A. Cultural Competence 1 – Embracing Diversity and Creating Inclusion

“Diversity” has become something of a dirty word in the USA and Europe due to tokenism, quotas and some dubious training practices. This workshop will help both willing and skeptical participants understand what Diversity, Inclusion and Culture are all about and why they are so important for their organization, their internal and external counterparts and themselves. They will then learn why and how people work and communicate in different ways and begin practicing how to relate to them more effectively in future.

B. Cultural Competence 2 – Helping D&I Advocates Make Real and Lasting Change

Many D&I advocates and allies have the knowledge, energy and passion to create lasting change within their organizations, councils and teams but some lack the necessary communication and facilitation skills. This workshop will help potential change agents to be fully effective by learning the ethical and technical requirements of competent D&I communication and facilitation and by practicing them, with immediate, oral and written feedback.

C. Hidden Biases – Delving Deeper to Help D&I Change Agents to be More Effective

D&I advocacy is an ongoing process that requires everyone to be fully conscious of where they are coming from, who they are now and where they are going. This interactive and introspective workshop will help new and experienced D&I change agents: define what “hidden biases” are and how they relate to stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, profiling and racism; explore their own “hidden biases” and see how these biases can and do impact their thoughts and behavior; and plan how to work with others “hidden biases” more effectively in future.

D. Cross Cultural Crossed Wires – Communicating Effectively across Cultures

When working with people from other cultures, many worry about insulting them or looking like complete idiots themselves. Workshop participants will learn how to avoid both offense and embarrassment by understanding why people communicate the way they do and by learning how to be more effective in writing, on the phone and in person.

E. Multicultural Teams – Partnering Effectively across Cultures                               

Multi-functional, multicultural, multigenerational projects and teams are becoming more and more common in today’s increasingly dispersed, fast-changing world of work. Unfortunately, many such teams and projects under-perform at best and fail miserably at worst. This workshop will highlight mistakes to avoid and lay out a straightforward, six-step process for ensuring that such teams and projects are successful in future.

F. Generational Differences – How to Avoid Stereotypes and Draw on Everyone’s Strengths

This is the first time that there have been four distinct generations represented in the workplace. Unfortunately, most training on this topic veers into unhelpful stereotypes about such things as Boomers craving increasing responsibility and Millennials craving the latest smart phones. This workshop will help participants to view generational differences in a completely different light, avoid such stereotypes and learn how to draw on everyone’s strengths within the workplace, no matter when they were born.

G. Cross-Cultural Conflict – Resolving Problems across Difference

Culture and language often contribute to misunderstandings and disputes at work but what else makes people and situations “difficult” and how do we overcome these differences? This workshop will focus on how to understand where (we and) others are literally coming from and what our key motivators are so that we can then build the skills necessary for harmonious working relationships in future.

H. Cinema Culture – Bridging the Racial Divide

As the recent controversy around Trayvon Martin’s shooting death shows, this country still suffers from a racial divide. This media- and dialogue-based workshop will help participants: view this racial divide in a different way; discuss it in more depth than usual; and learn new tools to help bridge and heal this divide, based on watching and discussing short clips from the Oscar-winning, commercial movie, “Crash”.

I. Global Jeopardy – Testing your Diversity Knowledge

How much do you know about global diversity and inclusion issues, such as the second principle of Kwanzaa or the smallest country in the world? This fun and informative exercise is ideal for a large gathering of eager learners.

J. Building Alliances – GLBT and Straight People Working Together

GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgender) people have made great advances in recent years but equality is still a long way off. A key way to build a fairer world for everyone is by creating and maintaining meaningful alliances with straight people. This workshop will look at: What challenges do these alliances face? What makes them successful? How can all of us – GLBT and straight people – actively work towards creating a ‘culture of alliance-building’?

K. Gays, God and the Workplace – Creating a Constructive Dialogue around Difference 

Of all D&I issues, the tense relationship between religion and homosexuality is probably the most problematic for both US American society as a whole and for many institutions and individuals. In this workshop, participants will: learn what their own beliefs, hot buttons and blind spots might be around the issue of Gays, God and the Workplace; understand and appreciate what is fact and what is myth in relation to this particular issue; and begin to engage on this delicate issue more openly and constructively in future.