There’s no denying the recent U.S. election has had an impact. Donald Trump was elected by polarizing voters into “Us vs. Them” camps and focusing on fears. Now the genie is out of the bottle: certain groups and individuals have become emboldened, saying and acting however they choose towards others. Trump’s ascendancy to the White... Read More
Public comments by politicians can bring issues such as anti-immigration and racism to the forefront in a powerful way. It’s easy to have an emotional reaction, whatever ‘side’ they’re on. However, it may help to understand what’s happening in an objective manner by looking at it through the lens of an assessment tool I often... Read More
When Canada's new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was asked by a reporter why 50% of his government ministers in his Cabinet were women, he said, without missing a beat, "Because it's 2015." At the time it may have seemed like a trite response from a Prime Minister, but it signaled a remarkable change in the... Read More
The province of Saskatchewan has a booming economy but projections are that the current workforce will shrink as workers get older. So they are looking for workers. However, merely filling the ranks is not good enough. They must create an inclusive culture. Despite being recognized as one of Canada's top "diversity employers", creating an inclusive culture is... Read More
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It is an odd day indeed. Do we wish each other "happy racism elimination day" or do we express "condolences"? In 1966 the United Nations designated March 21 to commemorate the policing killing of 69 people (mostly unarmed students) at a peaceful demonstration against the... Read More
[caption id="attachment_629" align="aligncenter" width="300"] http://goo.gl/2IBGP4[/caption] If an organization wants to be more inclusive, how leaders behave will determine success or failure. Leaders set the tone for others to follow. It is said that employees expect four things from their leaders or managers: meaning or direction, trust in and from the leader, a sense of... Read More
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
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