What's The Difference?

What You Will Learn: Why black professionals have lost faith in DEI efforts What is the most consistent frustration among black professionals throughout corporate America Why we should first focus on leading with inclusion rather than diversity What is the problem with only focusing on diversity in recruiting Why it’s important to first understand how we got here to truly create a culture of inclusion How does the mindset of black millennials differ from other generations How to help leaders of organizations to understand what they can do to drive DEI work What should the goal and focus be for new DEI practitioners About Keith Wyche Keith Wyche is a recognized thought leader in the areas of Change Management, Executive Development, Leadership, Business, Career Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Transformation, and Innovation who excels at talent development and has a consistent record of growing revenue and expanding margins across a broad range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, outsou

What You Will Learn: How Tadé discovered the transformative power of education through his father’s career Why Tadé believes that providing access to higher education to oppressed communities will allow them to solve their own problems What unintentional barriers are often presented to minorities during their educational careers What is the difference between health equity and healthcare disparities and equity and equality How the healthcare practitioner and the healthcare industry’s bias leads to health disparities What question should be asked before considering how to address health disparities What three items when utilized together can have a great impact on healthcare disparities How to understand the difference between implicit and explicit bias About Tadé Ayeni Dr. Tadé Ayeni is the Director of Diversity and Equity as well as Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. He is also the host of The Black Professional podcast and the CEO of Beyond Performative, a

The Forgotten Identity: Disability at Work What You Will Learn: How Victor found his way to DEI work and to shining a light on the important issues around disability at work and its overlap with other minority identities Why Victor's goal in his role as Commissioner for the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities is to bring awareness to disability and accessibility issues What big wins and significant progress Victor has been able to facilitate in his role, including helping New York's park system become the most accessible in the world How around 11% of New York City's population lives their lives with disability, and why people's fear of self-disclosure makes underreporting a real challenge Why many of the technological innovations developed specifically for people with disability benefit all of us Why laws and systems to support people with disability in the workplace are crucial for allowing people to thrive in their roles Why the disparity between New York's pre-pandemic unemployment rate for non-d

What You Will Learn: In this unique episode of What’s The Difference, you’ll hear audio from a panel at the Stevens Institute of Technology about the benefits of inclusive leadership, in which we discussed Cultural Competence as a business skill, when it is and isn’t appropriate to point out the “differences that make a difference,” and why context is vital. Hear insights about: Why developing your Cultural Competence is a key business skill that goes far beyond “knowing when to kiss, bow, or shake hands” Sara shares a story of being asked to point her husband out in a group and relates why people often become uncomfortable pointing out differences such as race Why the only time we should be identifying people by the “differences that make a difference” is when that difference is relevant to the situation Why preventing difficult situations and creating a more Inclusive environment is more effective than reacting to uncomfortable situations when they arise Why relying on research-based models is the key to d

What You Will Learn: Why objecting to change, feeling like giving up something, and feeling it’s too much extra work are common points of resistance to diversity in the workplace and DEI efforts Why real change must happen across all levels of an organization, and why individual growth and transformation is the key to changing the organization Why the process of developing Cultural Competence isn’t about giving up anything but about adding on new skills and abilities to navigate difference Why DEI efforts do require extra work upfront but will make for a more effective and enjoyable workplace on the other side Why DEI work is about creating organizational change by teaching people how to add new skills that will benefit them both individually and as an organization in the long run About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five year

What You Will Learn: Why it feels awkward and oftentimes uncomfortable for most of us when we are called by the wrong name incorrectly How Sara recently participated in a panel presentation on inclusive leadership and relationships at the Stevens Institute of Technology Sara shares comments from the other panelists that explain why “preferred pronouns” aren’t really a preference, and why it’s important to avoiding calling trans people by their deadnames Why a better way of referring to someone’s chosen pronouns is by calling them “identity pronouns” rather than “preferred pronouns” Why calling by someone by the wrong name can leave them feeling uncomfortable, and why being referred to by the correct name and pronouns isn’t a preference but an identity About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity

What You Will Learn: How Hope transitioned her career from mechanical engineering to a brand new career in DEI practice Why Hope found her passion in making things better and affecting change, and why she chose to leave her engineering role behind to focus on DEI full time What challenges Hope faced and unexpected surprises she has experienced as a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practitioner How working with an outstanding mentor helped guide Hope’s career and gave her a better understanding of the career path Why many of the leaders Hope has worked with started with the Diversity piece, and why she believes that we should focus more on Equity and Inclusion How Hope pushed through feelings of overwhelm when she first moved into her new role, and why she is passionate about always continuing to learn What advice Hope has for new practitioners and anyone interested in becoming certified in DEI practice About Hope Scheeler Hope Scheeler is a self-proclaimed cultural engineer who helps organizations creat

Who Leads DEI? DEI Leaders and the Importance of Roles What You Will Learn: How a survey of 383 U.S. employers from Xpert HR revealed that only 11% of these employers had Chief DEI Officers leading their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts Further findings of the Xpert HR survey: 15% had DEI efforts led by volunteer employee groups 17% said no one leads their DEI work 19% said a “social justice workgroup” or board of directors led their efforts 36% responded that it was lead by their CEO 52% said a Chief Human Resources Officer led their efforts 7% said a Chief Operating Officer led their DEI work 5% responded that their Chief Financial Officer led the way 4% said their General Counsel ran their efforts 2% responded that an outside consultant led their DEI efforts Why General Counsel, the CFO or even the CEO aren’t the right people who should be leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, and why it’s crucial to appoint the right DEI leaders to oversee your efforts Why organizations who are truly commi

What You Will Learn: Why 75% of people surveyed responded that, due to the global pandemic, they no longer feel comfortable shaking hands in a job interview Sara describes a pre-pandemic training exercise she and her team would employ to demonstrate the discomfort people sometimes experience when getting close to others Why shared meaning around our cultural behaviors informs how comfortable or uncomfortable we feel doing those behaviors How the “handshake” ritual came to be historically, why many of us don’t know this origin, and what this tells us about how we view and question other cultures’ behaviors Why it takes a significant disruption to change the shared meaning we associate with certain long-held cultural behaviors Why understanding the shared meaning behind behaviors is the key to understanding and changing our organizational culture Why our actions are created by our conscious thoughts, which themselves stem from our unconscious filters Why it is crucial to define the behaviors that you want to s

What You Will Learn: Sara shares the story of “Jaden,” the manager of her local coffee shop who desperately needed a day off from nonstop work, an example of what happens when leadership does not invest in DEI work and learning Why Jaden chose to give her two-weeks notice because she felt her manager didn’t respect her or her family Why Jaden’s story demonstrates the need for businesses and organizations to invest in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work Why Jaden’s manager’s internal bias and lack of cultural competence has cost her a fantastic employee Why employees “quitting their managers” can be just as damaging to a company as employees leaving their jobs, and why this is a perfect example of the ROI of DEI work About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, M

What You Will Learn: Why Generation Z as a cohort is the most broadly diverse generation in history, and why DEI expectations from Generation Z in the workplace are important to understand Why Generation Z often defines Diversity as “who we are”, and why Cultural Competence is a crucial skill to help navigate their workplace expectations Why greater inclusivity in Generation Z’s upbringing has played a big role in defining their expectations for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace Why Generation Z is adept at creating systemic and social change through collective advocacy Why generations engage differently with DEI workplace issues, and what differences are found in DEI expectations between Millennials and Generation Z in the workplace Why members of older generations often assume that Generation Z is inherently more culturally competent even though it isn’t necessarily true How Generation Z finds strong motivation from making a difference for the people who matter to them Why it isn’t possible

What You Will Learn: Sara defines Cultural Competence as understanding how our unconscious minds make decisions for us and taking conscious control of our behaviors Why the first step in defining the benefits of Cultural Competence involves recognizing the “differences that make a difference” Why our level of Cultural Competence is involved in virtually every interaction we have in the workplace How research by Joseph DiStefano and Martha Maznevski found that diverse teams make up both the worst and best performing, with Cultural Competence being the deciding factor Why less than 17% of our population falls within the two most effective stages of Cultural Competence, and how we can develop those skills Why major organizations like Google and Target even struggle to recognize and respond to the differences that make a difference Why tying Cultural Competence to your strategic priorities like breaking into new markets or mergers/acquisitions can help you make the case Why the “do nothing” strategy of maintaini

What You Will Learn: Why there are many business benefits of Inclusion in the workplace, and why Inclusion allows you to create an environment that takes advantage of the benefits of Diversity How the cost of talent turnover is anywhere from 40% to 150% of an employee’s annual salary, and how an inclusive environment increases engagement and retention How Gallup found that 13% of the global workforce are actively engaged at work, and why management’s strong commitment to Diversity is the #1 factor in increasing this number Why Diversity without Inclusion can result in high talent turnover, and why an inclusive environment is crucial for avoiding that turnover Why the level of engagement is lowest for workforce members born after 1980, and why Inclusion is necessary for helping them feel engaged What to look for to identify issues with Inclusion in your organization, and how to analyze your data to get a better picture of Inclusion at your workplace About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in

Making the Case Part I: Why Diversity is Good For Business What You Will Learn: Why it is important to examine why Diversity is good for business, just as we examine the benefits of all the other business decisions we make Why the first component of why diversity is good for business is the moral implications of increased Diversity How studies have shown that the top 25% racially and ethnically diverse companies are 36% more likely to outperform less diverse companies in financial performance Why greater gender Diversity gives companies a 25% increased likelihood of outperforming the average and increase the value of these organizations How Diversity can help fuel innovation, new and fresh ideas, and more perspectives in decision-making Why tokenism isn’t enough, and why diverse team members and business leaders need to be brought in as full members of the team Why our workforce is increasingly diverse and why organizations that value Diversity have greater access to talented team members How immigration is

What You Will Learn: What possible reasons may be contributing to so many people asking Sara and her team at deepSEE Consulting for help defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Why it is especially important to have a shared clear, defined meaning around the important concepts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion How the team at deepSEE Consulting define Diversity as “the differences that may make a difference” How any business with more than one person inherently has Diversity, and what kinds of differences make a difference in interactions with others Why our “frames” and “filters” are so important in our interactions, including within the workplace How Inclusion represents acts and actions that create an environment where everyone feels they matter and are “a part of” rather than “apart from” How Equity differs from Equality, wherein Equity takes into account individual and systemic bias, and why Equity is about parity rather than fairness About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diver

Why the increased conversation around unconscious and implicit bias is significant, and why “affinity bias” (positive bias) is often overlooked but just as influential Sara shares a personal story from her daughter that illustrates the impact of positive and negative bias and responding to microaggression Why positive bias can create negative reactions, and why it is important to understand positive bias in our workplaces Why recognizing and responding to positive bias is an important component of bringing equity to a workplace Sara shares examples of highly visible affinity bias that her family experienced while visiting the Dominican Republic Why passing through Customs and Immigration was made easier by having Sara take the bags and go through before her husband Why it is vital that we begin addressing affinity bias in the same ways that we address implicit and unconscious bias About Sara Taylor Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minne

What You Will Learn: Namita shares how others’ filters lead to comments from them on her lack of a “foreign” accent, which belies the occasional language differences that she sometimes encounters even today How people often have the expectation that Namita, an Asian woman, will be passive or quiet, and how they are surprised when she steps outside their expectations How Namita has experienced expectations around her ability with technology and computer programming entirely because she is Asian How the stereotypes Namita has experienced over her career have impacted her, even (and especially) when she doesn’t fit the stereotype How Namita also experiences these expectations from others in the Asian community, and how people often assume Namita is her kids’ nanny rather than their mom Namita offers her perspective on the increase in incidents of violence against Asain women, and why that race-based hate is frightening to Namita Why negative news headlines often reference the race of an individual when they are

What You Will Learn: How Namita’s unique experiences as an immigrant to the United States informs her work in the DEI space What Namita’s experiences were like after immigrating to Minnesota at the young age of eight years old, and how she first recognized differing cultural filters in others How Namita began making friends, and how she started to recognize differences in formalities in family life from what she was used to How Namita’s experiences with difference carried over to her transition into the workplace, and how she had to consciously work to acquire the skill of using her voice How differences in individual and collective cultural filters can sometimes cause misunderstandings or miscommunications in the workplace Why it is important to recognize that our own filters may differ from those of others, and why misaligned expectations can cause workplace tension Namita shares the story of a colleague who considered resigning from a new job because he hadn’t been approached by his boss and made to feel

What You Will Learn: How the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” needs to give way to the Platinum Rule, “do unto others as they would want done unto them” How oftentimes people struggle to let go of the Golden Rule and embrace the Platinum Rule, especially in terms of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace Which myths and misperceptions around the Golden Rule reinforce its existence as the default way to interact and often lead people astray in DEI work Why the Golden Rule isn’t necessarily “wrong”, and why we need to reframe our thinking to realize that the Platinum Rule is more effective rather than “more right” How most of us are already using the Golden Rule daily, and how our unconscious minds often make an assumption about similarity despite our very real differences Why assuming that others want to be treated the way we want ourselves to be treated is based on fallacy and doesn’t respect others’ individual filters and experiences Why our own experiences are

Generation Z in the Workplace What You Will Learn: How Meghan and Corey each found their way to generational research and began studying Generation Z in the workplace How Corey and Meghan each bring their own perspectives to the research due to belonging to different generational cohorts How the scope of Corey and Meghan’s work has grown over time, and why they have focused on qualitative data What common misperceptions exist around Generation Z in the workplace, and what key formative experiences the generational cohort has collectively experienced What important points to be aware of about Generation Z as they begin to enter the workforce Why there are patterns within cultural groups in their experiences and perspectives, but why it is important to remember that these patterns aren’t universal Corey and Meghan share some of the common patterns in how Generation Z sees hierarchy, individuality, leadership and transparency How Corey and Meghan’s research shows that the perception that Generation Z is flighty