Workplace Diversity

Candi Gadison is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-S) and a board-approved supervisor for licensed master social workers seeking their clinical licensure.

Candi received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Texas State University and her Masters in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. Candi has worked with Intervention Services since 2007 when the agency first began providing services in east Williamson County. Candi has worked with students in K-12 and in the Granger and Taylor School Districts.

She currently serves in the role of Executive Director/Clinical Supervisor for Impact Counseling Services. Candi's previous work experience includes crisis intervention in hospitals and with the military, individual and family counseling for clients involved with CPS, and working with adolescents and their families in residential settings.

Candi continues to enjoy working with adolescents and their community of systems whether that be the family, school or peers. Candi's hope is that individuals and families will feel empowered to increase communication, understanding, empathy, and grow healthier relationships with one another. Candi believes building trusting relationships is a core foundation for any change we hope for within ourselves and others.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Candi Gadison discuss:

• Diversity's effect on a company's bottom line

• Applying collaborative leadership within the organization

• The consequences of not pushing for diversity

• Being intentional in embracing diversity

Key Takeaways:

• Increasing your employee population's overall diversity will also increase its overall creativity. Doing the right thing in terms of diversity directly and positively affects a company's bottom line.

• Increasing diversity in a company's population isn't enough, the voices of diverse individuals must also be heard. The company must show that it truly values its people and is listening to them through collaborative leadership.

• If companies do not push for diversity in their hiring and organizational practices, they will miss out on a lot of creativity, talent, and unique ideas. They will also miss out on connection, growth, and learning more about the world outside of their bubble.

• Be intentional in creating and embracing diversity. Embrace diversity for the right reasons. Continue to work on yourself internally if you are struggling with any bias or prejudice. Operate from a value system that's meaningful to you.

"It's really important that companies value diversity because of the creativity that they can bring in when they bring people of different ethnic groups, races, different background experiences." - Candi Gadison

Connect with Candi Gadison:

Website: https://impactcounselingservices.org/candi-gadison

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candi-gadison-lcsw-s-0b0a3213/

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

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Deirdre Williams, Ed.D., the Chief Bridge Builder with U-Bridge Consulting Group, has an impressive educational leadership history. She combines her skills in education, public health research, and evaluation to support leaders with changing their organizational cultures and improving learning outcomes for all students.

Deirdre has served in several educational leadership roles including the Executive Director of the School Reform Initiative, the premier source for professional development and resources related to creating transformational learning communities fiercely committed to educational equity and excellence.

Under her leadership, the organization supported districts across the country with building equity bridges to engage student and community voices in the development of equity policy and programs to eliminate gaps in student outcomes.

She also launched the Commitment to Equity Institute a year-long initiative for leaders, teachers, and students who are focused on dismantling systems of oppression in their schools.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Dr. Deirdre Williams discuss:

• Surface diversity vs. valuing diversity

• Making people feel belonging

• The synergy of the young and the experienced

• Creating a diverse culture effectively

Key Takeaways:

• Valuing diversity is more than just allowing your organization to have a more diverse population, it's also about listening to your people's unique perspective and ideas.

• When it comes to diversity, it's important to create an environment that promotes and propagates a sense of belonging. Creating a sense of belonging is all about making people feel seen and heard, with follow-up and application.

• Without a diverse level of energy and a diverse employee base, it's really the company that misses out. A team that has young people with innovative ideas, new technology and youthful energy, plus older people with wisdom, skills, and knowledge gained through vast experiences will become a powerhouse.

• You cannot create a diversity culture with one individual, because they've got to think about training, leadership, onboarding, and many more. It takes a whole team of people working together to make policies, procedures, and accountability that create a diverse culture.

"We have to experience a sense of belonging. And the sense of belonging happens when we're seen and we're heard." - Dr. Deirdre Williams

Connect with Dr. Deirdre Williams:

Website: https://www.ubridgeproject.com/

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/

KEYWORDS:

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

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Dr. Larry Bryant is a professor of special education at Metropolitan State University and the School of Urban Education. Dr. Bryant's research examines the cultural relationship between urban adolescents and social systems. His immediate interest lies in understanding the impact of race in education, the social interaction between race and social systems, and social justice and education. He uses theories of justice, anti-racist and trauma-informed theories to address the phenomenon of the over-representation of African American males in special education programs for students identified with emotional and or behavioral disabilities.

In addition, Dr. Bryant employs several andragogy practices when teaching and mentoring nontraditional pre-service educators about not only the academic side of education but also the social-emotional traumas of a formal and institutionalized education system.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Dr. Larry Bryant discuss:

• The optics of valuing diversity

• The state of diversity in society

• Push and pull theory

Key Takeaways:

• Some companies show support for diversity as part of a marketing campaign. It pays off, as they will have more "diverse dollars" coming into their company. People feel safe purchasing and frequenting places that have representation. This doesn't mean that every company that "supports" diversity is genuine.

• Society is moving the needle on diversity and equity but not very far. We are still moving the needle, but it's been a very slow process. Organizations and groups do see the benefits of it, and are slowly buying into it.

• No one wants to be sold anything, but people always want to buy something. People are often resistant when they feel like they are being persuaded. This resistance doesn't come from the unwillingness to adopt new ideas, it's a natural reaction to being sold something. Give people time and access, so that they can buy into diversity.

"I believe that we have to find a way to attract people to who we are as individuals, and what types of different identities that we bring to our spaces." - Dr. Larry Bryant

Connect with Dr. Larry Bryant:

Email: [email protected]

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/dr-gaye-lang-341232232/

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

KEYWORDS:

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

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Dr. Lorna Hermosura is the principal and Project Director of Step Up Texas and is an assistant professor of instruction in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she teaches restorative practices to future teachers.

Dr. Lorna holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy, a master's degree in counseling, and a bachelor's degree in psychology. Prior to earning her Ph.D., Dr. Lorna administrated federal grant-funded educational programs to support college access, college success, and dropout prevention among low-income, first-generation, and multicultural students.

Dr. Lorna's early work with foster children and youth fogged her perspective that schools can serve as a protective factor that offsets difficult lived experiences.

Dr. Lorna's research interests are restorative practices, trauma-informed practices, and implementation. Her dissertation research was on the school-to-prison pipeline. When not working, Lorna enjoys exploring baking and spending quality time with her husband, pets, family, and friends.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Dr. Lorna Hermosura discuss:

• The difference that diversity makes

• Why diversity makes sense

• How companies can show diversity

• Embracing diversity

Key Takeaways:

• Research says that people in diverse workplaces are happier, they want to stay at their jobs, and they feel pretty good about being there.

• Diversity makes logical sense for corporations. Turnover is costly in terms of having to refill that position, but also in the sense of not being able to retain organizational insight and momentum. Also, consumers feel it if workers at a company are happy with their job.

• A lot of companies claim that they are diverse, but they need to walk their talk and make people feel it. The environment of people should be filled with diversity. Products should be designed with variations that fit many types of physical differences.

• Attracting employees and retaining them will be an insurmountable challenge for employers who do not embrace diversity. The world's trend is already moving towards a better place which is valuing every piece of humanity, companies and people who do not embrace the value of diversity will be left behind.

"Having products that embrace the differences of diverse people, it's a welcoming gesture, and I think it also would be profitable." - Dr. Lorna Hermosura

Connect with Dr. Lorna Hermosura:

Email: [email protected]

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

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

LaCole Foots loves to learn about the world and uses her poetry to sift through some of the biggest questions we all face and dreams we all share. Her self-published poetry anthology, "Durance," was a collection of coping with grief, healing and finding oneself in the process. She is continuing to explore these big themes and more in her current projects and sees HEAVY LIGHT as a milestone in her journey. She has an analytical background with an MPA from Carnegie Mellon University and when not writing poetry, she is storytelling through data as a data strategist at her analytics firm.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and LaCole Foots discuss:

• The value of execution in pushing for diversity

• The relationship between diversity and innovation

• Creative freedom and critical thinking

Key Takeaways:

• The push for valuing diversity is important but the most critical part of that is the execution. It's not just that you are engaging diverse voices, for example, it's also about how you engage diverse voices.

• Diversity and innovation go hand in hand. Innovative companies tend to pursue diversity and companies who pursue diversity end up increasing innovation and effectiveness.

• People from different backgrounds have the capacity to address an issue from a unique perspective. The more diverse an organization is, the more perspectives there will be and a high diversity in the team results in more creative freedom and a more open space for critical thinking.

"That's the value of diversity is that you enrich your life by having different people with different experiences to share it with. That's the beauty of it." - LaCole Foots

Connect with LaCole Foots:

Website: https://lacolefoots.wordpress.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lafoots/

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

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

This season we're talking about valuing diversity. Is diversity valued because it's the right thing to do or is it the most profitable thing to do for businesses and organizations? What do you think? Stay tuned and enjoy the podcast!

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

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

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.

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Raul has been a follower of Christ for over 41 years and has been pastoring New Life At The Cross for 25 years. Raul grew up in poverty, and lost his father. At a young age he found hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has been married for 35 years and is blessed with four children and nine grandchildren. Pastor Raul has a Master's of divinity and is currently working on his PhD.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Pastor Raul Elizondo discuss:

• Ways on learning more about other people's culture

• Challenges of asking the right questions

• How to build a bridge

• Being intentional and taking time to listen

• Investing in someone's life

Key Takeaways:

• Engaging with other people respectfully through conversation and making them feel that they are heard is very important in learning other people's culture. These basic human connection things should not be forgotten.

• You will overcome the challenges of asking the right questions if you will make it easier for other people to open up through asking genuinely and graciously enough to understand and gain some insight.

• In building a bridge, it is better to give people the benefit of the doubt through kindness, patiently explaining things and showing them appreciation for our culture.

• The world would definitely be a better place if everyone knew how to establish relationships by being intentional, purposeful and taking time to meet other people to ask and listen in a respectful manner.

• If everyone is kind hearted and knows how to invest in someone's life through creating safe spaces or showing love and care about how his or her life was going as well as giving them some compliments, would be one of the best things an individual could have done in this world.

"We should see each other as the potential to be a better person to be a better human being that complement each other. Instead of competing against each other, we just complement each other and make a difference to give."

- Pastor Raul Elizondo

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 : Denice Salem

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Rachel has been an educator for 15 years. She is currently a district instructional technology specialist that assists teachers throughout the entire district on how to use and integrate technology into their classrooms. Rachel has taught math to fifth and sixth graders in smaller and larger urban districts. She has been married to an amazing man, and for eight years, and they have five loving Furbabies. Rachel is currently working on her doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on Educational Technology at the University of Florida.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Rachel Medrano discuss:

• How going beyond tolerance affects productivity

• Learning from someone's culture

• How to respond to people who see you in a limited way

• Building cultural competency

Key Takeaways:

• If you want your team to be productive in the workplace, you've got to move past tolerance. You've got to show every individual that who they are and where they came from matters.

• Be willing to make yourself vulnerable to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask, be curious, and put yourself in a position to learn someone's culture.

• Don't let people put you into a box. Show your expertise and always be available to teach or help others in those areas. Be honest enough to admit that you don't have an answer when you don't have an answer.

• Build cultural competency by finding good resources and going through them as an individual. When you run into people from that culture which you studied about, you can use the things you've learned and confirm with them if it's true or accurate as a jumping-off point in order to engage people in conversations.

"We got to stop putting people into boxes, just because they look a certain way. They speak a certain way, they have a certain last name. You can't judge that anymore, especially in this day and age, because the knowledge is so vast, and people's backgrounds are so different, that the boxes really can't exist anymore." - Rachel Medrano

Connect with Rachel Medrano:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-medrano-4b175213b/

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

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

About J. La'Shay Black: She has spent more than 20 years as an asset integrity engineer in the oil and gas industry working abroad and domestically. She is also an Army Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and J. La'Shay Black discuss:

• Listening to people's stories

• Recognizing and challenging biases

• The golden rule and the platinum rule

• Standing up for what's right

Key Takeaways:

• Cultivate a heart of discovery. Treat every opportunity to learn from someone's culture as sacred, listen carefully, and hear their stories. Ask sincere questions and be genuine.

• Recognize your own bias and the biases of others. Take the time to discuss stereotypes around your culture with people around you and try to explain why they are incorrect or why things might not be as they appear in the world or in the media.

• Practice the golden rule and the platinum rule. Treat people the way that you want to be treated and also, ask them how they want to be treated and treat them as such.

• When negative biases and stereotypes are pointed toward you, don't be afraid, don't shy away from them. Stand up for yourself and show them your true self. Show them that they're wrong and that you are the living evidence of that fact.

"I've always tried to do is show people, that the things that they may see in the movies or on television aren't necessarily the truth, aren't the only stories that are happening in the United States. And here I am an example of what makes that different." – J. La'Shay Black

Connect with J. La'Shay Black:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Endurance97

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Endurance97

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamettablack/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ssendurance97

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

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.