Board Development
Inclusive Excellence has extensive experience working with governance boards in both the private and non-profit sector.
The Board’s understanding of the organization’s EDI journey, or lack thereof, has the potential to either accelerate or inhibit any organization’s progress in implementing strategy towards improved levels of safety or greater representation of inequity-experiencing groups.
The Board’s effort or journey in EDI is often separate, but deeply influential. In setting the expectations through their own EDI goals or policies, for example, Boards signal to the organization the urgency of EDI. The Board is also required at times to give the management team permission to rest and refuel along the journey.
As EDI is one of the most complex and often non-linear efforts, it is imperative that Boards have sufficient understanding of EDI, and are able to hold management to account and show support to the organization when appropriate.
Board Engagement
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120 MIN | VIRTUAL | IN-PERSON
This session is focused on establishing a basic literacy around diversity and inclusive excellence. We explore the journey towards fostering a more psychologically safe, physically and mentally healthier workplace, and ultimately, a more inclusive workplace.
This module is specifically designed to prepare the board for the EDI journey and to identify the board’s readiness, as well as the barriers that may bar them from leading the EDI journey.
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120 MIN | VIRTUAL | IN-PERSON
At the core of inclusive leadership and intercultural capacity is self-awareness: a deep understanding of one’s implicit (or personal) bias and the systemic biases that affect all kinds of decision-making.
This session is devoted to understanding key forms of implicit bias that commonly affect boards and leadership, and the behavioural biases that specifically disadvantage women in the workplace. We examine the brain science behind bias, the research validating the impact of bias in decision-making, and the situations in which we’re most vulnerable to bias.
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90 MIN | VIRTUAL | IN-PERSON
As leaders and key decision-makers, the board’s understanding of allyship is fundamental to the organization’s EDI success.
This workshop will provide clarity around allyship for boards, and the five key traits of an ally, based on the work of Anne Bishop. The session will also highlight the key barriers to allyship.
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90 MIN | VIRTUAL | IN-PERSON
This session will train board members to be “active bystanders,” prepared to take initiative in responding to and disrupting non-inclusive language and behaviour. Genuine allyship means going beyond personal statements of support, to proactively intervening in situations where members of our community are exposed to non-inclusive and often hurtful statements and behaviours. By refusing to be passive observers, the active bystander creates a psychologically safer work environment.
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90 MIN | VIRTUAL | IN-PERSON
This engaging and interactive session provides a frank conversation about the complex difficulties of leading and being part of more diverse and inclusive organizations and/or teams, the intercultural afterthought, and what is required to convert a team’s diversity into innovation. This session explores topics such as myths about cultural diversity, the impact of cultural differences, adapting to different work styles, and overcoming the fear of saying the wrong thing.