Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificate Program

Develop leadership skills that actively promote and support diversity and inclusion within your organization at every level. Leaders throughout an organization must be knowledgeable advocates for diversity and inclusion (D&I) to ensure these principles are embedded in the organization's culture and core business strategy.

This distinctive three-day certificate program goes significantly beyond conventional D&I training, providing you with practical skills to become a true champion of diversity and an effective leader of inclusive teams. You will learn to recognize the unique and multidimensional nature of individual identity, develop a deeper understanding of unconscious and overt biases, and explore behaviors that establish trust and psychological safety. You will gain concrete knowledge and practical tools designed to help you foster a thriving organizational culture that genuinely promotes and reflects these diversity and inclusion values. Apply everything you learn in a specially designed, interactive capstone project that simulates real-world challenges.

Added benefit: You will receive an exclusive American Management Association (AMA) certificate recognizing your completion of this comprehensive program.

Core Course Objectives:

• Establish a common language and shared definitions for diversity and inclusion terminology
• Understand why diversity and inclusion matter as a business imperative in modern workplaces
• Reflect on the multidimensional, multicultural aspects that shape each individual's unique identity

Who Should Attend:

This program is designed for leaders at all organizational levels, human resources professionals, and others responsible for championing or wishing to take responsibility for diversity and inclusion initiatives in their organization. Leaders at every level must be active, qualified advocates for diversity and inclusion to ensure these values are integrated into organizational culture and business strategy.

How You Will Benefit from This Program:

• Learn the nature of conscious and unconscious biases and develop practical strategies to overcome them
• Identify and apply emotionally intelligent leadership communication approaches
• Learn and practice mindfulness techniques for supporting individuals and teams through difficult situations
• Enhance your ability to facilitate meetings that actively include and engage all participants
• Take responsibility for creating and maintaining a workplace culture of respect, civility, and trust

Topics You Will Cover in This Course:

• Learning how our brains process information and the cognitive mechanisms that create biases
• Distinguishing between overt discrimination and unconscious bias in organizational settings
• Applying strategies for cultural awareness and effective communication when managing conflict and disagreement
• Identifying emotionally intelligent approaches to leadership communication
• Assessing your team's current stress levels and emotional state to support optimism and productivity
• Building skills for facilitating teamwork and effective collaboration among diverse group members
• Recognizing unhealthy workplace practices and behaviors that undermine inclusion
• Taking concrete action to establish a healthy culture emphasizing respect, civility, and trust
• Using the Inclusive Leadership Assessment to identify your personal strengths and growth areas
• Mastering the art of leading inclusive meetings where all voices are heard
• Building a detailed Inclusive Leader Action Plan tailored to your organization
• Capstone activity: Applying your skills in realistic workplace scenarios

Comprehensive Course Outline:

Introduction to Diversity and Inclusion

• Establish a common language and shared definitions for diversity and inclusion terminology
• Understand why diversity and inclusion are a strategic business imperative for modern organizations
• Reflect on the multidimensional and multicultural aspects that define individual identity

Bridging Communication Differences

• Describe the importance of flexing your communication style based on others' preferences as an inclusive leader
• Explain your own preferred communication style and recognize the different styles of those around you
• Recognize obstacles that ineffective listening creates in team dynamics
• Identify the two types of micro-messages and recognize the impact of micro-inequities

Emotional Intelligence and Diversity and Inclusion

• Understand the deep relationship between Emotional Intelligence capability and effective Diversity work
• Use the Inclusive Leadership Assessment to identify your unique strengths and areas for development
• Develop skills for facilitating teams' collaborative ability to work together effectively
• Identify specific intercultural leadership challenges and strategies to address them

Leading a Successful Multicultural Team

• Use the Inclusive Leadership Assessment to understand your strengths and development opportunities
• Develop practical skills for facilitating a diverse team's ability to work effectively together
• Identify your ideal professional network to accomplish goals and advance your career
• Recognize and address leadership challenges in multicultural contexts

Conducting Difficult Conversations Successfully

• Learn and practice a proven model for conducting difficult conversations with skill
• Identify the distinct characteristics of debate, discussion, and dialogue
• Practice dialogue skills in realistic conversation scenarios

Your Vision and Plan for an Inclusive Workplace

• Review key tools and important takeaways from the seminar
• Create a compelling, inclusive vision specific to your workplace environment
• Build a personalized Inclusive Leader Action Plan for implementation

Capstone: Practice and Application

• Put into practice the instructional learnings and personal insights you gained during the seminar
• Use role-play to practice managing realistic situations and interactions you may encounter
• Receive constructive feedback to incorporate into your ongoing leadership development plan
• Observe and provide thoughtful feedback on others' role-plays, strengthening peer learning

Putting Your Plan Into Action

• Distill and consolidate what you have learned from seminar instruction, activities, and the capstone project
• Finalize your personalized Inclusive Leader Action Plan for implementation in your organization