What Are You Really Saying? Leveling Up Your Professional Presence

Quick question: how are you holding yourself right now?

Are your shoulders back? Is your chin tilted upright? Or is your back hunched? Are your legs crossed in your lap?

The few questions above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to parsing out our body language, particularly as it relates to professional vs unprofessional body language. Now, when we think of professional body language, our minds may immediately drift to managing eye contact or not crossing one’s arms—both of which are important to projecting a professional appearance! Body language extends far beyond these two qualities, however, and today we’re going to examine three key categories all of us can focus on to improve our professional body language.

Before we begin, I want to offer a reminder that any of us can be susceptible to embodying unprofessional behaviors and appearances—and I do mean any of us! Body language tends to be unconscious, meaning we are often not aware of the exact messages our body is communicating at any given point. To increase our air of professionalism, we must therefore be intentional in increasing attention to our behavior and making adjustments to improve our professional presentation.

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

1. Confidence

When it comes to projecting confidence, I like to suggest the following question as a starting point in drawing our attention to how we hold ourselves: “When [we]’re frustrated or overwhelmed, where do [we] place [our] hands?”

Many of us are likely already aware of how good posture, e.g. keeping our back straight and chin up, is associated with confidence and attention, as who hasn’t been told not to slouch by a parent or guardian or teacher throughout our lives? (I’m getting flashbacks to my childhood…) But projecting confidence goes beyond straightening our spine, and one of the most important areas to focus on is avoiding fidgeting.

Whether it’s moving a chair back and forth, tapping a pen, or rapidly shaking a leg, fidgeting behaviors often come across as unprofessional because they suggest nerves—or rather, a lack of confidence. During an interview I once conducted, the interviewee in question simply would not stop fidgeting. Shifting from side to side, picking at the hem of their sleeves—I knew this person was almost certainly just stressed and nervous, but this behavior did not come across as a positive sign that they would confidently fill the role they were interviewing for!

Correcting our tendency to fidget may be easier said than done, but a good first step is simply making an effort to be more intentional about how we present our hands. During meetings or discussions, for example, we can use controlled hand gestures to emphasize our points, imbuing our actions with meaning to help ensure we’re less likely to succumb to unintentional movements. Additionally, we can keep our hands visible and relaxed, such as resting them on the table during a conversation. Seeing someone’s hands actually helps communicate that we can trust said person, and thus making our own hands visible can demonstrate our own honesty and trustworthiness! Ever gotten a negative feeling about someone who constantly keeps their hands in their pockets or hidden under a table? That’s because our brain unconsciously concludes that this person is hiding something. In other words, to project confidence and openness, keep those hands visible!

When it comes to presenting confident body language, of course, we should be cautious about swinging too far to the other end of the spectrum. Picture this: in the middle of a conversation, the person we’re talking to puts their hands on their hips, all of a sudden taking up twice the amount of the space in the narrow hallway the two of us currently occupy. How does this shift in body language make us feel?

While putting one’s hands on one’s hands can communicate a sense of confidence and control, it can also be read as aggressive, unwittingly causing discomfort in the person on the receiving end of this posture. In other words, putting our hands on our hips may come across as overcompensating in the realm of confidence!

If we’re looking for an intentional act of body language to demonstrate confidence that is less likely to be read as aggressive, I recommend steepling: putting our hands together so the tips of our fingers touch, but the palms remain separate. This gesture is common among world leaders, politicians, and executives, as steepling suggests confidence, conviction, and sincerity. Just be advised not to overuse steepling! Because it’s a very precise gesture, I recommend employing this language in high-importance settings as opposed to incorporating it into our everyday professionalism.

Projecting confidence extends beyond controlling our hands, of course! On the most minute level, chewing or biting our lips can suggest insecurity. Taking a step back, our clothes can exude professionalism, too—are they ironed? Clean? It’s not about the expense of our outfits, but rather how put-together we appear!

To circle back to the start of this section, straight posture is important, and a necessary follow-up is noting how we sit. In other words, when we sit down, we will appear more confident and professional when we sit all the way back in our chair. Sitting on the edge of our seats, in contrast, can suggest anxiety that in turn may make those around us feel more uncomfortable, and there’s little more unprofessional than causing discomfort in those around us!

Not too difficult so far, right? Onto the next category!

2. Distractions

What’s more frustrating than trying to have a conversation with someone whose mind seems to be pulled in 20 directions at once? When it comes to presenting professional body language, minimizing distractions in our environment is key to coming across as respectful and attentive.

As a general tip, we should avoid frequently checking our phones/watches/etc., as this behavior suggests boredom, impatience, and a general lack of professionalism. In my experience, I tend to notice this behavior from individuals in more powerful positions, such as a manager who constantly checks their email while a team member attempts to hold a conversation with them. Remember: there’s a time and place to stay connected with technology, and more often than not, the middle of a conversation is not that moment! In other words, embodying professional body language in these circumstances means removing distractions—we can put our phone on silent, close our email, and in general make an effort to keep a lid on any tasks that will try to pull us away from a professional conversation. No screen deserves more attention than a person we’re speaking to!

Another example of unprofessional body language to avoid is overly adjusting our clothes. Reminiscent of fidgeting, continually adjusting our attire can suggest anxiety, as this behavior communicates we are literally uncomfortable in our own clothes. As a very literal solution, then, we can take time every day to evaluate how relaxed we feel in our professional clothing before we leave the house! Taking this small action helps ensure we aren’t distracted by our attire at any point during the day.

Ready for the final category?

3. Engagement

As a nice segue, it goes without saying that reducing distractions to improve professional body language also helps ensure we are projecting ourselves as engaged and invested during professional situations! We’ve all been told to avoid crossing our arms, of course, as doing so can risk suggesting we’re bored, but physically demonstrating our engagement in a professional setting extends beyond this advice.

Consider the following scenario: two people are watching the same presentation. One person, we’ll call them Ashley, is facing directly toward the presenter. Their feet are flat on the ground, and their shoulders are back—though relaxed—giving the impression that their body is open.

The other person, we’ll call them Creon, is sitting at an angle toward the presenter. Their shoulders are hunched over, giving the impression that their body is closed, and they have their legs out in a reclining fashion. At some points, Creon even drums their fingers on the table in front of them.

Based on their respective body language, who do you think is demonstrating more engagement with the presenter?

I can hear it now: a sea of voices have all said “Ashley!” in enthusiastic unison.

In all seriousness, physically facing the person we’re interacting with goes a long way in demonstrating engagement, because to literally turn away from someone implies we are figuratively “turned away” from the topic at hand. Similarly, keeping our feet flat on the ground projects stability and investment, while lounging in a seat tends to give the impression that we’re bored or otherwise not engaged, and drumming one’s fingers on the table can project impatience.

If we’re on the other side of this scenario as the presenter, a surefire way to demonstrate engagement through our body language is by moving purposefully during our presentation. “Purpose” is absolutely key here; we should avoid pacing, which can come across as shedding nervous energy, just as we should generally avoid remaining in one place for an entire presentation, which can risk implying a lack of effort or interest.

Maintaining engaged body language to communicate professionalism is equally important in more casual professional settings, too, such as chatting with a colleague on break. One crucial strategy is to avoid touching others without their consent, including when it comes to more relaxed body language, such as clapping a person on the shoulder. When in doubt about a person’s preferences, simply ask! We should avoid assuming that all individuals are okay with a hug or pat on the back or a hand on their shoulder.

Another strategy is to avoid excessive laughter. Now, I don’t mean that we shouldn’t laugh or smile in the workplace! Any setting without laughter and joy is one I wouldn’t want to go near. But excessive laughter, in contrast, can suggest that a person is not confident or is unfocused on the work at hand. Again, I encourage smiles and laughter in the workplace, but when someone only ever seems to be smiling and laughing and is otherwise not attuned to their tasks, that can be a sign of unprofessionalism!

We’ve covered numerous examples of professional and unprofessional body language in this blog, which I hope serves as an informative starting point as we all seek to increase awareness of how we present ourselves in professional situations. As leaders, though, we must be sure to take in all of these strategies with one key caveat as we observe the body language of our employees: give people the benefit of the doubt.

Reading body language is not a science, and we must thus be careful to notice if we are assuming something about a person’s beliefs exclusively based on their body language. If someone is crossing their arms in front of us, are they actually bored, or is this position simply comfortable? If someone is fidgeting with a pen, are they actually inattentive, or do they have ADHD or another disability? This latter point is especially crucial as we all seek to make our workplaces more inclusive toward people with disabilities, as some disabilities (such as Tourette’s) can produce particular body language or result in repetitive movements that we should not hold against our employees.

Even if a person does not have a disability, we should always keep an open mind and consider the other factors that may be shaping their body language. One of my employees is on the shorter side height-wise, and as a result she does not often sit at the back of her seat. Does this body language mean she is always anxious, or does she sit forward to ensure her feet are not dangling off the floor (which is extremely uncomfortable when sitting for long periods of time)? Again: we want to increase our awareness about body language, not continuously judge people, and that means giving our employees—and even ourselves!—the benefit of the doubt.

Let’s conclude with the same question with which we began: how are you holding yourself right now? Perhaps your head is tilted to the side, suggesting you’re in deep thought about all you have just learned in this blog.

Well, what are you still sitting around for? Back straight, feet flat, hands open—the world of professional body language awaits!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Thumbs Up or Oops? How Body Language Connects—and Confuses—Cultures

When former president George W. Bush was inaugurated in 2005, he lifted his fist with his pinky and index finger extended—a symbol that, in the United States, represents the Texas Longhorn football team. A seemingly innocuous gesture in the U.S., for many other countries in the Mediterranean and Latin America—from Italy and Spain to Brazil and Argentina—this gesture is used to mean that someone’s spouse is cheating on them!

As one might imagine, this incident led to quite a (comical) kerfuffle amongst global reporting, and it goes to show that not even world leaders are immune to the potential confusion that comes with the multitudinous nature of body language. Fortunately, the many meanings associated with similar gestures around the world open doors for us to learn about other cultures as well as demonstrate greater inclusivity by making an effort to respect different cultural norms.

To appreciate these opportunities for knowledge, let’s walk through five examples of body language that vary in meaning around the world! Ready to dive in?

1. Thumbs Up & “OK”

Answer honestly now: did you react with a thumbs up or classic “OK” symbol (forming a circle with your thumb and index finger while extending the other three fingers) to the previous question? Watch out—these two gestures can have wildly different meanings depending on where we are in the world!

While both a thumbs up and the “OK” symbol tend to indicate approval or a job well done, these meanings are not universal. A thumbs up in France may simply indicate “one,” as in France many people count on their fingers by beginning with their thumb. In Malaysia, it’s common to point with one’s thumb instead of the index finger. But watch out—in Greece, a thumbs up can be seen as a rude insult meaning “Up yours!” The “OK” symbol carries a similar risk, as in Spain, Greece, and Brazil, this sign can come across as calling the other person an a-hole (pardon my censoring), a meaning I know I want to avoid. As such, when using a thumbs up or the “OK” symbol around the world, we must keep in mind that the message we’re intending may not be the message that’s received. Otherwise, we might get in trouble!

2. Handshake

Speaking of hands, an action as simple as a handshake comes with many different expectations and styles around the world! In the U.S. and much of Western Europe, a firm handshake is common, as it’s a sign of respect and authority. However, expect some frequency in the number of times we might actually shake the other person’s hand! In the U.S., as many as five to seven shakes is common, as compared to the U.K., where three to five tends to be the average range. In France and Germany, handshakes tend to consist of no more than one or two pumps—anything greater might come across as overeager and domineering!

In other regions, of course, handshakes are less common, such as in East Asia—e.g. Japan—where bowing to another person is the preferred signal of respect and greeting. On the opposite end of the spectrum are much of Central and South America, as well as parts of Southern Europe, where intimate handshakes are common; in these regions, “a handshake is longer and warmer, with the left hand usually touching the clasped hands or elbow.” Some parts of Africa even prefer a limp handshake as standard.

In other words—we need to study our handshake! We must practice flexibility when greeting people from around the world!

3. Eye Contact

Speaking of greeting others, this blog would be remiss without mentioning eye contact. In the U.S., maintaining eye contact during a conversation is a sign of respect, and to avoid eye contact is often considered rude. Spain and Greece, too, tend to prefer strong eye contact during a conversation. But this interpretation is not universal!

In Northern Europe, such as Finland, eye contact tends to only happen at the very beginning of a conversation; too much eye contact may come across as embarrassing as overly intense. Japan, too, has different norms of eye contact, as lengthy eye contact tends to be read as disrespectful.

As Hamlet famously said: to make eye contact or not to make eye contact—that is the question, and the answer will vary depending on where we’re at in the world!

4. Arms During Conversations

Not only do expectations for where our eyes go during a conversation vary among countries, but so too do expectations for how we use our arms. In the U.S. and especially Italy, it is exceedingly common for individuals to use their arms (if not their entire body) when speaking with another person—after all, there’s a reason we use the phrase “talking with your hands.” As someone born and raised in the Middle East, I can confirm that we also love to be expressive with our bodies when holding conversations, too!

But once again, such expressive movements are not standard across the globe. In much of Northern Europe, using one’s arms and hands when speaking is not preferred, as these exaggerated movements tend to be associated with over-dramatization and even insincerity. In Japan, using one’s arms for emphasis in conversation is often read as impolite. When traveling the globe, then, we need to check our arms—let’s only use as much movement as the other person seems to be comfortable with!

5. Personal Space

Last but certainly not least, norms related to personal space—particularly during casual conversations—greatly vary around the world, so much so that regions can be broadly classified as “high-contact,” “medium-contact,” and “low-contact” cultures.

Northern Europe and parts of Asia tend to be classified as low-contact cultures, meaning there is limited physical contact between people who don’t know each other well or are just meeting for the first time (be it a shared bow or a brief handshake). This norm doesn’t mean people need to stand several feet apart, but more that if we’re used to more casual contact, we should limit that instinct in these regions.

Much of North America, including the U.S., and parts of Western Europe are considered medium-contact cultures. Handshakes, for example, are common and are signs of respect, but we wouldn’t necessarily be hugging complete strangers or standing very close in casual conversation.

Latin America, in turn, as well as Southern Europe and the Middle East are broadly classified as high-contact cultures, meaning people tend to be very physically friendly with one another! In the Middle East, for example, it’s not uncommon for men to hold hands and kiss each other as a greeting (though these familiar greetings would not be seen between men and women). And who can forget the famous “la bise” of France—if you travel to France, you may not depart unkissed!

At the end of the day, the same body language can have a plethora of meanings around the world, meaning we should take caution to learn what a gesture means before we travel to a new country. While this task may seem daunting, I encourage us to view it as exciting—and often funny! What’s more interesting than getting to learn about how everyone in the world may read the same hand symbol as possessing a totally different meaning?

If you feel comfortable with the gesture, take my hand—we’ve got a whole world of body language to explore!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Transforming DEI Conversations Through Creative Lego Play

Ever get tired of the mundanity of some DEI workshops? Simply sitting at a table and just… talking?

Important as these conversations are, I sympathize with the lack of excitement! That’s why today we will be exploring five examples of physically engaging activities that highlight the intersection of DEI and team-building—and best of all, these activities involve legos! (If you’re a kinesthetic learner, I’ve got a good feeling these activities will be adored by you.)

1. Self-Portraits

This activity is precisely what it sounds like: everyone will build a self-portrait using legos! Giving everyone 15-20 minutes is usually appropriate, and as leaders we must clearly establish that these lego self-portraits can be in whatever style our team members prefer. Literal? Abstract? A “self-portrait” should simply be a reflection of oneself—however we choose to interpret that! One person might focus on their physical appearance, another person might focus on their cultural background, another person might focus on their favorite hobbies, or anything else altogether.

A creative twist to this activity is to have individuals build their self-portraits anonymously, e.g. giving people small trifolds or bent pieces of cardboard to hide their builds and prevent others from peeping. Afterwards, employees can guess who each self-portrait belongs to and explain why they think so! The builders can then provide additional explanation as to why their portrait represents themself after the fact.

If it wasn’t obvious already, this self-portrait activity is intricately linked to DEI because it a) gives people an opportunity to uniquely express themselves (literally or abstractly) and b) encourages team members to make connections between one another and learn more about their colleagues. In the process, we create an inclusive environment where self-expression is explored and celebrated!

2. My Personal Identity

The concept of this activity is simple: using legos, individuals will “[b]uild a model that represents who [one is] today, which includes values, skills, passions, and… contribution to the team.” The key difference between this activity and the previous self-portrait is that where the self-portraits focus primarily on self-expression, “My Personal Identity” must involve a connection of one’s self to the team as a whole! When arranging this activity for a team, we might ask some variation of the following questions:

• How would you title this piece?

• What part of this design represents your personal values? Your work values?

• Which part of this design reflects your private life?

• What does each color represent?

• Which part of this design reflects your skills in the workplace? As a team member?

I love this activity because it incorporates DEI by encouraging participants to connect reflections on their personal identity to their contributions as a team member. In other words, the process of exploring our personal identities becomes a celebration of the diversity amongst our team, from various cultural heritages to multitudes of educational experience and more! When it comes to demonstrating diversity of thought in the workplace, this activity couldn’t be more effective.

3. Builder, Looker, Runner

Searching for a hands-on activity that explicitly connects DEI with teamwork? Search no longer! “Builder, Looker, Runner” is a creative take on a team-building activity that integrates the core values of DEI.

For this activity, split participants into teams of three. Each team has a structure already built for them. Their task? To rebuild it! Simple, right?

Not so fast—within each group, “[o]nly the builder can build, only the looker can see the original structure and the runner serves as the middle man, taking instructions from the looker to describe to the builder.”

On its own, this exercise is one that encourages teamwork, unconventional thinking, and creative communication, all of which are implicit elements of DEI. After all, bringing together diverse perspectives inherently requires patience and communication to come to the best solution! Additionally, one of the core conceits in this activity is the fact that the builder, the looker, and the runner are of equal importance in successfully rebuilding the group’s assigned structure—on the most literal level, this activity could not be accomplished without equitable recognition of each role’s significance.

Consequently, there are also ways to explore the ramifications of inequitable treatment through this activity! Teams might be assigned random disadvantages; maybe one team’s runner has to hop on one leg, maybe one team’s builder can only work with their non-dominant hand, maybe one team’s looker can only glance at the structure for five seconds at a time. For this approach to be most effective, one team would serve as a control group with no disadvantages, showing how equitable accessibility between the builder, looker, and runner is the best way to guarantee success.

4. (Un)Building Biases

(The original activity that this section refers to was actually conceptualized with Play-Doh, but we’re reconfiguring it here to focus on legos with the rest of this blog’s theme.)

Imagine this: Pictionary, but with legos! Participants are split into groups of any number, and within each group everyone takes turns being the “architect.” As the architect, an individual draws a card and does their best to recreate whatever image on that card out of legos—all while their teammates throw guesses at them! Once the card is correctly guessed, another person becomes an architect, and the process repeats. The “winner” of the game would be the group that correctly guesses the most cards within a given span of time, e.g. 15 minutes.

How does this activity relate to DEI? you might be wondering—a fair question! Much like “Builder, Looker, Runner,” this activity requires communication, collaboration, and patience, all of which are instrumental to the implementation of DEI initiatives in any workplace. Beyond this connection, however, I encourage a version of this activity adapted to be specifically about unconscious biases.

In other words, instead of the terms on the cards being generic like “cat” or “house,” they can be different biases. And to ensure accessibility, these cards can include descriptions that give the architect a better idea if they aren’t too familiar with the term; similarly, the guessers might have a list of all the possible biases (and more, for extra difficulty!) if they are new to the topic, helping ensure they don’t have to pull guesses out of thin air. All in all, “(Un)Building Biases” offers a fun, engaging way to introduce participants to different unconscious biases and open doors for conversations about what we can do to overcome them!

5. Team Vision

Last but certainly not least, “Team Vision” is an activity where everyone works together to “[b]uild a model that represents [what] the team… want[s] to be.” In this process, the team must collaborate as they decide what and how they want to build, why it should appear a certain way, what value certain colored/shaped bricks will represent, and so forth. (Regarding color symbolism, consider how yellow might represent happiness, pink might represent dedication, green might represent financial success, etc.!)

This activity embodies the spirit of belonging within DEI, as “Team Vision” requires ensuring everyone has an equal voice not just in the final project but also in the vision for what this team’s future should look like. What better represents inclusion than giving every employee at the table a say in how they want their team’s future to grow and blossom?

And there we have it: five fun, physical activities that combine legos, team-building, and DEI. Dare I say that we are building an investment in DEI and teamwork through the construction of these lego projects…? What a robust foundation of diversity, equity, and inclusion to grow from!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Advancing Diversity Even With Texas's DEI Ban

In early 2024, Texas’s DEI ban went into effect, and many individuals, organizations, and institutions didn’t know how to react. Personally, I found this news to be anxiety-inducing—laws are intimidating, and seeking to understand their nuances is even more so! But as citizens, it is crucial that we refuse to bow down to fear-mongering, instead remaining informed about the legislation passed in our country. So let’s take the first step together!

In this blog, I will offer a basic breakdown of what, exactly, Texas’s DEI ban articulates, who it impacts, and what actions we can still take that uplift the spirit of DEI—challenging conformity and maintaining a culture of kindness, ideals few if any people in the world resist—while still respecting the law. To be clear, I am not advising any “shortcuts” or “sneaky” means of circumventing the law here; rather, I want to focus on creating a healthy environment where all people are welcome and safe to be themselves—something no law seeks to forbid.

The Law

Let’s start with a step-by-step walkthrough of Texas’s DEI ban, the verbatim text of which can be found here and is the source I will be quoting from. First and foremost, some important clarification: as of March 2024, this DEI ban only applies to state universities in Texas, e.g. the UT system. This ban does not affect private universities, corporations and the workplace, and K-12 education.

Given that my focus is corporate consulting and workplace inclusion, it’s fair to be confused on why I would want to discuss a university-related topic. The answer is simple: these legal challenges to DEI may one day arise in the workplace, and thus there are steps organizations can take or note down now—at the inspiration of higher education—to brace themselves for these challenges. So, let’s walk through this Texan law!

“The governing board of an institution of higher education shall ensure that each unit of the institution: does not, except as required by federal law…”

1) “establish or maintain a diversity, equity, and inclusion office”

This section is fairly self explanatory! State universities are not allowed to have a DEI office anymore.

2) “hire or assign an employee of the institution or contract with a third party to perform the duties of a diversity, equity, and inclusion office”

Relatedly, state universities cannot assign an individual employee or hire a third party to fulfill the job and responsibilities of a DEI office.

3) “compel, require, induce, or solicit any person to provide a [DEI] statement or give preferential consideration to any person based on the provision of a [DEI] statement”

More in the vein of hiring, state universities cannot request individuals to submit statements related to DEI in various applications (e.g. for grants, to be hired, etc.).

4) “give preference on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin to an applicant for employment, an employee, or a participant in any function of the institution”

Fortunately, DEI programs were already not affording preference to applicants or employees in such a manner, so this clause is easy for state universities to abide by (it’s not difficult to comply with an order that wasn’t being broken in the first place!). After all, the aim of any robust DEI program is to remove barriers that remove preference for or against any groups.

5) “require as a condition of enrolling at the institution or performing any institution function any person to participate in [DEI] training,” which includes any training designed or implemented in reference to “race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation” but does not include training “developed by an attorney and approved in writing by the institution’s general counsel and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the sole purpose of ensuring compliance with any applicable court order or state or federal law”

In other words, mandatory DEI training is not permitted at state universities. However, training that has gone through the above specified process and that is related to complying with a relevant court order, state law, or federal law does not fall under the purview of this DEI ban; for example, a federally mandated anti-discrimination training would remain mandatory.

6) “Nothing in this section may be construed to limit or prohibit an institution of higher education or an employee of an institution of higher education from, for purposes of applying for a grant or complying with the terms of accreditation by an accrediting agency, submitting to the grantor or accrediting agency a statement that… highlights the institution’s work in supporting: first-generation college students; low-income students; or underserved student populations; or certifies compliance with state and federal antidiscrimination laws.”

This section clarifies that discrimination remains illegal, and also that universities are allowed to support and demonstrate their work in supporting “first-generation college students; low-income students; or underserved student populations.” So while much of Texas’s DEI ban focuses on race, “color,” ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, this ban does not eliminate all forms of support for individuals of those communities. First-gen college students, low-income students, and “underserved student populations” are extremely capacious categories that include students of color, queer students, women, and international students! This DEI ban thus does not stipulate that these groups of students can no longer receive any forms of support.

7) Notably, these restrictions on DEI do not apply to academic course instruction; “scholarly research or a creative work” by a university’s “students, faculty, or other research personnel or the dissemination of that research or work”; recognized student organizations; “guest speakers or performers on short-term engagements”; “a policy, practice, procedure, program, or activity to enhance student academic achievement or postgraduate outcomes that is designed and implemented without regard to race, sex, color, or ethnicity”; data collection; or student recruitment or admissions.

In other words, the DEI restrictions in this ban focus primarily on staff, not academic faculty and students, as well as on long-term DEI-centric initiatives, not a guest speaker coming to discuss the history of race in the United States. To attempt to restrict the activities of faculty, students, and guest speakers might be a violation of free speech, hence why it would not fall under the purview of this DEI ban.

So, we’ve walked through some of the key points of this DEI ban—but what does it mean on a practical level, and what can organizations take away from it? I should first mention that many universities are anxious about this law because its wording is vague, leading many state higher education institutions to overcompensate in terms of how they are “abiding” by this law. Because they don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong, many universities are shutting everything down in an attempt to protect themselves. As of May 2024, more than 300 positions have been eliminated and more than 600 contracts have been terminated, a reality that has disproportionately impacted the employment of women and people of color. So what next?

1) Legal Counsel

I cannot overstate the importance of universities—and in turn, corporations—engaging their legal counsel with regard to new or burgeoning DEI restrictions. Institutions must ensure a) their counsel is up to date with all new legislation or changes in existing law; b) their legal counsel are not just aware but also on board with decisions they make in response to DEI-related law; and c) their legal counsel formally writes off on said decisions and remains in constant conversation with them. In this blog, I’m attempting to provide a basic overview on this DEI ban and what appropriate responses may be, but my summaries should not be mistaken for formal legal advice; they’re simply meant to be stepping stones as we all seek to come to a fuller understanding of the impacts of this law.

2) “Rebrand”

Because Texas has outlawed “DEI offices” in state higher education, logic follows that no matter what happens in the long term, current DEI offices and positions will have to be reevaluated in the present, and that reevaluation includes their names (especially because many universities don’t wish to fire dozens of hardworking employees in one fell swoop). For example, the Chief Diversity Officer may become the Employee Engagement Officer, or the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion may become the Center for Belonging and Engagement.

To be clear: “rebranding” in this respect does not mean slapping a new label on existing DEI programs and calling it a day! After all, we still must comply with the law, and simply renaming these programs has been declared “unacceptable” by Texas lawmakers. With the advice of legal counsel, universities and corporations can evaluate existing duties associated with the DEI programs and determine what has to go, what can be modified, and what can remain. One university, for example, identified that in order to comply with the law, they can no longer “require… diversity statements in the hiring process.” They also observed, however, that “‘[e]xpanding pipelines to… high schools, expanding student support, getting high school kids committed earlier on to college” are all crucial programs that maintain the spirit of belonging and creativity DEI uplifts and abide by the new law in Texas.

Companies, in turn, can note these types of responses if it ever happens that their own purview over DEI is upended! As such, they might implement name changes, evaluate existing programs in accordance with any new law, and ultimately keep what works while changing what doesn’t (as opposed to shutting down everything in one fell swoop).

3) Discourage Conformity & Welcome Everyone

I’ve referred to “the spirit of DEI” a few times in this blog, so I want to talk about this concept a bit more thoroughly. There are infinite critiques that can be made of DEI bans, many of which involve the reality that most DEI bans involve little to understanding of what DEI actually entails in the first place. At its core, DEI is about being kind to one another, making a welcome space for all people, and encouraging multitudinous ways of thinking to foster innovation and creativity; these goals are not ones that legislation seeks to eradicate. As such, even if the term “DEI” has been forbidden, taking actions that encourage kindness, belonging, and different ways of thinking remain not just acceptable but ought to be encouraged by any government that seeks to support its communities. So, what actions am I talking about?

Challenging conformity in all of its many forms, for one, is crucial. This strategy may manifest in offering all team members and employees equal opportunity to share their ideas in meetings, or it may manifest in appointing someone to be the “critic” for a project who offers a designated critical opinion. Challenging conformity can even be as simple as encouraging ourselves and others to ask Why?

On a broader institutional level, ensuring we maintain practices that uplift the spirit of DEI without violating the letter or spirit of any DEI ban means increasing access to things like affinity groups and employee resources groups (ERGs). Many organizations make such groups open to all individuals from the get-go, but it’s nonetheless worth emphasizing that these types of groups should be open to everyone to join, not just the individuals they are geared toward supporting! For example, an affinity group for veterans should also be open to membership for allies who have not served; similarly, an affinity group for LGBTQ+ individuals should also be open to allies of this community, not just queer people.

Another strategy both universities and corporations can invest in is hosting guest speakers, who are again a specified exception to Texas’s DEI ban. Even if DEI training and long-term projects are forbidden, bringing in a guest speaker to talk about the value of multicultural teams or cognitive diversity are great opportunities to uplift a culture of kindness and belonging.

4) Focus on the Environment

When we think of DEI programs, we often get lost in bureaucracy, which perhaps Texas’s DEI ban is a perfect example of. But the spirit of DEI also means accessibility—a focus on making the physical environment around us (be it a university or a company) as welcoming as possible to all people. How might this manifest?

How about the repair of sidewalks to ensure they’re friendly for wheelchairs and other mobility aids, such as crutches? How about establishing lactation and nursing rooms for nursing parents? How about implementing all-gender bathrooms, not just for trans and nonbinary people but for people with disabilities who need more space to navigate or who have severe claustrophobia? How about crosswalk intersections with both visual and audio components? Nowhere does Texas’s DEI ban state that universities should stop focusing on making their campuses accessible, because such an order would not only be ludicrous but would be a major negative for the reputation of a university. I mean, I can’t imagine it going over well if a university had to turn down a student because they couldn’t accommodate their disability! As such, focusing on the physical environment is a great approach to abide by a new law while still emphasizing one of DEI’s core values: accessibility.

5) Hiring Checklist

The Texas DEI ban defines one of the responsibilities of a DEI office as a division “established for the purpose of… influencing hiring or employment practices at the institution with respect to race, sex, color, or ethnicity, other than through the use of color-blind and sex-neutral hiring processes in accordance with any applicable state and federal antidiscrimination laws.” (Again, this ban only applies to state higher education, not companies.) In other words, the Texas government is evidently concerned about alleged “negative” impacts of DEI on hiring. So, how can universities and (theoretically) corporations respond to this type of challenge?

For one, it should be noted that the point of diverse hiring is “hiring based on merit with special care taken to ensure procedures are free from biases related to a candidate’s age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and other personal characteristics that are unrelated to their job performance,” meaning this DEI ban is arguably professing nonexistent anxieties. Nonetheless, organizations can take the initiative to develop a hiring checklist that focuses on attracting unique, qualified candidates who will bring innovative ideas to their institution without burdening themselves with stress of potentially illegal DEI-related language! Allow me to suggest a few ideas for this checklist:

Job Description:

• Did we use gender neutral language?

• Did we include the appropriate number of years of experience required for the role?

• Are the skills listed aligned with the tasks required?

• Are the skills required or can they be acquired?

• Did we evaluate the education requirement?

• Are the qualities/abilities both listed and reasonable?

• Did we include enough information about the culture of the organization in the job posting?

Advertising the Job:

• Did we allow enough time to find candidates from a multitude of backgrounds?

• Did we include salary ranges based on internal and external data?

• Did we include language to encourage applicants covered under the ADA?

Hiring Committee

• Does the hiring committee consist of people from multiple backgrounds and differing years/types of experience?

• Did we train the staff on conducting unbiased interviews?

• Did we develop the evaluation criteria for the role?

• Did we offer the candidate options for interview schedule modality?

• Did we create an interview question template for consistency?

• Are the required exercises (presentation, case study) appropriate for the role, and are there options given for the delivery?

Hiring Process

• Did we remove/mask the name, location, education/colleges, associations, and pictures from the candidate information prior to the interviews?

• For corporations: Did we have at least 20% diversity in our candidate pool? (Known as the Mansfield Rule, this practice does not, according to business consultant Lily Zheng, violate any laws regarding the illegality of quotas for corporations, because this policy is not a quota—no unfair benefits are allotted to any candidate in the pool. Also, remember that “diversity” goes beyond race and gender! It includes disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, experience, and more.)

• Did we ask each candidate the same questions in the same order?

• Did we refrain from asking multi-part questions?

• Did we give the candidate enough time to answer questions?

• Did we check that the interview questions would not result in bias against the candidate?

• Did we ensure all candidates were interviewed in the same environment (in person vs. Zoom vs. the same conference room)?

Candidate Evaluation

• Did we screen the candidates in vs. screening them out?

• Did we evaluate the candidates based on the essential functions - skills, education, and job requirements?

• Did we ensure all qualifications (non-negotiables) apply to all candidates?

• Did we review the evaluation form for any biases? Such as halo/horn effects, affinity bias, and name bias.

• Did we use the same evaluation criteria that was agreed upon prior to the interviews and rank all candidates accordingly?

• Did we evaluate each candidate based on their cultural or skill adds and on bringing in the talent that we are missing on the team? (“Cultural” here does not refer to a specific heritage but rather the culture of one’s workplace, i.e. were candidates evaluated in accordance with their ability to mesh with and thrive in the organizational work culture.)

• Did we listen to and consider input from all interviewers on the panel?

Not a bad starting point!

6) Non-Discrimination Clause in DEI Policy

To conclude with a brief note specifically related to companies, not universities, it should be noted that one of the best ways to precipitate and prevent legal challenges to one’s DEI programs is the inclusion of a thorough non-discrimination clause in one’s DEI policy. Why? Well, because the “primary basis for claims made by individuals and groups challenging DEI programs is that those programs discriminate against employees on one or more of these protected bases.” As such, incorporating a non-discrimination clause into the core of one’s DEI initiatives helps prevent misinterpretation, both personal and legal, of one’s program—a win-win!

Now, as I reach the end of this blog, I want to reiterate the importance of consulting legal counsel before any institution, be they a university or a corporation or a nonprofit, makes changes under new DEI restrictions. These are untested waters, and thus we should proceed with caution, but to proceed with caution does not mean rejecting the foundational principles of DEI: kindness, accessibility, belonging, and innovation.

I know many of us are frightened, I know many of us are scared, but we will brave this storm together. Onwards and upwards!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

What's Adding Fuel to the Fire of Workplace Conflicts?

Have you ever found yourself in the blazes of a heated workplace conflict and wondered, Geez, what keeps adding fuel to this fire?!

I have some great news for you: you aren’t the only one! All of us have been in these stressful shoes, but what we may not have realized is that there are invisible factors at play influencing these fiery conflicts: unconscious bias. From in-group bias to attribution bias, today we will explore eight different biases that often shape our workplace conflicts without us even realizing! Ready to dive in?

Overconfidence Bias

Overconfidence bias is exactly what it sounds like—when individuals are overconfident and in turn overestimate their knowledge, experience, and abilities in a given situation. (It probably goes without saying, but overconfidence bias is not conducive for an environment dedicated to conversation and collaboration!) I’ve found that this bias is highly prevalent nowadays, as many of us enter conflicts truly, truly believing that we are right and the other person is wrong. Both social and traditional media reinforce this divisive bias, making it even easier for us to assume we are “good” while others are “bad” and “untrustworthy.”

A leader experiencing overconfidence bias, for example, might overestimate their ability to manage a conflict within their team, where mishandling this issue may lead to future workplace tension. The existence of this bias does not mean the leader in this example doesn’t know their team members well, but rather that their area of experience is not necessarily in conflict management! Just because we have a title doesn’t mean we’ll always know what’s right in a given situation—sometimes it’s better to seek help from HR or an external mediator.

Attribution Bias

Attribution bias is the tendency to attribute a person’s behavior to their individual character rather than considering any alternative reasons as to why a person may be acting a certain way. If any of us have experienced a customer getting angry at a service-facing employee for not “smiling enough,” perhaps even accusing them of hating their job, that’s a common example of attribution bias! There are infinite reasons a person may not have a perfect smile on at work 24/7, be it because of a health crisis, conflict at home, or even just having a rough day, but attribution bias dismisses that nuance to simply accuse a person’s character.

A more specific example is the all too common struggle faced by employees with disabilities: the fear that attribution bias will negatively impact how their employers and coworkers may perceive their disability. I have a friend who has severe arthritis to the point that she cannot type. She works virtually and has taken great pains to ensure that her manager and her colleagues are not aware of her disability, because she fears that if they knew, they might blame a slow response to an email on her disability. Similarly, one of my employees has a friend with ADHD that experiences executive dysfunction, where at work they have been accused of “not trying hard enough” rather than their manager and fellow employees making an effort to understand their disability.

Fortunately, addressing attribution bias is simple: rather than assuming we know the reason for a person’s behavior, take a step back and consider other possibilities!

Blind Spot Bias

Blind spot bias refers to our failure to recognize our own cognitive biases while readily identifying them in others, such as remembering situations in which others have displayed bias while not recalling conversations in which we ourselves exhibited biases. Before I continue, I want to note that “blind spot”—while not an ableist slur—perpetuates the historical treatment of disability as metaphor, and thus I am all for finding different terminology to refer to this bias! Maybe misidentification bias? Oversight bias?

An all-too-common example of this bias would be a heated debate in the workplace (or, truth be told, at home). As tension increases, more angry sparks fly until this debate becomes a full-on blaze! We’ve all seen and been part of this type of argument before: one person raises their voice as they get more invested. The other person proceeds to raise their voice, too. Then the first person demands, “Why are you raising your voice?!” to which the second person responds, “You raised yours!” And don’t get me started on body language. Metaphorical hackles raised, furrowed brows, a clenched jaw—our bodies often scream our anger long before we do! What we might notice here, though, is how often we don’t even realize we have initiated an act of frustration, e.g. raising our voices, which exemplifies blind spot bias to a T.

In-Group Bias

In-group bias refers to the notion that it’s easier for us to view people we’re similar to favorably, that we’re more likely to forgive missteps and mistakes by people we have connections with. In other words, if there’s disagreement during a cross-departmental project, employees are more likely to side with individuals from their own department—especially their own team—and even outright ignore the perspectives of people in other departments.

For a more specific example, consider a situation relayed to me by a friend: a company is in the middle of negotiating with a supplier. They keep asking for more and more from this supplier, but are refusing to improve their compensation. If the supplier pushes back about this unfair agreement, employees of the original company are more likely to complain about the supplier—because they have created a sense of belonging and group identity as a team—rather than considering the perspective of the supplier. It’s important for anyone to have their friends’ and coworkers’ and company’s best interests at heart, but it’s just as important to consider the perspectives and experiences of others, too!

Projection Bias

Projection bias refers to when individuals assume that other people share the same interests, values, beliefs, etc. as they do, which can lead to interpersonal conflicts and a lack of empathy. Politics, for example, is not a stranger to workplace conversations, I have witnessed many a situation where individuals will speak intensely about their political perspectives to a fellow coworker—without knowing where that coworker falls on any of these issues, because they have simply assumed they share political beliefs.

Another common example of projection bias is the matter of personal boundaries! Some employees, depending on their culture, are very forthcoming about their personal lives, for example, while others are not, which may lead to an awkward shutdown if someone asks, “How are your family doing?” to a coworker who prefers to keep their personal life separate from their professional career. Similar, hugs! I’ve been affectionately dubbed a “hugger,” but I’ve had to challenge my projection bias and recognize that not everyone wants to be hugged, and that I should ask first before launching myself at them with affection!

Projection bias is also deeply relevant in terms of cultural differences in the workplace. In the U.S., it’s normal for everyone to speak up and express their opinions during meetings. When I worked in Japan, I learned that such is not the case there: managers speak on their teams’ behalf, meaning a meeting in Japan will not involve everyone speaking. That doesn’t mean those employees aren’t engaged, just that their cultural expectations are different—it’s up to us not to project our own expectations onto them!

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias is exactly what the name suggests: attributing one’s successes to oneself (e.g. we completed a project through hard work and/or talent) and discrediting one’s failures as a result of external factors/circumstances (e.g. we didn’t get a raise because our boss was having a bad day, nothing to do with us). In other words, we interpret the world through a lens that serves ourselves! Self-serving bias commonly leads to a lack of accountability, where we don’t recognize our own role or culpability in a given problem.

I’ve noticed self-serving bias rears its head often in people who are resistant to the implementation of DEI initiatives. For example, if one of such people receives a promotion at work, self-serving bias would imply that they earned this promotion through hard work, expert qualifications, and dedication to their company. If another team member gets promoted, such as a person who was hired after the company revised their hiring process for greater inclusivity, then self-serving bias would imply that person  undeservedly received this promotion because of favoritism or because of “woke-ness” (even though it’s well-documented that DEI is, plain and simply, a good business practice).

Based on this example, I think we can see how self-serving bias relies on the universal human insecurity that we aren’t good enough, meaning the best way to counter it is to appreciate our strengths and make an intentional effort to understand and work at our flaws!

Status Quo Bias

Status quo bias simply refers to a preference for the current state of affairs. In other words, status quo bias commonly results in resistance to any kind of change—even change for the better! Since change is inevitable, status quo bias is no stranger to any workplace.

When Millennials began joining the corporate workplace en masse in the late 1990s and 2000s, I remember the kerfuffle caused by their preference for open office spaces as a means to increase communication and collaboration throughout the workplace. This change was difficult to process for some employees in senior generations, whose status quo bias meant they preferred traditional spaces and offices with doors, causing them to be resistant to these layout adjustments!

With time and understanding, of course, Millennials and their preferences were gradually welcomed. But allow me to give us all a heads-up: more change is coming! Rumor has it some Gen Z (born ~1997-2012) workers prefer the previous closed office environment. Organizations may need to start dusting off their layout plans AGAIN!

Negativity Bias

Negativity bias refers to how negativity (negative interactions, negative words, etc.) is more likely to stick and ingrain itself in our minds than positivity. For example, people are often more likely to remember negative work experiences they’ve had with individuals rather than successful collaborations!

A more specific scenario would be a manager providing a performance review to an employee. Though unintentional on the part of the manager, negativity bias may cause the employee to perceive the constructive feedback they are given as more hurtful or more significant than it’s meant to be. As a result, the employee may internalize a sense of inferiority or come to believe that they are not valued or appreciated by their employer.

Just because negativity bias exists doesn’t mean critical feedback isn’t important, of course, but to help counter this bias, it can be useful for all of us to make an intentional effort to reflect on positive experiences we’ve had and positive feedback we’ve received to help create a more balanced perception of our experiences.

There we have it: eight of the most common biases that might add fuel to the fire during our workplace conflicts. So, next time we find ourselves in a fiery situation, we must remember to watch—watch our words, watch our thoughts, and watch our biases! If we do so, we will have the upper hand to understand how our biases may be shaping our behavior, giving us an advantage in dousing the flames and resolving conflicts to everyone’s benefit. And who doesn’t love a secret advantage?

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Let's Create a Culture of Courage

While I have spoken extensively about the importance of companies supporting DEI in the present, workforces will continue to evolve as the future arrives. In turn, we must incorporate a focus on making our work cultures more courageous. If we don’t have this emphasis, we’ll lose out on the innovation of the younger generation, and that’s a situation no organization wants to be in!

Some companies are preemptively shifting toward this culture of courage, offering events like “Fail Forward” sessions that encourage employees to openly share their failures and the lessons they learned from these experiences. In doing so, they create an environment that welcomes risk-taking and prioritizes celebrating innovation and bold choices over penalizing mistakes. After all, we have to keep in mind that investing in a culture of courage doesn’t mean mistakes will no longer happen! Instead, when people inevitably make mistakes, a courageous work culture emphasizes taking those mistakes in stride and learning from them for the better. The more we encourage employees to trust themselves and the more we create a space where failure does not equate to losing one’s job, the more likely we are to inspire innovation and achieve exciting accomplishments among our organization.

So, what existing models can we learn from to foster a culture of courage? Let’s walk through four key examples!

1. Canadian Automobile Association

We’re starting off with a different sort of organization than I usually invoke, but hear me out: the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) demonstrates a deep investment in creating a culture of courage through the use of what they call “recognition data.” In other words, CAA carefully attends to the challenges and successes of their employees, allowing them to positively embrace and reward employee innovation and risk-taking! They have both monetary benefits and Team Awards (e.g. a “Round of Applause” award), where this support of employee ingenuity and emphasis on not penalizing failure has led to decreased turnover. What’s more, CAA’s data specifically “show[s] turnover is the lowest for employees who have received awards from both their managers and their peers.” In other words, when an organization invests in a culture of courage that inspires mutual support between peers, employees are more likely not only to recognize one another’s accomplishments but to come together and develop potentially revolutionary innovations together—sounds like a win-win to me!

2. W.L. Gore & Associates

W.L. Gore is a fun model to learn from, in my opinion, because of its unconventional approach to organizational management. Gore has what’s known as a “lattice organization”—in other words, there are no “ranks” of employees, and there is no absolute, supreme career hierarchy. Any associate can speak to another as an equal, a commitment to courageous conversation and risk-taking reflected in the fact that all employees of Gore become shareholders.

Now, I’m not suggesting every company needs to switch over to this horizontal structure! Rather, we can take inspiration from Gore’s commitment to a culture of courage through their dedication to ensuring that no conversations or mistakes are ever shied away from. Everyone is on an equal playing field, meaning individual mistakes become broader lessons for everyone to learn from, and individual accomplishments become uplifted for the entire organization to celebrate. The benefits to this courageous approach are infinite, as each and every employee contains limitless creativity and innovation! As such, if we learn from Gore’s example and emphasize a level playing field and courageous communication, there’s no telling how far that will propel that success of our organization.

3. Patagonia

Ah, Patagonia—a company renowned for its emphasis on tending to the environment and being a steward of the planet. This company’s emphasis on a culture of courage is all but endless! I could talk about the fact that their “retention rate for mothers returning from maternity leave is 100 percent,” how they offer subsidized childcare and have childcare centers on-site, how “[i]f a breastfeeding mother needs to go on a business trip, the company pays for the mother, baby, and a nanny to travel for that trip,” how Patagonia thus gives their employees the opportunity to bring their full self to work—how Patagonia ensures their employees have the tools to make courageous decisions about their careers without sacrificing other elements of their lives. I could talk in-depth about this marvelous set-up and Patagonia’s clear support of allowing their employees to practice courageous behavior.

Instead, though, what I want to focus on here is how Patagonia commits to crafting a culture of courage to the fullest extent: investing in courage outside of the workplace. What do I mean by this? Well, if a Patagonia employee “‘has previously taken a nonviolent civil disobedience class and is subsequently arrested while peacefully protesting,’” such as protests in support of the environment, the organization will post their bail. While I certainly don’t expect every organization to switch to this level of commitment to a culture of courage off the bat, isn’t that an inspiring example to learn from? To trust the courage of their employees both within and outside of the workplace—how incredible!

4. Zappos

I want to conclude with Zappos because this organization offers an excellent example of investing in a culture of courage from as early as the hiring process. After all, demonstrating one’s commitment to courage must extend beyond employees who have “been there a while,” else newcomers become too fearful to embrace their individual ingenuity. Zappos offers dedicated training to new hires for its first week, but more crucially, they actively encourage these employees to reflect on how well they feel the position and work environment suit them. If these hires decide Zappos is not the right place for them, Zappos compensates them with $2,000 for their courage and honesty! While not every organization may implement this exact strategy, the example of Zappos is nonetheless crucial to learn from because of their emphasis on welcoming courageous behavior—behavior that may buck the status quo—from the moment employees are hired.

And there we have it! Four examples to learn from of companies demonstrating a clear commitment to crafting a culture of courage. I say we follow their footsteps and embrace the reality that failure is inevitable, mistakes are just opportunities, and success can only come after error—to do so, all we need is a little courage.

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Differently Abled or Disabled? Which one is Inclusive?

“Oh, wow,” I say, catching the interest of my friend who sits beside me. “Did you know that Australia is wider than the moon? That’s crazy, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know about ‘crazy,’” my friend says, gently poking me in the arm, “since that’s a historically ableist term, but that fact is definitely news to me!”

I laugh, nod, thank my friend for the correction, and resolve to use more inclusive in the future—such is the ideal response as we broaden our knowledge about common ableist microaggressions! This blog will focus on walking through common examples of microaggressive ableist language that many of us (myself included, if you couldn’t tell!) have unwittingly used in casual conversation throughout our lives. Note that this blog will not cover ableist slurs, as slurs extend beyond microaggressions into intentionally abusive language, and I thus do not want to minimize their impact by including them in a post that centers on microaggressions.

Ready to get started? We’ve got three broad categories to cover!

Specific Terms

We’ll kick this blog off with specific ableist terms to avoid and viable alternatives as we begin the journey of modifying our language to be more inclusive of people with disabilities:

Physical Disabilities

Rather than lame, which derogatorily refers to people with physical and mobility disabilities, instead replace this metaphorical usage with uncool, boring, uninteresting, and/or unexciting.

Rather than dumb, which derogatorily refers to “d/Deaf or hard of hearing people, people with speech-related disabilities, or people with linguistic or communication disorders or disabilities,” consider replacing this metaphorical usage with uninformed, ignorant, and/or silly.

Rather than deformed/deformity, which derogatorily refers to “people born with absent limbs, disfigurements, or other atypical appearances, or who later have amputations, burn scars, or other changes to their physical appearance that are stigmatized in society,” instead try simply describing the person’s appearance/visage/condition/etc. “Facial difference(s)” is also a common neutral and inclusive term!

Not so complicated, right? Out with one term and in with numerous others!

Mental Disabilities

Rather than crazy, insane, or “mental case,” all of which derogatorily refer to people with mental or psychiatric disability, instead try unpredictable, reckless, hasty, misguided, and/or wild.

Rather than idiot(ic), moron(ic), or stupid, all of which derogatorily refer to people with intellectual disabilities, consider replacing these words with dangerous, uninformed, risky, and/or reckless.

See, that wasn’t so difficult to walk through! Let’s move into some examples of microaggressive ableist phrases that require a bit more discussion to parse out their issues.

Turns of Phrase

“Just turn a blind eye to his obnoxious behavior.” “Oh, she’s so deaf to any constructive criticism.” “We conduct blind reviews of all submissions to our journal.”

The history of disability as metaphor is a lengthy one, and this figurative usage continues today in the above phrases and more. Blindness and deafness refer to specific experiences of disability, and to render them metaphors is to disregard the lived reality of millions of people across the globe. As such, consider the following linguistic substitutions! Instead of “blind/deaf to” or “turn a blind/deaf eye/ear to,” consider “willfully ignorant” or “turning their back to.” Instead of a “blind review,” consider an “anonymous review.” These substitutions prioritize the underlying meaning of the aforementioned without reinforcing ableist, microaggressive language in the process.

“They’re wheelchair-bound/confined to a wheelchair.”

Let me ask a simple question: what about a wheelchair suggests it binds or confines those who use it? Similarly, what about a cane or crutches or braces suggest they limit or restrict those who use them? These devices are collectively known as “mobility aids,” and they accomplish exactly what this phrase implies: provide increased opportunity for mobility and freedom of movement for those who use them! As such, phrases like “wheelchair-bound” reinforce the ableist assumption that individuals with mobility aids are “restricted” rather than benefited by these aids. Instead of the above turns of phrase, then, consider using the following substitutions: a person who uses a wheelchair, wheelchair user, a person who uses crutches, and so on and so forth. It’s as straightforward as it sounds!

“Oh, she suffers from ADHD and autism.”

“Suffers from”? Who said ADHD and autism and other disabilities are inherently suffering experiences? In reality, many disabilities are not frequently associated with suffering (neither physical nor mental), and thus to assume they “cause” suffering is functionally ableist. This turn of phrase can be sufficiently replaced simply by “has”—“she has ADHD and autism,” “he has social anxiety,” “they have seizures.” I include the last example not to suggest that seizures are desired or painless experiences (those who experience seizures know they can result in pain), but rather to emphasize that destigmatizing disability means adopting neutral descriptors for all disabilities—no exceptions!

How are we feeling so far? Ready to dive into the final category of common ableist, microaggressive language that we can continue unlearning? Let’s go!

Euphemisms & Contextual

“Don’t say that, they’re not disabled! They’re just differently abled.”

The euphemism of “differently abled” is often well-intentioned, as it and similar phrases (e.g. “physically challenged” or “handicapable”) are ostensibly attempting to reduce stigma around disability. However, they often function as replacement terms for “disability” and “disabled,” when “disability” and “disabled” are not “dirty” or “impolite” words that shouldn’t be used. In fact, “disability” and “disabled” are neutral, inclusive descriptors of people’s lived experiences! As a society, we have been conditioned to believe that able-bodiedness is “right” and “normal.” The euphemism “differently abled” reinforces this idea, as it seeks to link all bodies to the notion of “able-bodiedness,” when in reality disability is everywhere! Disability is its own “normal,” and as such we have no need to avoid saying “disability” or “disabled”—again, these are neutral, inclusive descriptors, and we should absolutely incorporate them into our everyday conversations.

“Yesterday she was fine, but today she’s mad at me again. She’s so bipolar!” “Ugh, sorry I’m so OCD, I just need to have a neat desk.” “My favorite shirt got stained yesterday, I’m super depressed about it.”

What do all of these sentences have in common? Each of them uses “a specific disability diagnosis or name as a metaphor or hyperbolic representation of traits stereotypically associated with said condition.” In other words, each sentence uses disability as a shorthand to communicate an emotion/habit/experience/etc., and in doing so minimizes the lived experiences of people who actually experience these disabilities. Rather than referring to bipolar disorder as a shorthand for extreme shifts or indecisiveness, we should consider saying exactly what we mean—“indecisive,” “switching quickly,” “extreme differences,” and so on and so forth! The same logic applies to the other examples. We shouldn’t use OCD as a shorthand to describe someone being meticulous; we can instead say meticulous, focused, fastidious, and/or particular. Relatedly, we shouldn’t use depression as a shorthand for sadness (and especially to refer to a minor inconvenience); we can instead say upset(ting), sad(ness), tragic, and/or devastating. Again, this logic applies to any use of disability as a shorthand for describing elements of the human experience—we can simply describe what’s happening without comparing that experience to disability!

And there we have it: three common categories of microaggressive ableist language that all of us can begin replacing in our conversations today. Know, of course, that this blog is not intended to be comprehensive, as the reality is that ableist language pervades much of our daily lives simply because we have not been taught to recognize these terms and turns of phrase as ableist in the first place. All the same, I hope I have offered us a strong start to recognizing the seeming omnipresence of ableist, microaggressive language, as well as giving us the tools (and replacement terminology!) to begin dismantling this global issue!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Tips For Being Inclusive Towards Individuals With Disabilities

Disability inclusion is becoming ever more common in today’s workplaces, a reality to the benefit of both people with disabilities and the rest of society! One key way all of us can advance our inclusion journey is thus educating ourselves on microaggressions faced by people with disabilities. In this blog, I will be discussing some of the most common behavioral microaggressions that people with disabilities too often have to deal with on a daily basis.

Inappropriate Physical Contact and Behaviors

Though it should go without saying, I find it often bears repeating: we must not touch a person’s wheelchair, their guide dog, their crutches, or any other mobility aid they use without their consent! (Guide dogs in particular are always on the job and thus cannot be distracted from the work they’re doing. Although they may be cute, it is never appropriate to go up and pet a guide dog or any service animal without permission.) One mentality is to think of a mobility aid like an extension of a person's body, and—in simplest terms—it is rude and plain wrong to touch another person’s body without their consent. I know that I would be extremely uncomfortable if a stranger came up to me and grabbed my arm! As such, the key point here is simple: respect personal space, including that of mobility aids.

On a related note, sometimes able-bodied people attempt to “help” people with disabilities, and sometimes that help comes from a kind-hearted place. Where that kindness turns into an ableist microaggression, however, is when assistance is imposed: when able-bodied people assume people with disabilities need help to accomplish everyday tasks, and especially when able-bodied people do not ask for consent as to whether or not the person with disabilities needs help (or worse, when able-bodied people ignore whatever response they are given!). Increasing awareness about this particular microaggression is not to suggest that you shouldn’t open the door for a wheelchair user, for example, or that you shouldn’t offer to help carry boxes for a person who’s using a cane, but rather that we should ask whether or not the person needs assistance rather than assuming people with disabilities are helpless or incapable of accomplishing tasks on their own. Sometimes people with disabilities need help, sometimes they don’t, and the best way to find out is simply to ask!

Inappropriate Conversational Strategies

Behavioral microaggressions toward people with disabilities extend beyond the more physical aspects, including if not especially into how able-bodied individuals navigate conversations with people with disabilities. One of the most common conversational microaggressions that people with disabilities face is the denial of privacy, also known as the dreaded What happened to you? and any other questions that invasively demand a person with disabilities share information about their disability. However, no one owes anyone an explanation about their personal life, be it related to their disability or their hobbies or their favorite movie or anything in-between! People have a right to privacy, and we should respect that right for people with disabilities by refusing to engage in unnecessary and rude interrogation about their disability. As such, if someone who has a disability wants to share their experiences, that is solely their own prerogative.

On the opposite end of the microaggression spectrum is disregarding or denying a person’s disability, e.g. refusing to recognize the impact of invisible disabilities or insisting that Oh, we all have some disability as a means to minimize the other person’s experiences. Just as it is rude to hyperfocus on a person’s disability, it is equally rude to pretend they don’t have a disability (and in turn don’t need accommodations). The underlying message of this microaggression is that the feelings and experiences of people with disabilities are not real, that their feelings don’t matter, and that their feelings are not important to us. In my experience, this message is not one people truly subscribe to, because I have repeatedly found that humans are empathetic and seek to make connections with one another! As such, when people choose to share information about their disability and their experience(s) as a person with disabilities, we must be respectful and trust their knowledge.

Another common microaggression against people with disabilities is the conundrum of eye contact, be it forcing neurodiverse people to make eye contact or be it deliberately avoiding eye contact with wheelchair users and people with facial differences. With the former, we must challenge ourselves to rethink the “necessity” of eye contact in every situation: is a person with social anxiety disorder really being rude by avoiding our eyes, and if not, can we continue our conversation without the implied “need” for eye contact? With the latter, we must intentionally challenge the social stigma surrounding wheelchairs and especially facial differences, where facial differences are too often understood as “ugly” and “something to look away from” instead of part of humanity’s natural variation. Fortunately, we can actively counter these ableist beliefs by looking our colleagues with facial differences in the eyes when we speak to them! And know that although these eye contact situations may seem to be in opposition with another, they are both rooted in ableism—it’s up to us to recognize what situation we’re in and modify our behavior accordingly to ensure maximum inclusivity!

Yet another microaggression that we see all too often (especially in the media) is the patronization of a person’s disability, particularly treating them a source of “inspiration” simply because they’re disabled, e.g. telling someone that they’re So brave! for living with a disability. Too often people with disabilities are rendered “inspirational” simply for going about their ordinary life, with the only difference being the fact that they have a disability. And don’t get me wrong, people with disabilities can certainly be inspirational, but we must resist the ableist assumption that they are inspirational “because” they have a disability or because they are “overcoming” their disability. Rather, disability is just a fact of life and another element of humanity’s innate diversity!

The final common conversational microaggression I want to touch upon here is unwanted medical advice, such as recommending “medical procedures, treatment, or medication that may ‘solve’ their disability.” To counter this microaggression, we must simply remember that people with disabilities are always going to be the foremost expert on their own experiences. (We certainly don’t know anyone else better than we know ourselves, so the same applies to people with disabilities!) Not only is offering unsolicited medical advice to people with disabilities at best redundant (they’ve likely heard it all before from their doctor as well as through their own research and experiences) and at worst rude, it also reinforces the ableist assumption that disability is a medical problem to be “solved” instead of an inherent element of human diversity. Not all disabilities demand “treatment” and a “cure”!

Remember: people with disabilities are actually that—people who happen to have a disability. When interacting with someone who has a disability, a good rule of thumb is to engage in conversation the same way we would an able-bodied person, be it talking about the weather or last night’s football game or their favorite movie. If you’re someone who shakes hands upon meeting someone for the first time, do the same when meeting a person with a disability! The person will respond accordingly, be it shaking your hand or offering an alternative, from a fist bump to a friendly nod.

Note that the breakdown of behavioral microaggressions I have provided here is far from comprehensive. To learn more, see below for a from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society that notes numerous examples of microaggressions that many people with disabilities unfortunately face on a daily basis:

I encourage everyone to visit their website for numerous other examples!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

3 Overlooked Areas For Engaging Employees Across Generations

One of the most consistent observations I have witnessed in my consulting work is the difficulty of engaging employees across generations. Tackling this challenge is critical for increasing competitiveness and growth, and particularly for increasing cross-generational camaraderie and synergy in the legal and judicial field. Today I will walk through three key areas that, if overlooked, will result in missed opportunities for engaging and supporting multi-generational legal workforces:

1. Succession Planning

Did you know that approximately 10,000 individuals of the Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) retire every day? What a striking statistic! We are thus in the midst of a massive transition as Baby Boomers pass the torch on to Gen X (born 1965-1979) and Millennial (born 1980-1995) leaders, and if an organization isn’t prepared for that transference of leadership, then they will lose out on valuable knowledge acquired by the Baby Boomer generation. One survey even found “that only 57% of the aging workforce has transferred less than half of their knowledge to the incoming one, with 21% yet to do so”—so what can we do to address this looming issue?

Fortunately, a simple solution presents itself: to nip this concern in the bud, an organization must clearly document the responsibilities associated with every position as well as develop and implement a detailed succession plan in order to ensure this transition goes smoothly. The reality is that “only 26 percent of legal departments have a succession plan in place,” making this gap a crucial first step to address. Additionally, teams should consider offering upskilling and knowledge transfer programs that focus on mentorship and job-shadowing not just as employees reach retirement but throughout their career. Flexible work environments can also be beneficial, allowing employees of the Baby Boomer generations to transition to part-time and/or hourly work before fully retiring and thus helping ensure all of their knowledge is preserved for future generations of leadership.

2. Adapt & Retain

Millennials are the largest percentage of the U.S. workforce as of 2024, and that dominance is only expected to increase in years to come, as they are projected to compose almost 45% of the workforce by 2030. Some estimates place that percentage as high as 75%, but I think they’re lumping in Gen Z (born 1996-2012)—the newest generation to enter the workforce—who are estimated to make up 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030. More on Gen Z soon!

With this shift in workforce percentages is a shift in workplace culture, and many Millennials do not thrive in environments identical to what worked best for Baby Boomers and Gen X. So, what steps can organizations take to ensure they’re retaining Millennial workers in the face of Baby Boomer retirement?

One key area of focus is technology—Millennials not only witnessed but came to adulthood in the technical transition of the 21st century, and as such “[l]egal department leaders should take advantage of millennials’ tech-savviness as emerging technologies continue to change the practice of law.” In other words, allow Millennials to weigh in workflow software (e.g. to automate manual processes), engage them in conversations about AI and the law, and so on and so forth—encourage their lifetime of expertise!

Other strategies to implement in order to retain Millennial workers are allowing for variable work hours to accommodate and reflect Millennials’ desired emphasis on work-life balance; and take the time to customize feedback options based on how Millennial workers prefer to proceed. Some may be content with annual performance reviews, while others may want more consistent guidance and advice!

3. The New Generation

As aforementioned, Gen Z is predicted to compose 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030; in other words, nearly a third of our workers will be in their 30s and younger, taking the world by storm. Engaging and retaining Gen Z requires a different—though not dissimilar—approach to retaining Millennials: perhaps above all else, Gen Z are focused and determined to make a difference in the world. They are motivated by a sense of safety, security, and social conscientiousness, and if an employer offers that environment, they are ready to stay. So what steps can the legal world take to embrace the energy of Gen Z?

For one, Gen Z is “the most racially and ethnically diverse generation” yet, and Gen Z has no patience for lip-service diversity. They want to see inclusive hiring practices at work, from diversity in promotional materials to their interview panels.

Student loan debt is no joke, and law school is particularly expensive, so one surefire way to attract Gen Z employees is a competitive salary and comprehensive health insurance. Building tuition reimbursement into positions is also a positive look for Gen Z, who are more likely to stick around at a department they feel is invested in their career and well-being—helping them address the unjust burden of debt saddled onto them is a crucial way to demonstrate that investment.

Lastly, Gen Z craves meaningful feedback. Teams can thus develop and integrate a culture of feedback, where focusing on an individual’s performance and regularly providing them with both praise and constructive comments reinforces the value Gen Z offers.

Again: a major generational shift is happening. Teams across industries must adapt to the changing workforce in order to avoid missed opportunities. After all, when their employees thrive—young and old alike—so do the organizations!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Five Tips For Financial Institutions to Foster DEI Initiatives

“At base, financial literacy is inextricably connected to control over one’s future.” —Ann Cotton, entrepreneur and philanthropist

Knowledge of and access to financial institutions is key to an individual’s autonomy and ability to make good choices for their future. But, there innumerable barriers out there in the world that may prevent various groups of people from fully participating in the financial sector, from a lack of formal education to generational poverty. How, then, can we be financially inclusive? How can we take steps to remove economic barriers, from local to global levels? Though these questions are perhaps impossible to answer in one fell swoop, in this blog I will offer initial guidance on how financial institutions can best embrace diversity, promote equity, and above all, foster inclusion in their everyday practices. Let’s jump right in!

1. Dialogue and Awareness

It almost goes without saying that open dialogue and awareness are crucial elements when it comes to successful DEI implementation, but how do these elements specifically intertwine within the financial industry? I recommend looking toward the Credit Union National Association (CUNA)! From hosting panels on the future of DEI for cross-institution discussion to “hold[ing] regular heritage, cultural, and identity-based events” within their association for their employees to participate in, CUNA’s active efforts to arrange opportunities for open dialogue on a large scale ensures there’s no mistaking the intentionality of their commitment to DEI. On a more individual level, CUNA further ensures conversations surrounding DEI are accessible to all, from Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for a straightforward focus on business to DEI-centric book clubs for a creative focus on increasing cultural humility and knowledge diversity. I mean, doesn’t that sound ideal? Immersing oneself in DEI through positive dialogue surrounding diverse characters and stories?

At the end of the day, efforts like these and so many more are fundamental to enhancing collaboration across one’s financial institution, and perhaps most importantly, to ensuring people feel heard and respected!

2. Inclusive Lending

When contemplating ways to more thoroughly incorporate DEI across financial landscapes, perhaps the most obvious and yet simultaneously most overlooked strategy is that of inclusive lending. After all, creating an environment that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive extends beyond our employees—it must also encompass the communities we serve! Inclusive lending is one of the most effective ways to accomplish this goal. Allow me to offer a sample scenario:

Yumi, a young Japanese woman, first came to the United States for college in library sciences, and she loved her experience in San Jose so much that she decided to live here full-time. She has a green card and wants to start her own bookstore, but she doesn’t yet have a social security number—how will she be able to get a valid loan?

Well, Yumi isn’t the only person in the United States who lacks an SSN, a reality that means it is incredibly difficult for many people to obtain essential financial resources and to start establishing their credit. In response, many credit unions and community banks have been leveraging the use of the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and alternative forms of identification to provide crucial financial services to these populations! ITIN and other methods of affordable lending are thus an excellent means of making financial freedom more accessible and affordable to all individuals. How about I take us beyond hypotheticals and into some specific examples? Reading Cooperative Bank, based in Massachusetts, “is actively reaching out to bilingual customers by adding branch staff and marketing signage in Spanish,” similarly making their online and ATM options Spanish-language accessible, too. MUFG Union Bank, now part of Bancorp, has developed “a $5 million loan and accelerator program for minority-owned small businesses” and additionally offers “‘a business diversity loan to SMBs with the intent to provide more resources and tools on all the loan products available to potential homebuyers.’” From steps as simple as linguistic accessibility to as grand as diversity loans for small- and medium-sized businesses, embracing inclusive lending is a surefire way to incorporate DEI in any financial institution.

3. Financial Inclusion Initiatives

In a logical follow-up to inclusive lending, let’s dip our toes into financial inclusion, a practice best understood as “efforts to make financial products and services accessible and affordable to all individuals and businesses, regardless of their personal net worth or company size.” On a practical level, financial inclusion thus means taking steps to remove barriers that prevent various groups of people from fully participating in the financial sector, such as investing in financial literacy programs—from local programs within one’s community to larger programs focused on impoverished areas around the globe (e.g. those supported by the World Bank)—or “focusing on gender-specific financial inclusion initiatives” to help address the disparity that “women are 31% more likely than men to have an inactive bank account.”

That makes sense, you may be thinking, but what specific strategies can my financial organization implement to help increase financial inclusion?

A great question! Allow me to offer a few suggestions:

• Provide alternative methods of credit scoring, i.e. those that consider non-traditional data sources, in order to more comprehensively extend credit access to individuals with limited formal credit history. For example, including elements such as rental history and/or utility bill payments in credit assessment can help ensure a broader access to credit and other financial services! 

• Develop and implement strong consumer protection frameworks that prioritize fair treatment, transparent pricing, and ethical conduct by one’s financial institution.

• Lastly, offer “No-Frills” accounts and low-cost transaction accounts to enable financial inclusion at a community level.

Pretty straightforward, right? Onward we go!

4. Digital Accessibility

Although I already touched upon the idea of accessibility with the example of Reading Cooperative Bank’s Spanish-language focus, “digital accessibility” is a concept that more specifically refers to making sure people with disabilities have equal and equitable access to online services, information, opportunities and so forth. After all, if financial institutions aren’t making efforts to include people with disabilities, then how inclusive can those efforts truly be?

Because “disability” is itself a deliberately encompassing term, “digital accessibility” covers a similar broad expanse. Consider the following starter ideas below:

• For written content on one’s website, ensure screen reader compatibility and offer audio versions.

• For video content on one’s website, provide captions and/or a transcript, and again ensure screen reader compatibility.

• Avoid flashing images/videos that might trigger epileptic seizures.

• Ensure there is high contrast between the text and background colors in online written content and use easy-to-read fonts (such as dyslexic-friendly typefaces!).

• Ensure the location of one’s institution is wheelchair-accessible and otherwise ADA compliant for people with physical disabilities.

• Have sign language interpreters available for deaf/HOH clients.

Again, these options are mere starting points—the opportunities to embrace digital accessibility in financial institutions are as diverse and varied as people with disabilities themselves!

5. Supplier Diversity

Last but certainly not least, we must always keep in mind that the implementation of DEI initiatives should not only be internal but also external—in other words, embracing DEI should benefit one’s community as a whole! What better initiative to foreground than that of supplier diversity?

Supplier diversity is a business strategy that encourages the use of diverse suppliers, from women-owned companies to those owned by veterans. In the finance industry, supplier diversity is increasingly recognized as a technique that successfully promotes financial inclusion,  enhances innovation and competitiveness, reflects customer diversity (and economically empowers diverse groups), and ultimately builds more united communities—a situation beneficial for everyone involved. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), for example, champions supplier diversity, emphasizing the multitude of ways in which credit unions and other financial institutions can benefit by intentionally including a diverse supplier pool when procuring goods and services—it’s good business for credit unions to engage in supplier diversity!

Fundamentally, the primary goal of a supplier diversity program is to ensure that diverse suppliers a) are included and b) provided numerous opportunities (and proper support) to compete for procurement needs. Regardless of the size of one’s organization, any and all financial institutions are capable of establishing a supplier diversity program! Smaller organizations, for example, may focus on intentionally seeking out contract quotes and proposals from diverse suppliers during the procurement process. Larger organizations, in contrast, may take the extra step of compiling a database of diverse suppliers in their communities to regularly have available, or they may create a position dedicated to arranging contracts with diverse suppliers (or both!). No matter what, a step toward employing diverse suppliers is also a step toward embracing DEI, and for that, I can’t recommend this strategy to financial institutions enough!

And there we have it: five key areas in which financial institutions can embrace and implement many facets of DEI, from disability inclusion to inclusive lending practices. What are we waiting for? The intersection of finance and DEI awaits us!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

The Future of Employee Engagement

Given that companies with higher levels of employee engagement also have higher levels of productivity, retention, and profitability, it’s clear this positive feedback loop is one every organization should strive for. Of course, the practical implementation of employee engagement will continue to evolve in weeks, months, and years to come, and organizations who seek to maintain their high success will be the ones who also seek to continue engaging employees. So, how can they go about doing that?

In this blog, I will walk through five key areas organizations should focus on to thrive in the future of employee engagement, additionally highlighting how some of these strategies differ from those of the past. Ready to jump in?

1. Flexible Work & Ironclad Trust

One study found that 75% of workers experience greater productivity when working remotely, for reasons ranging from a lack of commuting anxiety to dealing with fewer distractions. That’s no small percentage! And odds are that this percentage is only going to increase in years to come, because by 2028, “58% of the workforce will be millennials and Gen Z,” a whopping 90% of whom favor remote work. While there will always be employees who prefer the in-person nature of an office, if we want to prepare ourselves for the future of employee engagement, that means supporting the work options that will be most engaging for our employees. If that option is remote and with flexible scheduling, then doing our best to accommodate them will not only make employees feel more supported but also give them the best opportunity to put forth their best work—it’s a win-win!

I cannot emphasize trust enough when we think of the future of employee engagement and remote work. In years past, top-down communication was not just the standard but simply what was expected. Nowadays—and even more so in the years to come—future employees are demanding an emphasis on open dialogue, particularly through “collaborative, transparent communication channels.” Such openness is particularly crucial for remote work, ensuring employees feel connected and engaged even from miles apart.

When employees can trust their employers, they’re more likely to be engaged to do their best work —to me, that’s a goal any company should strive towards.

2. Health & Wellness

Gone are the days of generic, one-size-fits-all benefits packages! While such an option may have been efficient in the past, more and more employees prefer personalized packages, and this trend is only projected to increase. Ultimately, the personalization of benefits packages signals that an organization prioritizes the health and well-being of their workers, a green flag for employees and a surefire way to maintain engagement—after all, healthy employees are more likely to be engaged employees!

When it comes to the practical implementation of these packages, one strategy is to offer “cafeteria-style benefit selections based on life stage.” Younger employees, for example, may seek student loan relief coverage, while older employees and employees with disabilities might prefer life insurance policies and more rigorous healthcare. The more personalization available, the better!

In addition to offering diverse benefits packages, a parallel trend to pay attention to for the future of employee engagement is the growing emphasis on wellness. Though it likely comes as no surprise to most of us that stressed employees are less engaged and less productive at work, it should be emphasized that “[p]oor mental health is one of the biggest issues in the workplace… caus[ing] a loss of over 70 million working days every year.” Consequently, a strong corporate wellness program not only tends to the well-being of current employees but may also attract new ones—a beneficial (and engaging!) practice all around. And hey, did you know that “for every dollar invested in… wellness initiatives, companies are reaping a return of $3.92 in reduced costs and increased productivity”? A pretty great deal!

3. Immersion Early On

When we think of employee engagement, many of our minds may immediately consider how to engage employees who have been at our organizations for months and years. But what about employees who have only been part of our teams for days and weeks? The future of employee engagement requires expanding our scope of employees being actively engaged, and that means focusing on onboarding and entry-level positions.

The process of enhancing the experiences of new hires and people who are just beginning their professional careers is one that offers an excellent opportunity to incorporate new and up-and-coming technologies, including but not exclusive to AI. For example, onboarding marks a chance to “provide immersive virtual experiences, ensuring new employees feel connected and valued from day one.” VR, microlearning, animated sequences—the possibilities are limitless. Additionally, reflecting on the expectations of entry-level positions is a crucial vehicle for increasing employee engagement. Are there any tasks that automation can complete, allowing for entry-level positions to place more emphasis on emotional intelligence, creativity, and problem-solving?

4. Employee Recognition & Growth

It has always been true that employees are more than their work. The call for companies to recognize this reality, however, is one that has just gotten started in recent years, and it will only continue in years to come. One employee engagement platform even predicts that “annual performance reviews are becoming obsolete,” replaced by “real-time feedback mechanisms” and other communication-intensive strategies. So what does that mean for organizations?

Well, we don’t have to throw annual performance reviews completely out the window in one fell swoop, but the trend calling for increasing communication and recognition signals that employers might want to invest in “[p]latforms for employee feedback” and recognition, including remote employees. On a financial level, regular “performance-based bonuses” are an effective means of monetarily recognizing employee accomplishments and contributions, helping maintain and increase engagement. Even on a day-to-day basis, however, there are numerous means by which an organization can acknowledge the efforts of their employees! From thank you notes to digital awards (e.g. a badge an employee can include on their profile) to anything in-between that “feel[s] personal and meaningful,” I encourage companies to think creatively about the most effective ways to engage their employees. (And if a strategy doesn’t work out, hey, that’s what open communication channels are available for!)

Relatedly, providing employees opportunities for growth not only echoes recognition of their achievements but improves engagement by offering them development to aim for and look forward to. And I’m not just talking about mentorship programs and leadership coaching, though those are excellent options! I’m also talking about educational opportunities, including financial support for employees seeking additional academic study. Some individuals may have always wanted a second degree but never had the chance, and for their employer to provide that opportunity? Not only are they more likely to be engaged in their work, but they’re also more likely to trust and remain loyal to their organization.

5. Social Responsibility

Last but certainly not least, a definitive trend in the future of employee engagement is an organizational emphasis on social responsibility. Millennials and Gen Z, who will be the majority of the workforce in years to come, “place a high value on the social and environmental impact of their work – and the [companies] they work for.” As such, the desire for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platforms, programs, and policies will only continue to grow. One CSR model receiving a tremendous amount of investment, for example, is sustainability, as more and more employees desire to work for companies that minimize—if not cancel out—their negative environmental impact. The opportunities for organizations to invest in social responsibility are endless, from community activism to local food drives to supporting research on renewable energy. Regardless of the specifics a company chooses to pursue, employees of the future are on the lookout for social responsibility. If an organization provides that, they’re more likely to engage (and retain!) their employees along the way.

And there we have it—five areas in which companies can best prepare for the future of employee engagement. So, what are we standing around for? The future waits for no one!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Creating an Inclusive Workplace for Individuals with Disabilities

When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, many organizations focus on axes of race and gender. While it is crucial that we uplift and spotlight the efforts of women and people of color, DEI expands beyond these two categories, and one group of individuals that we should all be more intentionally inclusive of are people with disabilities. In this blog, I’ll offer advice in three key categories—Accessibility, Financial, and Community—on how we can be more supportive of people with disabilities in the workplace!

Before we move on, I find it important to establish that “disability” is itself a capacious term. Though many of us may hear “disability” and immediately conjure up visuals of people in wheelchairs or other signs of physical disability, it is important that our efforts toward inclusion also consider neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, OCD, and more) as well as invisible disabilities (chronic fatigue syndrome, cystic fibrosis, chronic pain syndrome, lupus, and more).

Additionally, I want to emphasize that disability inclusion goes beyond the hiring process. Microsoft, for example, eliminated its interview process for candidates with autism after noticing that people with autism were not getting hired despite possessing the expected knowledge and intellect, instead creating a different assessment program that involved various exercises to test technical skills and teamwork. All the same, many people with disabilities that I personally know have confided in me that while they are often incredibly grateful to have been hired into their position, they feel there is a ceiling that prevents them from progressing upward. As such, I want to focus on inclusive measures that prioritize the experiences of people with disabilities after they have been hired.

With that knowledge in mind, let’s dive in!

1. Accessibility

“Accessibility” is a term often used when discussing disability inclusion, i.e. “How can we increase accessibility for our employees with disabilities?” Such a starting point is crucial, and so is the realization that follows: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to disability inclusion. As introduced, disability is expansive, and the accessibility needs of people who use wheelchairs will be different from people with dyslexia. Rather than seeing this situation as a daunting challenge, however, here’s my advice: dare to include everyone. Have individual conversations with employees with disabilities and receive their specific input on what practices would make the organization more accessible and inclusive for them! Such advice may seem obvious, but the importance of speaking directly to employees with disabilities and making accommodations based on their direct feedback cannot go understated.

Of course, there are a few best practices any organization can get behind when it comes to disability inclusion—let’s walk through a few!

• Like Accenture, provide captions and sign language interpreters for deaf employees

• Better yet, like Microsoft’s System-Wide Live Captions, take advantage of programs that automatically generate captions for all visual-auditory material (though have employees on hand who can proofread and correct these captions as needed)

• For written content, provide screen readers and/or offer audio (and Braille) versions

• Similarly, ensure there is high contrast between the text and background colors in written content

• Use easy-to-read fonts across organizational documents (such as dyslexic-friendly typefaces!)

• Offer noise-cancelling headphones, natural light, and quiet workspaces for neurodiverse individuals

• If employees have emotional support animals or service animals, go beyond allowing them in the workplace—for example, offer accommodations that ensure employees can adjust their breaks accordingly to take care of their service animal

• Have multiple wheelchair-accessible bathrooms

Lastly, a general accessibility rule to abide by is this: allow people with disabilities to work with their strengths, not against their disability. Gordon Food Service, for example, created an internship program for people with disabilities that provided training, accessibility, and a welcoming environment for entry-level positions. Nathan Mort, an individual with autism, was hired to track warranty claims, a job he excelled at because its reliance on routines resonated with his neurodiversity: “A reason why I like my job is because it’s kind of the same thing over and over again. I really like routines. That is part of my autism.”

Ensuring employees are not working against their disability can be as simple as providing a chair to a cashier who is unable to stand for long periods of time. Again, we must talk to our employees with disabilities and determine what accommodations are best for them—from there, accessibility is almost inherent!

2. Financial

Offering financial support to people with disabilities perhaps feels like it goes without saying, but in my experience, this category is often overlooked when it comes to disability inclusion. Fortunately, there are a multitude of ways we can be intentionally inclusive about offering financial support regarding disability, and I want to hone in on two: social support and benefits packages.

In terms of social support, it is crucial that companies invest in organizations dedicated to uplifting people with disabilities to demonstrate that “inclusion” goes beyond the boundaries of a single company. After all, inclusion encompasses both organizational growth and social growth! Bank of America, for example, has an ongoing three-year, $5 million grant to Special Olympics, the goal of which is to expand leadership programs into urban school districts to address disparities faced by people with intellectual disabilities, especially people of color. Similarly, T-Mobile is a sponsor of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, where they often physically attend youth tournaments in order to talk to them about T-Mobile and encourage them to apply.

In other words, financially investing in organizations that support communities with disabilities is both a crucial way to demonstrate intentional inclusion and a viable means of engaging the future generation of employees with disabilities to work at one’s company—a win-win!

Additionally, having comprehensive benefits packages are important for all employees at an organization, but perhaps especially so for individuals with disabilities, who often face disproportionately higher medical bills and economic crises. Two disability-inclusive factors to incorporate in one’s benefits packages, then, are health reimbursements arrangements (HRAs) and life insurance packages. Why?

HRAs are fairly self-explanatory, as their express purpose is to give employers the opportunity to reimburse their employees, tax-free, for health insurance premiums and medical expenses. This arrangement could be life-saving for people with disabilities, who may have an expensive chronic medical condition or encounter unexpected medical costs because of a health emergency. Offering this type of financial support to employees with disabilities is thus crucial to inclusion, as it demonstrates that the organization wants people with disabilities to remain financially stable and able to perform the best work they can without the looming threat of medical bills.

Life insurance policies are also often valuable to people with disabilities for the simple but frustrating reasons that life insurance companies often view individuals with disabilities as a greater “risk” and are thus more likely to offer incredibly expensive coverage, if they offer any at all. Fortunately, basic life insurance from one’s company is typically low-cost or free to the employee, providing people with disabilities the reassurance that their company not only supports them but also their families and loved ones.

3. Community

Last but certainly not least, intentional inclusion of people with disabilities extends to ensuring that they have a supportive community. What do I mean by this statement?

On the most literal level, it is important for organizations to allow employees with disabilities to connect with one another. At the feedback from employees with disabilities, for example, Bank of America had their disability Employee Resource Groups (ERG) “allow members to see who is near them (with each individuals’ permission) and who the other members of the ERG are nationally as well (similarly, with permission).” Choice is key, where no employees should feel pressured to be “out” with their disability unless they desire to do so, but giving individuals with disabilities the opportunity to connect with one another can help ensure no one feels like “the only,” i.e. the pressure to be the sole representative of people with disabilities in an organization.

Beyond the literal definition of community, organizations should also develop and emphasize flexible work options for people with disabilities. In doing so, they foreground their employees’ autonomy and decision-making about how they want to engage with the workplace. Allow individuals with disabilities to set their own hours! Allow various means of remote work, with clear guidelines outlined about who individuals should reach out with questions! Redefining “community” beyond the traditional 9-to-5, in-person office network ensures that individuals with chronic fatigue, for example, can more easily balance their work and their well-being by not having to unnecessarily travel to an office.

Let’s be intentional in showing people with disabilities they are valued, supported, and utterly necessary to the practical and creative functions of every organization!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Hiring Checklist

Job Description

Did we use gender neutral language?

Did we include the appropriate number of years of experience required for the role?

Are the skills listed aligned with the tasks required?

Are the skills required or can they be acquired?

Did we evaluate the education requirement?

Are the qualities/abilities both listed and reasonable?

Did we include enough information about the culture of the organization in the job posting?

---

Advertising the Job

Did we advertise the job on diverse channels and with diverse organizations?

Did we allow enough time to find diverse candidates?

Did we target diverse candidates with proactive sourcing?

Did we include salary ranges based on internal and external data?

Did we include language to encourage applicants covered under the ADA?

---

Hiring Committee

Is the hiring committee diverse?

Did we train the staff on conducting unbiased interviews?

Did we develop the evaluation criteria for the role?

Did we offer the candidate options for interview schedule modality?

Did we create an interview question template for consistency?

Are the required exercises (presentation, case study) appropriate for the role, and are there options given for the delivery? 

---

Hiring Process

Did we remove/mask the name, location, education/colleges, associations, and pictures from the candidate information prior to the interviews?

Did we have at least 20% diversity in our candidate pool?

Did we ask each candidate the same questions in the same order?

Did we refrain from asking multi-part questions?

Did we give the candidate enough time to answer questions?

Did we check that the interview questions would not result in bias against the candidate?

Did we ensure all candidates were interviewed in the same environment (in person vs. Zoom vs. the same conference room)? 

---

Candidate Evaluation

Did we screen the candidates in vs. screening them out? 

Did we evaluate the candidates based on the essential functions - skills, education, and job requirements?

Did we ensure all qualifications (non-negotiables) apply to all candidates?

Did we review the evaluation form for any biases? Such as halo/horn effects, affinity bias, and name bias.

Did we use the same evaluation criteria that was agreed upon prior to the interviews and rank all candidates accordingly? 

Did we evaluate each candidate based on their cultural or skill adds and on bringing in the talent that we are missing on the team?

Did we listen to and consider input from all interviewers on the panel? 

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI? D&I? DEIJ? DEIJA? IED? I&D? (Which One?)

In my work as a DEI consultant, I have seen an infinite number of acronyms that refer to these initiatives—DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion); D&I (diversity and inclusion); DEIJ (diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice); DEIJA (diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility); and the list goes on as the acronyms grow longer! On the one hand, I understand that there can be advantages to these increasing levels of specificity. My work is inherently centered around advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility! On the other hand—well, aren’t these concepts in many ways… the same?

As I think about these acronyms and the increasing amount of terms they include, I have to force myself to take a step back. What if, I ask myself. What if I was someone overwhelmed with DEI? What if I was someone resistant to DEI, and I kept finding myself facing a new DEI-related acronym every other day of the week? How would I feel?

“Confused” is probably the most concise answer, but “frustrated” may tag along right with it. Why have so many acronyms? Which one is the right acronym? The real one?

Of course, all of these acronyms are “right” and “real” in the sense that DEI, D&I, DEIJ, DEIJA, and so forth each seek to communicate the importance of creating a diverse, welcoming, fair environment. However, I learned early on in my work as a speaker the importance of simplifying complex messages. As I watch acronym after acronym pop up and increase in length, I have to wonder: are we doing the opposite with DEI? Are we taking a relatively simple message—care for and respect other people, no matter who they are or where they come from—and complicating it as we tack on letter after letter?

Here’s my advice: simplify it! As I mentioned at the start of this blog, diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and accessibility are inherently intertwined. There is no such thing as equity without justice. Inclusion demands accessibility for all and the celebration of diversity. Simply put, we cannot accomplish any one of these concepts without implementing the others.

For companies, I would recommend choosing an acronym for their DEI-related initiatives and sticking with it—keep things consistent! In that same vein, I would even advise the broader movement to unite around one acronym and ideally minimize confusion. We don’t want to push resistant individuals away when too many people already seek to make this important topic needlessly polarizing. At the end of the day, the message of DEI is one that is simple yet crucial, and our acronyms would perhaps be best reflecting that!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

After the Training: Continuing Our DEI Education

The importance of continued DEI education cannot be overstated. However, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that DEI training opportunities cost time and money! So while these workshops are indeed crucial, it is equally imperative that we continue our efforts of DEI education and awareness beyond training. 

(And if that continued education minimizes the amount of money spent, well, I can’t imagine any organization is going to complain.)

Today, I want to offer a simple piece of advice as to how we can continue to educate ourselves on DEI and all of its nuances beyond formal workshops and training!

Here is my recommendation: designate a team member as the organization’s DEI focal point. If a company has a DEI Council, perhaps the employee is chosen from there, but anyone who is passionate about DEI education can easily handle this position. Whenever the rest of us stumble across a DEI-related resource, such as an article about disability in the workplace or a video about how to address microaggressions or any content in-between, we can send it to the designated employee. The employee will proceed to get the materials approved by HR. Afterwards, the designated employee can email at least one DEI resource to all individuals in the company once a week (or as often as an organization prefers—maybe a T/Th schedule is preferable).

Bonus Option: Managers can lead discussions related to these materials and the lessons learned from them in departmental meetings!

I promised my advice was simple, didn’t I? Continuing our DEI education is crucial, but it should not be exhausting or overly expensive. I hope this recommendation offers us all a straightforward and enjoyable way to continue educating ourselves about DEI beyond formal training!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Re-branding DEI to "A Culture of Kindness"

DEI. Diversity, equity, and inclusion. For some, these words cause immense resistance, striking discomfort, fear, and even anger into them! How can we implement DEI and avoid this knee-jerk reaction of resistance? After all, many people—even if they oppose DEI as a project—are not opposed to DEI’s core idea: kindness. So, what can we do with this information?

Hear me out: DEI might benefit from a rebranding! Rather than overly emphasizing the term “DEI” itself, we can discuss DEI as a culture of kindness. In doing so, we communicate the core message of DEI—compassion, empathy, and respect through the creation of welcoming environments—without losing the attention of those who may feel more resistant to “DEI” as a term. Let’s walk through some potential benefits of this rebranding!

1. Human Connection

Shifting the verbiage to “kindness” highlights the importance of treating other people with empathy and offering them forgiveness when they make mistakes. In other words, we can encourage individuals to go beyond mere “tolerance” and instead actively support and uplift one another! Perhaps one of the most important benefits brought about by reframing DEI as a culture of kindness is the creation of a welcoming environment that prioritizes emotional well-being. When workplaces foster inclusion, people experience increased belonging and a stronger sense of psychological safety (not to mention greater job satisfaction!). After all, kindness begets inclusion because kindness means emphasizing what we share with others—our inherent human connection!

2. Alignment with Values

As I mentioned earlier, some people chafe against the phrase “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the reasons for which may vary from person to person. By rebranding DEI as a culture of kindness, we can often make more clear how the values of DEI and thus of the organization at hand already align with their own. Fostering a culture of kindness (i.e. committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion) in our workplaces means treating all individuals with respect, fairness, and care—who could disagree with that?

3. Holistic Approach

Perhaps the best part of rebranding DEI as a culture of kindness is the fact that kindness is universal! No matter where we are in the world, kindness can be understood and embraced by people across cultures and from every background or belief system. If we reframe DEI as a culture of kindness, we may find ourselves making DEI more relatable and accessible to a broader range of individuals than we ever thought possible! In that same vein, encouraging a culture of kindness promotes not just a holistic approach to DEI but to our interpersonal relationships in the workplace, too. What do I mean by this? Simply that organizations who commit to kindness are more likely to encourage positive interactions and behaviors among their employees, resulting in increased collaboration, productivity, and teamwork!

So, how do we feel so far? Anyone else on board with the idea of reframing DEI as a culture of kindness?

If you still have some reservations, fear not! I want to highlight two important caveats to this rebranding theory before I conclude:

Complement, Not Replace

The rebranding of DEI as a culture of kindness is exactly that—a rebranding! To rebrand something is merely to change its image, not its core. As such, rebranding DEI should not diminish an organization’s focus on initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Discussing DEI as a culture of kindness is meant to complement DEI’s core theme of treating others with respect, not replace the action-based nature of DEI with polite small talk. A crucial part of the respect that DEI facilitates is addressing systemic inequality, conscious bias, and unconscious bias, meaning reframing DEI as a culture of kindness should work toward this goal, too!

Structural Change and Accountability

As emphasized, a culture of kindness must be accompanied by comprehensive strategies that encompass education, policies, representation, and active efforts by organizations to dismantle systemic injustice. Ensuring the rebranded “culture of kindness” remains aligned with DEI means refusing to disregard the importance of structural change and holding ourselves accountable. Organizations must continue to address systemic barriers, from developing equitable policies in hiring and promotion to creating more efficient means of reporting and addressing harassment in the workplace. As we all know, the work is not easy, but it is well worth it!

There we have it: three potential benefits of framing DEI as a culture of kindness, as well as two important factors to keep in mind as we do so. Any thoughts on this possibility? If nothing else, I believe it worth a try!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Call me Woke — I call DEI Good Business

2023 has seen an extreme amount resistance to DEI, and many companies that are supporting DEI are facing backlash for their advertisements and products. Chick-fil-A, too, recently faced negative backlash simply for having a DEI page on their website, with people accusing them of “going woke” and demanding boycotts. One person even suggested DEI was antithetical to Chick-fil-A’s Christian values.

I have written in the past about how companies can address internal resistance to DEI initiatives, from utilizing dialogue to demonstrating transparency to sticking to their values. In that same vein, many organizations want to know how they can prepare for and address public backlash to DEI. Today, I will go through three key tips to handle this potential antagonism!

1. Focus on the Vision

Above all else, organizations must keep in mind that DEI is for the long term. The backlash they may receive is temporary, no matter how vitriolic it may seem. Ultimately, this backlash is rooted in fear, especially people’s fear of losing power. As time passes, more and more of those who oppose DEI realize that these initiatives are not about seizing power from anyone; rather, DEI is about creating a world where all people are included and treated fairly. The result? Much of their fear gradually fades! The long-term benefits of DEI are incalculable; for example, DEI increases an organization’s competitive advantage, meaning that only by sticking to those values will such productivity come to fruition. And let’s not forget that companies who stick with DEI are more likely to thrive even during economic downturns! DEI is a perpetual vision for the future, and as such organizations must resist the urge to get caught up in the finite backlash of the present.

2. Positive Economics of DEI

Speaking of the economy, much attention has recently been placed on Target and Bud Light’s dismal profits in the wake of anti-LGBTQ+ backlash that caused them to remove Pride products or revoke Pride campaigns. However, this information is only part of the story! Multiple organizations who have committed to DEI, be it through a public campaign or internal policy, have found that their profits ultimately increase—often substantially so. Allow me to give just a couple examples:

Nike demonstrated its commitment to supporting DEI and racial justice through a “campaign with football player and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick. The ad was supported by the coveted young consumers demographic and won Nike (NKE) an Emmy. In the years since the campaign, Nike (NKE)’s share price has increased.” In other words, Nike is still going strong not just in spite because in fact because of their dedication to DEI!

United Airlines similarly made a DEI commitment in 2021 “for half of its incoming pilot trainees to be women and/or people of color,” leading to backlash and accusations of reverse discrimination. But if we “[c]ut to the beginning of 2023… United [Airlines] was reporting fourth-quarter 2022 profit of $843 million, beating Wall Street expectations.” Seems like the rationale of “go woke, go broke” simply doesn’t hold water.

In other words, there’s no shame in seeing vitriolic backlash and questioning whether an organizational commitment to DEI is worth the potential antagonism. I can certainly sympathize with this anxiety! But again, the negative economic impacts of this backlash are temporary. Because DEI is a long-term vision, its economic impacts are similarly rooted in the long term, and if companies remain committed to DEI, they will find positive economic growth in their future!

3. It’s About Community

What much backlash regarding DEI fails to recognize is that an organization’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is inherently intertwined with their commitment to the community they serve. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban puts it more eloquently than I ever could:

“‘Call me woke — you don’t need to call it DEI, you can call it whatever you want — I call it good business… [DEI] means taking the people that you’re selling to and making sure your workforce looks like them, and making sure you can reflect their values and being able to connect to that. That’s what works for me.’”

DEI is about cultivating a workplace that reflects and supports its community, and that includes embracing the inherent beauty and value of diversity. What’s more, younger generations are fully in support of DEI! More than half of all adults who identify as LGBTQ+, for example, are under 35, meaning demands for organizations to support the LGBTQ+ community and their LGBTQ+ employees will not be going away anytime soon. In fact, they are only going to increase with time. DEI is a vision for the future of all communities, where we can say with confidence that everyone feels supported, included, and welcomed.

At the end of the day, DEI is simply the right thing to do—it’s good for the future, good for business, and good for the community. No amount of backlash will change that!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

3 Tips For Applying Sales Strategies For DEI Advocacy

In my work as a DEI consultant, I have witnessed other DEI coaches and trainers stand at the front of a room full of white men and begin their presentation by discussing racial privilege. Don’t get me wrong—white privilege is real and important to acknowledge during any in-depth discussion of DEI! However, to start a discussion about DEI using white privilege risks losing this group in the first breath, leaving everyone unsatisfied. At the end of the day, we want to sell the concept of DEI, winning not just the minds but also the hearts of individuals! And what better way to achieve this goal than by importing a few sales tactics into our DEI regimens?

I believe a key reason that some DEI initiatives fall short is because those involved are not wholly sold on the value DEI can bring to themselves, their employees, and their organization. As such, it is up to us and all those who support DEI to improve our ability to sell DEI. Today, we will walk through three key sales skills that we can adopt in order to strengthen our DEI efforts. Ready to dive in?

1. Know Your Audience

Understanding the needs, interests, and priorities of the people we are pitching to is a crucial element of sales, and consequently a crucial element of selling the concept of DEI. In other words, we should research the background of our audience, allowing us to gain a stronger grasp on any questions they may have. By recognizing that every group we speak with will have a different perspective and acceptance of DEI, we can best tailor our pitch to their specific concerns!

Regarding the instance I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I would offer that in order to most effectively sell DEI, we cannot begin DEI-related discussions with concepts of privilege or any subject that could potentially be labelled politically “controversial” (excepting, of course, if we are requested to hold such a discussion). I know, I know—it may feel like we’re bowing down to systemic inequality when we don’t discuss important topics like racial privilege or the glass ceiling. But we have to remember: DEI is all about playing the long game by brining people along! We want to make lasting change. 

And how does this relate to selling DEI? Simply put, it serves us well to pitch DEI by starting with simple, common topics anyone can relate to! I say this not to suggest that DEI is not complex—it certainly is—but to remind us that simplifying our message goes a long way in sales (and consequently, in selling DEI). DEI is a subject in which we are always digging deeper, but when we try to bring companies along this journey with us, we want to ensure that they can dig at their own pace, not be so afraid of falling into a hole and breaking a bone that they refuse to participate.

I personally recommend beginning DEI conversations with an emphasis on human connection, e.g. reminding audiences that no matter our race, our gender, our background, we have all felt excluded at different points in our lives. That feeling of exclusion is not a pleasant one, and it is not, I suspect, a feeling we would ever wish upon others. DEI, in turn, is about creating an environment where no one feels excluded. What could be a more admirable goal?

To use a bit of sales terminology, exclusion is a pain point for many organizations—whether they know it or not—and DEI is the precise solution to that problem. As a result, we cannot risk shutting down potential leads by starting our conversations with too hot a topic; we want to turn leads into prospects and eventually buyers. When we know our audience, we will know how to most effectively communicate with them!

2. Address Potential Concerns

While I touched upon this concept in the previous section, I felt it nonetheless deserved a section of its own. Here is a fact: dealing with different people means we are always dealing with different stages of the DEI journey. To integrate more sales terminology, some people will be early adopters, already committed, doing independent research, and basking in the glory of how DEI has improved their organization. Many will be in the early majority, interested in DEI and tentatively willing to implement corresponding initiatives. Some will be in the late majority, perhaps willing to approach DEI but skeptical of its effectiveness. And, of course, there will always be a few laggards, i.e. those who refuse to consider DEI on its own merit.

So what does this mean for our goal of selling DEI? Simply that we need to meet people where they are! Speaking to a member of the early majority is different from speaking to a member of the late majority. In my assessment, the former will likely be more interested in hearing the tangible benefits of DEI for their organization while the latter will probably be better served by addressing their fears related to DEI implementation.

In short, respect the journey, and respect where individuals are on that journey! After all, DEI is about the soft sell, not the hard sell. Pitching DEI means acknowledging that having one conversation is not necessarily going to change someone’s mind; instead, we should focus on planting the seeds in the hope that they will one day blossom into something bigger and beautiful.

Before moving to the next and final section of this blog, allow me to offer an important addendum: regardless of where a person is on their individual DEI journey, it is nearly always beneficial to tell people how DEI will benefit them. Time after time, I have witnessed DEI trainers unwittingly dwell too much on guilt and blame, which causes individuals—especially those possessing greater privilege—to feel like DEI will make them lose something (perhaps their power, perhaps their friendships, perhaps something else altogether). In reality, the situation is the exact opposite: DEI is about an all-encompassing gain! DEI benefits everyone, and the list of examples is endless. Depending on our audience, we might remind them that DEI is rooted in creating a healthier, more welcoming culture both inside and outside of the workplace. Alternatively, we might offer that DEI will help their family. Perhaps they have a partner with disabilities, or an LGBTQ+ child, or a sister, none of whom they wish to see experience discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

At the end of the day, DEI benefits all of us, no matter our background, a fact we would be remiss not to highlight in our (figurative) sales pitches!

3. Adapt Your Approach

We might think of this section as tying the previous two together: knowing our audience and preparing ourselves to address their potential concerns regarding DEI means we must be prepared to adapt our approach at any moment. In other words, we must be flexible, tailoring our communicative style and content based on the preferences and personalities of the group we are speaking to. I will be the first to admit that this advice can be tricky to implement! After all, as we have established, our audience is not one group of people. Perhaps even more intimidating, our audiences often consist of multiple groups within themselves. We may find ourselves facing a mixture of early majority, late majority, and laggards, all in one audience! It is therefore not always easy to get everyone on board about DEI all at once.

Of course, I feel it is important to remind ourselves that this reality applies to any product, not just DEI. No matter what we are trying to sell, we must always be conscious of how we are reaching people of different backgrounds and opinions. The best advice I can give when it comes to adapting our approaches is simple: ensure that our audience always feels respected. Easier said than done, of course! But even if we disagree with someone—perhaps we are dealing with a laggard who stubbornly believes DEI spells the death of organizations—we will never convince them otherwise if they feel that we are not listening and hearing them. After all, some people may simply wish to see the proof of DEI’s benefits through other organizations before they invest time and money in it themselves, and if we do not respect that perspective, then those audiences will never give us the time of day. Change is a process! (The old adage remains true: patience is a virtue.) The more we continue pushing, however gently, for the positive growth DEI brings, the more people will see the value of DEI and thus adopt it over time.

One final tip before I conclude: focus on developing compelling stories. I truly believe that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we can use to connect to an audience and demonstrate to them the value of DEI. Statistics, though useful, are often impersonal. Showing vulnerability through personal narratives, on the other hand, helps ensure we can create emotional bonds with our audiences, e.g. revealing how a particular experience of discrimination has permanently impacted ourselves and our worldview. How can we not connect with someone when we know their story?

In short, stories are how we get to the hearts of other people, and as I said earlier, truly selling DEI means winning both the minds and hearts of individuals. Stories make us human, and we can most effectively evolve our sales strategies by keeping this tactic in mind!

There we have it: three key tips for applying sales strategies to our DEI advocacy. What do you think? Shall we call this DEI sales opportunity “closed-won”?

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

What Does "The Rule of The Thumb" Has to do With DEI?

The English language is full of phrases that have been passed down for generations, many of which to the point where we can no longer recall their origin. Or perhaps we can, but we simply don’t associate the phrase with its origin anymore!

One such phrase is “rule of thumb.” Note that the origin of this phrase is contested among scholars, and I don’t wish to imply that this blog is the be-all, end-all of sources. Rather, I intend to discuss one theory of this phrase’s origin and the consequences of such a history.

First and foremost, many of us likely know that “rule of thumb” today refers to any general principle or guideline based on broad, practical knowledge rather than precise calculations. We might say it’s a good rule of thumb, for example, to tell a friend where you’re eating if you’re going on a first date with someone you met online. In other words, “rule of thumb” simply refers to a technique or thought process that is useful in a given situation!

Historically, however, “rule of thumb” wasn’t always such a broad concept. In the 17th century, English common law reputedly allowed for domestic abuse from the husband to a wife, so long as the stick he used to beat her was no thicker than his thumb. The “rule of thumb,” in other words, was a rule that permitted—even encouraged—domestic violence. Rather gruesome history, right?

As I mentioned, the interpretation of this phrase’s history is not certain; the fact that English common law is based on precedent and not codified law leads to nuance and variability when interpreting centuries-old information. Nonetheless, I think it goes without saying that no one here supports domestic abuse and verbiage that encourages it! Even if “rule of thumb” no longer refers to a law permitting violence against women, that understanding and that history of the term remains. We are left with a choice: we can continue to use phrases like “rule of thumb” that may be rooted in violence, or we can stop using them and in doing so stop the perpetuation of centuries worth of harm.

So, why do I bring this topic up? The reason is simple: I encourage us to question words and phrases that we have heard and been using for years, decades, centuries. If we don’t question accepted language, then we may never become aware of when we are perpetuating harm.

In fact, I have discussed before the importance of questioning our language, because words have tremendous power, and thus being careful about the words we say is one of the simplest and yet also one of the strongest ways we can work toward a brighter, more inclusive world. Some of these terms may have clearly negative origins, such as “slavedriver” and “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” while others may be subtler, such as the possible misogyny in “rule of thumb” and the hidden ableism in phrases like “turn a blind eye to” something. In short, although a word or phrase may have been used for a long time, longevity is no reflection of its respect or inclusion, and it’s up to us to question what we have been conditioned to believe is “acceptable” speech!

I’ll conclude with this: do we want to be part of harmful complacency, or do we want to be part of positive change? Our language will reflect our decision!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

6 Focus Areas For Beginning Your Organization's DEI Journey

In my work as a DEI consultant, I have witnessed a range of organizations express a desire to begin the DEI journey and make their workplaces more inclusive to all. The first problem that presents itself is simple: where to start?

In this blog, I will walk through a selection of key observations and recommendations that I have developed through my work for organizations who are ready to put in the work for DEI but aren’t quite sure where to begin. What are we waiting for? There’s no time to waste!

Observation #1: Employees want thorough implementation of DEI.

Seems self-explanatory, right? “Let’s just offer some DEI training!” The key to thoroughly and effectively implementing DEI is to go about this process intentionally. In other words, outline and define metrics to monitor DEI progress (and make that information available to employees) as well as provide regular DEI training. Not just 5- to 10-minute videos sent in biweekly emails, but also offer workshops and other immersive learning opportunities! As the DEI journey progresses, ensure those workshops become more in-depth; for example, one workshop may specifically cover microaggressions, another emotional intelligence, and so forth.

Observation #2: Employees want increased communication about DEI.

Once an organization has taken the first steps in their DEI journey, employees will want to know how DEI implementation is progressing! Much like the previous recommendation, my advice here is relatively self-explanatory: to keep employees in the loop, send regular emails about the improvement of DEI metrics over time; what DEI initiatives are being invested in and how; and so forth. Additionally, it is crucial for businesses to highlight their commitment to DEI on their website and social media, as such actions will demonstrate transparency regarding DEI efforts and emphasize that everyone, from leadership to employees to members and customers, are in this journey together.

Observation #3: Employees want diverse recruitment practices.

Though making changes to recruiting may seem terrifying from the outset, have no fear. DEI and recruitment, in my opinion, go hand in hand! For starters, businesses should reach out to diverse community organizations, such as HBCUs and other minority colleges, as well as attend culturally diverse job fairs in order to promote their job openings. From there, businesses might consider offering guest speakers, providing assistance with writing resumes, giving tips for being interviewed, and so forth to these diverse organizations. This type of external connection-building helps ensure that diverse candidates have access to resources that they might not otherwise receive.

Additionally, organizations should invest in an internal mentorship program! The other half of recruitment is retention, and a mentorship program allows diverse hires to receive support and training that will set them up for even greater success.

Observation #4: Employees want to see more diversity in the board of directors and upper management. Relatedly, employees want equitable promotion practices (i.e. eliminate favoritism).

Recruitment, retention—of course we must also discuss promotion. Many employees have voiced to me their issues with homogeneity in leadership and the seeming lack of merit-based practices in the process of promotion. As such, one of the best ways to increase diversity in upper levels is to create a talent pipeline, where employees have rotating mentors, receive personalized professional development opportunities, and so forth, all of which will equip them to continually move higher in the organization. To improve transparency regarding promotion practices (and thus ensure those practices are equitable), businesses should a) clearly outline their promotion criteria for all positions and b) advertise all job postings internally. Beautifully straightforward, isn’t it?

Observation #5: Employees want improved avenues for reporting discrimination and harassment.

More specifically, many employees have informed me of their concerns over reporting discrimination and harassment, e.g. that months will pass before action is taken, that they often fear retribution for making these reports, etc. To begin addressing this conundrum, a crucial first step is simply to increase training for managers and supervisors regarding discrimination/harassment and addressing these reports. After all, if leadership is not equipped to handle these issues, then it becomes much more likely these issues will not be handled properly or at all. Having done so, I would also recommend that organizations implement anonymous feedback channels for employees to offer further possibilities to advance DEI, concerns over discrimination/harassment, and any other comments they might wish to share in a truly private manner.

Observation #6: Employees are concerned that they cannot comfortably express themselves in the workplace.

I have listed this observation last because, should the prior recommendations all be implemented with intentionality, self-expression will likely become more natural to employees! Why? Because the work environment will already have become more welcoming and inclusive through the increased role of DEI. As such, my final piece of advice is this: create employee networks for employees of marginalized groups and their allies! Having employee networks for women, for Black individuals, for veterans, for the LGBTQ+ community, and so forth provides a specific environment where people from these populations can more safely express themselves and find support they may never have realized was available to them.

And there we have it! A straightforward breakdown of common observations for organizations beginning the DEI journey and a respective recommendation for each one. I wish all businesses the utmost success as they seek to create a more diverse, inclusive environment for their employees!

---

Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.