Exploring Gender Inclusion And Support (DEI)
With our approach to DEI, we empower women, and the men who support them, in fast-paced, complex business environments.
We believe that women …
- Have more female energy than male energy
- Encounter different life-style and life-stage stressors
- Place higher value on flexibility, affiliation and sustainability
- Resonate differently to corporate attraction and development programs
- Aspire to a broader range of leadership styles and role-models
- Discount praise and lowball their own abilities
- Have lower self-confidence and under-advocate for their own ideas
- Be more reluctant to contribute to group (especially men-only) discussions
- Share more openly in women-only settings
- Be subject to gender micro-biases
- …
… and we believe that men:
- Want to support their women colleagues, friends and family members
- Are generally familiar with, and aligned with, DEI efforts
- Yet are unsure about what they can “do” to be supportive and inclusive
- And tend to stand far-back from “the line,” hesitant to have open discussion for fear of being “politically incorrect”
Sample Agenda
Exploring Gender Inclusion & Support
- It’s OK, we all have it (biases)
- Women are different
- Stereotyping is good for us (really!)
- Gender bias is real and subtle
- Everyday interactions count (group discussions)
- Taking action
- Calling it out
- Commitment vs. compliance
- Deciding for yourself
- One thing you will do
Example Topics from "Everyday interactions count (group discussions)"
Each topic is one of 50+ “situations,”
- “What” happens
- “Why” it happens
- “Options” for action
Some example topics:
- “This parent keeps asking to leave in the middle of the day but …”
- “Our team events seem focused on things men prefer but …”
- “I want to tell my colleague to dress more formally but …”
- “I think they were put on the engagement as a token representative but..”
- “I’d rather mentor people who remind me of myself but…”
- “My Director places a lot of value on being there live but …”
- “I keep telling my direct report to speak up more in meetings but …”
- “My colleague says they’d rather hire single men but …”
- “People seem to interrupt certain members of the team but ….”
- “Someone said that now she’s back from maternity leave it will be a challenge but…”