Management Training Series: Foundations for Equity + Inclusion

The relationship between employees and their direct managers is the foundation for a person’s entire experience within an organization. When built with intention, these relationships lead to employee well-being and deeper collective success across an entire company. When the foundation lacks trust—especially across identities—we can never expect to create true psychological safety. Even worse, we also risk unintentionally causing lasting harm.

A Workforce Institute study found that 64% of employees said workplace trust impacted their sense of belonging, 58% said it affected their career choices and 55% cited trust as crucial to workplace mental health.

Did you know that 48% of Gen Z employees are from marginalized racial or ethnic groups?

That’s right, a Pew Research Center report shows that half of Gen Zers—born between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s—are not white. Like millennials, more and more Gen Zers regard workplace diversity and inclusion as a requirement when searching for jobs.

The problem?

Most foundational training programs that current managers completed lacked the personal reflection and awareness of one’s own identity required to lead inclusively.

In our years leading training and development for a range of leaders, we’ve identified a few primary audiences whose next level of leadership could be unlocked through our Foundations for Equity + Inclusion series:

  • For veteran managers to engage with updated and socially-conscious curriculum that includes gaining competence with topics like identity and power dynamics

  • For newly promoted managers to gain concrete skills for inclusive management at the outset of their leadership journeys

Our three-part series is the ideal primer for developing a generation of leaders who are aware, inclusive, and adaptable. These are generally delivered in virtual 90-minute sessions that occur 2-4 weeks apart. This is flexible if there is a desire for in-person sessions that occur within a shorter time frame (during an annual company retreat, for example).

The participant outcomes for each session are below.

Part 1: Exploring Personal Identity

  • Build shared language for exploring what identity means.

  • Understand that power + privilege often exist on a spectrum, based on aspects of identity (including both the visible and invisible).

  • Reflect on + discuss what role personal identity plays in creating inclusive and equitable cultures with and for one another.

Part 2: Trust & Psychological Safety Across Identities

  • Have a clear understanding of what psychological safety means, why it is important, and how it impacts teams, individuals, and organizations.

  • Recognize how one’s identities and/or past experiences might impact their relationship with psychological safety.

  • Learn how to communicate more effectively and openly, fostering an environment where people feel safe sharing their thoughts, feelings, and concerns without fear of reprisal or judgment.

Part 3: Inclusive Decision-Making

  • Understand the different methods of decision-making that are available and what makes each suitable for a particular situation.

  • Learn about the leading practices for inclusive decision-making, regardless of method.

  • Practice integrative decision-making as a tool for increased efficiency, participation, and clarity.

Some clients also opt to include a fourth session:
Onboarding New Team Members

  • Understand the critical nature of a team member's early weeks on a team that’s new to them.

  • Learn methods for proactive (vs. reactive) relationship-building with new teammates.

  • Practice exercises to mitigate personal bias and understand the unique strengths, needs, and goals within the first 30 days of each new employee.

“We engaged Viva & Michael on a project to level up our leadership team's awareness & knowledge in the DEI space. Over multiple sessions, we worked closely with them to explore our own biases, understand privilege & power, & build skill giving feedback. It has been an incredible journey & I'm so glad we started with them. Viva & Michael are in sync as leaders and presenters, but approach their work with complementary styles & different strengths—which really enhanced our sessions together. They're gentle but firm, confident & patient, wise & knowledgeable, and also very fun!”

—Chris Goetz, President at Ideal Building Recovery Solutions

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We partner with visionary leaders to design equitable and joyful organizations. We are based in California and work globally.