ABSTRACT
In the introduction, we highlighted our three colleagues Jameson, Libby, and Mai, and we gave you some context surrounding their inclusion challenges. In the setup, Libby suggested, and Jameson approved, a pilot workshop focused on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership development. Initially, the reason for the pilot was a large RFP that requested detailed information on VeStrong’s diversity and inclusion efforts. However, Jameson and Libby quickly realized they were getting a lot more out of the workshop than they had anticipated. Mai, as an individual contributor, was quite surprised by the part she played in creating an inclusive culture. She had long thought that D&I was solely the role of the largely white male leadership, and
not something for which she shared any responsibility. As Mai went through the portion of the workshop on step 1, Self-Awareness, she saw connections to her teammates and her clients. The Engage System 2 section allowed her to stop and analyze inclusion dynamics from an entirely different angle. Mai was happy she’d been invited to participate in the workshop, as she saw it contributing to her future success.
