This module is the second of six in an ongoing Best Practices in DEI Series.  Each are intended to be stand-alone, or you can participate in the full series.  Dates and topics of other modules listed below.

Series Description

Over the last couple of years, we’ve all be made aware (or powerfully reminded) of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within our organizations and our communities.  The imperative is clear: inclusion and racial equity optimizes organizational performance and societal outcomes — not only for people of color, but for everyone.  But wanting to be more inclusive and actually being more inclusive are usually two very distinct conditions.  The latter takes work: policy and system changes, education and discernment, intentionality and constant effort.

The Performance Excellence Network — in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence and the Iowa Quality Center — is pleased to host a special online workshop series: “Best Practices in DEI.”  The series will feature six stand-alone half-day modules and can either be attended “ala carte” or as a complete series.  The content is uniquely aligned with the Baldrige Performance Excellence Framework, exploring many facets of diversity, equity, and inclusion through the lens of this evidence-based, proven Framework (however, your organization does not have to be officially using Baldrige to benefit from the value of this series!). The second module is Wednesday, March 13: “Inclusive Leadership Systems.”  (Other module dates and topics listed below.)

The series will feature six half-day online workshops — all highly interactive discussions that will explore results-based methods and proven effective practices that will help organizations better appreciate diversity; improve inclusion within its workforce, supplier network, and marketplace; and promote greater equity within their organizational systems.  Participants will walk away from each session with a tool(s), a template(s), and/or a process(es) – all carefully designed or curated by experienced DEI experts.  The series will be facilitated by five experts in DEI.

New this year: each session will be followed by a “30-Day Challenge,” in which participants pick 1-2 insights they commit to implement in the next 30 days, applying the learning to create a tangible impact!

Also new this year: for those who can’t attend in real time, we’re offering an on-demand (post-session) viewing option.  Obviously, you miss the benefit of the live, interactive discussion.  But we know how busy everyone is, so are excited to offering this opportunity!

Session 2 is March 13 from 9:00-1:00 CT and will focus on hardwiring the concepts of DEI into organizational leadership and governance systems.

Session Description

Organizations that achieve and sustain high performance have effective leadership — you simply cannot have solid results without solid leadership.  And since so much of organizational success is the result of people, then it stands to reason that leaders who embrace, support, and engage their people will be more effective than leaders who do not.  Having a diverse workforce, equitable organizational systems, and an inclusive organizational culture is the result of leadership who value, embrace, support, and facilitate DEI in their organization systems.

This highly interactive workshop will explore how to build the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion into leadership systems.  It will be facilitated by Lisa Tabor, founder and president of CultureBrokers LLC.  Lisa will share processes and tools to help us as leaders be more inclusive, more equitable, and more effective in how we lead our organizations and teams.

Workshop learning objectives include:

• Leading a DEI effort – from the top or somewhere in the middle of an organization
• Integrating DEI concepts into organizational vision & core values
• Communicating with and engaging your team and the entire workforce, considering different needs of different workforce groups
• Creating an environment for success – considering how DEI helps an organization accomplish its mission; creating a culture that fosters workforce engagement, equity, inclusion; considering DEI in leadership succession planning; balancing value & the needs of all stakeholders
• Integrating DEI in your governance system, including composition of governing board and senior leader performance evaluations
• Integrating DEI into processes that promote ethical behavior
• Identifying measures for monitoring leadership/governance effectiveness related to DEI

If attending “ala carte,” this workshop is $200 for PEN/WCPE members ($400 for non-members).  Teams of 3-4 members $175/each; teams of 5+ are $150/each. Investment for the full series is $1000 (for members only); if you missed the first session but would like to attend Modules 2-6, you will get access to the recording to view on demand!  If you are not yet a member, contact PEN to explore the value of membership, including “bundling” membership into the investment in this series!

The on-demand option is $100 per session (recording included for those attending live).

Series Schedule

For those interested in participating in the remaining modules in the full series (and benefiting from a series discount) – the rest of the series topics are here:

• Session 1 (Jan 10): Intro to DEI: Identifying & Mitigating Unconscious Bias
• Session 2 (Mar 13): Inclusive Leadership Systems
• Session 3 (May 8): Creating a More Inclusive, Equitable Work Environment (focused on areas such as recruiting/hiring, managing change, work accomplishment including job structure/design, more inclusive benefits & policies)
• Session 4 (July 10): Creating More Inclusive, Equitable Workforce processes (focused on areas such as embedding DEI into processes that drive workforce engagement, creating a more inclusive organizational culture, integrating DEI into performance management/accountability processes, integrating DEI into training & career development)
• Session 5 (Sept 18): Building DEI Into Customer-Facing Systems & Operations (focused on areas such as customer listening methods, segmentation, relationship management and fair treatment, access/support, satisfaction determination, design/management of key products and work processes, selecting/managing supply network)
• Session 6 (Nov 13): Integrating DEI Into Strategic Plans & Measuring DEI Efforts (focused on areas such as assessing intercultural competence, creating an inclusive planning process, balancing the needs of all stakeholders in strategic plans, creating action plans and allocating resources equitably, selecting metrics to evaluate/improve DEI efforts, integrating DEI into organizational scorecards and measurement systems)

All sessions will be 9AM-1PM CT and online.

Most of us — as leaders, professionals, and just people — understand the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and realize that we need to make changes to improve our organizations and communities.  But change happens at an individual level, so come prepared to understand, identify, and address the unconscious biases we all have.

Biography

Lisa Tabor is the founder & president of CultureBrokers LLC, a Minneapolis-based DEI consulting firm known for achieving diversity, inclusion and equity results in even the most complex situations. CultureBrokers is appreciated by clients for their ability to leverage critical intercultural relationships, improve systems for structural change and build sustainable solutions.

Lisa’s passion for making a DEI difference in the world started years ago. After holding a variety of management positions in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, she saw how many organizations said they embraced diversity, but failed to operationalize their good intentions. With a strong vision to create a better way to achieve tangible DEI results, she ventured out and created CultureBrokers 20 years ago.  Prior to founding CultureBrokers, Lisa was Director of Membership at Visit Saint Paul and Manager of Education at the St. Paul Area Chamber.

She holds many certifications and licenses, including: Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI) Qualified Administrator; Cultural Intelligence Assessment® (CQ) Qualified Administrator; Diamond Inclusiveness Assessment™ (DIA) Certified Facilitator; a Baldrige-based PEN Evaluator; and Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI).