Diversity Works

"Diversity awareness and focus must be a part of a company's culture in all aspects. For training to be effective, the message must be reinforced regularly, and managers must coach their employees when they see behaviors and attitudes that contradict an inclusive environment."

– Shane Green (Culture Hacker)

Empowering Conversations That Transform Workplace Diversity and Inclusion

Businesses need to create a more inclusive work environment and support workplace diversity. However, traditional diversity training often falls short and can be dry and impersonal. In contrast, Diversity Works is an interactive exploration into diversity awareness that leverages the science of learning to create opportunities for real conversations that matter and drive meaningful change.

Diversity Works is designed to get adult learners out of their seats and into station-based activities catered to distinct learning preferences, interaction types, and technology options. Part experiential, part social, and part emotional, the Diversity Works learning style model encourages learners to explore and absorb new ideas around inclusivity and diversity with confidence and empathy.

Diversity Works recognitions and mentions:

• [Best Overall] "The 8 Best Diversity Training Programs of 2020" – The Balance
  
  
• [First] "Best diversity training programs" – Business News Daily
  
  
• [Winner] 2018 INNOVATION Award – Portland Business Journal
  
  
• [Top Four] "Top 4 diversity and inclusion training programmes in 2020" – U2B Education for Careers
  
  
• [Case Study] "Changing viewpoints, one conversation at a time" – Idea Learning
  
  
• [Case Study] Cafeteria Learning in Action with Diversity Works at Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

How It Works

Diversity Works is a hands-on workshop that brings awareness of diversity and inclusion concepts to your workplace. It comes with everything you need – a setup guide, Facilitator Guide, and activity and participant materials – all in one convenient box. Activity stations are set up around the room for learners to decide which learning activities they want to participate in during the workshop.

The activities include different interaction types (individual, partner, or group), learning experiences (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, reflective, competitive, or problem solving), and technology types (low-tech or high-tech). When the first part of the activity concludes, learners participate in a final shared experience using a diversity and inclusion board game.

Learning Outcomes

Regardless of the activities they choose, learners will achieve the same learning outcomes. Each of the activities falls under one of three learning objectives:

• Understanding Self – Describe what makes you the unique individual you are.
• Understanding Others – I recognize what makes others the unique individuals they are.
• Communication – Consider differences and act respectfully in the workplace.

Diversity Works Webinar

Diversity Works – An Interactive Exploration Into Diversity Awareness

Note: Product offers mentioned in this pre-recorded webinar are no longer valid.

What to Order

Diversity Works comes in a ready-to-train kit for you to deliver a brain-friendly, hands-on, interactive learning experience. Each kit includes materials for up to 25 participants, and extra refill kits are available.

Diversity Works Complete Kit

The complete includes almost everything you need to deliver the game and workshop, including:

• One setup guide to ensure all the moving parts are set correctly
• One facilitator's guide designed for ease of facilitation
• One USB with instructional video and slides to help participants understand this unique methodology
• Color-coded content envelopes make it simple to set up and reuse materials
• Primer and pre-evaluation materials
• Workshop introduction materials
• Journey of Diversity game materials
• Debrief and post-evaluation materials
• Color-coded activity station materials with learner instructions

Note: Customers will need to supply a set of headphones and a recording device

Diversity Works Refill Kit

The refill kit contains everything you need to replenish the consumable items in the kit for an additional 25 participants, including:

• Primer and pre-evaluation materials
• Workshop introduction materials
• Debrief and post-evaluation materials
• Activity station materials

About the Authors

Jillian Douglas and Shannon McKenzie are the authors and co-founders of Idea Learning Group in Portland, Oregon, and have been on a mission to transform workplace learning by providing clients with creative, engaging, and custom learning experiences.

Jillian Douglas is the chief experience officer. With more than 20 years of experience in adult education, she has a passion for conceptualizing and delivering operational, managerial, and leadership-focused employee development programs. She also facilitates Diversity Works.

Shannon McKenzie is the chief operating officer, where she oversees business operations and leads a talented team of learning consultants. She is the author of Let Them Choose: Cafeteria Learning Style for Adults. Shannon has a passion for ensuring that each individual’s learning needs are met clearly, simply, and effectively and helping people perform their work more efficiently and businesses excel.

Product Resources

• Blog Post | Effective Diversity Training Methods
• Blog Post | Diversity Games For the Workplace
• Webinar | Three Myths about Diversity
• Webinar | Diversity and inclusion webinar