What's The Difference?

• Why black professionals have lost faith in DEI efforts
• What is the most consistent frustration among black professionals throughout corporate America
• Why we should first focus on leading with inclusion rather than diversity
• What is the problem with only focusing on diversity in recruiting
• Why it's important to first understand how we got here to truly create a culture of inclusion
• How does the mindset of black millennials differ from other generations
• How to help leaders of organizations to understand what they can do to drive DEI work
• What should the goal and focus be for new DEI practitioners

Keith Wyche is a recognized thought leader in the areas of Change Management, Executive Development, Leadership, Business, Career Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Transformation, and Innovation who excels at talent development and has a consistent record of growing revenue and expanding margins across a broad range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, outsourced services, and grocery retail.

A frequent public speaker and author of Good Is Not Enough: And Other Unwritten Rules for Minority Professionals (nominated for an NAACP Award as an Outstanding Literary Work,) and Corner Office Rules: The 10 Realities of Executive Life, Wyches work and insights have been featured in TIME Magazine, USA Today, The New York Post, The Miami Herald, and Black Enterprise Magazine. He has appeared as a guest on NPR, Fox Business, NBC's The Today Show, Business News Network (BNN), and more.

Wyche was named to the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Renaissance Leaders by Morehouse College for his dedication and commitment to the mentoring and talent development of young talent. Wyche holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administrations from Cleveland State University and an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace University.

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/Diversity-Not-Enough-Roadmap-Recruit/dp/1736939009/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithwyche/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeithWyche

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• How Tadé discovered the transformative power of education through his father's career
• Why Tadé believes that providing access to higher education to oppressed communities will allow them to solve their own problems
• What unintentional barriers are often presented to minorities during their educational careers
• What is the difference between health equity and healthcare disparities and equity and equality
• How the healthcare practitioner and the healthcare industry's bias leads to health disparities
• What question should be asked before considering how to address health disparities
• What three items when utilized together can have a great impact on healthcare disparities
• How to understand the difference between implicit and explicit bias

Dr. Tadé Ayeni is the Director of Diversity and Equity as well as Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. He is also the host of The Black Professional podcast and the CEO of Beyond Performative, a consulting firm specializing in the synthesis of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles with organizational growth and success models.

He received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University where he was first introduced to the study of societal inequities and people who have been historically marginalized. As an undergraduate student, he originally intended to major solely in English Literature and ended up accidentally double-majoring in Africana Studies as well. When he discovered that there was a field dedicated to understanding the historical contexts behind present-day inequality, he took so many courses in the discipline that his academic advisor informed him that he only needed a few more courses in Africana Studies to earn a major in that field.

This began an increasingly developing interest in learning about domestic and global cultures and societies. From there, he completed a Master's degree in English Literature at Fairleigh Dickinson University and a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Saint Joseph's University. His dissertation was a phenomenological study of the experiences of underrepresented minority students in medicine as they matriculate to and through medical school.

Dr. Ayeni has worked in various aspects of higher education from admissions to advising to teaching. This variegated background has equipped him with a detailed understanding of the student perspective as well as the systems and programs that help and hinder students in their academic pursuits. As the Director of Diversity and Equity, he enjoys creating meaningful connections with people from various backgrounds within and outside of the medical school to work toward a more genuinely equitable educational experience for all students, which is a key piece in the fight to produce more equitable health outcomes in society.

In his role as a faculty member in the Human Dimension program, his educational philosophy centers on moving away from merely teaching students to memorize facts, and helping them to enter a more genuine learning process by focusing on equipping them with the tools of inquiry to become lifelong learners and researchers.

• Website: https://www.bpconsultants.org/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TadeAyeni
• LinkedIn: Tadé Ayeni

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• How Victor found his way to DEI work and to shining a light on the important issues around disability at work and its overlap with other minority identities
• Why Victor's goal in his role as Commissioner for the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities is to bring awareness to disability and accessibility issues
• What big wins and significant progress Victor has been able to facilitate in his role, including helping New York's park system become the most accessible in the world
• How around 11% of New York City's population lives their lives with disability, and why people's fear of self-disclosure makes underreporting a real challenge
• Why many of the technological innovations developed specifically for people with disability benefit all of us
• Why laws and systems to support people with disability in the workplace are crucial for allowing people to thrive in their roles
• Why the disparity between New York's pre-pandemic unemployment rate for non-disabled people (4%) and people with disability (79%) highlights key challenges
• Why people with disability experience employment discrimination far more often than most of us may realize
• What's next for Victor, and why making New York more accessible for people with disability is taking place at all levels of the city's government and infrastructure

As Commissioner for the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (PWD) under both the Bloomberg and the de Blasio administrations, Victor sets policy, advises the Mayor, agencies, creates public/private partnerships and initiatives, advocates for the passage of legislation; chairs the Accessibility Committee of the NYC Building Code and is responsible for helping to make New York City the most inclusive city in the world. In addition, as a Board Member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Victor plays an integral role in the planning and decision-making for the largest public transportation system in the United States.

Spending the early part of his life as a plumber and later working in parks and playground design, Victor has a keen understanding of design and construction. He worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation Capital Projects Division, leading efforts to make one of the world's largest and most complex urban park systems universally accessible.

Diversity is a workforce's biggest strength and Victor has worked to find diverse employers and candidates. He has secured relationships with businesses in technology, retail, finance, transportation, state and city government, hospitality, not-for-profits, and healthcare. Achieving gainful employment for these diverse candidates requires a network of public and private academic institutions, state vocational rehabilitation services, and service providers. He has achieved positive sustainable outcomes.

Victor is a global expert in disability. He works and consults with not-for-profits, funders, technology companies, educators, and corporations. He has been a keynote speaker at conferences and has participated in numerous panel discussions in many US cities as well as Europe, South America, and the Middle East. On December 21, 2018, the Republic of Italy bestowed the honorific title of Knighthood in the Order of Merit to Victor for his work promoting stronger relations for people with disabilities between NYC-Italy.

• AccessibleNYC annual report: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/mopd/initiatives/accessiblenyc.page

• Website: https://www.nycgovparks.org/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/victorcalise/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYCCalise

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

In this unique episode of What's The Difference, you'll hear audio from a panel at the Stevens Institute of Technology about the benefits of inclusive leadership, in which we discussed Cultural Competence as a business skill, when it is and isn't appropriate to point out the "differences that make a difference," and why context is vital. Hear insights about:

• Why developing your Cultural Competence is a key business skill that goes far beyond "knowing when to kiss, bow, or shake hands"
• Sara shares a story of being asked to point her husband out in a group and relates why people often become uncomfortable pointing out differences such as race
• Why the only time we should be identifying people by the "differences that make a difference" is when that difference is relevant to the situation
• Why preventing difficult situations and creating a more Inclusive environment is more effective than reacting to uncomfortable situations when they arise
• Why relying on research-based models is the key to developing your Cultural Competence skills and fostering an Inclusive work culture
• What benefits of inclusive leadership your organization can expect by doing the hard but necessary DEI work
• What difficult experiences Sara has had with regards to interacting across differences, both as part of the dominant and non-dominant groups
• Why it's important to avoid falling into a "savior" mentality if you are part of the dominant group in your workplace

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• Stevens Institute of Technology Website: https://www.stevens.edu/

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• Why objecting to change, feeling like giving up something, and feeling it's too much extra work are common points of resistance to diversity in the workplace and DEI efforts
• Why real change must happen across all levels of an organization, and why individual growth and transformation is the key to changing the organization
• Why the process of developing Cultural Competence isn't about giving up anything but about adding on new skills and abilities to navigate difference
• Why DEI efforts do require extra work upfront but will make for a more effective and enjoyable workplace on the other side
• Why DEI work is about creating organizational change by teaching people how to add new skills that will benefit them both individually and as an organization in the long run

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• Why it feels awkward and oftentimes uncomfortable for most of us when we are called by the wrong name incorrectly
• How Sara recently participated in a panel presentation on inclusive leadership and relationships at the Stevens Institute of Technology
• Sara shares comments from the other panelists that explain why "preferred pronouns" aren't really a preference, and why it's important to avoiding calling trans people by their deadnames
• Why a better way of referring to someone's chosen pronouns is by calling them "identity pronouns" rather than "preferred pronouns"
• Why calling by someone by the wrong name can leave them feeling uncomfortable, and why being referred to by the correct name and pronouns isn't a preference but an identity

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• How Hope transitioned her career from mechanical engineering to a brand new career in DEI practice
• Why Hope found her passion in making things better and affecting change, and why she chose to leave her engineering role behind to focus on DEI full time
• What challenges Hope faced and unexpected surprises she has experienced as a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practitioner
• How working with an outstanding mentor helped guide Hope's career and gave her a better understanding of the career path
• Why many of the leaders Hope has worked with started with the Diversity piece, and why she believes that we should focus more on Equity and Inclusion
• How Hope pushed through feelings of overwhelm when she first moved into her new role, and why she is passionate about always continuing to learn
• What advice Hope has for new practitioners and anyone interested in becoming certified in DEI practice

Hope Scheeler is a self-proclaimed cultural engineer who helps organizations create inclusive, equitable, culturally competent workforces and workplaces. A mechanical engineer by training, she chooses to apply the problem-solving principles of STEM to people and cultures in the field and personal life-calling of Diversity & Inclusion. Her scientific background helps her utilize Lean Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, and Project Management to drive sustainable results founded in data and analysis. Hope is currently a senior program manager on the D&I team at Riot Games, where she's working to drive meaningful change in the gaming and entertainment industry.

• Website: www.riotgames.com/en
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lhopescheeler/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/riot-games
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/RiotGames/
• Twitter: @riotgames

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• How a survey of 383 U.S. employers from Xpert HR revealed that only 11% of these employers had Chief DEI Officers leading their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts
• Further findings of the Xpert HR survey:
• 15% had DEI efforts led by volunteer employee groups
• 17% said no one leads their DEI work
• 19% said a "social justice workgroup" or board of directors led their efforts
• 36% responded that it was lead by their CEO
• 52% said a Chief Human Resources Officer led their efforts
• 7% said a Chief Operating Officer led their DEI work
• 5% responded that their Chief Financial Officer led the way
• 4% said their General Counsel ran their efforts
• 2% responded that an outside consultant led their DEI efforts
• Why General Counsel, the CFO or even the CEO aren't the right people who should be leading Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, and why it's crucial to appoint the right DEI leaders to oversee your efforts
• Why organizations who are truly committed to DEI work should follow best practices and assign an experienced, dedicated Chief DEI Officer

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

Resources:

• Xpert HR "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Employer Trends in 2021" Survey (requires site registration to access): https://bit.ly/3zJ6o3w

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• Why 75% of people surveyed responded that, due to the global pandemic, they no longer feel comfortable shaking hands in a job interview
• Sara describes a pre-pandemic training exercise she and her team would employ to demonstrate the discomfort people sometimes experience when getting close to others
• Why shared meaning around our cultural behaviors informs how comfortable or uncomfortable we feel doing those behaviors
• How the "handshake" ritual came to be historically, why many of us don't know this origin, and what this tells us about how we view and question other cultures' behaviors
• Why it takes a significant disruption to change the shared meaning we associate with certain long-held cultural behaviors
• Why understanding the shared meaning behind behaviors is the key to understanding and changing our organizational culture
• Why our actions are created by our conscious thoughts, which themselves stem from our unconscious filters
• Why it is crucial to define the behaviors that you want to see or change and then work on the shared meaning that informs those behaviors

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

• Sara shares the story of "Jaden," the manager of her local coffee shop who desperately needed a day off from nonstop work, an example of what happens when leadership does not invest in DEI work and learning
• Why Jaden chose to give her two-weeks notice because she felt her manager didn't respect her or her family
• Why Jaden's story demonstrates the need for businesses and organizations to invest in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work
• Why Jaden's manager's internal bias and lack of cultural competence has cost her a fantastic employee
• Why employees "quitting their managers" can be just as damaging to a company as employees leaving their jobs, and why this is a perfect example of the ROI of DEI work

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara