Transformation L.L.C.

Transforming Leadership, Learning & Culture

Miami Florida Public Schools

CHALLENGE:

A local Department of Labor government agency needed to introduce the concepts of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and Unconscious Bias to their team. The challenge was to present these topics in a way that the employees would benefit from the information and have a few skills to address employees when an issue arises in these areas.

SOLUTION:
We delivered a two day program that touched on the major concepts of DEI and Unconscious Bias. Day one focused on gaining an understanding of the terms Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and a brief history of these terms in the workplace. We then examined the programs currently in place in the agency and discussed how these programs being received and ways to engage employees to determine what more they may be looking for regarding DEI. Day two focused on Unconscious Bias. We had each participant take Harvard’s Implicit Association Test (IAT) as pre-work to this session. In the same fashion as day one, we defined the terms Unconscious Bias, how it became popular in the work place, and the foundation of the IAT. In a series of small group discussions, participants learned about each other through their IAT results. In large group discussions participants began the work of addressing differences in a healthy way. Bringing these two major topics to a close we presented some laws that govern the conduct of government agencies which this population specifically needed to be aware of.

RESULT:

Although this was an introduction to these two topics participants came away with a healthy understanding of what they are and how they show up in the workplace. The participants were equipped with language and information to help them address DEI issues should they arise. But overall, the mood from these managers and supervisors was that, they wanted to do more to support the diversity that already exists on their teams.