In this episode of the Inclusion on Demand podcast, employment lawyer and inclusion advocate Mike Cohen discusses moving organizations from preventative legal counseling to transformative inclusion.

Michael Cohen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12/

Michael Cohen’s bio on his firm’s web site: www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen.html

Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In this episode, host Brian Fishbone shares some of his favorite suggestions for engaging ERG members more interactively in virtual programs. Looking for more support in transforming your ERGs to better align more strategically with business and HR objectives?  Contact Inclusion on Demand today via the links below. Best practices shared during the episode are as follows.

Sample Virtual Programs

Awareness Months: Offer trivia, games, contests, and other activities throughout the ERG’s applicable heritage month. 

Commerce Brainstorming: Marketing associates can post ideas for reaction or crowdsource new ways to serve diverse markets.

Member Selfies and Videos: Ask members to post selfies and videos to internal social media to celebrate holidays and awareness months (e.g. LGBTQ+ group can ask members to dress up for a Virtual Pride Parade).

Stories of Intersectionality: Post stories of multiple dimensions of diversity (e.g. during Black History Month, post about Queer Black leaders in the community in both Black African American and LGBTQ+ channels).

Live Virtual Events

Ask Me Anything: Executive Sponsor or other senior leader takes questions from members about anything, from the ERG to their career.

More Interactive Events: Be more intentional in creating spaces for interaction within virtual events (e.g. live Q and A, breakout rooms, polls, facilitated chat, etc.).

Inclusive Delivery: Turn on closed captioning and as an alternative to asking participants to unmute at random to join the conversation and use raise hand feature or equivalent to more efficiently and equitably invite people to speak.

Recordings

Create Recorded Clips: After recording an event, edit one more 3-minute clips highlighting key points for those employees who are unable to watch the entire recording. 

Provide Resources for Recordings:  Post recording and/or clips in one or more communication channels with one or more discussion questions so that members can facilitate discussions or activities with their work teams.  

Additional Resources:

Mentimeter: https://www.mentimeter.com/

Poll Everywhere: https://www.polleverywhere.com/

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Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In this episode of the Inclusion on Demand podcast, inclusion practitioner and psychological safety expert Minette Norman shares her insights on inclusion through the lens of healthy organizational culture, empathy, and psychological safety.   

The Boldly Inclusive Leader: Transform Your Workplace (and the World) by Valuing Differences Within by Minette Norman

The Psychological Safety Playbook: Lead More Powerfully by Being More Human by Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman

Social – Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect by Matthew D. Lieberman

The Fearless Organization by Amy C. Edmonson

Living a Life that Matters by Harold S. Kushner

Minette Norman’s website: https://www.minettenorman.com/

Minette Norman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minettenorman/

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Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In this episode of Inclusion on Demand, Brian Fishbone defines the D, E, I, and B of DEIB, discusses the business case for advancing inclusion in HR, clarifies what bias really is, and introduces the role of HR professionals in advancing inclusion in their respective areas, and defines the talent lifecycle.

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• McKinsey 2023: Diversity Matters Even More https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-matters-even-more-the-case-for-holistic-impact

• BCG 2023: Inclusion Isn’t Just Nice. It’s Necessary: https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/how-to-improve-inclusion-in-the-workplace

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Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In this episode, Brian Fishbone reads an excerpt from his memoir about coming out of the closet titled Closets are for Clothes: A Memoir. Resources referenced in the episode are as follows.

Order Closets are for Clothes: A Memoir by Brian Fishbone: https://a.co/d/abSmfHE

Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In this episode, Brian Fishbone and DE&I practitioner Cherish McCombs continue their conversation about their hope for DEIB in 2025. This is the second of two episodes with Cherish McCombs. Links referenced in the episode are as follows.

The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee (Amazon)

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Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In this episode of the Inclusion on Demand podcast, DE&I practitioner and thought leader Cherish McCombs and I share our optimism for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in 2025.  First, I’ll share some tips on navigating the DE&I news cycle and reset the narrative around DE&I. This is the first of two episodes with Cherish McCombs. Links referenced in the episode are as follows.

• “Meta announces end of DEI programs. Read the internal memo” (CNBC)
• “Costco shareholders just destroyed an anti-DEI push” (CNN)

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Connect with Cherish McCombs on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherishmccombs/

Learn more about Inclusion On Demand: https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/

In the Inclusion on Demand Podcast, we’ll explore the world of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging - called DEIB for short - through the lens of best practices host Brian Fishbone has developed over more than a decade in this field.  We’ll discuss everything from inclusive leadership and psychological safety to bias mitigation in HR practices and building sustainable, enduring Employee Resource Groups (ERGs for short).  We’ll feature interviews with leading inclusion experts and practitioners.  And we’ll analyze what’s hot, and what’s not, in the world of DEIB.  The goal of the podcast is to equip you with powerful insights, diverse perspectives, and easy-to-implement best practices that anyone interested in DEIB can use.

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Learn more about Inclusion On Demand at https://www.inclusionondemand.com

Connect with Brian Fishbone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfishbone/