We’re going to talk about a very important topic – living and working in diverse and equitable cultures. You may have heard about this as DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion.
DEI is a term used to describe programs and policies that encourage representation and participation of diverse groups of people, including people of different genders, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, religions, cultures, ages, and sexual orientations and people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills and expertise. It’s a hot button at work today for sure and for good reason.
We will get farther ahead personally and professionally if we build the concept of “we” rather than staying in our own groups. It is important to understand the perspective of people that don’t believe what you believe or have different roots or a different upbringing. If we work towards a culture of acceptance, we can truly live, work and interact better together. I recently met someone who has lived in other cultures and is striving towards “we building”.
Laura Kriska, is an expert on cross-cultural relations with more than 30 years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents helping thousands of professionals build trust across Us versus Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age, or any factor of identity.
Laura’s We-building framework provides practicable and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world.
Laura and I talked about the following during our conversation:
1. How many of us grow up and live in homogenous towns
2. Ways we can branch out and encourage “we building” in homes and workplaces
3. How a lack of “we building” can happen between many different groups, including different cultures, races, religions, sexes, etc.
I was educated and encouraged by Laura’s words and I’m confident you will be too.
Resources:
Brave Women at Work Website: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/
DEI Definition: https://trainingindustry.com/wiki/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei/
Laura Kriska’s Website: https://www.laurakriska.com/
Laura Kriska’s Assessment: https://www.laurakriska.com/assessment
The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace: https://www.amazon.com/Business-We-Three-Step-Process-Workplace/dp/140021680X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+business+of+we+book+laura+kriska&qid=1636489483&qsid=132-4956091-0978944&sr=8-1&sres=140021680X%2CB00R92CL5E%2CB00M9K7L8S&srpt=ABIS_BOOK The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Office-Lady-American-Corporate/dp/4805311568/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WMM3NRNTED8W&keywords=the+accidental+office+lady&qid=1636489531&qsid=132-4956091-0978944&sprefix=the+accidental+office%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1&sres=4805311568%2CB09HN7NBFQ%2CB095N688F6%2CB091G2ZNS2%2C1946978159%2CB08LL8DYXF%2C1786818590%2CB07N69CLB9%2CB08WRNXQ9B%2C1786818574%2CB09BDKC839%2CB01GSNU76E%2CB07B8X6FFS%2CB08W5HMCQ9%2CB07M6FLWZR%2C158333582X&srpt=ABIS_EBOOKS
