Intentional Conversations

What an amazing last Intentional Conversations of 2022 we had with guest, Neha Sampat. We hope you enjoy this encore presentation of the vodcast.

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Nika White Consulting was honored to have Dr. Towanna Burrous join us for a very intentional conversation. We discussed how successful leaders are great coaches.

We hope you enjoy this encore presentation.

You are invited to join the NWC team LIVE, every Friday at 11am (EST) for another Intentional Conversation.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

The core competencies on how to be a coach is only the baseline. Coaching is also your commitment, shifting mindset and behavior, and what makes you connect with others and are you curious to learn more.

Every people leader needs to understand the value of talent and be open to coaching to truly make an impact.

Coaching competency requires training and certification. Too much bias and opinion of own lived experience can take over if the credentials are not acquired that allow you to have steady waters.

You are measured by the success of your team according to traditional leadership balance. Leaders need to shift accountability and empower their team to fill in the gaps.

In order to be a powerful coach, you must know who you are yourself, including your biases, triggers, etc. otherwise you wont operate at your best.

Anyone can coach transactional. Transformational space however requires the student to go through that in dept understanding of themselves and deep dive into their values.

Group coaching should be mindful to use coaching skills in the moment, but you’re limited to 11-12 people. There should be a common denominator with all individuals to collectively grow despite learning at different rates.

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It was an honor to have Martine Kalaw join us for Intentional Conversations. We hope you enjoy this encore podcast.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Many of us rely on the academic definition of diversity and get tripped up on educational phrases and language. It results in us being afraid to ask questions.

2. So often we have discussions of bringing C-suite execs into the conversation, we neglect the importance of the role middle managers play in the discussion and outcome.

3. Allow yourself to give people the benefit of the doubt. Ask yourself if you think this person has ill will or can this be a learning experience?

4. All data is opportunity. Yes it creates responsibility, however it is about progress, and not perfection.

5. DEI is not about giving people a pass, but about opening the door to bring in diversity with qualification.

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Jenn Tardy joined the Intentional Conversations vodcast and shared so much wisdom! Listen now to the encore presentation.

You are invited to join the NWC team LIVE, every Friday at 11am (EST) for another Intentional Conversation.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Our lived experiences are shaped by the way we see the world. (LI)

LEI is what we have, and LEQ is what we use. (Lived Experience Intelligence vs. Lived Experience Quotient)

Its profound to mention a new hires LEI during the onboarding process when introducing to the broader team.

Anyone who is working in DEI today and who must work in conjunction with recruitment should leverage career coaches as well to assist with under-represented candidates.

Recruiters and hiring managers are on the frontlines of increasing diversity however, increasing diversity is everyone’s responsibility.

Increasing diversity on the professional level often increases as we increase diversity on our personal level.

Diversity of thought is a widely overlooked representation.

A recruiter is accountable to increasing diversity within the candidate pool. Ideally, a hiring manager should not know the demographic of the pool; however the hiring team has to remove all their biases.

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Dr. Tana M. Session joined Dr. Nika White and team for another Intentional Conversation. We wanted to share the encore episode below.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. If you’re strategic about DEI, you will realize it is a change management process. You hold yourselves accountable and let your employees know where the change is happening.

2. If you’re being intentional and strategic, not performative and checking a box, you will see the effects of the work.

3. The hope is HR is no longer traditional, and that it evolves into something new. HR holds the data the diversity and executive teams need to make impactful decisions around onboarding, recruiting, etc.

4. It's important for the HR entity to be separate from the DEI team and initiatives, though still co-operating.

5. Managers need to look at a new lens of management skills to adapt to this new workforce culture we are experiencing in America today. Employees are asking more questions about how they work and where they work, and this shift will be ever evolving.

6. Women of color often navigate the power structure. It’s imperative we understand what our “no” is. Understand what the expectation of your role is and how to best prioritize it using resources to be efficient and still manage your time.

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Lisette Martinez joined Nika White Consulting and team for an Intentional Conversation around the importance of using minority owned businesses as suppliers and more.

Listen now to this encore episode of the LIVE vodcast.

And be sure to join the NWC team, every Friday at 11am (EST) for another Intentional Conversation.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. The word minority hits a lot of buttons for a lot of people. The nomenclature is however there for a reason and at the end of the day when we are looking at black and brown organizations in the supplier diversity sector it is still the primary issue. We need to focus on the impact of the changes we as leaders are looking to make in our communities.

2. Activity to impact is a shift that will yield us our desired outcomes in this work of DEI.

3. Supplier diversity is foundational as you have a budget within any department of an organization. As a leader of our departments, we must get involved in theses decisions of how we spend our money and where opportunity is distributed.

4. What gets measured doesn’t always get done. If its not tied to your performance management and incentives, it may not get done. The reality is we are human being and there are many measures, and the incentives are crucial in getting things done.

5. Anytime you have an opportunity that will benefit the growth of the economy in your community speak up!

6. Contracts that are held by organizations, often people assume they must be 100% or nothing. Remember you can split the work and create a partnership that may help a smaller organization grow.

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It is always a treat when we welcome two guests to the co-host chairs for our LIVE Intentional Conversations vodcast. We were so excited to have Anu Mandapati and Elonda Johnson join us to discuss developing leaders in a more inclusive way.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. When we think about retention, we should consider the reasons people chose to stay and go. When their experience is not as positive is when transitions start to occur, especially with people of color and not experiencing a sense of belonging.

2. It’s imperative to embrace the diversity of what a leadership may look like. Its time to create space for a different type of leader.

3. Increase visibility and build those relationships with those whose voice may not be in the room with the right people.

4. We all have leadership capacity; we lead at home at work and in different forms of our lives.  Leadership is not necessarily by title but is impacted by the influence we have.

5. Its not about perfection in this work as that can create stress and anxiety, but rather it’s about progress. Providing that psychologically safe place in coaching allows for sensible action plans to grow.

6. Supporting other coaches, leaders, and sponsors and hold spaces for different organizations checking our own bias’s along the way is key.

7. We should call out when power dynamics exists and understand those conversations might be uncomfortable. Acknowledge it and seek the support you need.

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Nika White Consulting was honored to have Dr. Carey Yazeed join the Intentional Conversations vodcast.

Listen to the encore episode now!

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. Often when individuals speak up on issues in workspaces, it allows others to feel empowered to speak as well.

2. Keep a researcher’s perspective to give a voice to the voiceless, empower yourself to question and be curious of all lens’s in this field.

3. There is value in having an open pay discussion and know what your counterparts are earning. It allows you to know your worth and stand by it.

4. It's imperative to site other's work, as many Black and Brown women are dealing with theft of intellectual property.

5. Understand you are different because you are bringing frustrations from generational and systemic racism that were never addressed.

6. It is important to document your experiences at work no matter how small, because when things steam roll into something greater, you can back up your claims.

7. Most corporations focus on the numbers and forget about the people. Behavioral scientists provide data that represent the voices of the employees, especially those on the frontline.

8. Change management often means we have to come in and change the mindsets of leadership first. The disconnect happens when leadership never talks to those workers in the frontline positions.

9. Imposter syndrome is common with people of color, partly due to how much Black and Brown women have been gaslighted in their workplace. Learn to reclaim your voice and reclaim your power.

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We were honored to welcome Dr. Theresa White to the Intentional Conversations vodcast and excited to share this encore presentation of her episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

When children are expelled from school early, research shows it sets the idea that they’re not belonged and leads them into a negative pipeline.

Teachers struggle with aggressive behavior and send children home, instead of dealing with what their needs are. Its important to call an early intervention agency and address the root of the issue.

We must look at the antecedents and what preceded this behavior and what changed. Often, we can notice environmental changes that initiate adverse behavior and be proactive about their outcomes.

Higher education institutions need to look at their implicit biases to the deepest level. If you don’t think a child can learn based on their color, age, gender, socioeconomic status, you are going to compartmentalize them and that will hinder their performance.

Let’s switch thinking from “tolerating” children to “honoring” them.

As educators we must make sure our students are being included that the classroom is an acceptable environment and expose them to real cultural experiences.

Closing Remarks: Remember parents really do care about how you treat their children, they are reading your eyes, body language, and it is our moral responsibility to ensure our kids feel heard, included, and celebrated. Its okay to stretch them and pull them to show that you love and care for them and their achievements. It creates a culture around everyone that they all matter. Notice those that are around you, if there is a celebration going on then join in.

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NWC welcomed Andrea G. Tatum to the Intentional Conversations vodcast and we are honored to share this encore episode here.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM ANDREA:

Language is so important in DEI work, and it begins with asking the right questions and thinking more broadly about the outcome you are seeking.

You can’t help anyone else until you help yourself, and it can look like giving yourself a break when doing DEI work. You must protect your peace and your power.

Create conversations to leverage support around the authority you must implement and the change you work for, before you get to the burn out stage.

Find your community.

Do not sacrifice yourself for companies that don’t show you the same love back. Know what you’re fighting for, but it comes down to prioritizing yourself.

Document your wins, when you do something well, write it down, share it and cheer about it. When you do get those “no’s” remind yourself of your wins by reflecting on them.

Therapy, rest, and diving into your personal interests are just some ways to stay balanced with the impact DEI work can have on your life.

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