Zurich North America

Ziel Leadership

Goodwill NYNJ

As organizations expand beyond traditional recruiting, apprenticeships and alternative talent pipelines are redefining how we attract, develop, and retain the next generation of workers.

In this 45-minute interactive discussion, we’ll explore how a culture of belonging can turn these programs into true engines of growth—where diverse talent feels seen, supported, and set up to succeed. Participants will co-create strategies for inclusive onboarding, mentorship, and career progression that help new talent thrive from day one.

Walk away with practical ideas for embedding belonging into every stage of the talent journey—so your apprenticeship and early-career programs don’t just fill roles but fuel the future.

Apprenticeships: Building Belonging into the NextGen Talent Pipeline | Inclusion as the Foundation for Future Growth

Integrated Talent Management

kyle.swanson

inclusion

talent pipeline

belonging

CHIE2025

organizational culture

mentorship

DEIB

ashanti.morgan

Talent Retention

apprenticeship programs

L&amp;D strategy

dan.kwong

zachary.glaser

francheska.feliciano

susan.meehan

integrated talent

DEIB strategy

early career programs

nextgen talent

diverse talent

career progression

Komatsu

Session Focus: Explore how we can all contribute to an environment that welcomes diverse ideas and fosters innovation.

<blockquote>"Data and algorithm bias issues extend to both internal operations and outsourced functions."--<a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/nicholas-leonard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicholas Leonard</a></blockquote>
In the session, <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/iris-farley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iris Wilson-Farley</a>, Vice President of HR Innovation at Komatsu, shared her organization's approach to exploring AI's potential in HR while grappling with the complexities and ethical considerations involved.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7_RlKMkhzNY?si=uXWBYEweNSlIrfzt" width="315" height="560" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1">﻿</iframe>

Three key takeaways from the insightful discussion:
<ol>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ol class="list-decimal pl-8 space-y-2 -mt-1">
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">Thoroughly evaluate potential bias and ethical concerns when implementing AI, especially for tasks like screening candidates or making hiring decisions. Validate outputs and have human oversight to prevent perpetuating biases and making flawed decisions.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">Emphasize inclusion, diversity of perspectives, and psychological safety when forming AI project teams. This can help mitigate blind spots and biases that may arise from relying too heavily on a single perspective.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">Assess organizational readiness and change management needs, as AI adoption may fundamentally shift roles and processes, requiring reskilling and mindset shifts among employees.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
Iris aptly encapsulated a crucial consideration with her thought-provoking quote: "What do the biases of that person look like and what kind of problems could we run into and what are the limitations of putting all our eggs in a particular basket that has faults and flaws that are based on its biases"
As organizations explore leveraging AI to enhance HR processes and foster innovation, they must contribute to an environment that welcomes diverse ideas and approaches. By embracing diverse perspectives, rigorously evaluating ethical implications, and prioritizing inclusive change management, companies can navigate the promises and perils of AI, harnessing its potential while mitigating its risks.

Exploring HR Innovation: Embracing AI and Advancing Global Talent Mobility

engagement &amp; culture

future of work

Engagement &amp; Culture

Digital &amp; AI

newton.moore

nick.allen

richard.busby

innovation

edward.desrosiers

psychological safety

ruben.contreras

reskilling

career mobility

iris.farley

tresha.lovell

HR Innovation

AI talent management

AI in HR

HR strategies

workplace innovation

nicholas.leonard

ELE Group, LLC

Session Focus: Explore how we can all contribute to an environment that welcomes diverse ideas and fosters innovation.
Join us for an enlightening Zoom roundtable titled "Exploring HR Innovation: Embracing AI and Advancing Global Talent Mobility." We're honored to host <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/iris-farley">@Iris Wilson-Farley</a>, an esteemed transgender Chief Talent Officer from Komatsu America, and advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. This session will unravel the symbiosis between artificial intelligence and human ingenuity within global talent frameworks, emphasizing the crucial interplay of diverse perspectives in driving forward-thinking HR solutions.
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-40594" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DALL·E-2024-03-12-16.39.42-A-vibrant-and-energetic-digital-collage-that-captures-the-essence-of-innovation-and-teamwork.-The-scene-is-filled-with-diverse-groups-of-people-engagi.webp" alt="Fostering an Inclusive Culture for Innovation" width="458" height="458" />

Discussion Questions we will explore together:
<ol>
 	<li>How can AI be integrated into HR practices to enhance talent acquisition and global mobility while ensuring inclusivity?</li>
 	<li>What role does leadership play in championing AI integration within HR to promote diversity and inclusion?</li>
 	<li>How can global talent mobility be redefined through AI to support a more diverse and innovative workforce?</li>
 	<li>In what ways can organizations adapt their HR strategies to leverage AI's potential for fostering a culture of innovation?</li>
 	<li>What are the essential ethical standards and fairness considerations in AI-driven HR processes?</li>
</ol>
As an interactive roundtable, we'll share stories, tips, and strategies to get fresh ideas. This discussion isn't just for managers or leaders; it's for anyone who believes in the power of working together to spark innovation. Whether you're just starting your career or you've been in the game for years, there's something in this conversation for you.

ELE produces this Learning Circle: Reskilling Talent Development.

ELE's <a title="ELE's Idea Exchange" href="/idea-exchange/">Idea Exchange</a>: Collaborate online with your peers.

single-event

Your Teams

Learning Circles

Complimentary

online event

complimentary event

Digital

Deloitte

Session Focus: Global DEI learning journey combining on-the-job application, peer coaching, and experiential learning to improve business impact.


This session provided deep insights into designing impactful DEI programs that go beyond traditional compliance training.
<blockquote>Julian Malnak from Goodyear emphasized the importance of cohort-based learning by stating, “Our reason for cohort learning is to make it not feel like a compliance exercise. If it becomes a box-checking activity, the impact is lost.” </blockquote>
This reflects a broader shift in DEI training—one that prioritizes meaningful engagement over mere completion.

Here are three key takeaways for senior HR talent leaders looking to design more effective DEI programs:
<ol>
 	<li>Prioritize Social Learning and Interaction: DEI topics demand real, honest conversations. By implementing cohort-based learning, organizations can foster deeper engagement and personal connection with DEI issues, helping participants reflect on their own biases and behaviors.</li>
 	<li>Avoid Compliance Mindsets: Successful DEI initiatives must feel purposeful and not just another box to check. HR leaders should focus on creating programs that inspire reflection, self-awareness, and actionable steps, rather than mandating participation.</li>
 	<li>Design for Flexibility and Reflection: Asynchronous learning allows participants to digest and reflect on sensitive DEI topics at their own pace. Providing flexibility while maintaining engagement ensures that employees feel included and can fully participate in these critical discussions.</li>
</ol>
By following these strategies, HR leaders can create DEI programs that have a lasting impact, fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging within their organizations.

DEI Transformation | Designing Cohort Learning to Scale

evidence-based research

Peer-to-Peer Learning

learning design

cohort learning

collaborative learning

learning culture

mike.kester

julian.malnak

jesse.james

leadership development

talent management

flow of work

Learning Agility

employee engagement

employee experience

ariel.mcgrew

erg-brg dei groups

Equitable Inclusive

organizational development

diego.frausto

learning and development

tim.chudy

Semi-synchronous Collaborative Peer-Learning

Scalable Global Cohorts

diversity

alan.todd

robert.burnside

brian.bianca

HR leadership

HR Strategy

Designing Cohort Learning to Scale

workplace diversity

Session Focus: Global DEI learning journey combining on-the-job application, peer coaching, and experiential learning to improve business impact.


&nbsp;

? Cohort-based collaborative learning and coaching are the hottest topics in L&amp;D right now

During the Covid-19 pandemic, collaborative learning and coaching are rising for many organizations.

Many ELE member companies share best and next practices validated with the Global L&amp;D Trends Research presented at our May 2022 Exchange. Technology and semi-synchronous learning design help scale with cohorts ranging from 6-8 to more than 1,000.

By benchmarking with your peers, this seven-week series explains the basic concepts and principles for cohort-based learning at scale. 
<iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U-35pyor-zw" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

<blockquote>If you want to change a culture, you need to change the conversation. You need to change that conversation at scale.</blockquote>
For many of us, the journey starts with providing in-person classroom training (synchronous), e-learning (asynchronous), or blended learning.

? An emerging next practice for designing cohort learning to scale is semi-synchronous collaborative peer learning.

Learning solutions become instructorless and easier to scale when well thought out and done right.
<blockquote>Wes Kao is a long-time believer in “cohort-based” learning programs. Cohort-based learning involves a group of students—a cohort—all moving through a syllabus together at the same time. Cohort-based learning is the opposite of asynchronous, mass online open courses, (MOOCs) where students move at their own pace through course content.

Kao said that cohort-based courses are far more engaging for learners than MOOCs, which have been criticized for low enrollment and completion rates. Over the past decade, cohort-based classes have risen in popularity, addressing common complaints about MOOCs.

Cohort-based classes offer live feedback from a teacher and courses with set start and end dates. In real-time, groups of students are able to hold each other accountable, push each other to experiment with class material, and challenge each other’s ideas.

Source: <a href="https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/maven-wes-kao-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wes Kao, co-founder of Maven, Interview</a></blockquote>
1️⃣ First, we will explore
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>How to cultivate a sense of safety and belonging</li>
 	<li>Why should you put learners, not instructors, at the center of your learning experience</li>
 	<li>How to accelerate knowledge sharing and peer facilitation</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
2️⃣ Next, Deloitte will share a global cohort-based DEI solution that combines peer learning, on-the-job application, group coaching, and experiential learning to improve business impact.

3️⃣ A strategic transformation for many organizations is creating Learning 4.0 Mindset Shifts to help reinforce skills, facilitate feedback, increase collaboration, and share expertise across teams. Through a collaborative ecosystem of tech-savvy peer-to-peer and expert assessments, employees actively engage in the mastery of skill development.

<img class="aligncenter" src="https://www.learningexecutive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Navistar-Learning-4.0-Midset-Shifts.png" alt="Learning 4.0 Mindset Shifts " width="1250" height="612" />

<hr />

We are interested in diving deeper into cohort-based learning solutions and finding success using some or all of the eight principles:
<ol>
 	<li>Well-designed social interactions</li>
 	<li>A sense of safety and belonging</li>
 	<li>Real people engaging authentically</li>
 	<li>Opportunities for individual reflection</li>
 	<li>Knowledge sharing and peer facilitation</li>
 	<li>Arguing (constructively) together</li>
 	<li>Learners, not instructors, at the center</li>
 	<li>Human stories expertly told</li>
</ol>
Pre-read: <a href="https://cohort.nomadiclearning.com/cohort-based-learning-report">Cohort-Based Learning at Scale – Eight Principles for Success</a> (Nomadic, 2022)

ELE Produces this Learning Circle: Designing Cohort Learning to Scale

Team Leaders

CNA Insurance

Session Focus: Institutionalizing D&amp;I behaviors to foster a more inclusive culture


What commitment does your organization have for DE&amp;I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)?

The present (and future) reality of work requires organizations to rethink traditional ways for embedding DEI programs and tactics as we build inclusive leaders. The “how” is a different story. The “how” is more challenging, both in tactics and tools.

What does it mean to become a good ally for each other, our colleagues, and our community?

To help start the conversation, learn how each quarter, L&amp;D is rolling out learning tools for each of the four habits to build a Company of Allies at CNA Insurance:
<ol>
 	<li>Exploring different perspectives (How to I Connect Differently?)</li>
 	<li>Diversifying your network</li>
 	<li>Practice Engaged Listening</li>
 	<li>Stand Up and Speak Up for others</li>
</ol>

Four Habits for Building a Company of Allies

learning strategy

kristin.derwinski

operations

susan.peters

Adding Value

strategic alignment

habits

Froedtert ThedaCare Health

<div id="sessio-day1-1310" class="session-abstract collapse show">

During the Coronavirus &amp; Social Injustice Learning Circle on June 15, 50 people gathered to discuss the implications of the Black Lives Matter movement in the workplace. Specifically, how L&amp;D should respond. From multiple chat comments during the session, there is a clear struggle to find the right way to talk about race and racism in the workplace. After a decades-long narrative about meritocracy, we are forced to confront the role of race, positive and negative stereotypes (white privilege) play in hiring, developing, and promoting employees. The conversation is fraught with challenges.
<h6 class="font-weight-bold mb-0">What we will explore together:</h6>
We’ll explore those difficult topics and strategies Organizational Learning &amp; Development may apply to navigate an incredibly challenging topic during this session.

</div>

Response to the Triple Crisis | IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Anti-Racism)

social injustice

diversity &amp; inclusion

Equitable and Inclusive

andres.gonzalez

insights-wise-2021

Session Focus: Institutionalizing D&amp;I behaviors to foster a more inclusive culture


What commitment does your organization have for DE&amp;I (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)?

The present (and future) reality of work requires organizations to rethink traditional ways for embedding DEI programs and tactics as we build inclusive leaders. The “how” is a different story. The “how” is more challenging, both in tactics and tools.

What does it mean to become a good ally for each other, our colleagues, and our community?

To help start the conversation, learn how each quarter, L&amp;D is rolling out learning tools for each of the four habits to build a Company of Allies at CNA Insurance:

1️⃣ Exploring different perspectives (How to I Connect Differently?)
2️⃣ Diversifying your network
3️⃣ Practice Engaged Listening
4️⃣ Stand Up and Speak Up for others

<center><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RundGILGpHA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center>&nbsp;

ELE's Learning Circle will be ideating Retooling Talent Development for the New Normal. 
<ul>
 	<li>How Do We in L&amp;D Add Unexpected Value? </li>
 	<li>Why does it matter?</li>
</ul>
ELE's Idea Exchange: Collaborate your insights online with your peers <a href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/idea-exchange/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

dirk.tussing

Northern Trust

The work of creating learning spaces where all employees can grow and succeed exists at the intersection of learning design, user experience, and DE&amp;I (diversity, equity, and inclusion). While diversity occurs naturally in all organizations, equity and inclusion are the results of concerted efforts among many parts of our organizations, including between the learning and DE&amp;I professionals.

What we will explore together
This session helps participants identify the key ways in which design decisions can help create learning experiences that foster equity and inclusion. We will share a case study of how learning partnered with DE&amp;I to define a core set of tools of equity available to learning designers throughout the organization. We will share how we define tools of equity, and discuss our process, outcomes, and next steps.

Designing Equitable and Inclusive Learning Experiences

brian.watkins

learning experience

michael.pellecchia

michael.gold

Uline

"We weren't ready for this." If you have said this about your organization's readiness to handle the crises of 2020, you're not alone. Organizations had to pivot quickly in the early days of COVID-19. The technology was a solution to the challenges that arose to address and meet the needs of employees, but what were the other things employees needed that we didn't account or plan for?

Should organizational readiness initiatives be technology-driven and focus mainly on upskilling or reskilling employees accordingly? Why does a human-centered approach matter? Are leaders aware of the consequences of not preparing people to endure relentless change, concurrent crises, and an uncertain future?

What we will explore together

We will take a fresh look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and discuss why psychological safety should be considered a key driver of organizational readiness for 2020 and beyond.

We will introduce five human-centered leadership skills for improving psychological safety and how they impact readiness across the organization.

Participants will add to the conversation by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of two readiness case studies.

We will engage in dialogue and share ideas about how we can educate, inform, and embed more human-centered leadership practices in our organizations.

 

ELE’s Idea Exchange: Collaborate your insights online with your peers <a href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/idea-exchange/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

<hr />

 
<blockquote>Consider joining ELE’s Virtual cohort for Learning & HR Executives. A TEAM LEADERS Membership grants a year-long learning process through face-to-face collaboration and networking with other local heads of Learning & Talent Development, access to a robust archive of Virtual cohorts and exchanges via ELE Insights, and robust question & answer forum named the ELE Idea Exchange. Each senior leader is encouraged to bring a peer from their organization that contributes to, engages, or supports the Learning & Talent spectrum for their workplace.

Our quarterly cohort exchanges are built around the following design elements:
<ol>
 	<li>Sharing practical case studies aligned to business needs</li>
 	<li>Identifying key issues and developing insights and solutions</li>
 	<li>Canvassing learning industry trends applied at ELE members’ workplace</li>
</ol>
For more information, visit <a href="https://learningexecutive.com/our-membership-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://learningexecutive.com/our-membership-plans/</a>.</blockquote>

Organizational Readiness: Essential Skills for 2020 & Beyond

people strategy

corinne.rice

laura.schart

effective leadership

agility

Empathy

insights-wise-2020

Caterpillar

D &amp; I in an era when Black Lives begin to Matter

During the Coronavirus &amp; Social Injustice Learning Circle on June 15, 50 people gathered to discuss the implications of the Black Lives Matter movement in the workplace. Specifically, the way in which L&amp;D should respond. From multiple chat comments during the session, there is a clear struggle to find the right way to talk about race and racism in the workplace. After decades-long narrative about meritocracy, we are forced to confront the role of race, positive and negative stereotypes (white privilege) play in hiring, developing, and promoting employees. The conversation is fraught with challenges.

What we will explore together :

During this session, we'll explore those difficult topics and strategies L&amp;D may apply to navigate an incredibly challenging topic.
<ul>
 	<li>Exploring positive and negative stereotypes:
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>Race</li>
 	<li>Gender</li>
 	<li>Body</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
 	<li>Discuss the implications of stereotypes (unconscious bias and employee performance)</li>
 	<li>Changing a racist system by changing the conversation
<ul>
 	<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
 	<li>Make it safe to talk and learn</li>
 	<li>Make it safe to shine a light on racist acts without labeling someone as a racist</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

ELE’s Idea Exchange: Collaborate your insights online with your peers <a href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/idea-exchange/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

<hr />

&nbsp;
<blockquote>Consider joining ELE’s Virtual cohort for Learning &amp; HR Executives. A TEAM LEADERS Membership grants a year-long learning process through face-to-face collaboration and networking with other local heads of Learning &amp; Talent Development, access to a robust archive of Virtual cohorts and exchanges via ELE Insights, and robust question &amp; answer forum named the ELE Idea Exchange. Each senior leader is encouraged to bring a peer from their organization that contributes to, engages, or supports the Learning &amp; Talent spectrum for their workplace.

Our quarterly cohort exchanges are built around the following design elements:
<ol>
 	<li>Sharing practical case studies aligned to business needs</li>
 	<li>Identifying key issues and developing insights and solutions</li>
 	<li>Canvassing learning industry trends applied at ELE members’ workplace</li>
</ol>
For more information, visit <a href="https://learningexecutive.com/our-membership-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://learningexecutive.com/our-membership-plans/</a>.</blockquote>

D & I – Now What?

carlos.velazquez

lewis.brown1

tam.fletcher

Gensler

Session Focus: How should L&amp;D respond? - COVID-19 &amp; Social Injustice
ELE's Idea Exchange: Collaborate your insights online with your peers <a href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/idea-xch/idea-xch-category/engagement-and-culture/unpacking-the-inter-connection-between-covid-19-social-injustice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.
Ideation: Unpacking the inter-connection between Coronavirus and Social Injustice

During this highly interactive group discussion, Nick Allen engages in a highly interactive discussion about COVID-19 and Social Injustice:

We have been forging ahead on a ‘return to workplace’ strategy and have made great progress on that front as an ELE cohort over the past few months. Over the past 2 weeks, the focus of Social Injustice has taken center stage in a very big way. Albeit a much needed and long overdue focus, the timing and the intensity of this topic are interesting, to say the least, and how these two forces should or should not come together over the coming months.
<blockquote>
<ol>
 	<li>How will social justice and confronting systemic racism intersect with prior Diversity &amp; Inclusion initiatives?</li>
 	<li>How will L&amp;D empower and enable employees to speak up and to listen?</li>
 	<li>Where are the interconnection points between your COVID-19 return-to-work &amp; evolving Social Justice strategies?</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
Due to interest in L&amp;D during this pandemic and an overwhelming amount of participants, we are holding a sixth free Virtual Cohort to discuss COVID-19 and how companies are reacting with new questions and open the floor to new discussion.
<blockquote>Consider joining ELE's Virtual cohort for Learning &amp; HR Executives. A TEAM LEADERS Membership grants a year-long learning process through face-to-face collaboration and networking with other local heads of Learning &amp; Talent Development, access to a robust archive of Virtual cohorts and exchanges via ELE Insights, and robust question &amp; answer forum named the ELE Idea Exchange. Each senior leader is encouraged to bring a peer from their organization that contributes to, engages, or supports the Learning &amp; Talent spectrum for their workplace.

Our quarterly cohort exchanges are built around the following design elements:
<ol>
 	<li>Sharing practical case studies aligned to business needs</li>
 	<li>Identifying key issues and developing insights and solutions</li>
 	<li>Canvassing learning industry trends applied at ELE members' workplace</li>
</ol>
For more information, visit <a href="https://learningexecutive.com/our-membership-plans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://learningexecutive.com/our-membership-plans/</a>.</blockquote>
ELE produces this COVID-19 How should L&amp;D respond? Learning Circle.

COVID-19 Learning Circle #6: Coronavirus & Social Injustice

charisse.kosova

bala.swaminathan

culture

engagement

marcie.stern

learning &amp; development

ted.prohov1

The Second City Works

Organizations are striving to develop a culture of continuous learning by building inclusive teams and fostering a collaborative working environment.  Whether you’re aligning on the year’s goals, generating new strategy or simply trying to generate momentum, maximizing the effectiveness of your meetings with engaging content that inspires and impresses is one of the biggest challenges companies face. Please join Second City and Instructure for an interactive session on transforming group meetings into memorable experiences that drives connection across teams through active listening, building conversations and developing concise effective messaging.

Second City Works uses the tools of improvisation to help improve communication and collaboration in the workplace. The Professional Development programs combine interactive exercises, facilitated debriefs and practical application to create a learning experience that is both fun and memorable.  That firsthand experience helps participants internalize better ways to communicate, collaborate and innovate- all while building comfort with risk and change.

Practice, Instructure's video-based microlearning solution, provides continuous learning for the digital age. Through collaborative peer-to-peer and expert assessments, employees actively engage in the mastery of skill development. Practice helps organizations reinforce skills, facilitate feedback, increase collaboration and share expertise across teams.

By implementing a specific rubric design, Practice enables management to measure and crowdsource learning. A video-centric framework allows organizations to scale via self-reflection, peer assessment, and model response.  Leaders can track skill development, identify top performers for mentorship opportunities and create targeted learning paths for employees.

Active Experimentation: Get Feedback. Get Better. Repeat.

digital

learning technology

scott.zoll

team-building

team-development

Megan.Farber

piero.procaccini

UL Solutions

Several organizations are adopting a physiologically safe environment, we are seeing more corporate learning and collaboration leaders share their experiences. This podcast is a group of passionate leaders describing their perspectives and stories on what it is and what it isn’t.

Psychological safety has been around since the 1990’s, when Amy Edmondson was researching what led to high performing teams in hospitals. It grew in popularity when Google’s Project Aristotle uncovered that the number one contributing factor to the highest performing teams was the team having psychological safety.

Gain insights for a compelling look at creating innovative environments where collaboration and new ideas can thrive as we define what psychologically safe environments are and what they are not.

Psychological Safety for High-performing Teams - What is it?

alex.draper

marge.feely

Harley-Davidson

Extensive research shows that diverse and inclusive teams produce better results. They are more innovative, agile, and productive. Unconscious biases impact diversity and inclusion in ways that inhibits our ability to increase diversity and inclusion. In very real ways, unconscious bias is limiting our capacity to increase innovation, agility, and productivity. Through this course we will explore how we are each wired for unconscious bias and how it shows up in the workplace. You will learn how to identify your biases and skills to begin eliminating their negative impact.

Through this facilitated session, you will explore:
<ul>
 	<li>Why an inclusive culture is a business imperative</li>
 	<li>The way we are each wired for unconscious bias</li>
 	<li>The impact unconscious bias has in the workplace</li>
 	<li>Strategies to overcome unconscious bias</li>
</ul>

Managing Unconscious Bias: An HDU interactive experience

bias

Unconscious Bias

Your organization has successfully recruited the key diverse talent needed to create innovative problem-solving teams to provide your company with a competitive edge in the marketplace. The only problem is that you can't seem to keep that talent from leaving. What can learning organizations do to assist in keeping diverse talent at home?
From Andres Tapia's book, The Inclusion Paradox, participants will explore the Four Pillars of what makes diverse talent stay and thrive.

The Four Pillars we will examine from a learning perspective are:
<ul>
 	<li>Community</li>
 	<li>Recognition</li>
 	<li>Mentoring</li>
 	<li>Advancement</li>
</ul>
Participants will discover their impact in helping retain and reward the innovative teams needed to compete in a global economy.

The Inclusion Paradox Workshop: Four Pillars of Keeping Your Innovative Crosscultural Teams Together

career path

mentoring

chuck.adams

Walgreens

Deb Russell, a direct report to Randy Lewis, shares what Walgreens has learned while trying to become a good employer of people with disabilities.

Deb describes the best practices learned by the Walgreen Company, the nation’s largest drugstore chain. Walgreens has recently committed to having one-third of the workforce in all-new distribution centers consist of qualified individuals with disabilities and the efforts to apply lessons learned in the new centers to all distribution centers; the reasons behind Walgreens Distribution Division’s efforts to become an inclusive employer and a video of the impact of an inclusive work environment will then be shown to demonstrate why we continue down this path. The sessions close with discussions of how Walgreens has spread the lessons learned to all parts of the company and other corporations.

Walgreens Quest for Inclusion: 1/3 of the Workforce, People with Disabilities

talent development

randy.lewis

FranklinCovey

They're here. For the first time in history, you have four generations in your workplace and five generations as customers. Today you have to understand Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials write an email that won't make someone angry. These generations think differently, vote differently, buy differently, and dress differently. Not understanding these differences creates conflicts and interferes with innovation, productivity, and learning.
Before listening to Haydn's session, we encourage you to watch a 2-minute FranklinCovey's<a href="http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/solutions/generations-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Generations Solutions</a> video by <a href="http://www.franklincovey.com/tc/solutions/generations-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">clicking here</a> to provide you with some terminology.
Haydn will help you understand:

<ul>
 	<li>What are the differences among the generations?</li>
 	<li>What issues do the differences create for organizations, teams, or even families?</li>
 	<li>How can organizations turn those differences into innovations rather than issues?</li>
 	<li>Why leadership is the only approach now that previously successful management approaches won't work now that we have four generations of employees and five generations of customers?</li>
 	<li>How will these differences complicate the Boomers' mass exodus from the full-time workforce over the next decade?</li>
</ul>
This popular session is full of laughter and insight. Come and see yourself, your customers, your people, and your future and walk away with practical ideas and plans for increasing your ability to get things done across the generations.

Increasing Innovation and Productivity by Leading Across Multiple Generations

helping managers

haydn.shaw

Andres Tapia is responsible for shaping and leading the company's internal and external diversity vision. He works closely with Aon Hewitt's CEO and SVPHR on business and people strategies to increase value to each firm's stakeholders (associates, clients, investors, and communities. Intimate with current national and global demographic trends and with a focus on the implications of varying worldviews around health, wealth, and performance by the growing number of diverse groups in the workplace, Andres authored "The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity."
Andres' business achievements include a 50% increase in minority managers over a three-year period; doubling of minorities at the senior manager level over two years; a measurable increase in organizational openness toward LGBT associates; creation of senior women, minority and LGBT networks; strengthening and growth of all affinity groups; design and implementation of innovative global cross-cultural diversity training attended to date by over 6000+ associates worldwide. According to clients, diversity is one of the firm's differentiators in winning business.

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Building Tomorrow's Workforce: The Inclusion Paradox

Millennials

andres.tapia

ManpowerGroup

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Quick Stats on Women Workers, 2008,
<blockquote>“the largest percentage of employed Asian and white women (46% and 41%, respectively) worked in management, professional, and related occupations.

For both black and Hispanic women, it was sales and office occupations—32% and 33%, respectively.”</blockquote>
When looking at these statistics and your workplace, we explored:
<ul>
 	<li>What are the qualities of women leaders?</li>
 	<li>Are there leadership qualities unique to women?</li>
 	<li>Do Women face unique challenges as they advance in their organizations?</li>
</ul>
We will be facilitating a discussion of “Leadership and the Sexes” and two ExecBlueprints(TM), which profile seven successful women. Before coming to the session, please read the Executive Book Summary provided below and select at least one of the thought leaders in the ExecBlueprints and review the 10 Key Questions and Discussions on the last page.

Many Women Employee Resource Groups find peer-networking, specifically mentoring programs, as useful professional development tools, and we are thrilled to be able to share the insight of Martha Artiles, Global Chief Diversity Officer at Manpower, on the power of mentoring with you via our YouTube channel.

WOMEN & LEADERSHIP Book Discussion (Milwaukee)

rebekah.kowalski

The demographics of today's workforce are rapidly changing. The aging of baby boomers, the dramatic increase in ethnic and culturally diverse populations, and the potential of a shortage of highly skilled workers promise to transform the marketplace significantly. Organizations looking to gain a competitive edge are effectively leveraging inclusion and diversity to maximize productivity, enable innovation, and ultimately improve performance. Coupled with a comprehensive talent management and development strategy, the possibilities for growth and advancement are limitless.
In partnership with the <a href="http://www.naaahrchicago.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Association for African-Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR)</a>, a joint-session was held on Wednesday, November 4, at W.W. Grainger, Inc. global headquarters for a half-day symposium where we explored Grainger's strategies to create a high-performing, inclusive culture that supports learning and development.
We heard from:

<ul>
 	<li>John Lawson, Director, Employee Development</li>
 	<li>Nichole Marshall, Senior Manager, Inclusion &amp; Diversity</li>
 	<li>Dirk Tussing, Executive Director, Executive Learning Exchange</li>
 	<li>Denise Banks, Chicago Chapter President, NAAAHR</li>
 	<li>Chere Nabor, Chief Diversity Officer -- Grainger</li>
 	<li>Kelly Kinnavy, Director-Talent Management -- Grainger</li>
 	<li>Aaron Silvers, Tech-Based Learning Practice Consultant, and R&amp;D -- Grainger</li>
 	<li>Stephanie Daul, Design Technologist and R&amp;D -- Grainger</li>
</ul>
The morning session included engaging workshops from the Inclusion and Diversity and Employee Development teams and networking with NAAAHR leaders and members.

Inclusion & Diversity Sharing at Grainger

workforce potential

nichole.marshall

denise.banks

This book is the first practical, hands-on guide that shows how leaders can build psychological safety in their organizations, creating an environment where employees feel included, fully engaged, and encouraged to contribute their best efforts and ideas.

Perhaps the leader's most challenging task is to increase intellectual friction while decreasing social friction. When this doesn't happen, and it becomes emotionally expensive to say what you truly think and feel, that lack of psychological safety triggers the self-censoring instinct, shuts down learning, and blocks collaboration and creativity. Timothy R. Clark, a former CEO, Oxford-trained social scientist, and organizational consultant, provides a research-based framework to help leaders transform their organizations into sanctuaries of inclusion and incubators of innovation.

When leaders cultivate psychological safety, teams and organizations progress through four successive stages. First, people feel included and accepted; then, they feel safe to learn, contribute, and challenge the status quo. Clark draws deeply on psychology, philosophy, social science, literature, and his own experiences to show how leaders can, and must, set the tone and model the ideal behaviors--as he says, "You either show the way or get in the way." This thoughtful and pragmatic guide demonstrates that if you banish fear, install proper performance-based accountability, and create a nurturing environment that allows people to be vulnerable as they learn and grow, they will perform beyond your expectations.

4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation

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