Provide your team members with the skills needed to identify and defeat the biases that compromise their ability to work and lead effectively.

THE PRICE WE PAY FOR BIAS

Unconscious biases wreak havoc on any organization’s ability to reach its goals:

• Biases reduce the ability to make successful hiring and promotion decisions.
• Biases compromise our efforts to build truly inclusive workforces.
• Biases discourage people of diverse backgrounds from contributing ideas and taking professional chances.
• Biases trigger the loss of valuable employees.
• Biases minimize innovation and creativity.
• Biases interfere with the development of productive work teams.

PROGRAM CONTENT

The following will be customized to meet your needs and program format. Points are made through a mixture of audience interaction, commentary, respectful humor, anecdotes, and client-specific examples.

The definition of “bias” and an interactive discussion of how biases work in the brain to distort our perceptions of others
Examples of how unconscious bias negatively impacts your organization, the object of the bias, and the holder of the bias
Two interactive techniques for becoming aware of and identifying unconscious bias
Questions to ask to distinguish a bias from a flexible generality
Three research based and immediately-applicable tools for defeating unconscious bias

THE PRINCIPLES THAT SHAPE THIS PRESENTATION

True learning is always enhanced by participant interaction.
Anecdotes, examples, and a light-hearted approach are powerful tools for reducing resistance, overcoming discomfort, and enhancing retention of the material.
Although all human beings have biases to some degree, biases do not make us bad people. It is what we do about them that matters.
Blame and guilt are poor tools for bringing about change.
It is possible to become aware of many of our biases through skill, alertness, commitment, and habit.
Most biases can be defeated through the consistent application of specific skills and tools.

Overcome workplace bias and increase innovation by identifying shared values, interests, and goals while valuing diversity.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

Increased inclusiveness through the ability to value diversity while identifying shared values and interests
Increased opportunities for innovation and creativity
Reduced conscious and unconscious bias in the workplace
An environment of increased comfort, trust, and harmony
Improved employee willingness to speak up with ideas and information
Stronger empathy between team members

PROGRAM CONTENT

The following will be customized to meet your needs and program format. Points are made through a mixture of audience interaction, commentary, respectful humor, anecdotes and client-specific examples.

An interactive discussion of how identifying what we have in common – while valuing diversity – enhances workplace   innovation, trust, fairness, and commitment

An overview of how identifying what we have in common helps defeat unconscious bias
An interactive discussion of the four values all human beings share
Four immediately-applicable skills for identifying common ground in the workplaceHow to keep Common Ground top of mind
How to enable goal-oriented inter-group contact
How to develop two-way mentor partnerships
How to develop Employee Resource Groups and other entities around shared needs and goals.

Learn the skills needed to convert moments of workplace tension into gateways for increased understanding and stronger workplace relationships.

WHY ORGANIZATIONS NEED THIS TALK:
Have you ever been offended by someone’s comment but didn’t know what to do about it? Have you ever said something insensitive and didn’t know how to take it back?

If so, welcome to the crowd.

Unfortunately, these moments of diversity-related tension are all around us. Sadly, they cause confusion, embarrassment, anger, lost work time, hurt feelings, and resentment – the list goes on and on.

The good news is: It doesn’t have to be that way! This presentation shows audiences how to handle those moments more comfortably, using them as springboards to better working relationships. Handled well, these events can serve as positive gateways to increased understanding and better working relationships. That’s why Sondra calls these “Gateway Events.”

PROGRAM BENEFITS

The ability to convert moments of tension into better working relationships
Reduced bias through improved communication
Time saved for management from having to intervene in diversity-related conflicts
Increased teamwork and workplace harmony
Less tension among team members.
Increased employee retention as a result of an increased atmosphere of respect and inclusion
Reduced risk of employee complaints and litigation

PROGRAM CONTENT
The following will be customized to meet your needs and program format. Points are made through a mixture of audience interaction, commentary, respectful humor, anecdotes, and client-specific examples.

Discussion of how moments of diversity-related tension can be converted to opportunities for improved communication and reduced bias
Examples of “Gateway Events” that are pertinent to the client organization
Survey of the specific ways in which effective dialogue skills positively impact relationships

Exposure to four key skills for effective dialogue. Each skill will be accompanied by examples and extensive audience interaction.

These include:

Skills to manage the emotions that typically block our ability to dialogue with respect and clarity
Guidance on how to set productive goals for each conversation – and how to achieve those goals
How to handle the dilemma of intent versus impact
How to make respectful verbal choices that encourage rather than shut down productive conversation