How and Why DEIAB?
The vast majority of the attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging (DEIAB) initiatives and programs, use anecdotal examples of poorly executed workshops or other strategies to dissemble and discredit the entire field and it raison d’etre. This is an old (see ancient Greece) and frequently effective technique for destroying one’s political nemeses.
We Are Not Alone
Each year I endeavor to start anew with a fresh, positive outlook. I wish that for you, as well. Each of us has to navigate our private, personal struggles as well as the macro challenges that we are confronted with as a community. War, death by guns, food insecurity, climate change, racism, sexism, antisemitism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and on and on. Typing this list is depressing in itself but much more so when I reflect
A Declaration
Let’s demonstrate our commitment to independence by celebrating our interdependence.
Take Affirmative Action Today!
For decades people have pushed back against affirmative action laws. Those people rarely understood the letter or the spirit of affirmative action. I have been asked hundreds of times if affirmative action requires a quota, a set percentage of Black, indigenous, and other people of color or members of other underrepresented groups to be admitted to an academic institution. The answer is consistently ‘no’. Organizations of all kinds continue to complain that they cannot find
Fighting Words
Fighting Words I am a pacifist. I do not own a gun or any other weapons. I use words to combat to combat ignorance, hatred, and brutality and it is definitely time to fight. The increasingly dangerous assault on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) requires a coordinated and sustainable defense. As a small business owner, I usually avoid entering into political discussions, but the body politic is at the greatest risk of my entire
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter. Inclusion Strategy Solutions LLC was founded on the principle that we must work to accomplish equity and inclusion for all people by educating and encouraging self-reflection and empathy. We assert that Black Lives Matter because throughout the history of the United States of America, Black lives have been restricted, endangered, and ended by institutional and systemic racism. We assert that every one of us must do what we can to fight racism
10 Inclusive Management Best Practices for Remote Teams
10 Inclusive Management Best Practices for Remote Teams March 12, 2020 The challenge of inclusive management is even more critical when teams must function remotely. Each year, more and more employees work remotely at least part of the time. Right now, many organizations across the globe are closing for two weeks or more to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. There are also many employees who are being quarantined during this time. The
Accountability Assures Organizational DEI Success
Who ‘owns’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at your organization? Often, the responsibility for the success, or sadly, the primary accountability for the failure of an organization’s DEI initiatives belongs to the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) or head of HR. In many organizations, these individuals do not report to the CEO or president, but to the Chief of Staff, Chief Administrative Officer, or the CFO (this last, for reasons that escape us). Successfully advancing DEI
Resistance!
Resistance! There is resistance in weight training, resistance in electricity, resistance in magnetic fields (thinking of Leonard Nimoy today!), and resistance when it comes to diversity and inclusion. D&I practitioners have been trying to figure out how to overcome this resistance for decades and now, in 2015, resistance to inclusion seems to be stronger than ever. So, how do we deal with people, especially those in leadership and management positions, who resist including others who are
Caring Capital
On December 3rd I was part of a wonderful celebration hosted by Jaime Klein, Founder of Inspire Human Resources. http://www.inspirehumanresources.com/ We participated in an (dare I say it), inspiring exercise! We were given blank journals and asked to decorate them and to write a message inside for participants in Dress for Success http://www.dressforsuccess.org/. The journals will be used to keep career related notes on job interviews, training and other thoughts. It was such a personal
