Kelly McDonald

Corporate America is not very diverse; we're a long way off from having equal representation of people of color in many organizations, especially in key executive and leadership positions. Many leaders want to create change, but don't know how. How do you know where your blind spots are that can create obstacles for diverse talent?

And how do you address the issues and comments that come up when employees feel nervous, resentful or uncomfortable as you make headway on diversity, equity and inclusion in your organization?

Your intentions may be sincere and heartfelt, but intentions aren't enough. If you don't know how you come across to others and you don't know how to build bridges, people can be offended, jobs can be lost, and lawsuits can be filed. This session (and the book) does not approach this from the standpoint of social activism, political ideology or an HR perspective. This is the roadmap for how businesspeople can successfully create a fair and equitable workplace, one that recognizes diverse talent and fosters productive and constructive conversations across different perspectives that make business better - for everyone.

Not a bunch of theory, this session provides specific, actionable, no-cost tactics that you can implement immediately. When it comes to talking about race at work, attendees will move from “uncomfortable and unsure” to “confident and empowered”, using proven tools that get real results. And that’s language everyone values.

This session will illuminate:

• The well-intended things people say that are hurtful or offensive to others
• The excuses people use to avoid doing anything about diversity
• Why your diversity & inclusion efforts haven’t done the job

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You’ll learn:

• How to talk about race in helpful and positive ways: do’s & don’ts
• Answers to tough employee questions or racist remarks
• Where to start when you don’t know where to start – an 8-step framework that will show you, step-by-step, how to become a more diverse and inclusive company, department or team.
• How to effectively recruit, interview and support diverse candidates
• How to build business relationships with people who are different from you
• For leaders, how to set the example, reduce tokenism, and deal with naysayers and derailers. How to avoid “Launch & Abandon” with your diversity efforts.