For at least the last two decades, organizations across America have implemented programs and strategies designed to create an environment where employees recognize and value one another’s unique differences and are therefore better able to work with each other as well as serve the diverse communities where clients and customers live. The ability to provide positive connections and to remain inoffensive is often dependent on appreciating and respecting a wide range of differences. Unfortunately, sometimes framing biases and unconscious associations can cause us to react to those differences in ways that interfere with even the best-intentioned leadership and teamwork. The unintended outcome can be the creation of a workplace culture where team members are undervalued and do not leverage unique talents and skills to the best of their collective potential.
The good news is that it is possible to become self-aware of our biases, and then to proactively build an inclusive, equitable workforce. In this session we will explore the inclusive leadership traits of curiosity and self-awareness of bias to create a foundation for managing the microinequities and micro aggressions that create inequities in the workplace. We will also learn tools and competencies that enable us to manage biases and proactively leverage the differences that represent the strengths, experiences, and unique skills of all individuals.
Learning Objectives