Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workshops

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are top of mind for many organizations, but many of us lack the knowledge, skills, or tools to take meaningful and long-term action.

We provide workshops for companies and individuals who want to implement real changes in their workplace. SGO workshops are interactive, open to all, and are designed to bring about actionable results. We address sensitive and important issues, in the welcoming space that we're known for. We offer workshops on a variety of content topics, in person and virtually, and tailor them to your company's needs. Is there something you're looking for that isn't represented here? Let us know-- we can also work with you to build out a custom offering!

massachusetts workforce grant
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About Our Workshops

We focus on providing actionable methods to support change. Workshops are designed in a modular fashion, and we can mix and match to meet your needs and the experience level of your attendees.

Each workshop is specifically tailored to your individual goals. However, we routinely create customized programming on a variety of DEI-related topics and themes. Let us co-create something with you!

Workshops

Learn more about the workshops we offer by clicking through the titles below. You can also learn more about our Learning Journeys, where we’ve designed specific paths based on where your team is in their journey.

Participant Feedback

"I thought this was one of the best workshops I have attended because I was able to engage in challenging content without the triggering panic. The educational visuals were amazing and somehow, the content structure was able to remain neutral while still conveying sometimes uncomfortable topics. I also appreciated the pace and shared scientific info (educational and non- patronizing). Great work!! Would highly recommend."

LabCentral

"She+ Geeks Out delivers training like none other. They are engaging, conversational, educational, and accepting of everyone's thoughts and opinions. Contributing to the success are my amazing colleagues that take part in these conversations, but credit has to be given to SGO for fostering an environment in which these important conversations can occur. If you are considering a greater focus on DEI in 2023, you have to take a look at She+ Geeks Out. You'll learn a ton and be glad you made the investment!"

ezCater

"This workshop was one that was very eye opening. It helped me dig down deep to learn more about myself which has also made me more mindful of how I operate with others. My facilitator was awesome and helped my group feel at ease with uncomfortable conversations, which led to great engagement from the participants."

National Nonprofit Organization

"Every team member who did the workshop loved it, and our leadership team is adamant that we bring in SGO again for a team-wide, mandatory workshop!"

Outschool

"The facilitation was really spot on with the balance between educating, giving time to process/think, and giving space for people to speak up. The facilitator was also really welcoming and affirming of each comment/observation that was shared, which created a very positive learning environment. The use of breakout rooms to engage in conversation combined with sharing key points in the larger group was a great way to facilitate everyone's engagement, too."

BookBub

"The conversations of the group were great. We all had varied opinions, and I liked how safe the conversation felt. The facilitators really made it a positive experience."

Blackbaud

Allyship in the Workplace

In today’s world, it’s not enough to be a bystander– we have to move to learning how to understand and act as an ally. This workshop covers a discussion of how to act as an ally in the workplace. We review best practices, terminology related to power and privilege, and specific allyship tools and skills. The workshop includes interactive discussions on relevant real-life scenarios tailored to you.

Learning Objectives:

  • Review terminology related to power and privilege
  • Describe allyship frameworks
  • Practice responding and applying ally skills through scenario discussions

Creating an Inclusive Culture

The workshop will open with a foundational overview of diversity, equity, inclusion, and unconscious bias. We will examine the presence of bias in the workplace and attendees will gain concrete tools and action plans for supporting their teams. Attendees will walk away with a deep understanding of how to personally contribute to creating a supportive and inclusive culture that will improve retention, provide support, and help employees grow professionally.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand how inclusive work culture is created and sustained
  • Understand the attributes of belonging
  • Know how to support all members of your team
  • Plan and measure efforts toward greater team and organizational inclusivity

Effective and Inclusive Feedback

When done effectively and inclusively, providing and receiving feedback can help your team learn how they’re performing and improve  while leveraging strengths and celebrating success. This workshop is designed for teams that are looking to learn and practice ways to give and receive feedback as individual contributors, managers, and leaders of their companies. This workshop includes feedback models and best practices and an opportunity to practice using the strategies covered via scenarios and role-playing to build a culture of feedback. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Define feedback and explain its importance in the workplace.
  • Identify different feedback models and best practices.
  • Reflect and explain the impact of positionality, triggers, and relationship dynamics
  • Develop a feedback plan for themselves or their team.
  • Provide and receive feedback constructively and respectfully.

Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

In today's fast-paced and interconnected world, effective leadership goes beyond just technical expertise; it requires a high level of emotional intelligence. This workshop will equip leaders with the tools and insights to harness emotional intelligence and enhance their leadership capabilities.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify and define the four dimensions of emotional intelligence.
  • Recognize the interconnectedness of these dimensions in shaping an emotionally intelligent leader
  • Recognize the significant impact of emotional intelligence on organizational success
  • Analyze how emotionally intelligent leadership contributes to increased employee engagement, heightened productivity, and enhanced overall team performance
  • Cultivate self-awareness as a foundational skill for effective leadership and team connection

Foundations of DEI

This introductory workshop is designed for team members of all levels. We review the key foundational concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. By the end of this foundational workshop, participants will be able to articulate what these concepts mean and how they show up in and impact the workplace experience. This is a highly effective workshop for those just starting out on their DEI journey.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify and discuss the foundational concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Explain DEI concepts to others
  • Consider how DEI impacts every individual's workplace experience

Inclusive Decision-Making for Leaders

Having clear decision-making processes within an organization can improve accountability and follow through as well as limit confusion when working with colleagues on projects. When the decision-making process is inclusive and diverse perspectives are represented, research shows that we make better decisions. In addition to developing an effective process, it’s also important to have clear and explicit roles and to determine who will be the decision-makers to move from input to action and outcomes. This workshop is designed for managers and leaders that are looking for support and coaching on how they can reflect on their current decision-making skills and styles, and learn new ways of making decisions that are truly inclusive. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the key elements of a clear decision-making process
  • Apply the decision-making process to real-world scenarios
  • Learn how to make more inclusive and effective decisions

Inclusive Meetings in the Workplace

Attendees will take an in-depth look at a vital part of everyone’s day– meetings– and discuss how to best prepare for, run, and support inclusive work gatherings. We’ll cover how bias shows up in meetings, different ways people communicate, and how to most effectively acknowledge and include everyone, no matter where your team is working from.

Learning Objectives:

  • Name ways bias can impact in-person and virtual meetings
  • Identify strategies for running meetings with an inclusive lens
  • Assess opportunities to use inclusive language

Navigating Non-Apparent Disabilities and Neurodiversity in the Workplace

This workshop explores the key concepts of disability — specifically, non-apparent disabilities— and neurodiversity, and how they impact the workplace experience. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of these topics, with a specific focus on some of the historical context for disability in the U.S. We will discuss unique challenges and barriers to inclusion that disabled and neurodivergent employees typically encounter. You’ll also learn ways you can support a more affirming workplace for anyone, but especially for disabled and/or neurodivergent employees.

Learning Objectives:

  • Exploration and increased understanding of disability, neurodivergence and ableism
  • Apply an intersectional lens for disability and neurotypes
  • Expanded view of how ableism affects us all

 

Operationalizing Intersectionality in Your Workplace

In this workshop, we will dive deeper into the intersectionality framework and review how this can be applied to workplace systems, practices and processes. We will review several case studies and practice applying an intersectional lens to various real-life workplace issues. This training is designed for managers, leaders, and anyone who is responsible for implementing and supporting organizational-wide practices.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explore how intersectionality serves as a lens to better understand power dynamics at work
  • Identify best practices for supporting intersectionality at the organizational level
  • Practice leveraging skills by reviewing case studies and scenarios

Recognizing and Responding to Microaggressions

Microaggressions are everyday verbal and nonverbal slights, snubs, or insults, which can either be intentional or unintentional. These actions communicate negative or hostile messages that are based solely on the recipient's perceived marginalized group membership. In this workshop, we’ll cover what microaggressions are, how they manifest, and how we can respond to them as a recipient, as someone who has committed a microaggression, and as a witness to one.

Learning Objectives:

  • Recall what a microaggression is and how it manifests
  • Describe how to respond to microaggressions from three different perspectives

Recruiting and Hiring Inclusively

Geared toward recruiters and hiring managers, this workshop series examines each step in a typical hiring process through the lens of inclusivity. The workshop will open with a review of the foundational concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and unconscious bias. We break down the entire life cycle of your specific hiring process through an inclusive and equitable lens. From creating the initial job description to making an offer, participants will explore how bias manifests at each stage, and provide tangible strategies to mitigate it. We will practice with hands-on activities, and wrap up by having each participant develop their own action plan so that they feel empowered to take steps toward change after the workshop.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define how unconscious bias manifests during the hiring process
  • Analyze job descriptions through an inclusive and equitable lens
  • Recognize how to expand your sourcing practices
  • Express how to inclusively assess your candidate pool via resume review, interviewing, and negotiating

Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

This workshop is designed for team members of all levels. We review and dig deep into the concept of unconscious bias. Attendees will explore how implicit attitudes and socializations impact our decisions and the interactions we have with one another. By the end of this foundational workshop, participants will understand and be able to discuss key concepts, articulate what unconscious bias is, and spot how it manifests at work. Participants will be provided with methods and strategies to help mitigate bias in the workplace and beyond.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain the concept of unconscious bias and how it manifests in a workplace environment
  • Recognize how bias manifests in the workplace
  • Apply methods for mitigating bias in the workplace

Understanding Across Cultural Differences

As we increasingly work with people from different cultural backgrounds, a necessary skill is having a deeper appreciation for and understanding of those with different beliefs, values, and practices from our own. A core component of this work is a concept called “cultural humility”, which is the ongoing journey of learning about and adapting to different cultures. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the definitions of awareness, competence, and humility, as well as the diversity of the workplace landscape. We’ll discuss the barriers and challenges to cultural competence and humility, and the role that employees can play at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational level. This workshop will give your team the opportunity to practice using customized scenarios tailored to your needs.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define cultural humility and its key components.
  • Identify the benefits of cultural humility in the workplace.
  • Recognize the dimensions of diversity and its influence on work and interactions.
  • Understand how to recognize and address biases and barriers to cultural competency and humility
  • Apply culturally humble strategies through real-world scenarios.

Understanding and Addressing Racism

This three-part introductory workshop series examines the root causes of racism and the ways in which it manifests in the workplace and beyond. We will discuss our own personal experiences while thinking of ways to dismantle and unlearn harmful narratives we’ve consciously and unconsciously accepted. By the end of this workshop series, participants will be provided with an anti-racist framework on how to begin recognizing and addressing manifestations of racism.

Learning Objectives:

  • Review a snapshot of how racism has impacted the lives of various racial groups
  • Describe how racism manifests at the ideological, individual, interpersonal, and institutional levels
  • Practice engaging in meaningful conversations related to our identity, power, and  privilege
  • Discuss ways we can begin adopting an anti-racist lens in our personal and professional lives

Understanding Intersectionality At Work

When considering identity, especially the various identities that may or may not be represented within your organization, it is important to recognize that everyone has multiple identities. Intersectionality is a term and concept that was coined to describe the interconnected and overlapping nature of social identities. In this workshop, we will define intersectionality, review various manifestations of identity-based privileges and lack thereof, and discuss how we can consider multiple and intersecting identities within the workplace. 

Learning Objectives:

  • Define intersectionality and explain the origins of this framework
  • Identify manifestations of privileges and inequities that are linked to identity
  • Share data related to the applications of intersectionality to the working world

Custom Workshops

Each workshop is specifically tailored to your individual goals. However, if you don’t see a workshop topic listed here, we routinely create customized workshops on a variety of DEI-related topics and themes. We are happy to have a conversation with you to learn more about your needs.

OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE

Our benefits

1

Customized

We tailor our vast content repository to your specific requirements, providing a framework for understanding concepts so that participants feel empowered to have conversations with colleagues outside of the training.

2

Action-Oriented

We provide effective tools and strategies to mitigate bias. Our training creates a lifelong learning experience and lasting change, from the bottom up as well as top-down.

3

Knowledgeable

Our team is incredibly skilled at facilitation and holding space for these important conversations. Also, we're geeks! We're constantly updating our materials based on current research.

We would love to learn more about you and your needs regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training. Please complete the form below (it should take 3 minutes or less) and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.