5 things / what happened in St. Joseph
I spent part of this week at the Out and Equal Workplace Summit, supporting some clients and connecting with many other folks. It was inspiring to be in a group of 6000+ LGBTQ people and allies sharing best practices around inclusion.
One thing I learned at the Summit was that Whirlpool Corporation, which is headquartered in Saint Joseph, Michigan, is largely responsible for that small town passing LGBTQ-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinances. After employees expressed fears about being out in the community, Whirlpool mobilized community organizations and used education to get this law passed. It's an incredible best practice for other organizations based in areas without LGBTQ protection.
Here are some other things I learned this week:
The ride-sharing apps, Uber and Lyft, will teach you sign language if your driver is deaf or hearing-impaired.
The Women in Management Study by McKinsey and LeanIn provides a blueprint for increasing women in leadership positions: interrupt the bias that prevents them from getting their very first promotion from entry-level into management (men are much likelier to get promoted). This is a solvable problem.
Procter and Gamble developed the Neurodiversity Smart Automation Center to provide gainful employment for folks with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
And finally, Riv's Toms River Hub, a New Jersey restaurant, has a specific sensory dining room catering to children with autism. It has soothing lighting, a visual menu, and trained servers, to make the dining experience as inclusive as possible. Amazing.