A new offering – Effective Communication for Employee Resource Group (ERG) Leaders

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), often called Business Resource Groups, are employee led groups supported by company leadership around groups with common identities. The most popular groups are women, race and culture-based groups, LGBTQA, Veterans and People with Disabilities. Over the past few years ERG efforts have expanded into groups like Mental Health and Wellness, Parents / Caregivers, Environment Awareness and more.

ERGs ideally serve both the needs of employees and the organization around DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) initiatives. And as such they organize activities around leadership development, recruiting, community outreach, workplace culture and more.

Over the past few years, ERG support services has become one of the core areas of my DEI consulting practice, and the demand continues to grow. It’s one thing to launch an ERG, but it’s another to launch and run it successfully. I find it so fulfilling to help several of my clients launch their ERGs with an effective strategy and process, recruit and train ERG leaders, and establish best practices for their support. I also assist existing ERGs in growing and becoming more impactful.

I’m excited to share that in 2024, I am collaborating with Nina Irani Surya of UniqueSpeak Consulting, a communications expert, to design and offer communications skills training specifically for ERG leaders.

Effective communications is critical for ERG leaders working within their groups and with HR and senior leaders

Why is this so critical? Communication is one of the most pivotal make-or-break tools for ERG leaders. Successful ERG leaders need well-honed communication skills within their group as well as out to their organization’s senior and human resources leaders. First, ERG leaders need to inspire their members, who all join as volunteers, to be engaged and assist in the work. They need to lead collaborative teams and build consensus. Second, they need to communicate the needs of their constituents up and out to senior and HR leaders in a way that builds trust and gains results.

Topics in this exciting and interactive four-hour workshop will include:
· A review of effective ERG inclusive leadership
· Building skills of persuasion and building trust in relationships
· Communicating with your ERG members and leading people to action
· Communicating to executives and HR Leadership
· Additional key communication leadership skills such as active listening and addressing micro-aggressions
· Scenarios discussions and/or role plays – situations with ERG members, senior leaders and HR.

This workshop can be offered in person or virtually, and is a great follow up to the National Diversity Council’s ERG Academy.

You can download a brochure with a detailed curriculum and facilitator bios from my speaking package page, or you email me at [email protected] or call me at 919-787-7315 to request the brochure.

My 2022 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Trainings and Offerings

Doing what I love most on my 64th birthday – teaching a DiversityFIRST certification best practices session in Chicago (2019) prior to attending my 40th MBA class reunion.

This blog has lots of links to explore!

As we head into 2022, I thought it might be good to summarize in one of my blogs my growing portfolio of diversity consulting and training offerings.

Like the previous two years, I will continue to serve as the National Diversity Council’s Vice President of Training, where I facilitate several of their educational and certification offerings as well as serve as a consultant on staff; and I will also offer my services through my own consultancy, Total Engagement Consulting by Kimer.

Please contact me at any time to line me up to work with you in 2022, or with any questions about my National Diversity Council offerings.

My work with the National Diversity Council in 2022 will include:

• Continuing to serve on the faculty of the National Diversity Council’s intensive 5-day  DiversityFIRST™Certification Program, which prepares professionals to create and implement highly successful diversity and inclusion strategies. I will facilitate best practices in inclusive recruiting, diversity councils, employee resources groups and diversity awareness / training. The NDC plans to offer 14 virtual and 2 in-person sessions throughout 2022. You can view all the dates using this link and scrolling down.

• Facilitating our ERG Academy three times in 2022: February 15, May 17 and September 27. The sessions are ideal both for organizations that want to start ERGs and for those who have them and want to make them more effective. The target audience includes ERG leaders, HR teams supporting ERGs, ERG executive sponsors, and ERG members who want to help them grow. We also offer private ERG Academies if you want to engage all your leaders in your own customized session. Check out the ERG Academy page for information and to register using the schedule tab.

• Facilitating two of our half-day DiversityFIRST™ Virtual Suite offerings: “LGBTQ in the Workplace and Marketplace – Strategy and Execution” on May 11th, and “Inclusive Recruiting, the How and the Why” on August 17th. Link to the entire 2022 Suite description page … scroll down by date.

• In addition, continuing to consult with NDC clients on overall diversity strategy, customized DEI training, forming and growing employee resource groups, forming and training diversity councils, and more!

And my own Total Engagement Diversity Services include:

• Wholistic diversity consulting services including engaging your senior leadership, doing a diversity-focused employee survey, building a diversity strategy and DEI strategy and plan execution.

I frequently do workshops on the leading edge topic of gender identity and expression, and use of pronouns

• Customized DEI training that can be delivered in person or via zoom. Training and speaking topics include Introduction to DEI, Unconscious Bias, Diversity in Language and Communications, Inclusive Leadership and more.

• Leading-edge topics in the LGBTQ+ diversity realm including supporting gender transitioning employees in the workplace, supporting non-binary employees and use of pronouns.

• Customized training for your HR teams and managers around mitigating organizational unconscious bias and inclusive recruiting.

Please do get in touch … I look forward to enthusiastically working with you in 2022!