Here Comes Everyone by The Conference Bard

Religion, or faith at work, is a critical dimension of Diversity and Inclusion but one that too often doesn't get the attention it deserves.  Founded in 1992, The Tanenbaum Centre works to foster greater understanding between people of different faiths and is a great resource for those looking to incoporporate religion or faith into their DEI practice.

For this episode of Here Comes Everyone I'm joined by Leslie Funk who will share her insights into the dynamics of religion in the workplace.  With faith and religion being such a central part of many people's identity this episode is also essential listening for anyone working in the area of workplace culture or who believes that workplaces are best when we can all be our whole authentic selves.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

When I first met La'Wana she was a DEI leader at a major Pharma company - she was speaking at a diversity conference about how employers can engage more actively in social issues that reflect their internal commitment to inclusion.  It was a great session well received by the audience but there was a sense that organizations were not doing nearly enough in this area, or even feeling that they should.

Now in 2020 more organizations are stepping up, the most visible example being the NBA, and there is a widespread recognition that employers can no longer simply stand on the sidelines.  We have a long way to go, but the environment has changed.

So I was keen to hear La'Wana's latest thoughts on this, but before get there we had a great conversation about DEI and how it relates to coaching, conflict, empathy, privilege, imposter syndrome and the role of ERGs.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

In the time of Covid, with he blurring of boundaries between work and life, the increased stresses caused by the virus and social isolation, and the dire predictions about the impact all this is having on our mental health, we all need the wisdom of Dr Jamie Gruman.

While Dr Gruman's work spans the gamut of HR and business I asked him to join me specificallly to share some of the insights from his book Boost: The Science of Recharging Yourself in the Age of Unrelenting Demands.  While written a couple of years ago, this is very much a book of our times.

Dr Gruman walks us through his RNU model - Rebuild, Nourish, Unhook - that you can apply to your downtime so that it genuinely replenishes you and raises your energy.  If you've ever come back from a vacation wishing you could have had another week, or if you struggle to maintain your energy at work, Dr Gruman's approach is for you. 

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

In this episode Antoine Mindjimba, Associate Partner, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion and Transformative Leadership, EY shares his perspective on leadership in the light of the two most pressing challenges facing organizations today - Covid 19 and the reckoning with race in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.

Building on the a previous conversation with Peter Trevor Wilson, Author of The Human Equity Advantage, we take the opportunity to focus on the issue of leadership.  Antoine begins by walking us through a model that involves Purpose, Authenticity, Trust, Pragmatic Hope, Empathy and Lightening the Burden.

We apply these concepts to DEI, discuss the impact of the BlackNorth initiative and conclude with some personal thoughts about how leaders can remain resilient in the face of uncertainty and change.

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

The June 22 episode featuring Peter Trevor Wilson was both the longest and the most popular episode to date.  This episode allows you to hear the highlights of this conversation.

As the President of TWI International and the author of two books, the latest of which was The Human Equity Advantage: Beyond Diversity to Talent Optimization, Peter has been a tireless and inspirational advocate for greater inclusion in organizations based upon our common humanity.

Drawing on this experience, plus his own life story, he shares his insights into the current moment and how we must all seize this opportunity to create equitable societies, institutions and organizations.

Though short, Peter Trevor manages to cover a lot of ground including:

1.What makes this moment different and how we need to grasp this opportunity to create a more just society
2. How employers can best respond -  and most importantly what not to do
3. The need to see that inclusion applies to everyone
3. What he tells his kids about diversity and equity
4. The need to understand history and rethink justice based on African and Indigenous North American traditions

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

Named after one of my favourite Elvis Costello tracks, in this episode Lorie shares both results of the BC Workplace Culture Scan report she recently completed with the Reframe Group as well as her personal mission to help create workplaces grounded on love.

Among the topics we discuss are:

1. Defining what culture is
2. The central role of relationships to any culture and business 
3. The importance of belonging - especially in the current environment as employers address racism in the workplace
4. The impact of Covid19 on culture and why it makes it even more important
5. Remote work and corporate culture
6. The role of stories in building culture
7. How culture changes as companies grow
8. Cultural artifacts

And of course love at work.....

You can download the BC Culture report at https://reframeinsurance.ca/culture-report/

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

In this episode Vince shares insights from his two books,  The Leadership Contract and the just released Accountable Leaders. We cover a fair bit of ground including discussion of:

• The key role of accountability in leadership
• The critical importance of accountability to authentic leadership
• Why leaders need to build a community of leaders to be truly effective
• How to show up as an accountable leader in times of crisis
• Accountability and inclusion in organizations
• The changing expectation on leaders
• Leading in a crisis - accountable leaders turn to each other not on each other
• The importance of a regular and honest gut check to make sure you are living your values and delivering results

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

No guest for this episode I'm afraid though I have an upcoming guest who will discuss privilege.

In the meantime I wrote this short poem - still very much a work in progress.

For expert perspectives on D&I check out previous episodes featuring Peter Trevor Wilson, Rebekah Steele and Camille Dundas

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

For this episode I invited my colleague Darcy Roberts of Spiral by Design to join me to discuss how employers can use LEGO®SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) with teams as they return to colocation as the COVID19 lockdown eases - as well as with blended teams of remote and colocated members and teams that are remaining remote.

After briefly sharing the principles and process of LSP she shares the approach we have developed aimed at RESETTING & REENERGIZING your team by building, sharing and exploring models in the following four stages:

MEDITATION - Reflecting on what you have lost and learned during COVID19 - an essential foundation for moving forward
CELEBRATION - Identifying the skills and resources that have enabled you to come through this crisis.  A great way to begin to build new energy and share what has worked.
RECALIBRATION - Resetting the team for the next stage of development - reflecting on how to apply the learnings from the crisis so far and what need to change
ACTIVATION - Creating a concrete set of principles and vision for the future.  Get your people thinking positively about what's next

Lastly we can use LSP to democratically create a team charter to guide collaboration and action for the future!

In designing this 2 hr workshop, we were struck by the key role of one of the principles of LSP - Everyone builds and everyone shares.  In today's world you need to ensure everyone has a voice - this is particularly critical in our diverse workforce and in the case of blended teams.  Leaders need to ensure that team members working remotely need to be on a level playing field with those who return to the office.  LSP is a powerful tool that helps ensure this happens.

For further info you can contact Darcy through her website at https://spiralbydesign.ca

For more info on my work as a conference emcee, spoken word artist, panel moderator and event designer check out my site at https://conferencebard.ca/

As the President of TWI International and the author of two books, the latest of which was The Human Equity Advantage: Beyond Diversity to Talent Optimization, Peter has been a tireless and inspirational advocate for greater inclusion in organizations based upon our common humanity.

Drawing on this experience, plus his own life story, he shares his insights into the current moment and how we must all seize this opportunity to create equitable societies, institutions and organizations.

Peter talks about why he thinks that it is different this time, the similarities and differences between Canada and the US, the role of leadership and the need to redefine justice by learning from the experience of Nelson Mandela, traditional African approaches and the practices of First Nations communities in Canada.