Tension Happens!
Let’s face it, any workplace can be a minefield of misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and even conflict. Embarrassment, looking foolish, feeling like a bad person, anger, resentment. These are the feelings that can come up when you have a negative encounter in the workplace. When you’ve said something wrong. When you hear something offensive. Things sure can get tense when something you say has been taken out of context!
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The Inclusion Bundle packages Dr. Sondra Thiederman's "Gateways to Inclusion" and Dr. Steve Robbin's "The Uh-Oh Syndrome" together to show how these uncomfortable situations can be transformed by recognizing how everyday experiences influence our interpretations of the people and world around us.
Gateways to Inclusion: Turning Tense Moments into Productive Conversations
When you hear something offensive or perhaps you’ve said something wrong..… feelings can be hurt and people go away embarrassed, angry, resentful and more. But these difficult encounters don’t have to remain difficult. If handled properly, these uncomfortable situations can be transformed. Opening that gateway to conversation – and holding it open – rather than slamming it shut in fear or anger has immeasurable benefits. That is why Dr. Sondra Thiederman calls them “Gateway Events.” But to make this work, we need to talk to each other. This video package provides four immediately-applicable skills that will help you turn these tense moments into productive conversations.
The Benefits:
Opening a gateway to conversation – and holding it open – rather than slamming it shut in fear or anger has immeasurable benefits. These include:
- Increased harmony and better working relationships
- Reduced manager time spent mediating tension and misunderstanding
- Increased employee engagement and commitment
- An atmosphere of respect and inclusion
- Improved teamwork and productivity
The Uh-Oh Syndrome: From Intolerance to Inclusion
Why is it that in traditional diversity training, many people still feel left out? How about a new approach to diversity based on entertaining new ideas from different perspectives? How innovative would that be?
The Learning Objectives:
1. Examine how nice, well-meaning people engage in unintentional intolerance.
2. Recognize and understand how closed-mindedness and exclusion take place, and how to become more open-minded to new people and novel ideas.
3. Discover how everyday experiences shape our perspectives and influence our interpretations of the people and world around us.
If we can begin to understand it from that type of framework we can easily see how developing open-minded individuals and organizational cultures is the first stage of the “diversity journey” and how the work of “diversity and inclusion” can positively impact:
1. Creativity and innovation;
2. Employee engagement and enthusiasm;
3. Continuous learning and improvement.
The unique manner in which Dr. Robbins approaches issues of diversity and inclusion, along with his engaging and motivational style are just a few of the powerful reasons why organizations call on him.
