Three Components of Diversity and Inclusion Training

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Please feel free to contact me to discuss how I can provide customized and exciting diversity and inclusion training for your organization. Stan Kimer, 919-787-7315. Stan@
TotalEngagementConsulting.com


UPDATED DECEMBER, 2015: I published a new blog to go along with this one – CONTENT of Diversity and Inclusion Training where I provide a sample outline of the topics I typically include in a training session.


Also check out links to additional blogs and resources at the bottom.

I recently was asked to submit a bid to a Fortune 500 firm for design and delivery of a one-day diversity and inclusion workshop for middle managers. As I studied my past material and prepared my bid, I realized that successful diversity training needs to contain three major components that I call heart, mind and action.

First, leaders need to be inwardly and sincerely (in their hearts) be convinced of the importance of diversity and inclusion, and how critical it is to their enterprise’s success. Unless leaders internalize this topic and are truly committed and passionate, they may just half-heartedly go through diversity actions. Eventually this will show through in mediocre execution and performance. True commitment and passion will lead to excellence in execution.

Second, leaders need to be given the content knowledge that speaks to their minds. In addition to inward passion, the intelligent and analytical mind needs to be provided compelling logic, business case information, principles and useable tools. Basically content knowledge adds the structure around the base of passion and commitment. Link to my blog about the business case for diversity.

And third, any successful training must also end with a call to action where leaders put in place ongoing plans to apply what they have learned. So often one day workshops conclude and after a week or two everyone is back to the “same old, same old.” I recommend brief accountability sessions where trained managers document their execution and development plans around diversity, and then share in pairs or small groups for even 10 minutes once a quarter. Passion and knowledge combined with deliberate action will lead to the best results.

FINAL NOTE: It is important that all employees within an enterprise receive diversity and inclusion training. Co-workers are most often the frequent cause of employees not feeling welcomed and becoming unhappy at work, and most often it is the non-management employees on the front lines who interact with your diverse customers.

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Link here to request an e-mail copy of my workshop descriptions.

Additional blog links:

A blog about how Diversity has become a Key Strategic Business Initiative.

In “The Business Case for Diversity” I provide a financial model for calculating return on investment for diversity initiatives.

In “Part 3 – Considerations of Aging” I write about the impact of aging and generational diversity on the workforce.

In “The Various Growing Types of Diversity” I discuss emerging hot topics in the diversity field, which continues to evolve.

A blog about how I provided diversity training for a company after a negative incident, and how it was a win-win for all parties.

Career Management – Part 3: You own your career!

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In April I published Part 1 of this series about career road mapping, an innovative approach that I offer to corporations and professional societies using one page career maps of successful professionals within a targeted functional area as a way of providing career guidance and ideas to junior employees. Here is a link to that blog. Then last week I published Part 2, a blog on five career management principals. (Link to that blog). Now I would like to expand on one of those five concepts – that each person owns his or her own career.

Good companies will provide guidance, tools, education, career path possibilities and encouragement to their employees to assist with career growth and development. But ultimately, each individual needs to take full ownership and responsibility for his or her career. Only each individual knows deep within themselves what really excites them about their job and career and what they want to be doing. These are some of the questions each person needs to ask themselves as they plan their career:

• What is really important to me in my job? higher pay? Becoming an executive? Intellectually stimulating work? Better work / life flexibility? Enjoying the people I work with?
• What do I really excel at? How can I build on what I am best at to deliver business results and enhance my career?
• Do I enjoy being an expert of a certain function, or would I prefer to leave the details to others?
• Do I enjoy continual movement between roles and jobs and being challenged with new things?
• Do I like breaking new ground as an innovator, or do I work better in a familiar environment?
• Do I have interest in working in other countries, and does my personal situation support such a move?
• During my career, do I want to be a “people manager” or not?
• Do I thrive on executive interaction and exposure, or do I prefer “back room” analysis?
• Am I a “spreadsheet wizard” and love working with numbers, or do I prefer marketing and sales concepts and processes?
• Do I like to make presentations and explain things to people, even those in other countries or other functions?