I loved The Office. I still watch it in re-runs. It lets me laugh about situations I’ve seen again and again in actual workplaces. It’s not funny in real-life; but it’s hilarious in ‘pretend’!
IN REAL LIFE, I wasn’t laughing when I dealt with:
- A manager wrongly accused of racism by an under-performer
- An employee who unintentionally offended a client
- An outreach worker who wanted to disclose community trends to alleviate a social problem but couldn’t without being falsely labelled herself
Why do these issues arise? Because ‘Awareness Training’ is not enough.
A healthy, safe, fearless workplace requires AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP. If you are an AUTHENTIC LEADER – or want to become one – then this workshop is for you.
What is an authentic leader? You’re confident, self-aware, and free to be yourself both publicly and privately. You see employees getting mired in political correctness, and the workplace climate being poisoned. You want to do something about it!
COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR DIVERSE WORKPLACES: My original, 6-HOUR, interactive workshop delivers tools that authentic leaders need to create and support openness and dialogue in the workplace.
In The Office ‘Dunder Mifflin Paper Products’ office and warehouse, people said the wrong things and lived in fear. They walked on eggshells. But they lacked the leadership to behave and communicate more successfully. In one episode, a diversity exercise became a circus of cultural stereotyping! It was funny because it resonates with everyone. Real-life offices face the same issues, but it’s never funny.
As a real-world manager, you experience:
- Real conversation stifled because of fear of offense or ‘triggering’
- An increase in bullying and harassment complaints/investigations
PARTICIPANTS IN MY MOST RECENT WORKSHOP (Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA) loved the workshop. In anonymous feedback, participants praised it:
“I’m more inclined to engage in an uncomfortable dialogue than before this workshop.”
“I received tools to work through difficult diversity dialogues.”
“Evelina created an atmosphere of openness and allowed uncomfortable conversations.”
“My favorite part was the variety of exercises and sessions.”
“This Communication Skills workshop was well-organized, on-time, and engaging.”
“I really appreciated the openness of Evelina!”
“This workshop was excellent: All the topics related to bias.”
“My favorite parts were the conversations and discussions.”
“I liked how the views and suggestions really support healthy dialogues.”
“I liked group discussions, thought-provoking conversations, and real-life examples.”
Workplaces today are quick to embrace diversity, but good intentions lead to conflict and toxicity. Sondra Thiederman calls this ‘Guerrilla Bias.’ In a workplace that picks up buzzwords, employees learn to identify as victims who are unable to cope with alternate views. No workplace can function and operate properly or effectively in this type of climate.
Authentic Leaders teach Authentic Communication
My workshop equips leaders with the skills necessary for authentic and challenging dialogues. Once in place, differences can be leveraged correctly. Differences become actual benefits, instead of becoming sticks to beat colleagues.
No manager wants their workplace evolving into a real-life version of The Office!
Risk-averse leaders cement a culture of silence. Silence leads to resentment and toxicity, which negates the potential benefits of a diverse workforce! In the wrong environment, diversity becomes a liability instead of an asset.
It doesn’t have to be this way. This is where I come in.
I understand. I hate workplace conflict. Increased calls to my anti-bullying service means workplaces are heating up because workers have stopped talking – they are afraid.
Do you blame them? I don’t.
More and more laws pop up telling us what we can and can’t say. A glance at the media shows how one wrong step, word, or tweet leads to a full-scale social-media attack and demonization.
Again: It doesn’t have to be this way. I can help.
If you want to be an authentic leader, I created my workshop for you and your organization. You’ll learn to be THE LEADER willing to take risks for the greater good of the organization, and to be a POSITIVE-COMMUNICATION MODEL for your team.
The Nitty-Gritty of COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOR DIVERSE WORKPLACES:
- A highly interactive, 6-hour workshop of my researched, original content
- Self-reflection exercises for participants
- Teamwork in small and large groups
But this workshop isn’t for everyone. Why? Because I challenge my participants! You won’t always feel comfortable, but discomfort is where awareness and learning begin.
YOU’LL LEARN:
- Types of bias, and how personal bias shows up in the workplace
- Best responses to comments/behaviours you believe are offensive
- Approaches for justifiable accusations of bias or problematic behaviour
- How to listen and genuinely understand someone
You’ll emerge with tools and strategies to have AUTHENTIC DIALOGUES, which are the lifeblood of constructive workplace relationships.
Want to learn more? Interested in creating a GENUINELY authentic, diverse, and inclusive workplace? If you feel you’re an authentic leader, or that you want to learn how to become one, then this workshop is for YOU.
Contact me to deliver this important workshop to you and your group.
Contact Evelina for more details at: 519-659-4777 evelina@yourdiversityatwork.com
Evelina Silveira, President Diversity at Work
d when you hear the term “mental illness”? You probably think about a commercial which is promoting mental health or a person you may know who is struggling with an illness. Alternatively, we may be speaking about you. What we often forget is that people with mental illness come to our organizations and businesses looking for goods and services. For some, their disorder will not impede their interactions. However, for others, they may experience barriers which prevent them from initiating or completing a transaction with you.
manage an agency, you will most definitely have Millennials serving your customers /clients. Traditional forms of training are ineffective. Written text is not the way to go! With the multitude of media these days, Millennials expect the training to be engaging, visually-pleasing, authentic and timely.
Evelina Silveira, President, Diversity at Work
Diversity and Inclusion at Work 