Becoming Inclusive From The Kaleidoscope Group

When it comes to an organization's DEI journey sustaining efforts is critical. It's easy to hit a benchmark, check a box, and pat ourselves on the back. But rarely can we confidently declare “Mission Accomplished.” After hitting a milestone some will lose interest fallaciously believing that initial efforts will be sustained not through rigor and consistency, but through a sense of hope that foundational DEI strategies will simply pay off without additional action. And of course, that wouldn't be realistic since we know that diversity, equity, and inclusion have to be considered holistically and embedded in a long-term strategy. As someone once said, “Hope is not a strategy.” That's the point made by co-hosts Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts in the final episode of Becoming Inclusive Podcast for 2022 with featured guest Mitch Brown, a senior consultant and master facilitator for the Kaleidoscope Group. During the podcast, Brown stressed the importance of staying the course and keeping our eyes on the prize—the prize being a definitively diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace and society. Does your organization truly commit to the long-term vision and journey required to achieve success in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion? If so, let us know how by leaving a comment below, and adding your voice and opinions to the conversation. And be sure to like us, share our content and subscribe for future episodes of Becoming Inclusive with Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder. The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity, Equity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

Sarah Black, Global Communications Consultant for The Kaleidoscope Group's Global Practice, outlined the dilemma in an episode of the company's Becoming Inclusive Podcast, hosted by Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder. In the podcast, Black outlines what she refers to as the “Five C's framework” which reflects: Culture, Cause, Community, Care, and Consequences. Companies are increasingly expected to take a stand on social issues, particularly if they have committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. More and more companies are pressured to take sides and issue position statements to address social issues. While employees and stakeholders increasingly expect leaders to use their voices to address what is happening in the world around them, there are risks in saying nothing, commenting on everything, or commenting without fully appreciating what might be involved. The impact on employee relations and stakeholders can be considerable.

“It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” ― Steve JobsThere's a buzz going around among hybrid and remote workers and it's not reached a boiling point yet, but it's simmering just under the surface. It's about micromanagement and its impact on the employer-employee relationship—especially among hybrid and remote workers. The Steve Jobs quote above, is just one example of a savvy leadership approach when it comes to hiring and retaining good talent. Micromanaging that talent is a sure way to push them toward the exit doors, but there's still a challenge in ensuring that remote and hybrid workers remain productive without the watchful eye of their managers hovering over their desks—whether in person or virtually. The cohosts of the Kaleidoscope Group's Becoming Inclusive Podcast, Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder, tackled this topic head-on in this recent episode and the generational divides are stark, but not unbridgeable.Listen now! And remember to subscribe, like us, and leave a comment to join the conversation. 

Measuring diversity, equity and inclusion is an important, vital, part of implementing a robust strategy that delivers desired outcomes. But as organizations accrue data to qualify and quantify their efforts, they need to think beyond the organizational data points to ensure that their efforts not only focus on the business in the macro sense but also at the micro level to understand better the impact DEI has on the team level. At least that's the point made by two senior DEI experts with the Kaleidoscope Group.In an episode of the firm's Becoming Inclusive Podcast, host Reggie Ponder welcomed The Kaleidoscope Group's COO Chris Georgas and Juan Luis Betancourt, CEO of Humantelligence, a software provider and culture management platform that helps organizations operationalize culture, improve collaboration, and drive team performance.

Embracing DEI is now a common organizational value shared across most sectors and industries. But how do organizations measure and benchmark their efforts? Truth be told, it's a lot more difficult than people often think—particularly when we're talking about external benchmarking. Measuring culture internally is challenging enough, but measuring and benchmarking competitors is fraught with all kinds of obstacles and misperceptions. At least, that's the position of Mary Hunter, Senior Vice President, Assessment Practice, for The Kaleidoscope Group. Hunter joins Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts, for a discussion about benchmarking in this episode of Becoming Inclusive, saying “benchmarking serves a really great purpose, in certain business instances, but not within employee perceptions around culture and organizational practice.” She contends that external benchmarking is complicated by the relevance of the competitor organizations you are measuring against.

Managing change is a complex process that entails engaging diverse and disparate groups of stakeholders. Often these various stakeholders have different priorities within the workplace despite everyone working toward a supposedly common goal of organizational success in one way or the other. However, when it comes to engaging these individuals and groups the process can be a bit sticky, given the degrees of buy-in expressed by stakeholders of the changes they are being asked to accept. Hanlie van Wyk, Kat Potts, and Reggie Ponder discuss this hot topic in this episode of Becoming Inclusive. Hosted by Potts and Ponder, Van Wyk, a native South African, joins the podcast co-hosts as a guest, sharing her expertise as a global engagement leader and consultant—working across borders and cultures to help organizations manage the change process. 

To understand organizational culture, consider this analogy from the late author and novelist David Foster Wallace. Here's how it goes: A big fish meets a little fish and asks “how's the water?” In response, the little fish say's “what's water?” The water is like organizational culture, which is slightly different than how we talk about culture in a broader sense.  So in the fish and water analogy, organizational culture is the water we swim in. If we apply this to the workplace, it's common that we don't truly appreciate or understand our organizational cultures until we leave them and enter a new job with an entirely different workplace environment with unfamiliar work styles, values, and systems. Quite simply, workplace cultures matter greatly for organizations that want a competitive advantage. We've come to understand that 360-degree perspective provided by people from different backgrounds and walks of life stoke innovation. When organizations are homogenous, the perspectives tend to be homogenous as well.We invite you to listen to this episode of Becoming Inclusive with special guests DEI experts Gradiola Kapaj and Trisha Carter now. You can also subscribe to the podcast, which airs weekly, and offers a wide array of diverse voices and perspectives offered by leading-edge DEI subject matter experts. To join the conversation, leave a comment and share the link with colleagues who might also enjoy learning more about this and other timely topics. 

Ask people about company loyalty today, and you're likely to get a lot of different responses—especially generationally. The days of working for a single employer over the course of a career, earning a pension, and retiring at a relatively young age are gone. And they've been gone for quite a while. But that doesn't mean that loyalty doesn't exist at all because it does. It just manifests in a completely different way.  Billionaire Richard Branson puts it this way saying, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to.” This presents a real challenge for both employers and employees, especially since they have disparate perspectives on loyalty and what it means in real terms. Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts, hosts of the Kaleidoscope Group's weekly Becoming Inclusive podcast, dug into the topic sharing their experiences and ideas on how loyalty impacts work and career. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion play a major role in making employees feel valued and loyal to an employer. The ability to contribute and be heard greatly impacts employee engagement and as a result employee loyalty. Building real employee loyalty beyond simple retention requires a real and meaningful DEI strategy. 

Inclusion is not some nebulous concept. It's a critical business priority that stokes innovation and increases organizational performance in real terms. Therefore, it's important that inclusion is strategic and efficient in process and deployment to arrive at the desired outcomes. Some might believe that inclusion means everyone has a voice on every matter or decision; which, if we're honest, is a recipe for failure. Real inclusion prioritizes the impacted stakeholders and brings them into the decision-making process, and informs non-impacted stakeholders of what they're doing in the most transparent way possible while also letting them know how it's aligned with organizational values and business goals. No one is interested in an inclusion strategy that only leads to chaos and inefficiency. But according to the hosts of the Kaleidoscope Group's Becoming Inclusion Podcast, many people are stumbling by trying to be too inclusive without a clear-cut understanding of their key stakeholders. In this episode, hosts Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts are joined by Kaleidoscope Group Consultant Mitch Brown for an extended conversation on this interesting and surprisingly complex topic. 

The concept of workplace diversity isn't new. It's been around since the 1960s, growing out of the Civil Rights movements—which included the Women's movement and Gay Rights movement. In a large part, these complimentary movements focused on fairness and social justice, not smart business per se. But since the early 2000s, etymology has evolved significantly. Today, rather than only discussing diversity, we talk about DEI (or DE&I) an acronym for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Kaleidoscope Group's weekly podcast Becoming Inclusive, hosted by Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts, dig into this topic in this episode featuring Kevin Strader, a Client Services Manager. Strader, Potts, and Ponder don't hold back in honestly discussing how the evolving language around DEI is impacting businesses, organizations, and society at large. It's real talk from a diverse and inclusive group of professionals—all coming from different backgrounds, offering different perspectives based on those backgrounds. Watch the episode here. 

Do we demonize leaders too much in business today? Some would say yes, including the hosts and guests on this episode  Becoming Inclusive podcast. Frequent guest and Kaleidoscope Group Executive Consultant Brian Johnson joined co-hosts Reggie and Kat to talk about the important role leaders play in launching and sustaining a meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. The three concluded that patience is needed to realistically implement DEI strategies. Brian stressed that point repeatedly, at one point even saying he refers to it as “aggressively patient” when it comes to employee-employer relationships. That may seem a bit of a mixed message but the point he was stressing was that people should not have an expectation that change occurs overnight. It really is a journey and the finishing line often isn't clear and shifts as society evolves. 

“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.” ― Bishop Desmond TutuEveryone has a story.  But not everyone tells their story. And we don't always ask. Sharing the stories that shaped and redirected the course of our lives makes us human. When we have these defining moments with others, we connect at a deeper level, beyond roles and goals. Each story is rich, and has meaning and points to ponder, learn and reflect on. We become better when we stop and reflect on our life journey through our stories.This is the story of two South Africans – Samkelo and Hanlie - who grew up in the system of apartheid (institutionalized segregation). Both experienced hatred, discrimination, exclusion, and denial of an inherent right to be human. Their starkly juxtaposed stories unfold in a conversation with each other illustrating their journey of awakening, their fated transition to a place of always learning and unlearning.It encourages each of us to have brave conversations, to be a part of change, and to keep hope alive whilst impacting others. It inspires us to move forward with generous hearts, open minds, and ready hands. It allows us to listen and heal. In the words of Anton St. Maarten: “Healing is never complete until we have been truly heard. May the universe send you someone who will sincerely care to listen.”Remember to subscribe to Becoming Inclusive and leave us a comment to add to the conversation.  

On this episode of Becoming Inclusive hosts, Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder are joined by Jerry Jones, Global Director of Design and Development for The Kaleidoscope Group where they address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and how DEI in the U.S. is very different from DEI practices in other countries. It's very important to remember that every country has a different framework that may not fit into the U.S. narrative on majority/minority dynamics or power structures. So any one size fits all approach to DEI is simply ineffective.Watch it now. To follow us subscribe below to receive notifications for future episodes of Becoming Inclusive.

So much talk in C-suites about the importance of inclusion as part of an overarching DEI discussion. But are those conversations really doing anything to drive inclusion in the workplace? Let's be honest, it's complicated at best since “inclusion” is such an abstract term, to begin with. Sure, we all claim to be inclusive as individuals. We all claim to be tolerant, but how do we actually measure inclusion in meaningful, and actionable, ways. Can inclusion even be measured? The answer is yes! Mary Hunter, Senior VP, Assessments, with the Kaleidoscope Group, joined Becoming Inclusive hosts Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder for an informative conversation on how to evaluate degrees of inclusion in any workplace. Watch it now. To follow us subscribe below to receive notifications for future episodes of Becoming Inclusive.

We've all been there. We're working on a team project and have to adapt to a new process, and sometimes new technologies, to fully contribute to the project. But we're all different in terms of our work and learning styles and our competencies as they relate to technological tools. Tech skills are no doubt important, but so is a diversity of skills and expertise outside of the tech realm.  That raises the question “How should project managers address diverse teams to effectively realize a goal or objective?” In this episode of Being Inclusive, Kaleidoscope Group's Marketing Project Director, Jodi Matas joined the co-hosts Reggie and Kat to discuss how she confronts and addresses the competency and learning gaps between people and executing a project. Are some project managers losing out on potentially exceptional team members because they are being too rigid about a preferred project management style? And how are project leads creating and nurturing diverse and inclusive teams to ensure everyone is contributing to the best of their abilities? 

In this podcast episode of Becoming Inclusive, the hosts welcomed Hanlie van Wyk, a global change management consultant, to talk about conscious change enablement using a “human forward” instead of a “process forward” approach.The thrust of the conversation mainly focuses on the behavioral aspects people undergo when confronted with change—be it major or minor. As human beings, we're all constantly experiencing change and although it can cause anxiety or even outright fear, in most instances we adapt as needed.According to Hanlie, behavioral change is not seen as something that requires practice and time for transitioning to the desired new behaviors, especially as it relates to organizational culture. Culture, Hanlie says merely a “collection of values of the people within the company.”In terms of DEI, this is a significant topic. Sustainable change takes a lot of time to develop a strategy aligned with the organization's priorities and goals. It also needs metrics and benchmarks to evaluate the degree of change occurring. In developing those strategies, the human factor is critical. We can easily change a process or a procedure and mandate compliance, but if we do it thoughtfully we're more likely to realize the sustainable change that really does move the needle from the DEI perspective. 

Recently, Elon Musk made news by saying that remote employees who refused to return to the office would be terminated, which caused somewhat of a controversy. But at the recent Davos Conference of global business leaders, Ravin Jesuthasan, a global transformation leader at the asset-management company Mercer summed it up like this . . . "The genie is out of the bottle. Anyone who tries to put it back in is maybe not being realistic about what's actually happened."This episode of Becoming Inclusive features special guest Lindsay Ciardelli  Senior Business Development Consultant for the Kaleidoscope Group, joining Kat and Reggie to talk about the future of remote work and the hybrid work model and how they relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion.There are very obvious pros and cons related to this new way of working. One study conducted in March of 2022 concluded that 50 percent (50%) of corporate leaders expected employees to return to the workplace once the pandemic was over. So it seems that the future of remote work is still a bit uncertain. While the hybrid-remote work model is popular with workers—leaders have varying perspectives and opinions.  As a working model, it's here to stay if we look at the current landscape. The only question is to what degree. 

Now that Juneteenth is officially a Federal Holiday, more Americans are aware of the historical significance of the occasion. Celebrated every June 19, until recently mostly by African Americans, Juneteenth marks the final emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S.This episode of Becoming Inclusive highlights the importance of the Holiday and its significance as an important celebration for everyone, not just African Americans.  Kat and Reggie were joined by Mitch Brown, a consultant for the Kaleidoscope Group, who talked about how many corporations are reaching out to ask for help in determining the best way to acknowledge the occasion for employees and customers. As a relatively new Holiday, more people have certainly heard of Juneteenth, but for many, it's still considered a celebration strictly for Black people, an erroneous point all three panelists were quick to correct. In actuality, Juneteenth is as much a cause for celebration by all Americans as it is for African Americans since we moved another step closer to fulfilling the aspirational promises of the U.S. Constitution—in which “All men (and women) are created equal.”

In this episode of Becoming Inclusive hosts Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder forgo their usual guest format to do a deep dive into DEI terminology and specific terminology related to “advocates, mentors, and sponsors.” What exactly are they? Do these descriptors apply to me? Should they apply to me?According to the hosts, an advocate is a person who's “in your corner,” so to speak. They can advocate in support of an individual, company issue, policy, or even a promotion. Similarly, mentors are not too different than advocates but are more focused on helping with professional or personal development. And finally, sponsors are simply people willing to put their names and reputations at stake on our behalf.This is a very enlightening conversation between two hosts with deep insights into the DEI space. Ask yourselves . . . “Who were my mentors, advocates, and sponsors?” If you're like most people, you'll have no problem recalling. Then ask yourself . . . “Have I been a good mentor, advocate, or sponsor for others?” And that's how we build inclusive and equitable organizations.Get our free resources to explore more about becoming a high-performance organization that practices inclusive behaviors, and builds better teams with more connected talent. 

With June marking Pride Month, Becoming Inclusive co-hosts Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts are joined by special guest Jeffery B. Strader, head of the LGBTQ+ practice at the Kaleidoscope Group for an in-depth conversation on the Power of Pronouns. According to 2019 study by Pew Research, one in five (1/5th) of U.S. adults know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns. While not really surprising given the advances of the LGBTQ+ community in past decades, it does provide a bit of context for this important discussion on why something as simple as correct pronoun usage can have major implications—both in the workplace and society-at-large. The study also found that younger Americans are more familiar with the use of  gender-neutral pronouns with 73 percent (73%) of 18-29 year olds saying they hear a lot (37%) or a little (36%) about it. In contrast, those numbers drop dramatically as age increases with only 54 percent (54%) of 50-64 year olds responding that they are familiar with gender-neutral pronouns. As an expert in LGBTQ+ issues, Strader gets into the “nitty gritty” of pronoun usage as it relates to gender and identity, while also directly linking it to overall concepts of inclusion. He also offers other insights and tips to help stay mindful, and intentional, throughout Pride Month and every other day of the year.  

We all know that change is the only constant. However, change also stokes a significant degree of fear and anxiety in many people, which can result in resistance from some people who may be impacted by the change. In this very compelling episode of Becoming Inclusive, our hosts Reggie and Kat, are again joined by Kaleidoscope Group Consultant and Change Management expert Hanlie Van Wyk, for a deeper dive into how organizations can bolster buy-in for change initiatives by understanding the “formula,” or framework, involved in change enablement. To increase stakeholder, buy-in, Van Wyk prescribes a four-pronged approach to sustainable change management entailing alignment of change processes that address: Self-awareness of the need/rationale for individual changeSocialization of positive behaviors (aka “Social Contagion”)Systems that support change, such as policies, practices, proceduresSpaces that provide support and reinforcement for changeThese four areas are critical to achieving change management goals and objectives; providing a roadmap for effective and sustainable change enablement with minimized resistance and increased degrees of buy-in and compliance. 

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month and we'll be exploring the connections between mental wellness and diversity, equity and inclusion in today's episode of Being Inclusive podcast. Hosts Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts are joined by special guest Trisha Carter Global Engagement Leader and Organizational Psychologist, who offers her well-informed perspectives on the clear connections between DEI and mental health to help leaders and employees improve performance and enhance workplace culture. We all know that bringing our “whole selves” to the workplace is important, but many find that difficult, if not impossible; especially as it relates to mental health issues among many under-represented groups within a workplace—largely because of lingering taboo and stigma associated with the mental wellness. The question is what leaders and organizations can do to foster a more supportive work environment where people can truly shine and do their very best work; while also offering helpful tips on what individuals can do to maintain their mental health, both in and out of the workplace.  Listen now and share with friends and colleagues. Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

In today's episode of our Podcast, we're joined by Global Engagement Leader & Subject Matter Expert Hanlie van Wyck, who helps us understand the role of engagement in the change management process to drive sustainable and positive change within organizations. While it may seem to some a simple process, Hanlie argues that it is extremely complex and requires a greater focus on people rather than solely on systems; in other words, “human forward versus process forward.” While companies are trying to accomplish their change initiatives as quickly as possible, all agreed that it takes time to fully inculcate change. People need time to adjust and change; enablers must maintain engagement—identifying opportunities for coaching and other interventions over time to truly realize robust cultural change within an organization. Has your company invested in major change management? Do you think the initiatives were effective?  Watch this highly “engaging” video to gain a better understanding of the important role Change Managers play in DEI. 

When you think about strong leadership, certain characteristics likely come to mind.  However,  depending on where you are, and who you're leading, other attributes become more crucial. In today's podcast we talk about leadership for global organizations and how inclusion and diversity fit into adjusting to and understanding leadership styles. What's true “here” might not be true - or even desirable - “over there.” How do we lead a complex, diverse team? Is there a “right” approach that's suitable for most? The answers might surprise you.

"'Everyone is welcome' is drastically different from, ‘We built this with you in mind.'” This powerful quote kicks off today's podcast about tolerating vs including. For a long time tolerance was considered aspirational. In many ways, respecting one another and our viewpoints was the destination we sought. But that time is long past - nobody wants to merely be tolerated. Not in society and certainly not at work. And real talk: not everybody is comfortable with that. Join us as we explore the meanings and methods of moving beyond being just welcoming.

“Failure” among your team can have different contexts. On one hand, it's better to consider what might be happening is learning, rather than failing. Perhaps we haven't succeeded yet. On the other hand, exploration of the root of the failure is needed. Often when people can't meet expectations it's because they haven't been given the systems and support to achieve the desired outcome. So is the person failing, or is the organization failing them? Or is it a combination of the two?In today's episode, Katherine Potts, Digital Marketing Manager & Events Coordinator, and  Reginald Ponder, Executive Marketing Lead, talk about providing employees with what they need to succeed and how organizations can take more responsibility for driving positive outcomes and impact. Sometimes there are competency issues, no doubt; the wrong skill sets might be tasked for the wrong tasks. Sometimes there are compliance issues - people know what to do but for some reason (often connected to engagement and satisfaction), they're not doing them. And then there are connection issues; people aren't being given the tools, resources, communication, or collaboration they need to do their best work. Learn how systems for success are part of the journey to inclusion.

Health equity is when we can all achieve our full health potential. It's impacted by our environments, the people around us, the choices available to us and the care available to us. Inequity in healthcare is when there are avoidable differences in how people are treated for health concerns.They're two sides of the same coin: Some of us are getting more sick more often and being treated less comprehensively and competently than others.In today's episode, Fariha Siddiquie, Assessment & Research Consultant with The Kaleidoscope Group, joins us to discuss the big questions. Why is this happening? Who's it happening to? And how do we fix it?Join us as we explore the social, economic, racial and other dimensions of diversity systemically impacting health equity. Learn how the solutions to these complicated issues exist at the intersection of patient care, organizational change, personal empathy and community connectedness.

In today's podcast Aarin Haney, Client Services Manager and Facilitator joins us to explore what it means for an organization to be committed to DEI efforts, rather than simply compelled. When we're simply compelled to invest in training, workshops, speakers, or other “diversity stuff” it often becomes a box to check or a task to be done. Real change isn't the focus - getting through activities is. A committed organization sees DEI with a strategic mindset, ready to adapt to shifting realities and new insights. Today we're talking about proactive vs. reactive efforts, the role leaders must play, the characteristics of the committed vs. compelled organization, and how authenticity is crucial for sustainable DEI growth.

Executive Consultant Mitch Brown returns to discuss how "the proof is in the pudding." Is your organization consistent with its stated values and principles on equity, inclusion and diversity when it comes to negotiating pay and benefits? If every business answered, "well, of course!" to that question, we wouldn't still have women and People of Color chronically underpaid. So let's talk about it. In today's episode, we explore how organizations can hold themselves accountable to make sure it's connecting with what's suitable for each of their employees. The idea of inclusion isn't about treating everybody exactly the same - yet in many organizations, that's how time off, holidays, paid leave and other benefits are managed. DEI has to be more than an idea, more than good intentions and general awareness. Let's explore some essential questions and positions to take in quantifying the impact of DEI in your organization.

In today's episode Jodi Bondi Norgaard, consultant, and facilitator for The Kaleidoscope Group joins us to explore in-depth the journey to inclusion and equity for women at work. Coming from the unique perspective of having developed a product line for girls and children designed around empowering themes, Jodi connects on the power structure, biases, and cultural, traditional norms and expectations in America that have shaped a business imbalance where hiring, pay and responsibility for women remains an uphill climb. In this energizing conversation, we explore how the ways we treat our children ultimately impacts their adult perspectives, how equity is in everybody's best interests, and some specific steps organizations can take to finally create better, more equitable working environments.

Psychological safety is having the freedom to contribute without fear of being humiliated or punished. In DEI, it's a factor in feeling empowered to step up, step in or be an ally. But psychological safety is also important in making recommendations, shaping strategies or ideas or simply expressing yourself. In today's conversation Jerry Jones, Global Director of Design and Development, and Trisha Carter, Global Engagement Leader and organizational psychologist, join us for a wide-ranging exploration of what it means to have empowered expression. Learn how culture and communication shape the ideas of psychological safety, why psychological safety is a key ingredient to an inclusive workplace, and how each of our personal perspectives inform this nuanced and sometimes complex issue.

Women and Women of Color are increasingly in leadership roles in corporate America - but the fact that we're still talking about "women in leadership" illustrates the continued problems companies and American culture must address. In today's episode Executive Consultant Joyce Trimuel explores some unique dynamics women and Women of Color experience at work. She discusses the importance of mentorship and authenticity, why building relationships are crucial, and how remaining curious is a key skill. These are some essentials for employees to advocate for themselves - but what about the organizations they work in? Listen in as Joyce, Reggie and Kat discuss how the workplace must be more intentional about inclusion, listening with purpose and developing people.

It's easy - comfortable even - for an organization to talk about the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. But beyond important and inspiring positioning, what's happening in practice? In today's episode Consultant Michael A. Washington joins us to talk about the importance of developing organizational policies, practices and procedures that are aligned with DEI objectives and goals. This is a powerful conversation on connecting the dots between intention and impact.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity, Equity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

For any of us, the language we speak in and the countries we live in shape our understanding of how to communicate. Communication can break down when we rely on assumptions that everyone, including those from cultures, countries, or who speak languages other than ours, is hearing things the way we do. Colloquialisms, nomenclature, slang and just simple meanings of words across diverse cultures create opportunities to better understand inclusion and equity, especially in the global workplace. In today's episode Flor García, Engagement Leader and DEI Consultant in the Global Practice at The Kaleidoscope Group, joins us to share her unique perspective as a person born in Venezuela who has spent most of her professional life in the US and Europe. Her deep knowledge, interest and passion on global and diversity issues help all business leaders, especially those leading global or international teams, to better understand themselves and others.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity, Equity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

This month we celebrate Black History - but what does that mean, really? When we go beyond heroes and holidays, how does Black History impact American Now? Everyone Future? In today's episode Senior Consultants Mitch Brown and Sue O'Halloran join Kat Potts for an earnest and honest conversation about what companies and communities can be doing this month to not only commemorate and celebrate, but to calibrate and cooperate. Together we can turn these moments into momentum.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity, Equity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

The workforce is changing. The workplace - once the big office with cubicles and a ping pong table in the break room - is also in flux. Why? Because expectations of your employees' work, their workplace, their colleagues and even their own balanced lives are evolving and adapting in ways we've never really seen before. In today's episode Melanie Muñoz and Cheré Nabor share their valuable perspectives on why I don't want to work here anymore. Coming from different generations with unique points of view, this powerful discussion explores what today's employers must recognize and reinforce in order to connect to their talent, their values and what they find meaningful.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity, Equity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

In this powerful continuation of our previous discussion with Brian Johnson, Executive Consultant for The Kaleidoscope Group, we get real about racism. Brian shares poignant thoughts from his perspective, including how will and humility will be critical pathways to understanding - particularly among white people. Power and politics are crucial elements as well. In addition, Brian takes organizational leaders to task to do better to make places of work meaningfully welcoming and transparently dedicated to inclusion. No, racism is not easy to fix. But we can take practical, meaningful steps to understand racism better than we are or are sometimes willing to. As ever, that starts with each of us.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity, Equity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

In today's powerful, candid conversation with Executive Consultant (and former professional baseball player) Brian Johnson, we get his perspective, as a white male, on how the systems many of us are born into contributes to many of the diversity, equity and inclusion issues we face. For Brian this conversation comes down to recognizing his privilege and learning how to leverage it to helping others, including how his physical advantages have worked to his favor.As Brian shares, "People of Color did not 'earn' racism. The issue is that there's a system that's been built, that continues to be perpetuated, and the system allows for white males like myself, to benefit in many different things. And it doesn't allow everyone to have the same opportunity, or to have the same privilege that I do."Is solving racism really easy? Of course not - but if we start with an understanding of those who can make the largest impact on addressing racism, we can see potential solutions more clearly.

In today's episode Executive Consultant and CEO and Co-Founder at the Center for Healthcare Innovation Joe Gaspero joins us to explore how more diverse leadership in organizations offers a competitive advantage. Joe uncovers demographic realities that are driving more diverse marketplaces and customer expectations everywhere from the storefront to the hospital room. Along the way Joe explore the sense of fatigue some are having with this National conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion, and how that concept points to the very reasons these discussions are critical.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full service Diversity & Inclusion firm in Chicago serving clients world-wide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

In today's episode Sr. Director Gary Alveranga joins us to talk about what he's seeing right now in the business climate where DEI is concerned. Gary's valuable, unvarnished perspective on DEI professionals and leaders, the dramatic uptick in corporate DEI initiatives as a result of social and socio-political events in America, and how to separate the timely from the timeless is incredibly valuable. Gary's coaching on what's transactional in DEI vs what's transformational helps set a standard for strategic DEI.

Host Reggie Ponder talks with Senior Consultant Mitch Brown about why Equity isn't enough.  The concept of "Equity" seems reasonable and understandable - equal pay among genders, for instance, is a concept most businesses understand. Why, then, is pay equity the issue it is? Or if we're making diverse hires, how can it be we're still not "equitable?" Mitch helps us understand these difficult concepts and more, exploring how equity's relationship to diversity and inclusion is crucial to to its importance and effectiveness.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full-service Diversity & Inclusion firm in Chicago and Charlotte serving clients worldwide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

Host Reggie Ponder talks with Vice President of Client Services Margarita De Leon about why Inclusion isn't enough. To do that, we explore - well what is "inclusion"? Why does it matter, and to whom does it matter? In business today we're sometimes looking for practical solutions to complex issues, and in this episode we have a necessary discussion about how achieving inclusion is an ongoing challenge with ever-changing dynamics. For businesses to succeed, strategies will need to evolve and grow over time.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full-service Diversity & Inclusion firm in Chicago and Charlotte serving clients worldwide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com

Host Reggie Ponder talks with Chief Operating Officer of The Kaleidoscope Group Chris Georgas on the real-world, experiential value of Diversity, the realities and difficulties improving DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) in organizations, what so many organizations are doing (and getting) wrong when it comes to Diversity, and practical insights on how to maximize DEI efforts. This is a powerful conversational with a career DEI professional that will change the way you look at Diversity in your company.The Kaleidoscope Group is a full-service Diversity & Inclusion firm in Chicago and Charlotte serving clients worldwide. We can help you develop organizational change that actively engages everybody in your organization, turning resistance into energy and motivation for change. Let's talk about where you'd like to go and how to get there. Visit us at https://kgdiversity.com