Why Diversity Training and Related Efforts Have to Change!

1. Why Diversity Training and Related Efforts Have to Change! For: Workforce Diversity Network Power of Inclusion Conference 2011 By: Mauricio Velásquez, MBA President, CEO The Diversity Training Group 692 Pine Street Herndon, VA 20170

2. Meet Mauricio Velásquez Mauricio Velásquez is the President and CEO of The Diversity Training Group (DTG) in Herndon, VA. Mauricio serves as a diversity strategy consultant, diversity trainer, sexual harassment prevention trainer, toxic employee, executive coach, mentoring trainer, and expert witness (20 yrs). DTG’s clients include small and large organizations and public and private entities. From the Surgeon General of the Navy to the DOJ, from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Spain, Italy, Japan and Guam most recently. From the White House to Native American Tribes to law enforcement to Nixon Peabody, Energy East/RPG in this town. Mauricio has trained in every state but North Dakota. Work and life has taken him to more than 75 countries.

3. Mauricio’s Mission Today • Provoke Thought • Facilitate Discussion and Learning • Add Value • Provide Subject Matter Expertise • Make the conversation today real, pertinent and useful

4. Our #1 Ground Rule Today PARTICIPATE! Don’t hold back Shoot at my fight Make me dance

5. So what are you seeing? Why are we having this conversation? Why Diversity Training and Related Efforts Have to Change! Let’s start with the organizational conversation first – big picture

6. Turn to your colleague • Discuss for 60 seconds • Be ready to share your top answers with room! Why Diversity Training and Related Efforts Have to Change! - Organizationally Speaking (Big Picture First) before we focus on diversity training specifically

7. What audience said… Why D & I has to change? • The word, the language of our field changing • Productivity - Different ideas -> different people • Bias ---- A few people  committee, savioritis • Not getting results/not working • Done wrong -> Backlash • No follow through/no post work • Stagnation -> no momentum/flat • No leadership/leadership -> has not measure • No time/no resources, Stronger efforts in past • Commitment/resilient, reluctant – ambush, Be comfortable -> being comfortable

8. What DTG is seeing… IN GENERAL / BROADLY SPEAKING… • Training, all training has been slashed (economy) • People being promoted into supervisory and management roles with no training at all (or training comes – after the fact) • No conversation about “Can this person manage people different from him/her?” • A lot of denial – “We don’t have D & I issues? I truly believe…. “Most people can barely manage people like themselves let alone people who are different”

9. DTG is hearing / getting a lot of.. • Why are we doing this? • Why diversity and inclusion? Why now? • What is diversity and inclusion? • Why should I care? • What is in it for me or for my organization? • Did they talk to anyone prior to training? None of these questions are answered prior to coming to the workshop or training. Diversity professionals inside and outside organization are not “doing the up front work.”

10. When you don’t do the “up front” The audit / needs assessment / diagnosis work… (interviews, focus groups, survey work) The “down the back work” gets harder, you become vulnerable What is “down the back work?” - BACKLASH!!!!!

11. What is Backlash? Audience said…. Backlash • Blame • Denial • Retaliation • Sabotage/set up/Ambush • Ridicule • Passive - Aggressive • Diminished to lowest common dominator

12. Backlash • Resistance • Skepticism is natural • Cynicism can be avoided (with proper up front work) • Definitely a bad attitude coming into session • Sabotage • Ironic – Participants have a “bias about a workshop on bias”

13. Feeding the “Monster” What You Don’t Know You Don’t Know (DKDK) What You Don’t Know (DK) What You Know (K)

14. Now we focus on training itself • Doing a fair amount of “rescue diversity work” – someone else started the conversation but created “enemies” - polarized • Few learning cultures out there (people who want to go to training – any training) • “No time for training” • “Too busy” • Bias for a workshop on bias – bias squared • Training itself is ineffective • Why would you embrace diversity and inclusion “if you were the enemy, the ‘bad guy?’’

15. Bad versus Good Training What pops into your head?

16. Audience for “Bad Training” • Too much humor • Exclusive - one group - No commitment • Reactionary – reason doing • I –way/expect centered/didactic • No training • Mandatory – e-learning in lieu of • Mechanical/not fluid • Not participant – centered • Numbers/stats – too much (not argument) • Train all - I pot at who is missing • Too safe/too PC (old bad videos)

17. Audience for “Good Training” • Inclusive/everyone – participate, all participate • Discomfort – is minimized • Leadership/support/commitment - Top • Risk Taking by all • Asking – Tough questions • Ahas - many • Insights • Tip/Tool/Techniques

18. Audience mentioned… Metrics • Measure like you measure anything else Levels of training • Don’t know you don’t know – to what you know (Awareness) – measure what? • Skill based Coaching problem solving – can measure • Knowledge application – behavioral change, case studies, solving problems, resolving conflict – can really measure

19. Bad Training - Good Training Fuels backlash No platform for backlash Confrontational - "in your face“ Non-confrontational Expert trainer drives course Facilitator leads Theory-based, academic Practical, "real world” Negative examples or role plays Positive examples are used Expert-centered Participant-centered Polarizes participants Unifies participants No pre-work or post-work Mandatory pre / post work

20. Bad Training - Good Training "Off the shelf" - one school “Customized" – eclectic No/little diagnosis/needs analysis Mandatory up front work "Hit or miss” “Always on target” "Blame and shame” Positive "Live in the past” “Look to the future“ Divisive Unifies Awareness-based Skill / Knowledge-based "What next?” “I know what to do"

21. Bad Training - Good Training Talks about victims Talks about shared responsibilities "Build the temple, they will come” "They don’t worship in a temple!” HR driven “Grass roots” driven Diversity trainer is the savior Diversity trainer is an advisor Dependence on trainer Client-trainer partnership In a hurry Cautious, take your time Check the box There is no box Reactive Proactive

22. What 1 thing makes the biggest difference? What is the lynch pin?

23. Diversity Dashboard – like in a car you have gauges… • What are the gauges? • What are you watching? • What should everyone be watching?

24. The gauges… • Where are we sourcing? • Who are we hiring? • Who is leaving voluntarily? • What does the exit interview data tell us? • Who is staying? Who is moving up? • Who have we identified as high potentials? Compare year to year for trends….. D & I issues have to be relevant, we have to stay relevant in these times…

25. Summarizing • Workplace is changing, getting more diverse • You cannot stop it • Denying these changes are happening is foolish • Ignoring these changes do not make them go away • Marketplace is changing, getting more diverse • You cannot stop it • Denying these changes are occurring is foolish • Ignoring these changes does not make them go away • Having diversity issues is not a bad thing • All organizations have diversity issues • Not addressing these issues is where organizations "go very wrong“ What is a diversity issue?

26. Definition of a D&I Issue…. You have a firm/organizational diversity (inclusive workplace) issue… when an issue (i.e., policy or business practice - formal, informal, internal or external) has a differentimpact on a particular group (for example, who gets mentored, choice assignments, overtime – who does not) when it happens more frequently to a particular group (for example, who gets to go to conferences, high visibility work, put on committees, teams) • when it is more difficult for one group to overcome (upward mobility for a particular group within a firm including “glass or brown ceilings”)

27. More on D & I Issues… A diversity issue exists where the firm policy or business practice has an impact exclusive of difference (not inclusive of difference). Is there a trend or pattern (intentional or unintentional) that affects different groups of staff differently? Having a diversity issue is not necessarily a bad thing. Doing nothing about it given you have knowledge of the issue(s) is where firms go wrong (a kind of negligence so to speak). Being in denial about these issues does not make them go away. Ignorance is not bliss!

28. So, how to address these issues WORST PRACTICES FIRST – NOBODY TALKS ABOUT THEM!

29. Worst Practices • Firm has no diversity strategy or plan • Firm has no diversity mission or vision • Firm has no core values • Firm is only rolling out “off-the-shelf” diversity training • Firm wants to cut straight to training • Firm is not “weaving diversity and inclusion” into the fabric of the organization • Firm is not willing to acknowledge the workplace is changing (labor force), the marketplace is changing (client force) and society-as-a-whole is changing

30. More Worst Practices • Firm does not value the competencies, the skills of being an inclusive manager • The actual diversity training rolled out is awareness-based only • The actual diversity training is the old past failed formula of “blame and shame” diversity training

31. 3 KEY Worst Practices • Firm’s definition of diversity is narrow and not inclusive– too focused on “traditional EEO/AA roots of diversity” and really not where the field and the conversation is today. • Firm has no Chief Diversity Officer – a part-time or full-time person who is fully dedicated to be the internal change agent, the keeper of the culture of the firm constantly ensuring it is inclusive. • Firm has a CDO but all this firm did was promote the highest ranking minority professional in their ranks (usually from another department) and put them in as a figurehead because that is all they are – they have no diversity education background, no budget, no resources or support and most important no influence or power.

32. Now for BEST PRACTICES YOUR ACTUAL D & I TRAINING… • …comes with an actual workbook • …includes predetermined training objectives • …is built around objectives that came from some kind of a prior training needs analysis • …is linked to your organization’s mission and core values • …reflects an acknowledgement by firm leadership that “status quo” is not working • …implies a bias for action • …is part of a much bigger organization-wide diversity strategy and

33. MORE BEST PRACTICES • …is an acknowledgement that we have not been preparing our supervisors and managers to do their job • …includes skills, tools, tips and techniques for dealing with diversity issues • …is linked to your annual performance appraisal process • …has messages that are also woven into your new hire orientation, your supervisory, managerial and executive development curricula

34. Now for BEST PRACTICES

35. In closing…. Organizations cannot continue to support "the status quo" • Cannot continue to manage your human resources the "same old way“ – the way we have always done it • New workers, new workplaces, new emerging markets - require new management techniques and methodologies

36. Dimensions of Diversity Military Experience Language Education Religion Age Gender Work Style Income Mental/ Physical Abilities Sexual Orientation Individual Family Status Work Experience Ethnic Heritage Race Geographic Location Communication Style Operational Role and Level Group Organizational Affiliation

37. Dimensions of Diversity Military Experience Language Education Religion Work Style Age Gender Income Mental/ Physical Abilities Sexual Orientation Work Experience Family Status Ethnic Heritage Race Geographic Location Communication Style Operational Role and Level

38. Dimensions of Diversity Individual Individual Group Organizational Affiliation

39. Behaviors, Attitudes, and Values… Behaviors Attitudes Values …influence our behavior

40. What Your Scores Tell You

41. What Your Scores Tell You

42. Some Tools

43. Start Message Start with a Positive Please stop_______________________________________ (describe negative/unproductive behavior) Start_____________________________________________ (describe new, more appropriate/positive behavior) Continue_________________________________________ (describe ongoing positive behavior) End with a Positive

44. I-Statement How do I coach someone when I feel my differences are being held against me? (Start with a Positive) When you ___________________, I feel ______________________ (describe behavior) (impact of behavior) I would prefer ___________________________________________ (new behavior – more appropriate/productive) OR I feel _____________________, when you ____________________ (impact of behavior) (describe behavior) I would prefer ___________________________________________ (new behavior – more appropriate/productive) OR When I see ______________, it makes me feel ____________________ (describe behavior) (impact of behavior on you/group) I would prefer _______________________________________________ (new behavior – more appropriate, more productive) (End with a Positive)

45. How Do We Categorize People?

46. Using Communication to Solve Problems ?

47. Using Communication to Solve Problems

48. Action Plan • How can I create an inclusive work environment? • How can I use what I have learned in this class in my organization and beyond?

49. For more information… CONTACT: The Diversity Training Group 692 Pine Street Herndon, VA 20170 Tel. 703.478.9191 Fax 703.709.0591 Mauriciov@diversitydtg.com Mauricio Velásquez, MBA - President

50. DTG is a Team of Experts in... • Stress Management / Bullying / Anger Management / Toxic Employees • Organizational Redesign • Cross-Cultural Communication • Cultural Intelligence • Conflict Resolution & Mediation • Sexual Harassment E-Learning • Diversity Education E-Learning … consulting & training.