DEI Foundations for Building the Case

Workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has grown beyond basic compliance and evolved into impacting real change in company culture over the past years. According to PwC’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Survey, 76% of businesses say “diversity and inclusion” are now a value and/or priority.

Organizations that value and prioritize DEI have a culture of innovation, better relationships with customers and partners, higher financial performance, and greater employee attraction, engagement, and retention. To capitalize on this competitive advantage and for DEI to be sustainable, leaders must be willing to take a closer look at existing biases and practices in their organization and challenge those biases and practices.

This seminar has been developed for those who are relatively new to DEI. You will gain a clear understanding of what it means to be an equitable and inclusive leader, empowered with new perspectives to integrate into your DEI work whatever your role is in the organization.

The interactive format of the seminar will provide opportunities for self-reflection, facilitated group discussions, breakout exercises and discussions, practical case studies, as well as goals and metrics development.

If you have taken this seminar or have some foundational experience with DEI, and want to take the next steps, you may be interested in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Planning and Implementing. If you register for both seminars, we suggest starting with Foundations and Building the Case.

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Program Content

Day 1 - DEI Foundations

• Definitions and concepts
• The role of power in creating inclusive workplace cultures
• Uncovering implicit bias and microaggressions: a critical self-reflection
• Dimensions of cultural competence: awareness, knowledge, and skills
• Inclusive leadership: creating a workplace culture where everyone feels welcomed, valued, supported, and included

Day 2 - Building the Case for DEI

• Looking through the DEI lens
• The “Dimensions of Diversity” wheel
• Corporate social responsibility: DEI beyond the legislation
• Understanding your organizational DEI mandate
• Obstacles to DEI: overcoming pushback

What You Will Learn

• Organizational benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Inclusive leadership skills, including co-creating an environment where diverse perspectives are considered
• Addressing barriers to DEI and building allyship
• Current state of DEI in your organization

Who Should Attend?

You will benefit from this seminar if you are:

• are a leader looking to drive positive outcomes and support organizational success through DEI strategies
• manage diverse teams in Private, Public or Not for Profit Organizations
• want to learn more about how you can be an advocate for DEI in your workplace
• have recently assumed responsibility for DEI in your organization, or have joined a team with that responsibility
• are involved with your company's ERG / BRG as a leader or member, and want to deepen your understanding of DEI
• are involved in recruitment, hiring, promotion, talent development, and retention of diverse employees
• wish to update your human resources skills and prepare to move to the next level in your career