Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Services – Services Template

Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) PACKAGES & TRAINING SERVICES:

Connections 4 Success services have always been grounded in establishing highly functioning business operations, creating a positive and productive workplace culture, and workforce development services. We are driven by our purpose to create resilient, perseverant, and strong operations, teams, and solutions.

Connections 4 Success sees the cultural need to focus on the important and purposeful business practices and mindsets of diversity, equity, and inclusion. By focusing on these points, organizations can properly respond to discrimination, inequalities, and acts of bad business ethics. In response to this need, we launched our CEO’s Keynote based on personal and professional perspective and expertise. To further our impact, we created multiple packages and trainings to enhance organizations’ responses to needs relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion:  The DEI Leadership & Management Training Series, Executive Leadership, the DEI Staff Training Series, and the DEI Subcontractor Engagement Training Prerequisite Package.

Organizations who utilize these tools develop strong processes, operational practices, and mindsets to create leadership, boards, and workforces diversified for the following: 

  • Better financial performance
  • Organizational governance
  • Innovation and creativity
  • Proactive responses and policies to perceived or actual inequities to strengthen organizational culture and employee inputs and outputs 
Business Strategy

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT TRAINING SERIES AND EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE

What is it and why does each organization need these services? 

Connections 4 Success has developed a unique combination of a leadership and management trainings series with an added layer of executive leader development to educate for change, create action, and implement response and tools to drive transformational shifts in operational practices and mindsets. 

Each of our executive leadership development modules will be customized to align with your organization’s mission, purpose, core values. It is our goal to engage in a partnership with your leadership to develop long-term influence to curb the systemic inequalities and discriminatory unconscious and conscious biases to improve your workplace culture and influence change. 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Series (four sessions)

 

RECOGNITION AND RESOLUTION TRAINING

It is the leader’s responsibility to create workplaces which operate with a code of ethics inclusive of everyone. Such a code of ethics creates a foundation for a positive organizational culture. Managers ensure teams, personnel, and operations adhere to the organizational policies and procedures, and they initiate redirection as needed to avoid the development of misalignments. Together, leadership and management lead by example. They create the organizational culture that ensures inclusivity, diversification of ideas and theories, and organizational interactions and outputs that embody the business’s purpose.

During this Recognition and Resolution training, leadership and management will learn how to identify and address inequities and discrimination by practicing the following recognition techniques: Observation, data analysis, and reporting. Leaders and managers will learn how to identify inequities, biases, and discrimination. Leaders will learn to create policy modification and organizational transformation implementation techniques. Managers will practice, learn, and gain the tools to change workplace culture, habits, and interactions to be influenced by respect and understanding. Together, leaders and managers will learn how to resolve inequities to motivate professional work ethics and operational adoption of respect, understanding, and appreciation of differences. 

Leadership and Management takeaways: 

  • Adopt and practice marginalization recognition techniques.
  • Learn how to empathetically engage in discussions and responses to influence and motivate resolutions in positive and impactful manner. 
  • Create policies, tactics, and workplace habits of cohesion, inclusivity, and respect.
  • Stronger awareness of lasting harmful effects of implicit bias and discrimination. 

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULE

Connections 4 Success works with leaders through weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 meetings to further develop leadership’s capability to create effective DEI elements by assisting leadership to develop the following:  

  • Policies
  • Appropriate Reactive & Resolution response tactics
  • Monitoring and Reporting Tools
  • Empathy coaching techniques

 

PROACTIVE VS. REACTIVE RESPONSE

When inequalities are brought to the attention of leadership and management, they must quickly respond to avoid any disruptions to the organization’s culture or ability to meet goals. Reactive responses are sometimes necessary, but it is best to be proactive to avoid the emergence of issues as often as possible. Leaders must develop the framework for how the organization’s workplace culture views differences, explores opportunities for individualism, and breaks through the unspoken barriers people face due to their skin color, gender, socioeconomic status, and beliefs. The belief that differences are beneficial and a philosophy of encouraging dialogue based on differences fosters growth, creative thought, and positive change. By establishing the cultural guidelines, leaders will set up their workforce for a positive and inclusive workplace experience, and put people in a better position to respond should inequities arise.

During this training, leadership and management will learn to anticipate problems before they arise. By developing appropriate policies, processes, and procedures, leadership can set in place preventative measures to reduce the likelihood that employees will be put into the uncomfortable position of coping with the results of inequities or discrimination. These preventative measures will also create proactive responses rather than requiring a “band-aid” response which will only temporarily relieve uncomfortable or discriminatory situations. The goal of this training is to help leaders and managers to create mindset shifts, policies, processes and procedures for  long-term solutions to differences through respectful environments and structured conversations, planned or ad-hoc idea sharing convenings where collectively the team addresses differences and finds solutions reflective of the collective groups ideas.  

Leadership and Management Takeaways:

  • Awareness and comprehension of where prejudices stem from
  • Understanding of the difference between reactive response and proactive policy
  • Create policies and guidelines for inclusive idea generating and sharing
  • Ability to demonstrate and teach the techniques of reflective listening

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULE

Connections 4 Success works with leaders through weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 meetings to further develop leadership's capability to create practical DEI elements by assisting leadership to develop the following:  

 

  • Proactively adopt and practice policies and techniques of listening and communicating to understand differences.
  • Engage in discussions with colleagues on how differences forge creative ideas and practices. 
  • Create policies and guidelines for inclusive and respectful idea-sharing and generating.

 

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COUNTERACTING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS & WORKPLACE BULLYING

Organizations operate most effectively when team members are engaged. Employees become engaged when they feel respected and appreciated, and their buy-in to the organization’s purpose creates an emotional attachment which positively affects the organization’s capability to thrive. 

Too often, discriminatory actions take place with unconscious biases or direct workplace bullying. During this training, leadership and management will be immersed in scenario building to demonstrate emotional response and the impact of these disrespectful acts of unethical behavior and discrimination in a professional environment. This training focuses on scenarios and impact from the bully’s, victim’s, and bystander’s perspectives. 

Everyone holds unconscious biases of cultures, socio-economic statuses, races, and genders which influence conscious perceptions and responses to others in the workplace. Leaders and managers will role-play scenarios to feel the emotional response to an inappropriate eye roll, comment, or gesture. These experiences will be used as a platform to develop educational experiences for team members on cultural diversity, race, and gender differences 

Leadership and Management takeaways: 

  • Capability to counteract and eliminate nonverbal and verbal degradation and discrimination 
  • Development of detection for unconscious biases
  • Create a company culture of conscious awareness and respect
  • Strong awareness of emotional response and negative impact each has on personal development and organizational success

 

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULE

Connections 4 Success works with leaders through weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 meetings to further develop leadership’s capability to create effective DEI elements by assisting leadership to develop:  

  • Workplace Anti-bullying Protocols
  • Appropriate Reactive & Resolution response tactics
  • Employee engage opportunities to break down barriers and preconceived ideas others

 

BUILDING and FOSTERING INCLUSIVE TEAMS

Inclusion can only begin with a purposeful mindset to collectively create change by implementing appropriate policies and encouraging opportunities. Leadership and management will learn how to open their minds to remove preconceived notions of the structures, positions, opportunities, and ideas of individuals different from themselves.

Instead, leaders and managers will learn to think, conceptualize, and plan for how something will work based on capabilities, knowledge, skills, professional traits, creative and critical thought. Leaders will learn how to become proactive in creating organizational cultures and purposes that attract diversity. Cultivating change begins and ends with purposeful engagement and realignment of messaging to attract diversified populations, ideas, and personalities. Managers will learn how to foster new and various ideas and methodologies that work best for the organization’s purpose and outputs. 

Fostering inclusiveness by diversifying, innovating, and expanding opportunities, ideas, and outputs builds resilience and the ability to persevere.  Organizations need to have a mindset shift from verbiage to actual implementation, and practices to attract a diversified workforce rather than force diversified recruitment efforts.   

Takeaways: 

  • Recognition of disproportionate PR and recruitment and management efforts
  • Create proactive organizational shifts to diversify talent attraction
  • Strategic approaches to hire, train, promote, and lead for innovation and sustainability
  • Overhaul misdirected perceptions with open-mindsets for growth 

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULE

  • Problem Tree Analysis Disproportionate Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategies (human-centered design research & understanding tool)
  • Problem framing, redirection strategies to shift organizational policy and operational approaches to attract and engage a diversified workforce
  • Planning, implementation tactics, and roll-out of organizational shifts to embody true diversity, equity, and inclusion operations

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Staff Series (two sessions)

 

 

RECOGNITION & RESPONSE TRAINING

Employees want to work for organizations which operate under a code of ethical business practices -- one which recognizes the need for all voices and perspectives to be respected. Inclusion and diversity manifest creativity and innovation, often resulting in increasingly positive workplace cultures. When inequalities and discrimination do occur, the workplace culture begins to collapse, taking with it the employees’ abilities to focus, complete projects, and work in harmony with each other. Employees must have the skills necessary to recognize inequities and discrimination, respond appropriately, and garner a resolution from management and leadership to protect and elevate their working conditions.

During this Recognition & Response training,employees will learn how to identify and address inequities and discrimination by practicing the following recognition techniques: Observation, reaction, and reporting. Employees will learn how to identify inequities, biases, discrimination, and what the appropriate responses are to receive a resolution response from their manager and/or leadership. Employees will practice daily skills of:

  • Open discussions - make time for and give attention to others and be open to feedback
  • Listening Skills  - withhold judgment, reflect on your understanding of what is being said, asking for clarification, and share in dialogue
    Walk in Others’ Shoes - attempt to feel what others might be going through, envision other person’s life experiences happening to you
  • Compassion - think about how actions and verbal responses affect those around you on an individual and emotional level
  • Diversity Immersion & Experience surround yourself with different people to learn more about differences, what they believe in & why, and what other’s experiences have taught them

Employees will practice and learn appropriate reactions and responses to both interact with other employees and to work with management to improve workplace interactions. 

Employee takeaways: 

  • Learn and practice marginalization recognition techniques
  • Learn how to empathetically engage in discussions with management and leadership to report discrimination and inequitites. 
  • Practice better professional ethics to be the solution rather than part of the problem. 
  • Stronger awareness of lasting harmful effects of implicit bias and discrimination. 

 

COUNTERACTING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS

 

Employees’ mindsets and the emotional attachment to an organization directly affects an organization’s capability to thrive rather than just survive. Too often, discriminatory actions take place as unconscious biases or direct workplace bullying. 

During this training, employees will learn and identify the difference between unconscious bias and conscious bias. They will engage in role-play and scenario acting to understand and recognize the impact of a tone of voice, body language, and words have on others. The purpose of this training is to demonstrate the emotional response and the impact these disrespectful acts of unethical professional behavior and discrimination has on others, the overall workplace culture, and daily operations. Employees will reflect on scenarios from the bully’s, victim’s, and bystander’s perspectives. They will identify the impact for each individual and the overall organization.  

Everyone holds unconscious biases of cultures, socio-economic statuses, races, and genders which influence conscious perceptions and responses to others in the workplace. During this training, employees will self-identify what these are and collectively discuss why they occur, how they can be resolved, and what action they can start to adopt. In addition, employees will work as teams to devise organizational adaptations and responses for leadership and management to consider for organizational shifts in curbing discrimination and unethical workplaces. 

Employee takeaways: 

  • Recognition of unconscious bias and conscious bias
  • Personal recognition and adaptation techniques to practice
  • Strong awareness of emotional response and negative impact each has on personal development and organizational success
Instructional Design

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION ORGANIZATIONAL PERSONNEL TRAINING SERIES

What is it and why does each organization need these services? 

Connections 4 Success has developed a unique diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings series for personnel to engage and develop professional practices, mindsets, and habits. At the conclusion of this training, participants will better embody an inclusive work environment to curb the systemic inequalities and discriminatory unconscious and conscious biases to improve the workplace culture and influence toward change. 

Workforce Development

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION SUBCONTRACTOR ENGAGEMENT TRAINING PREREQUISITE PACKAGE

What is it and why does each organization need these services? 

Connections 4 Success has developed a unique diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings series for subcontractors to engage and develop best-practice work ethics and professional engagements. The subcontractor training is an additional layer for organizations to ensure every element of their operations, mindsets, and habits to better embody an inclusive work environment to curb the systemic inequalities and discriminatory unconscious and conscious biases to improve the workplace culture and influence towards change. 

TRAINING SESSIONS:

 

 

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS & WORKPLACE BULLYING TRAINING

 

During this training subcontractors will learn the organization’s policies on unconscious bias and workplace bullying. The subcontractors learn how to identify the difference between unconscious bias and conscious bias. Reporting procedures will be reviewed on how to report all witnessed and perceived workplace biases and bullying. 

Subcontractors are a valuable addition to an organization's team, therefore their understanding of an organization’s stance on unconscious bias and workplace bullying creates a better working relationship. Adoption of these policies and practices are imperative for a positive and continuous working relationship. 

Subcontractors will learn what unconscious bias and workplace bullying looks like by engaging in role-play and scenario acting to understand and recognize the impact a tone of voice, body language, and words have on others. The purpose of this training is to demonstrate the emotional response and the impact these disrespectful acts of unethical professional behavior and discrimination has on others and daily operations. 

Subcontractor takeaways: 

  • Awareness of bias and workplace bullying policies and reporting protocols
  • Recognition of unconscious bias, conscious bias, and workplace bullying
  • Awareness of how to practice ethical professional behavior to foster positive engagements and long-term relationships. 

 

 

BUILDING and FOSTERING INCLUSIVE TEAMS

 

Inclusion can only begin with the purposeful mindset to be the change, implement for change, and enforce opportunities for change. During this training Connections 4 Success will work with Diversity & Inclusion teams to train and educate MWVDBE, HUD Zone, 8(a), and diversity classification firms on proper communication, reporting, and working protocols aligned with organizations’ diverse supplier initiatives, organizational purpose, and standard operating procedures. 

Connections 4 Success will work with subcontractors to create standards of operations for communication, reporting, contingency plans, and accountability plans. We will train subcontractors on how to respect and align work ethics and operational philosophies to the organization’s purpose and output standards. 

Subcontractor takeaways: 

  • Capability to create standard operational procedures and tactics aligned with the organization or prime contractor’s 
  • Work ethic alignment
  • Workplace culture awareness 

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