We have seen some big decisions in the last week related to anti-bias and Diversity & Inclusion. Last week I wrote (a spoke on CBC Radio) about Starbucks’ anti-bias training held across the USA on Tuesday. On that same day, ABC (the TV network) made a bold statement of its own by cancelling …
Inclusive Workplaces
How Can We Say Such Things To Each Other?
Last week in the Toronto Star there was an article about claims of homophobia, Islamophobia, and racism at The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). You can read more about the emails employees allegedly received from their superiors in the article The first thing that comes to mind, …
[Continue reading] How Can We Say Such Things To Each Other?
The usefulness of identity-based groups
Questions about identity-specific groups often come up when we talk about inclusion. These could be based on race, sexual orientation, age etc. Identity-based groups are often viewed with caution and the accusation of exclusion. Afterall, we don't want to go "backwards". I’d like to suggest they …
Happy Holidays?
Yesterday I was in a downtown Toronto office. As soon as the elevator doors opened onto the 7th floor I could already see the Christmas decorations. The person I was meeting with is Jewish. So I asked him as we looked at the Christmas tree, where the Menorah was. He looked a bit uncomfortable for …
Hydro One’s Stand Against Sexual Harassment
If you haven't been following the news, after Shauna Hunt - a CityNews reporter - was heckled by TFC fans, one of them was identified as a Hydro One employee and subsequently fired. Apparently this heckling of female reporters is a new trend that began last year. It's sexual harassment. And the …
[Continue reading] Hydro One’s Stand Against Sexual Harassment
A Diversity Allegory
This week I heard a story that sparked my D&I interest. It's about insects, but bear with me, it's a great allegory for D&I! If you put bees and flies into a glass jar and put the bottom of the open jar against the window (so the open end is away from the window) on a sunny day, what do …
What gets us into trouble…
On the weekend I was reminded of a great quote by Mark Twain: "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Although I would argue that what we don't know can get us into trouble, the second half is particularly insightful when talking …
Sexual Harassment and Intersectionality
Thanks to Jian Ghomeshi, there has been a lot of talk over the past two weeks about sexual violence and sexual harassment. It’s good that we are talking about it. Yesterday I caught the tail end of an interview on CBC radio about sexual harassment in the workplace, and why women don’t come …
Why Tim Cook’s Coming Out is a Big Deal
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, just publicly announced that he is gay. While he hasn’t been closeted, per se, he felt it important to publicly acknowledge his sexual orientation. For those of you who wonder why this is a big deal, consider that he is the ONLY CEO in a Fortune 500 company to be out. …
Ramadan Begins this Week
The holy month of Ramadan starts at the end of this week. Depending on where you are in the world (because the start date depends on the sighting of the moon) the first day could be on the 20th or the 21st (North America). But observance begins the night before at sunset. Ramadan is a month of …