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The following is a draft list of topics and issues to raise, the exact topics and structure would be finalised on further discussion. I see the design of the session as vital – it needs to
- incorporate business concern
- be intellectually stimulating
- deal with emotional/personal values around gender and culture.
Participants need to be able to put their concerns on the table early on in the day, and assumptions about gender and cultural differences need to surface early. It is also important that this is not seen as a “political correctness and quotas” type of day.
Research on emotional intelligence and the importance of networking and some of the so-called “soft” skills has clearly shown the importance of these skills to business results; hence our approach
is to show through examples, research and through interactive exercises that respect for diversity is a business imperative – “soft skills = hard cash”. It is also clearly linked to career development – if you are not skilled in working with difference in today’s world then your career will be blocked. Gender and culturally sensitive policies are useful (and corporate zero tolerance on these issues should be
emphasised); but people are often most moved to work with this issue by self interest – i.e. becoming more business efficient and enhancing personal career success.
OBJECTIVES
- Drive success by understanding how to leverage gender and cultural differences to enhance business effectiveness
- Discuss the importance valuing gender and cultural difference to your organisation
- Examine the various forms of difference
- Clarify cultural and personal values and how they develop and impact gender bias
- Understand some of the basic differences between women and men
- Understand why respect for difference enhances business success
SETTING THE SCENE – WHY ARE WE HERE?
- Where do you stand? Interactive exercise requiring members to hi-light and share their views on a gender and diversity
- The complexity of differences – peeling the onion layers
- Participant objectives
- Which groups do you work well with/need to understand more?
- What do you hope to gain from the day?
DIVERSITY
- What do you understand by diversity?
- Why focus on diversity – is
it a waste of time?
- What are the business benefits of respect for difference?
- What are the personal benefits of respect for difference?
- “Diversity” is not about “Political Correctness” & quotas. “Respect for Difference” is the cornerstone to building success in today’s business
CULTURAL AND GENDER DIFFERENCES
- “The Asian clients won’t like it” Women in senior positions – case study
- Cultural style
- Gender – what are the differences
- Male and Female brain differences – implications for business
- Women and men – equal but different
- Group work on male female differences
- Demographic Profile of Women in Corporate Leadership
- Facts About Women in Corporate Leadership – the Success Factors
- The Glass Ceiling
- Success factors for building a gender respectful workplace
- What type of corporate culture do you have and how respectful is it of difference?
- What corporate culture do you want to build and how will you build it?
PERSONAL VALUES
- What are your values?
- Where do your values come from?
- How do your values affect your behaviour?
- Which behaviour in others do you find difficult?
- What behaviour in you may others find difficult?
- 3 levels of culture
- Personal assessment of your cultural style
ORGANISATIONAL AND BUSINESS FOCUS
- Organisational trends – profits through people, respect for stakeholders
- Business Trends – if you don’t understand diversity you are probably losing money and losing effectiveness
- Customer and Diversity – understanding diverse customers
- Career Development and Diversity – what’s in it for me?
- Team Effectiveness and Diversity – making the best of the team
- Partnership – at the heart of respect for difference, how do we build it
METHOD
The workshop will be highly interactive and practical with a mixture of short lectures and interactive/experiential exercises. Individual and group exercises will enable participants to gain a real appreciation of the issues. Numerous business case studies and dilemmas drawn from 30 years consulting experience in 33 countries will form the basis of the practical work. Methods will include:-
- interactive/experiential exercises
- Individual exercises
- group discussions
- role plays
- paired discussions
- theory inputs
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