Walter is the international victim advocate for Peace Corps headquarters and provides policy implementation, support, and resources for volunteers around the world. Walter has worked on many special projects for multiple federal agencies, including providing expertise to the US Department of State and the United States Army during the Afghan refugee evacuation, as well as serving as a subject matter expert for the US Department of Health and Human Services while working with unaccompanied minors at the US southern border. Walter has won numerous awards for his humanitarian work, including the Distinguished Directors Award from the Peace Corps, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the US Army, and the Superior Service Award from the Department of State. Outside of his federal duties, Walter provides violence prevention, consultation, and group facilitation to multiple nonprofit organizations in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas. Prior to his international advocacy work, Walters served as the senior victim witness coordinator for the State's Attorney's Office, where he served as a liaison between witnesses and victims of crime and community leaders, law enforcement judges, and local nonprofit organizations. During Walter's time there he works with victims of crime that range from petty theft to murder. Walter's previous work history includes working in private law and as an educator in the public school system. During his free time, Walter serves as a big buddy through Camp Jamie, a bereavement camp for children who lost a loved one. Walter holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and political science and legal policy, and a master's degree in human behavior from Hood College. Walter is also certified by the National Organization for Victim Assistance.

 

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Walter Hood discuss:

• The state of diversity in companies 

• Making people feel welcome through diversity 

• Consequence of not valuing diversity 

• The platinum rule 

Key Takeaways: 

• There are organizations that genuinely value diversity in their workforce, these are most commonly the kind of company that depends on young labor. Older and smaller organizations that have a long history of being non-diverse would value diversity significantly less. 

• Businesses should focus on how they make people feel. They must make people feel welcome and accepted if they want their business to thrive. One way of doing this is by having a diverse hiring practice. 

• Studies show that happy employees tend to produce better products or services. Companies must keep their employees happy if they want their business to flourish. Otherwise, the unhappiness of the employees will show in the products and services and clients will start looking for a better place. 

• Treat others the way that they want to be treated and consider that perhaps a person who offended you might not have intended to offend you. Most people want to be good, most do not desire to hurt others. Be forgiving, but be firm. 

 

“Studies show happy employees tend to produce better products or better services. And if your employees are unhappy, that's going to have an impact on your products and services.” - Walter Hood

 

Connect with Walter Hood:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-h-b141b41b7/ 

 

Connect with Dr. Gaye Lang:

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show, so that you don’t miss a single episode; and please leave a rating and review. I would greatly appreciate it. 

Follow our show on Facebook and check out our Website for more details and to engage with our podcast community. You can also follow Dr. Lang on LinkedIn.

Download Three Vital Practices to avoid a potential lawsuit for free by clicking this link: www.WorkplaceRestorativePracticesInc.com  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaye-lang-1735761b5/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Gaye.Lang/ 

 

KEY WORDS: 

Diversity, inclusion, equity, tolerance, racism, bias, implicit bias, and explicit bias.  

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

 

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