Engage! Cleveland's 2nd Annual DE&I Conference was BRIMMING with healthy dialogue, action items, and key insights. So much was packed into this full-day event, but here are some of my key takeaways that I believe are vital to continue moving the needle. ??
?? Loren Moye and Katherine Moyé set the tone for the rest of the event by establishing six different agreements the room would adhere to as a means of promoting growth and understanding. The one agreement that stuck with me the most: "Recognize that we are in different stages of identity awareness." By truly understanding this, we can adjust our expectation to help each other effectively move toward a more inclusive environment devoid of judgment.
?? Erica Merritt, BCC may have hit us with the most profound and succinct quote of the day: "Representation alone will not solve our problems." Just because your staff or board looks more diverse than it did a year ago doesn't mean the work is done. Erica then provided 11 different ways to ensure we aren't just checking boxes and instead leveraging the value of having a diverse group around us.
?? Why are the Cleveland Guardians winning and seeing record crowds? Matthew Grimes, Ed.M would suggest that a sense of belonging might have something to do with it (and I agree). Matt eloquently tied in the work he does with the Guards to drive home (pun intended) the most important theme of the day: A sense of belonging is vital to a healthy culture. It breaks down into four parts: 1) being seen, 2) feeling proud, 3) feeling connected, and 4) feeling supported.
?? Answer honestly: When you think of a diverse workplace, do you think of someone who is neurodivergent? Someone who is deaf? A person who uses a wheelchair? Nicole Crews, MBA, Beth Glas, Leon A. Harris III, Ph.D. and Jennifer Bosco, EdD shined a light on the importance of creating an accessible work environment as a means of ensuring our DEI plans are in fact inclusive and equitable. Shockingly, only 4% of people with invisible disabilities feel comfortable to disclose what they need.
?? The second panel with Gulnar Feerasta, MSSA, MNO (she/they), Lavone Lee, MA, CDP, Elaine Suarez, and Alan K. Nevel was an absolutely electric dialogue with the crowd. Alan made it clear: Changing culture is not easy, but there are consistent steps we can take to chip away. For example, Lavone suggests weaving DEI into every conversation -- keep the conversation front and center at every level of your workplace. And Gulnar has an important reminder: "We are human first."
?? And after ALL of this, Margarita Diaz, MSN, RN closed out the day by giving us step-by-step instructions on creating an action-oriented, measurable, and sustainable DEI strategic plan. What's at the core of organizational DEI culture? You guessed it: belonging. Start with your organization's principles and values, and build out from there.
#DEI #DiversityEquityInclusion #EngageCleveland
