5 Things / Operationalizing
Bernadette Smith Bernadette Smith

5 Things / Operationalizing

This week I’ve had a few “we have to spend our budget in the next few weeks” conversations – please reach out if you’re in a similar situation. I delivered a keynote this week for association leaders on the current state of DEI and how we keep going amidst so much uncertainty. I was fired up!

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5 Things / Breaking Bread
Bernadette Smith Bernadette Smith

5 Things / Breaking Bread

I live in Chicago but spend every Thanksgiving week in New York City with my family and friends. Like many of us, I’ll break bread on Thanksgiving with some family members who voted differently than me. And yet, I know they love me and would be there if I needed help. They’ve proved it. Still, the dichotomy is tough to reconcile.

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5 Things / Humanizing
Bernadette Smith Bernadette Smith

5 Things / Humanizing

It’s broken my heart how my transgender friends and colleagues have been dehumanized this election season and beyond. It’s Trans Awareness Week so I’m sharing episodes of 5 Things in 15 Minutes to humanize some previous trans guests. Check these out on any podcast platform or directly in the links below.

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5 Things / Managing Distrust
Bernadette Smith Bernadette Smith

5 Things / Managing Distrust

After the US election, there's a chance that some people on your team have wondered to themselves this week, “Am I going to be OK? Is my teammate or manager someone who voted against equality?” There are likely people on your team who feel psychologically unsafe and don’t trust leadership.

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5 Things / The Rebrand
Bernadette Smith Bernadette Smith

5 Things / The Rebrand

At a keynote Q&A this week, an audience member asked, “How do we make mandatory DEI training successful?” My quick response was: “Call it something else.”

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