If there ever was a time when inclusion was about a few eye-catching initiatives and catchy slogans, then the unequal impact of COVID-19 on different communities and the issues raised again by Black Lives Matter have put an end toit.  People are increasingly looking to leaders of organisations to demonstrate empathy and to take action to addressdiscrimination and exclusion in order to build a more inclusive, fair and robust society.

Our Inclusive Leadership Module aims to raise self-awareness, understanding one’s innate preferences, unconscious and conscious biases and preferred approaches.  We look at how this can assist with understanding different people, with different perspectives, experiences and motivations.  A key component is how it feels to be an outsider, to be different from others and the risks that a lack of understanding of other people’s lived experience can perpetuate exclusion and lack of progression at work.

We will examine the benefits a diverse workforce can bring to your organisation and at what’s required to ensure such diversity, where every employee feels a sense of belonging and safety – that goes to the heart of inclusion. The role of leaders in walking the talk, acting with integrity and listening is a reflective and quite challenging element. Recruitment, progression, promotion and selection are important opportunities in people’s careers and can only be fair for all when an inclusive approach is adopted – we look at common pitfalls and fair and equitable ways of avoiding these.

Finally, by looking at best practice we encourage delegates to think about how they can lead a cultural renaissance in their organisations as inclusion role model leaders.

This is a day-long (6 hours) training module delivered face to face or by MS Teams/Zoom in groups up 15 in size.  Target audience – senior managers and those working with them to promote workplace inclusion, improved customer-awareness, connecting with the communities in which organisations are based and broadening supplier diversity. Inclusive leadership is an increasingly important leadership capability – thus this module has wide senior-level relevance.  The desired outcome is that delegates will understand how critical personal action and authentic leadership is around inclusion, the areas which require particular attention to avoid negative impact on colleagues’ careers and an exchange of ideas to implement in their organisations.

People generally want to do the right thing in how they treat others, whether colleagues, customers, neighbours, service providers or strangers.  Few people go out of their way to discriminate against others.  But despite our good intentions there’s a lack of progress in true equality at work and in society.  

Forth Perspectives will discuss diversity, inclusion, equality and equity, exploring historical reasons leading to inequality and disadvantage.  The current Equality Act and other legislation gives delegates a comprehensive overview of rights and obligations.  We look at Gender, Disability and Race pay gaps and discrimination faced not only at work but alsoin accessing services, and at the cumulative impact that has on career progression and life chances. 

We shall also address Unconscious Bias - what it is, how to recognise it and some tools and tips on how to address and to avoid it in the workplace.  Affinity bias – the preference for people similar to us – is covered, along with the issue of in and out groups and the lived experience of being an outsider.  We look at the area of micro-inequities and micro-aggressions: how unintentional slights can have a large impact.  There’s an opportunity for people to share how they could personally contribute to a more inclusive working environment and colleague experience.

This is a half day-long training module delivered face to face or by MS Teams/Zoom in groups up 15 in size.  Target audience – this is applicable to all levels in an organisation.  It’s ideal to be rolled out as a set of courses that all employees will attend and works well when seniority and job-function of delegates is varied.  The desired outcome is knowledge of current equality and disadvantage, colleague rights and organisational obligations, improved self-awareness and the role we can all play on improving inclusion.

We are all conditioned by our own heritage, experience and how we see the world outside. 

Without our awareness or recognition, our unconscious biases can negatively impact colleagues, particularly at important stages in their careers.

This Module will examine our biases, look at what it feels like to be an outsider and give attendees practical tools and actions we can all take to support and grow diversity and inclusion. This can be a personally challenging and enlightening Module and Forth Perspectives will create a safe space of confidentiality and trust so that participants can feel free to fully explore their own unconscious bias and allow fellow participants to do the same in a respectful and supportive environment.  

The module is particularly useful for those involved in decisions on recruitment, development and promotion.  People’s hidden identities and the prevalence of “covering” in the workplace and its impact on inclusion and career development is explored. 

We’ll introduce the concepts of diversity, inclusion, equality and most importantly equity before moving on to look at the science around unconscious bias: the conscious and unconscious aspects of how the brain works, its evolutionary origins and the impact that these rapid decisions have at work.  

Through visuals and story-telling we aim to make unconscious bias real and personal to the attendees.  This all builds to the need for change and the opportunity for delegates to make a difference.  We do this by showing the power of getting to know people, understanding difference and inclusive behaviours.  We encourage attendees to think about the diversity of their organisations, the extent to which it reflects the communities in which they work and the role individuals can play in ensuring fairness in recruitment, assessment and promotion.

The conclusion of this Module shows the importance of understanding the inevitability of unconscious bias, mitigating its effects and all playing a role in encouraging inclusion and equity.

This is a half day-long training module delivered face to face or by MS Teams/Zoom in groups up 15 in size.  Target audience – this is applicable to all levels in an organisation.  It’s ideal to be rolled out as a set of courses that all employees will attend and works well when seniority and job-function of delegates is varied.  The desired outcome is an understanding of how out upbringing, experience and the media influence our automatic, unconscious decision-making.  Delegates will get an appreciation of how this can impact others through the decisions we make and how to mitigate its worst excesses.

In the light of COVID-19’s adverse impact on certain demographic groups and the discrimination and disadvantage for minority communities highlighted by “Black Lives Matter” this Module is timely, topical and insightful.

We discuss diversity, inclusion, equality and equity, exploring historical reasons leading to inequality and disadvantage.  Our overview of Equality legislation gives delegates a comprehensive overview of rights and obligations.  We look at Gender, Disability and Race pay gaps and discrimination faced at work, and in accessing services, and the cumulative impact that has on career progression and life chances.

By looking at culture, media and other influences, we’ll explore how society has many in-built disadvantages and discriminations.  This often leads to unconscious biases.  We explore what unconscious bias is, how to recognise itand some tools and tips on how to address and to avoid it in the workplace.  

We look at the area of micro-inequities and micro-aggressions: how unintentional slights can have a large impact.  There’s an opportunity for people to share how they could personally contribute to a more inclusive working environment and colleague experience.

Tackling inequality needs us all to be self-aware and we aim to show how decisions we make may have negative impacts on individuals.  We will explore how to understand current inclusion and equality performance through reviewing key processes and measuring outcomes for individuals.  

Finally there’s an opportunity for people to share how they could personally contribute to a more inclusive working environment and colleague experience and play their part to bring down barriers to equality.

This is a 3-hour training module delivered face to face or by MS Teams/Zoom in groups up 15 in size.  Target audience – mid-managers and more senior personnel.  The desired outcome is that delegates will understand the extent of discrimination and disadvantage, their origins and the opportunity that exists for decision-makers to play a role in tackling these issues through improved self-awareness and actions to take in the workplace.