At SGO, we understand that fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace is not merely a goal but a journey. The path to achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a dynamic and ever-evolving one, and it demands a deliberate commitment to learning and growth. That’s why we offer personalized professional development programs tailored to meet your specific training and development needs.
The Power of Learning Journeys
While one-off workshops can certainly raise awareness, they often fall short of delivering the sustained impact and transformation that a structured learning journey provides. A multi-series approach, as offered in our learning journeys, enables participants to delve deeper, internalize knowledge, and apply it over time, making it a more effective and lasting solution for fostering positive shifts and changes in DEI within your organization
A learning journey is a strategic approach for an individual or a group of people to learn and implement a certain skill set over time. When deciding on a learning journey, we do our best to support our clients in identifying the need for training, where there might be a gap as it relates to skills and knowledge, and how we can measure impact over time. As a result, embarking on a structured learning journey can be an effective and impactful experience, both for individuals and organizations. These journeys are a powerful way to navigate the complexities of DEI work and skills, propelling your growth and helping you achieve your DEI goals. Let’s explore the learning journeys we offer at SGO and why they’re a great way to create positive shifts and changes in DEI at your company.
The Foundations Journey
The Foundations Journey is a thoughtfully curated learning experience designed to equip your teams with essential knowledge and skills related to DEI in the workplace and is an excellent place to start if you haven’t had successful conversations on these topics as an organization. This journey sets the stage for informed discussions and actions, facilitating a strong foundation for a deeper understanding of this work. Here are some of the recommended workshops in this journey:
- Understanding Across Cultural Differences: Embracing cultural differences is at the heart of DEI. This workshop equips participants with the skills to foster understanding and respect across diverse backgrounds.
- Foundations of DEI: Dive deep into the fundamental principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, setting the stage for informed discussions and actions.
- Unconscious Bias in the Workplace: Recognize and address unconscious biases, which can impede fair decision-making and hinder progress towards an inclusive environment.
- Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions: Learn to identify and respond to microaggressions—subtle, often unintentional discriminatory behaviors.
- Allyship in the Workplace: Explore the critical role allies play in promoting DEI and learn how to be an effective ally.
The Culture Shift Journey
We designed this journey for organizations that have already established a foundational understanding of DEI and are ready to take the next step by creating a positive organizational culture shift. From an L&D perspective, it’s the logical progression in a training strategy. Your teams will learn ways they can contribute to positive culture change initiatives within their organization, including:
- Creating an Inclusive Culture: Dive into the strategies and actions necessary to create a truly inclusive workplace culture.
- Inclusive Meetings in the Workplace: Learn how to structure meetings that encourage participation and inclusion.
- Effective and Inclusive Feedback: Understand the power of creating a culture of feedback and how it can be wielded to support and foster a sense of belonging, inclusion and overall growth and engagement within your company.
- Understanding and Addressing Racism: Explore the complex issue of racism and develop tools to address it within your organization.
The Sustainment Journey
The Sustainment Journey is a continuous learning experience designed for organizations committed to maintaining a consistent cadence of DEI knowledge and practices. From an L&D perspective, this is about sustaining the impact of training initiatives and broadening our DEI knowledge and skills. This journey includes a series of workshops, webinars or Q&A sessions curated for your specific needs, providing ongoing opportunities to not only deepen understanding and knowledge on specific DEI topics but to also practice and incorporate some of the skills and tools shared during the sessions. Some example topics include:
- Leading with Compassion: Emotionally Intelligent Management: Discover how emotional intelligence can enhance DEI initiatives, promote compassionate leadership and strengthen workplace relationships.
- Operationalizing Intersectionality in Your Workplace: Learn to navigate the complex interplay of various forms of identity privilege and power and how they influence or impact our interactions and practices within an organization.
- Recruiting and Hiring Inclusively: Learn about inclusive practices you can begin incorporating into your hiring strategy.
- Integrating Embodiment and Somatics in your DEI Work: Explore innovative approaches to DEI work, including the integration of embodiment and somatic practices.
Structured learning journeys, when incorporated into a comprehensive training strategy, can significantly improve the outcomes and impact of your DEI initiatives. By investing in these journeys, you’re investing in growth, progress, and the creation and sustainment of a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.
Note: Our learning journeys are most impactful when combined with various reinforcement strategies such as assessment, coaching, strategic planning, and more. We believe that a holistic approach is essential for creating lasting and meaningful change in the workplace. To learn more about our comprehensive approach, check out our theory of change and other offerings.