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Developed as part of The FutureWork Institute's commitment to help its clients take a 360 approach to diversity and inclusion by moving forward into the future, Diversity Dialogues takes participants broader into issues of multicultural and multigenerational diversity, and deeper into the traditional issues of race/ethnicity, gender, and LGBT, among others. These three-hour sessions are intended to help participants take a meaningful look at important issues and use the dialogue methodology to engage in more courageous conversations in order to move our diversity and inclusion work to a new level.
Diversity Dialogues is presented on Wednesday, November 10 and Thursday, November 11. Conferees have the opportunity to select one session during each segment. Sessions include:
Segment One: Wednesday, November 10; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
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Race Talk: Deepening the Black and White Dialogue
Andrea Cisco and Tanya M. Odom
What as happened to the race discussion since the election of the first black president, declared by some as the "post-racial" era? Is it more open or honest race talk gone underground? Let's put some of the more difficult issues on the table. Are the issues at work different for black and white women? For black men and white men? Is the younger generation redefining race? What do we need to be honest and real with one another and be able to talk about the micro- and macro-shifting, double consciousness, and "two-ness" that often comes out at work?
As America evolves into a majority minority country and fear takes on a new posture, blacks and whites need to have a deeper conversation. In our current society, which some say is “post racial,” what is the value of one’s skin color? Has the language of racism changed? Come and be part of a Race Talk! Explore the barriers and benefits of an open dialogue. Bring your own experiences and leave with tools for having courageous conversations as we move the "black and white" conversation to a new level.
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Uncommon Threads: Generational Dialogues from the
Matures to the Millennials
Kito K. Huggins and Margaret Regan
Start with a game, move to a generational quiz, laugh at some clever generational commercials and film clips, and take a live journey into virtual reality to see how you will learn in the future. Meet the newest generation coming into the workforce and dialogue about what work will be like over the next ten years as we face a labor shortage and the Matures stay at work on flexible schedules, the Boomers "rewire," and the Xers and Millennials make their imprint on work values, work/life, career preferences, and management style.
This interactive presentation is based on FWI’s research on the future workplace and four generations at work, including the new elderly, the re-wired boomers, the global nomads, and the net-gens. The results will entertain you while also leaving you with ideas on how to manage and motivate each generation. You will leave the dialogue with specific tips on how to weave these different threads together and create a more inclusive, dynamic, and innovative workplace. |
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One Workplace, Many Faiths: Courageous Conversations about Religion and Spirituality
Josy Laza Gallagher, Gregory Hauk, and Lily Tang
From the Ground Zero/Park 51 Muslim Cultural Center controversy to whether religious proselytizing should be allowed in the armed forces, this national conversation has moved from the marketplace into the workplace. By many measures, Americans strongly value their religious beliefs: 92 percent believe in God; 74 percent believe in life after death; and 63 percent say their respective scriptures are the word of God (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life). The same research also indicates that most Americans are unaware of the tenets of other religions, including the core principles that form the foundation of these faiths.
As members of an increasingly diverse workforce seek to bring their whole self into the office, how do we as diversity and inclusion leaders manage faith once they enter our organizations? This session focuses on the major beliefs of 13 different religions and offers insights into what mainstream organizations are doing to respond to the increasing interest in spirituality in the workplace. The session will begin with a religious diversity quiz; large posters will highlight information about religious groups to help anticipate accommodation requests and avoid situations that might spark religious conflict; and case studies based on actual court cases will bring the issues to life as small groups struggle to “judge” the cases presented.
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Segment Two: Wednesday, November 10; 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm
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One World, Multiple Cultures: Understanding Cross-Cultural
Differences in Healthcare
Josy Laza Gallagher and Enidio Magel
With growing concerns about racial and ethnic disparities in health and the need for our healthcare systems to accommodate increasingly diverse patient populations, cultural competence has become more and more a matter of national concern and attention. What happens when a male Anglo doctor tries to treat a Muslim woman, or a Latina patient summons a curandera to the hospital, or an Asian child arrives with "cupping" marks on his back? The time to dialogue about the beliefs and practices of the populations we serve and how it influences the approach to the healthcare delivery system is now.
Why do Asian patients rarely ask for pain medication, while Mediterranean patients seem to seek relief for even the slighest discomfort? You will leave this session with a fuller understanding of the relationship between culture and healthcare as well as tips to identify and respond in a way that puts the patient before the system.
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Shifting Winds: Dialogues on LGBT Perspectives, Perceptions, and Policies
Gregory Hauk and Kito K. Huggins
Guest Panelists: Jamal Brown, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD);
Daryl Herrschaft, Human Rights Campaign (HRC); Sharon Lettman-Hicks, National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC);
Stephanie Houle, Baystate Health, Springfield, MA ; and
Tamera A. Yost, W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
The winds of change are shifting the attitudes of each generation around the LGBT community, impacting policies in Washington, around the world, and in organizations throughout the U.S. Changing attitudes in religious America and diverse perspectives from the LGBT community point to a different reality in the years ahead for your organization.
Join us for a dialogue on what the future holds for LGBT people and their concerns. How will the current momentum in Washington impact the future? How will the Millennial generation contribute to change? Through discussion and interactive exercises, participants will explore the question: Why is this a hopeful moment for the LGBT community, despite setbacks and pockets of backlash? Plus, the session will look at your organization: Are the winds shifting, or remaining still and silent?
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One Workplace, Many Faiths: Courageous Conversations about Religion and Spirituality
Sandra Altine, Janet G. Davis, and Margaret Regan
From the Ground Zero/Park 51 Muslim Cultural Center controversy to whether religious proselytizing should be allowed in the armed forces, this national conversation has moved from the marketplace into the workplace. By many measures, Americans strongly value their religious beliefs: 92 percent believe in God; 74 percent believe in life after death; and 63 percent say their respective scriptures are the word of God (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life). The same research also indicates that most Americans are unaware of the tenets of other religions, including the core principles that form the foundation of these faiths.
As members of an increasingly diverse workforce seek to bring their whole self into the office, how do we as diversity and inclusion leaders manage faith once they enter our organizations? This session focuses on the major beliefs of 13 different religions and offers insights into what mainstream organizations are doing to respond to the increasing interest in spirituality in the workplace. The session will begin with a religious diversity quiz; large posters will highlight information about religious groups to help anticipate accommodation requests and avoid situations that might spark religious conflict; and case studies based on actual court cases will bring the issues to life as small groups struggle to “judge” the cases presented.
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Segment Three: Thursday, November 11; 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
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When Cultures Collide: Cross-Cultural Dialogues
Yosh Beier and Enidio Magel
Do you think cultural differences exist and play a role in a cross-cultural or multicultural team's effectiveness? Having difficulty communicating and using technology with your virtual global teams? What is the ideal media mix in virtual communications?
Join us as we explore the challenges relevant to multicultural teams, and dialogue about how we can leverage these differences to create value. Learn how to build community based on mutual trust, respect, fairness, and affiliation among global or multicultural team members. Identify and work with "below the water line" cultural differences and learn skills you can use to increase contextual knowledge and decrease misunderstandings.
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Harmony, Hierarchy, and Face: Dialogues on Asian Values, Behaviors, and Shifting Perspectives
Janet G. Davis and Lily Tang
Guest Panelists: Jason Chan, Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF); Nitu Gupta, Sodexo; Jim Wilson, PepsiCo
Would you like to explore how behaviors based on the cultural values of harmony, hierarchy, and face are perceived similarly, or differently, by Asians and non-Asians. In this interactive session, participants will move from awareness of workplace challenges for Asians in a dominant western business culture to understanding how deeply held values such as “harmony,” “respect for rank,” and “saving face” can be assets in the global workplace.
Exercises, dialogue tips, and small group activities will help move the conversations from a bamboo ceiling for Asians to a better understanding of the challenges inherent in shifting perspectives on leadership development for Asians and non-Asians.
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Segment Four: Thursday, November 11; 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm
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Microinequities at Work: Nanobites that Sting
Sandra Altine and Steve DeValk
Death by a thousand tiny cuts... "O-u-c-h, that stings!" In this lively, interactive session, we will explore microinequities - those mall and, often unconscious behaviors that discourage, exclude, devalue, and sabotage diversity efforts as well as personal and working relationships. We will look at microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations.
Continually interrupting someone who’s speaking; watching credit being given to others for an idea you just offered; leaving certain people off an e-mail distribution list; calling someone by a different name or your own version of their name, these are just some examples of microinequities. We will take a closer look at nano-bites, and dialogue about the impact they have on our interactions and employee engagement. How do you address microinequities? Come join us for this dialogue with your colleages, and learn and practice a great communication tool, as you each: Point it out, check it out, and reconnect.
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Respeto and Simpatia: Dialogues on Latino Cultural Differences
Josy Laza Gallagher and Enidio Magel
"Si" is not always yes! Explore the invisible dimensions of the multiple Latino cultures. The Latino population is expanding and becoming an integral part of our communities and daily life. Let's unravel the mysteries of the culture and begin a dialogue.
Join us to learn how to use Latin customs, such as, respeto and simpatia to establish credibility and understanding with this community. Discover how to navigate around the American “low context” communication style with the “high context” Latino manner. Understanding the importance of familia and the expansive, embracing concept of mi casa es su casa, two cornerstones of Latino culture, will help you formulate strategies for building more inclusive communities and teams. Vamonos…… |
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