Requests for facilitated dialogues on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have increased the most since the inception of Leadership Dialogues. In the face of policy changes and people not knowing what to call DEI in our current climate, one thing remains constant: people’s steadfast commitment to building more equitable and inclusive communities and workplaces. I am also committed to this important work.

 

My teams have facilitated DEI dialogues for non-profit groups across the U.S. with a focus on shared values, reflective listening, and equal share of voice for every participant. Issues discussed are grounded in each person’s context – the opportunities and barriers unique to each participant – to get beyond the short position statement or social media post that we tend to communicate with in the course of our fast-paced lives.

 

By facilitating meaningful conversation guided by questions such as: “Share a time you felt different or judged. Or when was a time that a local institution or social structure empowered you or failed you,” participants gain understanding into how social, cultural and systemic factors impact people in different ways on a common issue. Deeper understanding of another person’s history and their humanity changes how people receive and process their different points of view.

 

We will continue to facilitate DEI dialogues motivated by our goal of making these conversations more accessible to more communities, our experience that every individual has a point of view that is important to hear, and grounded in our belief that conversations that get uncomfortable – that make us reflect on our own point of view in a different way – are prerequisites for positive change.