Ideas to help celebrate inclusively for Women’s History Month
If you or your organization haven’t yet planned a Women’s History Month celebration, there’s still time. Informal programs, discussion guides and tools can help you meet aspiring allies where they are to support gender inclusion.
Consider these ideas for effective discussion formats to kick-start the conversation:
- Women in the Workplace Report: Refer to McKinsey & Company’s annual report examining gender bias, pay gaps and representation disparities. Share this valuable tool with your organization and gather for ally-driven discussions, asking, “What does this mean?” and “What do we need to do differently?”
- Gender-Inclusive Leadership Panel: If hiring an external speaker isn’t feasible, tap into your organization’s talent pool. Bring together a diverse group from different departments and backgrounds. Pose questions like, “Describe your career path” or “What barriers did you face and how did you overcome them?” Open the floor for a Q&A session.
- Lunch and Learn: Unite your team to watch a video or webinar together. Engaging TED Talks from Brené Brown, Kimberlee Crenshaw and Loretta J. Ross can also spark meaningful discussions.
- Book Discussion: Numerous excellent women’s leadership reads are available, such as Bias Interrupters, Good Guys and Inclusion on Purpose. Craft a book summary along with questions to drive positive change.
- Podcast Discussion: Have the team listen to a podcast episode and come ready to discuss key takeaways and action items. Consider podcasts like HBR Women at Work, A Will to Change, and Diversity Pivot for insightful conversations on gender equality and diversity.
These tools are as powerful as the conversations can be. Having clear expectations, engaging allies and focusing on impact and positive intent are critical for success.
Set Clear Expectations
Creating space for discussion is key. To ensure psychological safety in these discussions, have clear ground rules and boundaries around what is expected of the group. Start by engaging them in outlining key behaviors that will be important for the discussion to be productive. Consider these as a starting point:
- Stay curious, not judgmental
- Share feedback openly and respectfully
- Encourage transparency and honesty
- Foster a culture of listening and learning
- Invite allies to join the conversation
Engage Non-Obvious Allies
Those in the dominant group—especially straight, white, non-disabled men—have a lot of access and proxy to power. Nearly 80% of leadership teams are…………
Read the rest of this article by Julie Kratz on Forbes.com
At Next Pivot Point we have lots of resources to help you facilitate successful diversity and inclusion initiatives. Schedule some time with our team today to discuss where to start or how to do better. You can also check out:
- Our available workshop topics for developing inclusive leaders.
- Our Train the Trainer programs for scalability within your organization
- Our Right-Sized DEI micro-content packages for consistent small-drip content throughout the year.