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 our clients live. Our ability to provide positive connections and to remain inoffensive is often dependent on appreciating and respecting these differences. Unfortunately, sometimes our differences are subtle and our reactions to those differences are both unconscious and biased, interfering with even the best-intentioned leadership and teamwork. The result is the creation of an environment where certain individuals or groups can be treated as unwelcome, invisible, or incapable of performing well.
The good news is that there are tools and competencies that can enable us to minimize and even eliminate bias. In this program we will explore the principles of diversity that enable us to value and respect the differences that represent the strengths, experiences, and unique skills of each and every individual. We will learn how to value difference and build relationships with people who are different in order to create and sustain a truly inclusive workplace in which every member of the team contributes to the best of his or her ability. Participants will learn the skill of people agility, or how to approach people with an attitude of openness, curiosity, appreciation and respect.
Learning Objectives