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 …
Leadership
Proud Boys – when private views make it into the public domain
I'm watching an interview with a leader from the Maritime Forces Atlantic (the Navy) about the Proud Boys "interruption" of an Indigenous ceremony in Nova Scotia on Canada Day. You can google the footage of the disturbance and the troubling comments made by the Proud Boys. I'm not going to link …
[Continue reading] Proud Boys – when private views make it into the public domain
Which Women Have Arrived?
I recently attended the Regional Diversity Roundtable’s event “It’s 2015: Which Women have Arrived?” It was an interesting and thought-provoking evening. One of the speakers was Sandeep Tatla – Chief Diversity Officer from the Ontario College of Trades. Here were a few statistics Sandeep …
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. …
In the Wake of Nelson Mandela’s Death
There are many things I could write about this week: How the sign language fiasco at Nelson Mandela’s memorial is an example of how bias keeps us from recognizing or acknowledging issues that for some people are so very vital. How the stigma of mental illness keeps it in the shadows, and prevents …
LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces
This week’s article in the Toronto Star about the changes in Canadian workplaces for LGBT employees is encouraging. It is good to hear from large corporations who are making a difference in the daily lives of their LGBT employees. In our quest to further inclusion, invisible diversity is often …
The Difference an “X” Can Make
Last month Australia made a significant change on their passport application forms; there are now three options for “gender” – M, F and X. When your passport doesn’t reflect what you look like – when your listed gender doesn’t match who you are - it can be, in the words of Senator Louise Pratt, …
The 3rd Alternative
Stephen R. Covey has come out with a new book. It’s called The 3rd Alternative. I read about it in the Globe and Mail last week and it’s on my list of books to acquire. I think it would make a great read for any organization committed to diversity and inclusion. Here’s why: One of the barriers to …
Corporate Social Responsibility – what about inside the organization?
This week I was forwarded the list of Canada’s 50 Best Corporate Citizens (2011). It’s a list that Corporate Knights (“the Magazine for Clean Capitalism”) started about 10 years ago. Who knew there was such a list? I was amazed! I discovered through Madelaine Drohan’s article in the report …
[Continue reading] Corporate Social Responsibility – what about inside the organization?
More than Mentorship
Mentorship has been around for a long time, but there is a new "ship" on the block! Sponsorship. In light of my recent posts, I thought this would be a good topic for today. Mentorship is about development. Sponsorship is about advancement. While development can lead to advancement, given the …