5 things / diversity and inclusion training
How do we make diversity and inclusion training sticky? (or any other training...)
How do we move the needle? Really move it, in a sustainable way?
These are the questions I routinely hear from my clients, and I respond with a couple of strategies I use to create engaging and "sticky" programming. One involves using emotional triggers to inspire folks to feel the need to change. Another is changing the default structure of a system to an inclusive standard. These concepts are the core principles of the book Inclusion Nudges.
The thesis of the book is that change is sustainable when the drivers target the lower, unconscious part of our brain. But a lot of inclusion work targets the rational, intellectual part of the brain. The unconscious part of the brain always wins in a fast-paced world.
Anyway, I tell you all this because there's a new edition of the Inclusion Nudges book, which is a crowd-sourced directory of 100+ inclusion examples and activities -- and I have a nudge included on page 432.
I can't wait to dig in and keep learning.
Other inspiring things I learned this week include:
In July, Crayola will release its new Colors of the World crayon collection. The crayons reflect a wide variety of skin tones. First bandages, now crayons...finally!
The Fortune 500 has more women CEOs than ever before - up to 36 from last year's 33. There aren't very many women of color, though...
Disney has released a new digital short called "Out" which tells the story of a young man struggling with coming out as gay to his parents. The film is available now on Disney+, just in time for Pride month.
Intel is launching a Global Inclusion Index, a standard of diversity, equity, and inclusion benchmarks that organizations can use to measure their own progress. Progress, not perfection.