand far beyond their victims and touch the lives of everyone the victim is connected to, and why no religious faith is immune to violence
- Why education is the key to combating extremism, and how Tanenbaum is working to improve public education with free resources
- Why it is important to understand not just why hate happens and how people become indoctrinated into hate but to understand what strategies are effectively bringing people out of that life
- Why understanding your own biases and limits around religious diversity is critical to working in diversity and inclusion
Additional resources:
- Tanenbaum Center Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TanenbaumCenter/
- Tanenbaum Center Twitter: https://twitter.com/TanenbaumCenter
- Tanenbaum Center LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/company/tanenbaum-center/
- Mark Fowler's LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fowler-9468b36/
- Mark Fowler’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/revmarkfowler
- Tanenbaum workplace resources: www.tanenbaum.org/workplace
- Tanenbaum resources website: www.tanenbaum.org/combatingextremism
- Anti-Defamation League H.E.A.T. Map tool:
-
- https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resource-knowledge-base/adl-heat-map
Matthew Hanzlik is a diversity and inclusion leader at Nielsen, the global data and measurement company best known for the Nielsen TV Ratings. At Nielsen, he is focused on ensuring talent practices are inclusive, equitable, and enable all of Nielsen’s global associates to achieve their full potential. His approach to my work and volunteerism is inspired by Oscar Wilde's quote "Be yourself, because everyone else is taken."
He is recognized by Business Equality Network as a Top 40 LGTBQ Leader Under 40. He serves as an emeritus board member for the Parkinson Foundation Minnesota Chapter.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Matt began working in diversity and inclusion, and what role he fulfills as Nielsen's Program Director for Diversity & Inclusion
- How a part of Matt's role at Nielsen is to work in leadership development in their Diverse Leadership Network at a global level
- How Nielsen's leadership development program has been able to show clear results, with almost 50% of the 2014 graduates now in VP or General Manager positions
- How leadership development participants, their direct managers, and a senior executive with the company all work together to develop and grow their careers
- How cultural competence is a part of the Nielsen leadership development program in a two-pronged manner
- Why Nielsen refers to the relationship between a senior executive and a leadership development student as a "coaching" relationship rather than co-mentoring
- What challenges Matt has faced working in the diversity and inclusion space on a global level, and how the global level is very different than work here in the U.S.
- How diversity and inclusion are vital to Nielsen both internally as well as to the consumer data they collect globally
- Why Nielsen CEO David Kenny wrote a New York Times op-ed called "A C.E.O.'s Plea: Don't Mess With the Census" in opposition to efforts to ask about citizenship on the 2020 US Census
- What advice Matt would offer to a new practitioner just starting out in the field of diversity and inclusion work
Additional resources:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthanzlik/
- Nielsen's Return to Sender: How Big Data Alone Can Be Biased and Unrepresentative article: https://bit.ly/2Q8xiNh
- Nielsen CEO David Kenny's New York Times op-ed A C.E.O.'s Plea: Don't Mess With the Census: https://nyti.ms/30mjwes
Sara Taylor is the president and founder of deepSEE Consulting. She is a nationally-recognized speaker and consultant specializing in the areas of leadership, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. With over 25-years of experience, Sara balances her real-life anecdotes with research-based theories to deliver for her reader what she delivers for her clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why a single study claiming that diversity training doesn’t work is not representative of reality * Why people wouldn’t pay much heed to a headline claiming “math education doesn’t work”, and why the same should be true for diversity training * Sara reads a news article, but she swaps the words “diversity training” for “math education” to prove how biased the article is * Why a one-off training seminar on diversity doesn’t bring many benefits, and why the true solution is a long-term systemic approach * Why organizations need to invest the time and resources into diversity and inclusion training that works, now more than ever * Why perpetuating negative stereotypes about diversity training in a time when it is most needed is irresponsible
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
Sara Taylor is the president and founder of deepSEE Consulting. She is a nationally-recognized speaker and consultant specializing in the areas of leadership, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. With over 25-years of experience, Sara balances her real-life anecdotes with research-based theories to deliver for her reader what she delivers for her clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why people often have the misconception that diversity creates negative things like fear, chaos or conflict, or positive things like new opportunities and innovation * Why the reality is that diversity creates nothing, and why diversity is neither inherently positive or negative * Why the ability to see and respond to diversity is what creates positive or negative outcomes, not the diversity itself * Sara shares how her own diverse family relates to the concept of diversity, and she shows how people can view diversity differently * How cultural competence is what ultimately determines the answer to the question “what does diversity create?”
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
Juliette Francis joined the Science Museum’s senior leadership team in November 2013. She brings experience in employee relations, workforce planning, compensation and benefit management, and training and development to her position overseeing the museum’s service to both its paid staff and its expansive volunteer corps.
Juliette comes to the Science Museum from College Possible, a national nonprofit headquartered in Saint Paul that provides low-income students with an intensive curriculum of coaching and support to help them earn college admission and college degrees. As Director of Human Resources and Operations, Francis oversaw the organization’s HR, new site operations, and technology functions. Her professional experience also includes human resources work at Girls Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys and Fury Motors.
Juliette has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She has been actively involved in the Saint Paul Winter Carnival for more than 13 years, and she sits on the Business Programs Advisory Board at Inver Hills Community College.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Juliette got involved in diversity and inclusion work, and how she brings it to her role in human resources at the Science Museum of Minnesota * Why it can be challenging to admit that you don’t have all the answers, and why pushing yourself into an uncomfortable space is key to your own growth * Why it is necessary to be aware of yourself and avoid misusing your power and authority in your role * How the Science Museum of Minnesota is considered to be one of the premiere museums of its kind in the country * How a science museum can be an ideal place to explore the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion * Why there is still a great deal of work to do to make science more accessible to everyone, and what programs the Science Museum of Minnesota has to promote science * Why the Science Museum of Minnesota considers it vitally important to create a culturally competent and inclusive workplace * Why we have all been conditioned to look for similarities in ourselves and others, and why understanding the differences is important, valuable work * What advice Juliette would offer to anyone wanting to pursue diversity and inclusion work in their own roles
Additional resources: * Website: www.smm.org
Rosemarie Merrigan has 35+ years of experience working in non-profits and government sectors. Rosemarie has two distinct areas of expertise and experience in her career. One area is direct practice in various therapy and mediation settings. The second is on a macro level, providing diversity and inclusion as well as organizational development consultation, supervision, leadership development, administration, and training. She has been responsible for the development, implementation, and sustainability of a state agency’s Diversity and Inclusion Unified Strategic Work Plan. Rosemarie is also an adjunct at Augsburg University in the Masters of Social Work Multicultural Marco Practice Program. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Rosemarie got involved in the field of diversity and inclusion work gradually over the course of her career * Why the book Ethnicity and Family Therapy, edited by Monica McGoldrick, is a valuable resource for understanding ethnic backgrounds * Why cultural competence work is worthwhile to Rosemarie, and why diversity work is critical at the Minnesota Department of Transportation * How Rosemarie defines organizational development, and how change is a core component of organizational development * Why change must be a structural part of an organization to ensure that it takes effect and becomes integrated into the culture * Why individual development is an important component of change, just as organizational development is * Why Rosemarie believes self-awareness and humility are important components of her work in diversity and inclusion * How cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion are important both in the public sector and in private for-profit organizations * What qualities a leader should have to fully support diversity and inclusion work, and why it matters that leaders are supportive of the work * Why developing cultural competency can help the organization itself by improving morale and productivity
Additional resources: * Ethnicity and Family Therapy edited by Monica McGoldrick: https://amzn.to/2Isst0b * Website: www.dot.state.mn.us/equity-diversity/index.html
Sara Taylor is the president and founder of deepSEE Consulting. She is a nationally-recognized speaker and consultant specializing in the areas of leadership, diversity, and organizational effectiveness. With over 25-years of experience, Sara balances her real-life anecdotes with research-based theories to deliver for her reader what she delivers for her clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Sara Taylor and her team at DeepSEE Consulting define diversity as “differences that make a difference” * How organizations have historically defined diversity using lists of protected-class groups, and why that approach isn’t sufficient anymore * Why not all of our differences matter in the workplace, and why including everything under the heading of diversity is counterproductive * Sara shares a story that illustrates how religion can be the difference that makes a difference * How the tensions between Catholic and Lutheran families caused problems within community interactions when Sara was young * How four years in the Peace Corps led Sara to the Dominican Republic, where she met her husband and became a member of a diverse family * Why the primary role of a business leader is to set the members of their team up for success * Why the skill of cultural competence is a foundational skill that allows us to adapt to changes * Why the difference that makes a difference can change depending upon the context of the situation you are in
Additional resources: * Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
From Blow Pops to Forbes’ Best Small Companies: Rob Dube started selling Blow Pops out of his locker in high school and is now President and co-founder of imageOne, which was ranked on the 2017 list of Forbes Small Giants: America’s Best Small Companies.
Throughout Rob’s 27 years of experience, he has developed an unwavering passion for delivering extraordinary experiences that positively impact the lives of his team members, the goals of their customers, and the fabric of the community. This unique approach to business has driven the company to success in its industry and acknowledgment as a top workplace. imageOne is the leading organization in Document Lifecycle Management and is well-known as an exceptional company, receiving local and national recognition for its strong focus on culture.
Rob is an avid meditator of 13 years, the author of donothing: the most rewarding leadership challenge you will ever take, and founder/organizer of the donothing Leadership Silent Retreat. In addition to his book, he is a contributor to Forbes, Thrive Global, and EO Octane.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How an experience in college taught Rob the importance of culture, diversity, and extraordinary customer experience * Why Rob believes a strong culture and a diverse team are important to delivering an extraordinary experience * How Rob has built a reputation for creating and driving exceptional culture within his businesses * How Rob sold his company and then realized that the culture of the new ownership wasn’t a match, and why he repurchased his company * How Rob and his partner came to define their purpose as “delivering the X” to everyone, every day, every time * How reading Small Giants by Bo Burlingham changed the way Rob views business leadership and growth * How an experience while researching for his book, Do Nothing, taught Rob the importance of understanding and getting to know your team * What advice Rob would offer to any business leader starting off on a path of diversity and inclusion * What resources Rob recommends as valuable assets for building a strong and vibrant business culture
How to connect with Rob Dube: * Website: www.donothingbook.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robdube/ * Twitter: @robddube * Facebook: www.facebook.com/rob.dube.1 * Instagram: www.instagram.com/robddube/
Additional resources: * Small Giants by Bo Burlingham: https://amzn.to/2Ufbpkz * Traction by Gino Wickman: https://amzn.to/2CSIKXV * The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham: https://amzn.to/2FV9vN2 * Website: www.smallgiants.org * Website: www.zingtrain.com
Paul Spiegelman is the co-founder of the Small Giants Community, a peer-group of purpose-driven business leaders. He is the former chief culture officer of Stericycle, the co-founder and former CEO of BerylHealth and the founder and chairman of The Beryl Institute.
Paul is a New York Times best-selling author and has been honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.
Paul is a sought-after speaker and author on leadership, employee engagement, entrepreneurship, culture, and leading a purpose-driven life. He has made many radios and TV appearances and his views have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine and he is currently a columnist for Forbes.com.
Paul practiced law for two years prior to starting BerylHealth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern University.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Paul became aware that culture and engagement were important to a successful organization * Why creating a powerful culture helped grow Paul’s business and allowed him to hire great employees * How Paul demonstrates the importance of culture to the leadership he works with * How Paul uses indicators like the link between employee and customer satisfaction to show a tangible return on investment * Why it’s sometimes difficult to overcome the “command and control” leadership style ingrained in many companies * Why the mission, vision and values of an organization need to go beyond a plaque on the wall and become a commitment * How having an atmosphere of fun in the workplace can benefit the culture of the organization * Why an organization should have a caring attitude toward its employees and community * Why Paul believes that every employee wants purpose, appreciation, and the opportunity to learn and grow * How to benefit your own organization’s culture by assessing where it is now and being honest about where you want it to go
How to contact Paul Spiegelman: * Website: www.paulspiegelman.com * Website: www.smallgiants.org
Yolánda L. Chase, SHRM-SCP, CPM, CM serves as Director, Work(place) Forward – Global Inclusion & Diversity for Arrow Electronics. Chase joined the company in 2015 and is responsible for developing then driving inclusive workplace and employee experience strategies across the enterprise. She is also focused on ensuring that diversity and inclusion is positioned as a key business imperative as Chair of Arrow’s Global Inclusion & Diversity Council.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Yolanda got involved in diversity and inclusion through her long career in human resources and organizational development * Why Yolanda became a consultant and ultimately took a role in diversity and inclusion with Fortune 500 company Arrow Electronics * Why Yolanda’s experience in organizational development and her background as a paralegal have been helpful in her current role * Why organizational development works hand-in-hand with diversity and inclusion to help make organizations become more effective * How support and buy-in for workplace diversity and inclusion from Arrow Electronics’ leadership has helped Yolanda achieve her goals * How diversity and inclusion work differs when working for a global organization like Arrow Electronics, and why region-specific nuance is important * How diversity work has shifted and expanded over time, and what trends Yolanda recognizes in diversity work in the internet age * Why diversity and inclusion is critically important in an age of machine learning and AI, and why it presents unique challenges * Why kindness, compassion, and self-care are vitally important when doing diversity and inclusion work
Additional resources: * Website: www.linkedin.com/in/ychase/
Mette McLoughlin is a HR executive who most recently served as the senior vice president of human resources and chief human resources officer at American Public Media Group (APMG). She was with APMG for over 14 years. In the executive role, she led the human resources strategy, planning and implementation including all D, E & I efforts for all the APMG companies—American Public Media, Minnesota Public Radio, and Southern California Public Radio.
She was previously responsible for all programs and activities related to organizational culture and employee engagement, including performance communication programs, employee surveys, all compensation programs and learning and development opportunities for APMG staff.
Prior to APMG, she worked for the Hazelden Foundation as well as Lutheran Social Service of MN in HR management roles with primary responsibility for compensation & benefits, performance communication, and payroll services. Mette and her family live in South Minneapolis.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Mette found her way into the HR industry “by accident”, and how she integrates cultural competency into her work * How doing diversity and inclusion work in public radio put Mette under more public scrutiny and pressure than usual * How diversity issues have changed the “right” way to tell an authentic story and maximize the media’s reach * Why Mette believes the media has a huge obligation and responsibility to be as neutral and objective as possible, despite the natural human bias * Why the definition of “media” includes diverse information channels like movies and commercials, as well as traditional news * How a change in reporting perspectives within the news media has helped push more extreme political views * What Sara learned from the experience of working in HR for American Public Media during the Garrison Keillor #MeToo accusations * Why Sara believes that the female-leaning HR field is in a difficult position during the era of #MeToo * How the Garrison Keillor episode helped make people feel empowered to come forward with their own experiences * What advice Mette would share with people new to diversity and inclusion work
Lisa Fain is the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence, and founder of Vista Coaching, the coaching division of the Center. Her passion for diversity and inclusion work is fueled by her strong conviction that leveraging differences creates a better workplace and drives better business results.
She has conducted mentoring training programs for corporate, government and educational institutions. Lisa coaches mentors, mentees and program administrators on how to achieve mentoring excellence and create the right environment for the achievement of career and personal goals. She is highly regarded for her special combination of knowledge, expertise, humor and a no-nonsense practical approach.
As Senior Director of the Diversity and Inclusion function at Outerwall, Inc. (the parent company to automated retail giants Redbox and Coinstar), Lisa spearheaded the development, establishment, and implementation of its diversity initiative, including launching the company’s first mentoring program for its Women’s Business Resource Group. Prior to that position, she worked as Outerwall’s in-house counsel, where she coached leaders and partnered with Human Resources to establish fair and effective policies and practices that would sustain the organization as it grew in size, revenue and renown.
Lisa practiced law with the Chicago office of a major multinational law firm and counseled employers on creating inclusive policies and practices. In addition, she served as a Master Trainer, training thousands of employees at a variety of companies, large and small, on how to create a better workplace. Certified as a mediator through Chicago’s Center for Conflict Resolution, Lisa applied her counseling skills to help clients understand and proactively prevent conflict.
Lisa holds a B.S. in Social Policy from Northwestern University and a JD degree from Northwestern University School of Law. Lisa is a Life Coach and has completed her certification from the International Coach Academy.
A native of Syracuse, NY, Lisa spent 17 years in Chicago and moved to Seattle, WA in 2014, with her husband and two daughters. She now spends as much time as she can hiking and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Lisa found her way into the field of diversity and inclusion and mentoring, and why she left her career in a legal firm * Why Lisa decided to bring diversity and inclusion work into her position at Coinstar/Redbox * Why Lisa believes mentoring is a powerful tool in diversity and inclusion work, and in what areas it is best suited for furthering that work * How Lisa works to train and certify future mentors in diversity, inclusion and cultural competency * Why mentoring should be a two-way relationship, and what lessons the mentor can learn from the mentee * Why Lisa doesn’t like the term “reverse mentoring”, and why all effective mentoring relationships are co-mentoring * Why building trust between participants is the key to developing successful mentoring relationships * What Lisa believes the future holds for the integration of cultural competency and mentorship training * Why non-dyadic mentoring (triads, circles and peer mentoring) are growing areas within the business world * What advice Lisa has for people new to diversity and inclusion and mentoring efforts * How Lisa and her mother are writing a book on cultural competency that will be released in 2020
How to contact Lisa Fain: * Website: www.centerformentoring.com * Twitter: @C4Mentoring * Facebook: www.facebook.com/CenterForMentoringExcellence * Email: lfain@centerformentoring.com
Yvette is an experienced Senior Leader Of Community and Government Relations with a demonstrated history of working in the utilities industry. She is also skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Coaching, Microsoft Word, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Event Management. Strong community and social services professional with a Bachelor of Science focused in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences from the University of Florida.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Yvette’s career journey brought her into the field of diversity and inclusion work * How Gainesville Regional Utilities works to strengthen their diversity and inclusion from the top leadership down * How the larger utility industry has traditionally failed to embrace diversity and inclusion, and how that’s changing * What challenges Yvette has faced in championing diversity and inclusion, and how she overcame them * Why a public agency like a utility should be reflective of the diversity in the community it serves * Why GRU wants to be a voice in the community, and why inclusion and equity are vitally important to that goal * What advice Yvette has for others working to improve their own organizations’ diversity and inclusion * Why it’s important to remember why you’re doing the diversity and inclusion work you’re doing * Why Yvette is passionate about the work she does, and why she believes it’s so important
How to contact Yvette Carter: * Email: cartersy@gru.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/syvette.carter * Instagram: www.instagram.com/wades_wife_/ * Twitter: @yvettecarter01
Aaron brings a great deal of energy and a necessary sense of humor to the discussion around difference. He comes from a background in education, having taught English and Theater to high school students in both inner-city and suburban schools. He has also worked with adults learning English at the Lehmann Center in Minneapolis, as well as in a variety of after-school programs serving academically struggling students. A certified Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Administrator, his training work has centered on issues of diversity, with a special focus on managing across differences. He has authored articles for diversity-centered websites and newsletters, including co-authoring a manager’s toolkit for dealing with religious diversity in the workplace and a half-day workshop on both leading and working across generational difference. He is also a certified Insights™ Discovery Licensed Practitioner. When not at work, Aaron can often be found fighting lightsaber battles with his three boys in the front yard of their Minneapolis, Minnesota home. He rarely wins.
What you’ll learn about in this episode:
- How Aaron's background in education eventually led him to work in the field of diversity and inclusion
- How an eye-opening experience with a student in Aaron's first semester as a teacher changed his perspective
- Why Aaron believes cultural competence is the "missing piece" in accepting diversity and promoting inclusion
- Why diversity is an incontrovertible fact of any modern organization, rather than a path to inclusion
- Why modern polarization has promoted people to more openly voice their frustrations with inclusion
- What the "five stages of cultural competence" are, and why progressing through them matters
- Aaron explains his "punch a Nazi syndrome" theory and how it relates to modern attitudes on diversity
- Why leaders set the standard for cultural competence that becomes reflected throughout the organization
- What individuals experience when moving from the first three stages of cultural competence to the later stages
- Why cultural competence builds upon itself and can lead to self-awareness and positive change