Diversity And Inclusion Consulting

What can you, as an individual or leader, do to fight racism? People ask this question all the time, and for many of us, it feels more urgent than it ever has. My answer comes in parts. Any strategy to fight racism must begin with understanding the problem as well as increasing people’s concern and motivation to fix it. So, the first thing to do is seek and speak the truth about racism. If you follow me and my content regularly, you’re already seeking the truth. That’s a good start. Keep seeking it, keep reading beyond my content alone, and keep sharing the truth with your community. More specific, far-reaching strategies fall into three interrelated categories aimed at changing individuals, cultures, and institutions. 💞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 strategies are geared toward modifying personal attitudes, behaviors, and habits. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬. 👩🏽🤝👨🏿 Interventions at the 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 level focus on informal perceptions and expectations for what constitutes appropriate or inappropriate behavior. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬. 🏛️ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 approaches focus on formal procedures, practices, or laws within communities and organizations as they relate to racism. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲. To have the most profound and sustainable impact on racial equity, we need interventions on all three fronts simultaneously. Focusing only on one—leaders implementing diversity policies without creating buy-in from employees, for example, or focusing on changing attitudes without establishing policies to hold people accountable—is likely to be ineffective and could even backfire. There are ample strategies for reducing racial bias at the individual, cultural, and institutional levels, and I spend dozens of pages outlining empirically validated strategies for moving the needle in Chapters 11 and 12 of my book #TheConversation. (Read them here: https://hubs.la/Q02m_73M0 ) However, even the best strategies are worthless without implementation. Giving lip service to an issue doesn’t go very far without actions to follow suit. Committing to act, especially when it’s no longer in vogue to do so, is the most impactful and important way to fight racism around us. #Antiracism #SocialPsychology #RacialEquity

Great decision-making is where efficiency meets inclusion. When I work with clients, I emphasize that true leadership goes beyond simply making decisions—it’s about making the right decisions in the right way. This requires a delicate balance between inclusion and efficiency, two forces that, when harmonized, create a powerful synergy. I’ve captured this in the matrix, which I use as a tool to help leaders reflect on their approach: 1️⃣ The Soloist This is a leader who operates in isolation, relying heavily on their own judgment. While this can sometimes lead to quick decisions, it often misses the mark because it lacks the richness of input that diverse perspectives provide. The Soloist may find themselves struggling with blind spots or overlooking critical factors that others might have caught. 2️⃣ The Commander Such leaders focus on efficiency, sometimes to the detriment of inclusion. This leader makes swift, decisive moves, which can be effective in certain situations but often leads to disengagement within the team. Without a sense of ownership or shared vision, the decisions of a Commander might falter in execution or lead to resistance. 3️⃣ The Consensus-Seeker It represents a leadership style that values inclusion, perhaps to the point of over-collaboration. While this approach ensures that all voices are heard, it can lead to decision paralysis, where the quest for consensus slows down the process and results in diluted outcomes. The challenge for the Consensus-Seeker is to find a way to be inclusive without sacrificing decisiveness. 4️⃣ The Collaborative Leader It is the gold standard—someone who excels at both including diverse perspectives and driving efficient, effective decisions. This leader knows that inclusion is not a box to be ticked, but a dynamic process that fuels creativity and innovation. By creating psychological safety and encouraging diverse viewpoints, the Collaborative Leader harnesses the full potential of their team, leading to decisions that are not only sound but also have strong buy-in and are well-executed. 🔎 Why does this matter? Because the success of a leader is not just measured by the decisions they make, but by HOW those decisions are made and implemented. A leader who can navigate the complex terrain of inclusion and efficiency will not only achieve better outcomes but will also cultivate a more engaged, innovative, and resilient team. 👉 👩💻 If you’re ready to explore how you can enhance your decision-making approach in your company and move towards a more inclusive and efficient leadership, let’s connect. Together, we can unlock the full potential of your leadership journey.

Bringing legal action against an employer isn't at the top of a Disabled person's agenda when we apply for a job or when we're in employment. Yet, 90% of corporate Disability Inclusion training, if it even exists, solely focuses on the legal side. "If we don't do this, we'll be taken to court... " It tends not to focus on the individual behind the Disability. Instead, it creates a narrative that the person is a potential risk, not a potential asset to the organisation. I'm not saying we shouldn't educate on legal responsibilities. That would be silly, and your governance teams would come chasing me. But we need to be taking a human-centric approach to our training. So here are some tips for creating a more impactful Disability Inclusion Training: 1. Disability Inclusion training should be mandatory for all employees. That includes your leadership teams. 2. Hire external Disabled trainers or organisations to deliver bespoke training. (Promise that's not a hint). 3. Explore the diversity of Disability. Disability is both visible and non-visible. There is no one experience and no one appearance. 4. You can't create awareness or make change without addressing systemic ableism. Educate about ableist bias, beliefs, behaviours, communication, language, microaggressions, stereotypes... 5. That also includes internalised ableism and health and wellbeing. 6. Adjustments/Accommodations: Go beyond the legal requirement. Educate on how and why these tools and supportive measures create equity. Provide examples of adjustments and signpost access routes. 7. Educate on the models of Disability and the language of each model. 8. Educate colleagues on accessibility. Explore how different barriers impact different individuals. Help them take accountability, show examples. 9. If you're not addressing intersectionality, you need to go back to the drawing board. We can't talk about one piece of a person's identity without acknowledging how other forms of systemic oppressions impact individuals. 10. Make it personal. Invite your Disability Staff Groups/Employee Resource Groups/Networks to either deliver the training or contribute. 11. Explore allyship. Don't just use it as a buzzword. 12. Make colleagues aware of company Disability policies and be sure they're accessible. 13. Accessibility needs to be at the core of this training, not just when creating your deck but also when delivering it. Ensure your deck is accessible and offer to provide it in advance of training. Explain slides in detail as you deliver and be sure to share information in a variety of different ways. 14. Make sure this training is updated and refreshed and always ask for feedback. Image Description: Carousel slide reads Disability Inclusion, Training Tips, go beyond the legal stuff. Five stick persons representing both visible and non-visible disabilities are below. The numbered text above is the slides text #MondayMotivation #DisabilityInclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #NDEAM

RESPECT AT WORK | Compliance-based harassment, bullying and discrimination training typically involves defining and providing examples of prohibited potential unlawful and criminal behaviours. Not surprisingly, while this approach transfers knowledge, it does little to prevent those behaviours. Many participants fail to connect cognitively or emotionally with the content because they don't feel it's relevant to their behaviour or their experience. Other participants feel powerless to effect change in others' behaviours. Also, we know that learning and behavioural change are more likely when individuals feel they are part of the solution and not the problem—telling learners what they can do rather than what they can't. Effective respectful workplace behaviour training focuses on the underlying stereotypes and biases that devalue some individuals and groups relative to others and transfers skills for identifying and disrupting harmful beliefs whether they manifest as unconscious biases, casual sexism and racism, subtle slights of exclusion, or prohibited behaviours. While not all employees will experience or witness unlawful and criminal behaviours at work, most employees experience or witness everyday biases. When these lower-level harms are left unchecked, the harmful stereotypes and beliefs that underpin them are perpetuated. These are the same beliefs and attitudes that underpin more serious harm. The negative stereotypes that devalue women, diverse genders, or diverse sexualities that underpin a sexist or homophobic joke are the same negative stereotypes that underpin gendered and sexual violence. When employees are empowered to disrupt everyday biases, they become powerful change agents for preventing more serious harm. We support employers in preventing workplace misconduct through workplace culture reviews, risk assessment, learning and development, and employee focus groups. Email info@cultureplusconsulting.com for further information. Additional resources: Why employers need to step up: https://lnkd.in/gkNg_46R A checklist for boards: https://lnkd.in/gP8TMBzX Leadership considerations: https://lnkd.in/gFB7CvDe Identifying risks: https://lnkd.in/gvVYrDUy Managing risks: https://lnkd.in/gKSpxQu5 Evidence-based training: https://lnkd.in/gUN8cwTd and https://lnkd.in/gFB7CvDe Trauma-informed grievance processes: https://lnkd.in/gP5Z5pcc

💡 Coaching Insight of the Week: Curiosity is the cure for unchecked privilege. Coaching is deeply personal. It’s designed to unlock insight—not only into ourselves, but into the systems, cultures, and communities in which we live and lead. Yet for leaders who hold significant privilege—whether by race, gender, position, or background—developing real empathy for others’ lived experiences doesn’t come instantly. It takes time. And more importantly, it takes curiosity. In coaching conversations, this truth continues to surface. Despite the progress of #MeToo and the increased attention to workplace equity, too many leaders still say things like: “We’ve never had a complaint, so I don’t think harassment or discrimination happens here... We might have some unconscious bias but everyone has unconscious biases.” But absence of a complaint is not absence of harm. It’s often a sign of an unsafe culture - commonly lacking diversity and diverse representation in leadership, and one where people don’t feel believed, protected, or powerful enough to speak up. That’s where the power of group coaching comes in. When the space is intentionally safe and inclusive, and leaders commit to practicing curiosity and empathy, something remarkable happens: ✅ Self-orientation (critical to building trust) drops. ✅ Listening improves. ✅ Vulnerability becomes possible. And the psychological safety created empowers those with lived experience to feel safe enough to share. In those moments, we begin to shift the culture, and fix the system. And not just one leader at a time, but collectively. And with it comes a greater understanding of, for example, the need for protections like Respect@Work and #positiveduty legislation, for while the leaders in the room are unlikely to ever need those protections, they are most certainly the custodians of ensuring its safe for others to access them. Because privilege doesn’t disappear. But it can be named, acknowledged, challenged and used to foster safety and inclusion, but it requires leaders to choose curiosity over assumption. #Leadership #Privilege #Empathy #Coaching #RespectAtWork #InclusiveLeadership #SexDiscrimination #WorkplaceCulture #GracePapers #PsychologicalSafety #ICF #IECL

🚀 Exciting Times for Older Tech Talent! 🚀 As someone who has navigated the tech landscape for decades, I’m thrilled to share my latest article on a trend that's reshaping the industry: the rise of experienced technology professionals—many of whom are coming out of retirement—to tackle the challenges of the AI revolution. With a declining birth rate and an increasing demand for skilled workers, enterprises are finally recognizing the immense value of seasoned professionals in their 50s and 60s. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge, business acumen, and a unique perspective that younger talent simply can’t replicate. From mentorship programs to flexible work arrangements, organizations are tapping into this gold mine of expertise, driving innovation and bridging the gap between technology and business strategy. Join me in exploring how embracing age diversity can be a game changer for companies looking to excel in the rapidly evolving tech landscape! #TechTalent #AI #HiringTrends #AgeDiversity #Innovation #Leadership #DavidLinthicum

Want to create an inclusive workplace? Here's your complete guide. Let me share the most effective ways to ensure your communication respects everyone: 1. Default to gender-neutral language - Use "team members" instead of "guys" - Replace "chairman" with "chairperson" - Avoid assuming pronouns, ask respectfully 2. Be mindful of cultural references - Skip idioms that don't translate well - Consider global time zones for meetings - Acknowledge different holidays and celebrations 3. Make accessibility a priority - Provide captions for video content - Share written summaries of meetings - Use clear fonts and high contrast in presentations 4. Check your assumptions - Don't make jokes about accents - Avoid stereotypes about any group - Remember diversity includes invisible differences 5. Create space for everyone's voice - Rotate meeting facilitators - Practice active listening - Encourage input from quieter team members 6. Use plain language - Explain industry jargon - Keep sentences clear and direct - Provide context when needed 7. Address microaggressions immediately - Call out exclusive behavior - Support affected team members - Use these moments as learning opportunities 8. Make inclusion part of daily practices - Start meetings with preferred names - Include pronouns in email signatures - Create inclusive meeting schedules Remember: Inclusive language isn't about being "politically correct" - it's about creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Drop a comment below with your best inclusive communication tip. P.S. Which of these practices would make the biggest difference in your workplace? Let me know below. #workplace #employees #communication

If you're a Black woman in corporate, having a sponsor is so important. They open doors, amplify your voice in key conversations, and help you navigate the barriers that can slow your career progression. When you're thinking about career advancement this year remember it is not just about what you know, but also about who is advocating for you. Lean In reports that less than a quarter of Black women feel they have the sponsorship needed to move forward in their careers. This lack of support often means being excluded from key conversations and missing out on growth opportunities. Unlike mentors, sponsors take a hands-on role in helping you reach senior leadership positions. So, how do you find one? 1. Identify senior leaders who align with your goals: Look for someone whose leadership style you admire and who has a track record of supporting diverse talent. 2. Build genuine relationships: Don’t just approach people when you need something, build trust and rapport over time through shared projects or informal conversations. 3. Demonstrate your value: Sponsors need to know you’re capable of taking on bigger opportunities. Make sure you showcase your skills and contributions regularly. 4. Be clear about your goals: When you’re ready, have a candid conversation about what you're looking for in a sponsor. Share your career aspirations and ask for their support in helping you reach the next level. For many Black women, advancing in our careers and earning what we’re worth takes a lot longer because we often lack the connections and networks needed to open doors and build influence. A sponsor can shorten the time spent stuck in roles that don't match your experience!

Training works, and the data proves it! Making Space has been seeing consistent, measurable change after every Disability & Accessibility Confidence training delivered, On average before training, only a third of participants feel confident talking about disability and accessibility. Afterward, that climbs to more than half, and the share who feel very confident more than doubles! Confidence to interview and hire Disabled candidates jumps from 4 in 10 to nearly 9 in 10! And perhaps most importantly, self-disclosure rises. With one employer, the those who self-identified as Disabled doubled. These changes lead to lower turnover, higher productivity, and better team morale. When employees feel supported, they’re more likely to stay, saving companies the cost of replacing talent! And with the right education, workplaces shift from compliance-driven to culture-driven, where confidence grows, stigma fades, and inclusion sticks. Learn more here https://lnkd.in/e6X8ih2K Image description in comments