As part of an ongoing project with one of our clients, White Men as Full Diversity Partners conducted 12 Learning Labs over a nine month period, reaching 250 leaders in their North American sales organization. The Labs were used to build a critical mass of leaders who would support the long-term effort to shift the operating culture. The Labs were a mix of the White Men's Caucus and White Men and Allies, as a large majority of the people managers in this organization are white men.

Through the experience, participants gained insight and  transformed their personal mindsets around diversity and inclusion. They also built partnership and leadership skills and deepened their awareness of the impacts of the current culture on employee engagement and workplace partnership.

During one of the final Labs in this series, White Men as Full Diversity Partners asked participants to draft a letter as a call to action for all 250 leaders to align their hopes and leverage their collective voices. The following is the invitation they wrote to their colleagues. The letter also speaks to all of us, asking us to act each day as full diversity partners. 

White Men as Full Diversity Partners is now working with this client to design a series of one-day meetings where these leaders will work directly to engage all employees in the D&I journey.

An Invitation to End the Silence. Offered In the Spirit of Challenge and Support:

Dear White Men's Caucus and White Men & Allies Learning Lab alums:

This is a challenge to be courageous. You have all participated in a White Men as Full Diversity Partners' Learning Lab over the past several months. How have you shared your experience? Have you considered or experienced what you discovered about bias, privilege or assumptions? 

This is a request to end the silence and share your personal commitment to the evolution of our organization's diversity journey.

We truly believe the investment we have made in the Learning Lab can create an environment of partnership if the work that we began continues. We must continue to expose hidden beliefs and biases so we can recruit and retain the best talent, be the best place to work, and compete globally. By sharing your experience and courageously leading by example, you have the power to transform our culture of inclusion and ensure employees achieve their maximum potential. 

It's time to end the silence. Here is your challenge. We have a call to action for all Learning Lab alumni.

Actions to end the silence:

• Share your top three takeaways from the learning experience with your staff and others and what they meant to you.
• Share exercises we did and the positive impacts they had on you.
• Give feedback to senior and executive management about the impact these actions will have on your company, it's culture and how that relates to being a top place to work.

 

You had the privilege to attend this Learning Lab.  Have the courage now to share your new insight and how you are doing things differently.

We look forward to leading this effort with you,

Your fellow Lab attendees.

 

White Men as Full Diversity Partners continues to support organizations and leaders as they build inclusive cultures. We are inspired by the courage of those who join us on this learning journey.

What is your call to action?