Lead At Any Level

When Do You Feel Included?

a conference name badge reads, "HELLO, I feel included when..."

Recently, I had a conversation with young woman from the United Kingdom. She asked me about the stickers I use for my Network Beyond Bias program. The stickers look like name tags. They say “Hello! I feel included when…” Usually toward the end of my programs, I prompt the audience to ask one another, “How […]

Networking in Your Industry and Beyond

in the foreground, an airplane approaches a runway against a nighttime cityscape background

Once you understand how important networking is to your career, you’ll want to get started right away. Don’t limit your CHAMP network to your own company, or even your own industry! Get out of your own backyard as often as possible by attending formal and informal networking events. Within each industry, there are countless opportunities […]

How Long Will You Continue to Work? Combating Age Discrimination

a cross-section of a tree with the rings visible. a place marker sits on an out ring and reads "you are here"

Age discrimination is gaining more attention in the media, as Baby Boomers’ influence in the workplace is dwindling. Millennials now comprise the largest segment of the workforce. Ask anyone over 50: it’s tough to compete with tech-savvy, confident 20-somethings who know how negotiate wages, benefits, and company culture. During several recent conversations within and around […]

Et Tu, Latte? Starbucks and Everyday Racism

Even Starbucks Isn't Safe

My Twitter feeds were once again abuzz with scandal. Starbucks, it seems, has just unwittingly entered the conversation about racism in America. And not in the way we would have hoped. Police officers handcuffed and forcibly removed two real estate agents from a Starbucks in Philadelphia. Melissa DePino‘s video of the incident went viral. Their crime? […]

Inclusive Networking: 3 Ways to Say “You’re Welcome”

feet in front of a mat that reads "welcome on board"

Identifying missing perspectives in your network is relatively easy. And finding people who can fill those gaps isn’t terribly difficult. But how do you attract people who differ from you? How do you make yourself the light in the room to which they are drawn? In this article, I propose three pillars of inclusive networking […]

Gender Identity: A Primer for People Who Just Don’t Get It

illustration of seven professionals, each in an interlocking gear

Author’s note: This article is adapted from my book, Network Beyond Bias. Gender identity conversations used to leave me confused and uncomfortable. I had nevertheless tried to raise my children (both boys at that time) with a conscious rejection of traditional gender stereotypes. For example, my oldest son got dolls for Christmas when he asked […]

Abolishing ERGs: A teachable moment from Deloitte?

Execs

My social media feeds are all abuzz with the news of Deloitte replacing its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) with “inclusion panels.” The move reportedly seeks to address the concerns of Millennials who have a much different view of diversity issues than Gen Xers and Boomers. And then there was the perspective of the [mostly white, […]

Unconscious Bias: Break out in 3 simple steps

If you have ever taken an Implicit Association Test (see post: Our Brains Are Biased), you may have been surprised by your own unconscious bias. I know the first time I took one of these tests, I was pretty taken aback. Want to learn more? Check out our self-paced online courses to learn how to overcome […]

Our Brains Are Biased: Understanding Unconscious Bias

Author’s note: This article is adapted from my book, Network Beyond Bias. You may not know it, but unconscious bias affects you before your brain even knows what’s happening! Don’t believe me?  Imagine you’re driving late at night down a fairly deserted highway.  You look up into your rearview mirror and see a police cruiser […]