Implementing a diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiative is a lot like cross-country skiing; it’s important to find the right balance so all the elements are working together to get optimal results. It has been a harsh winter here in Ontario. With a record number of days at -20C, 40 per cent more snow than normal... Read More
Members of a Diversity and Inclusion Council completed the following sentence: "Leaders in an organization are being inclusive when...." They are walking the (diversity) talk and modeling inclusive behaviour. They are taking part in both formal and informal processes that support the development of an inclusive organization. They understand community expectations and hold their staff accountable for... Read More
Just because a team is diverse -- having people with different perspectives, race and cultural backgrounds -- is no guarantee the team will be effective. A recent analysis of the composition of top management teams by the Centre for Effective Organizations (part of the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California) has... Read More
[caption id="attachment_596" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Diversity Inertia = Competing Priorities + Comfort Zones[/caption] Newton's first law -- the law of inertia -- states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion. The same law can be applied to diversity and inclusion programs in organizations. Diversity inertia occurs when... Read More
Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper to make two columns. In one column list the qualities of the Worst Boss you have ever had. In the other column list the qualities of your Best Boss. If you are like the hundreds of people I have asked to do this in... Read More
[caption id="attachment_573" align="alignleft" width="123"] What do you see? A vase or two faces?[/caption] Many people and organizations are becoming more interested in implicit or unconscious bias and the role it plays in our interaction with those who are different. Just like "mindbugs" that trick the brain into seeing things that aren't there, we also have... Read More
The flu season is upon us and you can get more information about it than you can blow your nose at. But when you are in the grips of the flu and you are feeling like the Grim Reaper is rapping at your door, do you care if the people making decisions about your... Read More
For many people the word "diversity" is an honourific term that denotes positive things in the workplace, on teams or in neighbourhoods: including more creativity, more innovation, less group-think and better problem-solving abilities. And for the most part they are right. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of having diverse perspectives and backgrounds in organizations.... Read More
[caption id="attachment_546" align="alignleft" width="396"] Dr. King delivers famous I Have A Dream speech to nearly 300,000 people in Washington, D.C[/caption] Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated yesterday (Jan 20) across the United States, in Canada and around the world. This is done each year on the third Monday of January. The day had me... Read More
Diversity, Inclusion Boost Innovation, Organizational Strength Diversity and Inclusion was the focus of the recent Credit Union Leadership Forum Edu-Leader learning event for senior leaders to increase organizational effectiveness. Stuart Levine writes that leaders face many challenges to diversity and inclusion. Often the most important one is insider/outsider dynamics within the organization. "Insiders, who are... Read More