KCB Inclusive Consulting is a sole proprietorship offering synchronous inclusion, diversity, belonging, and equity (IDBE) learning opportunities for corporate leaders. Corporate trainer Kelle Colyer-Brown serves as a neutral third-party facilitator, guiding participants through exercises and discussion about diversity and inclusion topics from a nonjudgmental, academic perspective. Through a series of workshops leaders will gain an understanding of the benefits of fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture, and risks of failing to do so. They will in turn be able to apply this knowledge to support business drivers, mitigate risk, and espouse the organization’s commitment to social justice in all activities.
Course Objective and Strategy To engage mid-and senior-level managers in a series of three one-hour workshops over six weeks. Sessions will increase general knowledge and awareness about effective diversity and inclusion programs. The workshops will develop understanding of how diversity and inclusion impact, and are impacted by, fiscal, legal, and moral urgencies.
Session 1 The Fiscal Imperative
Through a guided discussion, leaders will develop a common understanding of key terms: diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity. They will then identify the profit & loss centers for the busines, and how those may be impacted by workforce IDBE or lack thereof. This includes exploring how groupthink might hinder product and systems innovation, and how a diversity climate is positively related to customer satisfaction. As supervisors and organization leaders, they will also consider how perceptions of belonging impact employee behaviors and productivity.
Participants will learn about the rapidly expanding opportunities for grants and awards that either recognize diversity or require a strong IDBE program for eligibility.
· Large-scale funding is available from organizations such as the Ford Foundation, McKnight Foundation, and Hewlett Foundation for projects that advance global equity.
· Unites States federal contractors and subcontractors must produce an annual affirmative action plan and document a commitment to strive for disability and veteran hiring benchmarks.
· Venture capital firms are stating funds exclusively for traditionally marginalized entrepreneurs. For example, in June 2020 Softbank raised $100 million in less than 24 hours to invest with start-up founders of color.
Lastly, participants will be introduced to IDBE as part of an overall risk management strategy. Just as an affirmative commitment to equity can bring great rewards, inequity can lead to lawsuits, fines, and audits. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state and city human rights commissions ensure companies are acting in accordance with civil rights and employment laws. Failure to do so may result in audits, investigations, and lawsuits. Resources would be shifted from growth and development to litigation and remediation, increasing overhead and impacting profits.
Session 2 The Legal Imperative
Building on the discussion started in session one, this workshop will provide a more thorough explanation of applicable human rights and employment laws. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 all prohibit discrimination based on membership of protected classes.
Participants will learn the “do’s and don’ts” of interviewing, how to mitigate bias in the interview and performance review processes, and the role of the supervisor in preventing and responding to complaints of discrimination.
Session 3 The Social Justice Imperative
In this session, attendees will explore perceptions of identity and power, and how they play a role in professional and social interactions. Though guided discussion, participants will consider the role of businesses in dismantling systems of oppression.
Higher perceptions of belonging lead to greater retention, employee satisfaction, and improved business reputation amongst customers and jobseekers. In addition, underrepresented applicants tend to rank organizational culture and values such as work/life and emotional wellness higher than monetary compensation.
In their capacity as managers, participants will use this time to identify action items that build community and belonging. Asking attendees to commit to specific deliverables will allow them to practice using their newfound knowledge to support business decisions.
By hiring KCB Inclusion Consulting employers will ensure a subject matter expert is presenting effective and efficient executive education from a place of knowledge and experience. Kelle Colyer-Brown has over a decade of IDBE and employment compliance experience, including creating and presenting SHRM and HRCI recertification credit courses. She is committed to providing education and resources for employers and their workforce at every stage of an affirmative inclusion and anti-bias journey.
The cost of services are a small fraction of the potential rewards, and are a worthwhile investment in growing and retaining a talented workforce. Per a Harvard Business Review article by Paul Gompers and Silpa Kovvali, venture capital firms with greater ethnic diversity amongst decisionmakers saw a comparative success rate on investments of 26.4% better than those with ethnically homogenous investment teams[1].
Following the course, leadership should partner with people analytics advisors to continually assess and track employee satisfaction, productivity, hiring and retention demographics, and inclusion programming participation as metrics of success, recall, and application of the concepts.
KCB Inclusion Consulting looks forward to partnering with your organization to meet your IDBE and business goals. I am available via phone and email for further discussion and scheduling.
[1] Gompers, P., & Kovvali, S. (2018). The Other Diversity Dividend. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 3. https://hbr.org/2018/07/the-other-diversity-dividend