Regardless of the reason, by attempting to pigeonhole the subject of diversity solely as a black, white, or racial issue does everyone a disservice. Doing so, leaves entire segments of minority and marginalized populations out of the discussion, limits the availability of varied opinions at the table, and minimizes a wealth of experience. Furthermore, it limits our ability as a society to develop in a way that allows every segment of the population to feel included, heard, and supported.

The majority of the population is not racist. But the “now what?” matters, then ever because there are still thoughts, laws, and behaviors that are rooted in prejudice, bias, and discrimination that result in inequitable opportunities and unfair experiences for individuals who are part of minority and marginalized groups.
​
So now what? ​

"I don't understand, we had a Black President."
"I don't see color."
"Look at Oprah, Michael Jordan, Tyler Perry or Beyoncé, they made it, they are successful."
"Dr. Will look at you, you pulled yourself up from your bootstraps."
"I think this whole thing of racism is BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION, it's not like it use to be."

Anyone who has ever had a sales job or sat through a customer service training has heard the old adage that "People like to buy from people they know, like, and trust." Then they may offer a blurb about ways you can get people to "like" you. Things like, smiling, offering compliments, don't sell the product sell the benefits, let the customer know you are there to help them, not sell them. While some of those strategies may work to enhance your likability, they fall painfully short of establishing trust. 

You see, establishing trust, begins long before a client, employee or prospect ever engages with your company. Trust begins behind the scenes. It starts with your LEADERSHIP!

The attitudes, beliefs, and yes..... bias' of your leaders will be front and center when it comes time to creating the culture of your organization.

People say it's just business, it's not personal. Well, guess what, whether you realize it or not everything about your business starts out personal, long before it becomes business. Think about it, everything from how your company selects markets, how you promote your business, who you market to, the policies and procedures you establish, how you make decisions, who you hire, and even how you seek out talent are all tied to THE PERSONAL BELIEFS, PREFERENCES, AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF YOUR COMPANY LEADERSHIP.

What we have learned over the years is that people will actually pay more to do business with a company they trust. We've also discovered that top talent would be willing to accept a lower wage or less favorable working hours to work for a company that has shared values.

In essence, who your company is, how you show up and who you attract is up to you!

Being inclusive is a choice. Companies must become intentional about employee selection and promotion opportunities to make room for voices, experiences, and opinions that differ. These differences provide a 365-degree perspective. It opens the door for policies, procedures, and products that have a broader appeal and demonstrates equitable company values in action. And yes, THAT builds TRUST!

It begins with questioning your thoughts and long-held beliefs. It requires gathering differing opinions. Sometimes you need to borrow a lens from someone else to be able to see it from another perspective. That is impossible to do if everyone you rely on to make decisions all look and think alike. 

Ask yourself:
Have you been intentional as an organization about fostering a diverse environment?
Does your company leadership reflect values of diversity and inclusion?

If the answer to one or both of the above questions is NO. The next question to ask yourself is, What can you commit to right now that will begin to move the dial in the direction of becoming a more diverse company and foster trust in your team and your clients?

Remember the know, like, and trust factor, of a diverse employee and client base starts with the diversity of your leadership. 

Take a look at the video below to give you some additional food for thought on the importance of diversity in your leadership. 

Historically speaking, history is made up of ordinary people doing ordinary things. Many of the most memorable historical figures of the civil rights movement found themselves cast into the spotlight for living their normal everyday life, doing what they believed to be right. Their actions, disrupted the status quo and forced people to recognize injustices that they may otherwise choose to overlook. Hindsight has demonstrated over the years that being on the right side of history can be a lonely and sometimes dangerous place.  
​
One example that comes to mind is a now famous photo (above) believed to be taken in 1936 in Hamburg Germany. The photo depicts a group of workers demonstrating their allegiance to Hitler and the Nazi movement. The masses were united, except for one. He too up until that day had been a member of the Nazi Party. But on this day this one man, later identified as August Landmesser had seen enough. Although he was Aryan, he was in love with a Jewish woman and had experienced firsthand the lies and terrors the Nazi’s had inflicted on the Jews.  This one man decided on that day, in that moment, he would stand for his own beliefs and his right to love and marry who he wanted. Instead of saluting the Reich, the photo shows him standing in opposition with his arms folded resolutely across his chest.

In that moment, he was not trying to make history, he couldn’t have known that in a sea of hundreds his actions would even be noticed. He knew the risks associated with his refusal but his belief in what was right was stronger than his fear. He certainly had no way of predicting that he would be immortalized in history. This example of one man, going against the grain and defying the opinions of the masses. His defiance in that moment, captured forever, cost him dearly. Yet years later we can look back at that moment and say HE DID THE RIGHT THING.

Now, not to say that everyone is out to “make history” per se, in fact, just the opposite. Many of the individuals that you see making a difference in the world go about their work, pursue their dreams, and support of their beliefs without seeking notoriety or recognition. They just try to DO THE RIGHT THING.

Standing up for diversity, equity, and inclusivity for everyone is that type of work. It is THE RIGHT THING. It may require you to go against the grain. It may cost you some friends. You may even lose some relationships.

The question to ask yourself…. “Is doing THE RIGHT THING and living on the right side of history worth it?”

Only you know the answer to that. If your answer is YES, we have the training, resources, and solutions to help you develop your action plan.

For more information on how Moreland Training & Associates can assist you in your endeavors to do the RIGHT THING in your organization contact us at [email protected] and speak to an associate.

To stay connected to the latest video messages about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Solutions subscribe and follow us on YOUTUBE.

​When it comes to branding and image, corporations, small businesses, schools, and even Entrepreneurs invest a great deal of time and money developing their brand and creating an image that they can be proud of. After all, your brand, speaks on your behalf. Your brand represents who you are, what you stand for, and it tells clients and the community at large what they can expect from you. Your brand is how you show up to the marketplace and potential clients.
The flip side of that is your workplace culture. Your culture is how you show up to your employees and in many cases, the clients that you deal with on a regular basis. Your culture can make or break your brand. How does your organization treat people? How do people ‘feel’ when they engage with your company? Does your culture support your brand?
Often organizations will invest thousands of dollars, time and effort creating a brand and forget that the CULTURE is the backbone of the brand. Creating a culture that is diverse and inclusive is the hinge pin to supporting a vibrant and successful brand. Being intentional about developing a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture is one of the best investments you can make as a leader. Recently the British Royal Family begun to experience what happens when the culture within does not match the image your brand represents.

Assessing the success of your organizational culture and identifying gaps can be a difficult task. Especially if you are attempting to measure your own commitment and your own success via your own metrics. What may appear to be success internally or when viewed from an executive or management level may fall short from the perspective of your team and/or your community. You may feel as if you are doing “all you can”, “more than most”, or even that you “got it right” and still come up short.
​
There are a few reasons for this.

• The first is that you are only viewing it from one angle and only from one set of personal experiences. Meanwhile the employees have a different angle, stakeholders have yet another viewpoint, and the community has a multitude of other perspectives. After all, when you are part of the picture, it’s impossible to see the frame.
• Secondly, employees do not trust the process. They do not feel safe sharing their honest opinions. In a recent survey many employees felt that if they gave opposing feedback that their job security may be affected. They felt as though they may be labeled as having a negative attitude or being a troublemaker. There is also a common concern, that they don’t want to “get anyone in trouble” and speaking out may negatively impact a peer.

Creating a healthy workplace culture is not a one and done. It is ever evolving and changing as the landscape of the world changes. Gone are the days when “that’s how we have always done it” was a satisfactory response. What you did a year ago may have been on target at that point but may no longer be enough. After all, who within the British Monarchy would have thought they would be in the spotlight of the diversity dialogue? Perhaps no one on the inside, but many on the outside could clearly see the potential for a culture clash. As the racial makeup of the family and the dynamic of the world shifted, the need for change was inevitable.

After hundreds of years of self-management, the Monarchy is now coming to understand that the way it has always been done, is not going to work in today’s diverse world. The effects of living with the status quo is becoming quite costly.

Creating and maintaining a culture of inclusivity and diversity requires a multi-pronged strategic approach comprised of objective assessments, policy reviews, and ongoing awareness training. That is the value of utilizing external experts. They help you see the whole picture, frame, and all. 
​
If you have not considered having a diversity expert on call or conducted an organizational assessment contact us at Morelandtraining.com and schedule a complimentary consultation today!

Most educators have known for years that there is an achievement gap between students based in large part by their racial demographics and their family’s economic positioning. What most educators have struggled with is how to bridge the gap, which only seems to increase as technology advances.
There are many reasons that can be cited for this disparity. Everything from household make up, lack of resources, lack of access, to lack of interest. Regardless of the cause, as the years have progressed one thing that cannot be denied, our young people need our help and our guidance. Truthfully speaking, our children aren’t failing, we are failing our children. As the adults, parents, educators, and community leaders we have to roll up our sleeves, get engage, and place a sense of urgency to this. We must begin to actively participate in the bridge building. It is no longer about determining who or what is at fault, instead we must accept that regardless, we are all responsible.
So, you may be asking, “But where do I begin?”  Start with HEART!
Here are 5 HEART centered action steps you can take, starting today, to begin to do your part.

1. Have a conversation. Get to KNOW your students, not just their names and the clinical data in their files. Make a concerted effort to engage in genuine conversations with them. This will require some rapport building. If you are an elementary school teacher make it your mission to know what’s hot in their world. The latest toys, video games, shows etc. Incorporate those items into your engagement with the children. Middle School and High School, similar approach but broaden the scope. Our teens and tweens are also heavily impacted by social issues. Sure, they appear to live in a ‘me’-centered universe, but the rest of the solar system is at their fingertips and they are being impacted from all angles. Stay up on the pop culture, learn who is in and who is out. Learn follow influencers on Instagram, educated yourself on Tik Tok and Snapchat. Familiarize yourself with their world.  Again, being well-versed on these seemingly “unrelated” social details will be key to building rapport and establishing trust.\
2. Exchange the polaroid snapshot in for a wide-angle lens. Yes test scores will tell you a lot but they are merely a snapshot in time. Numbers do not tell the whole story. They certainly won’t disclose the human story. Remember those conversations from step one? THIS is where the investment you made to connect with them on their level, will set you apart.  We used to live in a world where kids trusted adults because they were adults, no other credentials were required. Now, sadly, we live in a time where in many cases, the adults charged with protecting children are the very ones violating them. So, it is up to us to take the extra step to demonstrate they are safe to trust. It may take some subtle probing, but as they open up you will begin to identify areas of opportunities to make a shift. This is where you will begin to apply the diversity training and yes, you may feel stretched by it. If these children are from a different culture, community, or upbringing than yourself you will have to remind yourself to view their story through a wide-angle lens. You will need to challenge yourself to not deny their experiences, but instead accept that those experiences exist, even if you personally have never lived it. As you have asked them to trust you, trust them, to allow you to see their world, through their eyes.
3. Abolish the “If this, then” mindset. There’s a relatively new term now, they say we live in a “CANCEL CULTURE”. Meaning if we feel something is wrong we rebuke it and shut it down by any means. If we are going to buy into cancel culture, here is a perfect and justifiable thing to exercise it on. Too often we ‘assume’ we know what someone is thinking or feeling based on how WE THINK we would feel in their shoes. Newsflash, that’s a habit that also needs to be cancelled. Because guess what, you aren’t living or walking in their shoes so you cannot assume you know. What happens is we borrow from our own lived experiences and try to overlay ours on top of theirs. What happens then is we attempt to frame their experience through our own lived experiences, which most times are eons apart.  Leaving one to deduce that if this is what it look here and now, then that must have happened or then they won’t want to do X, Y, or Z. Remember those test scores????? When you look at those and allow your mind to operate on auto-pilot you risk missing the real opportunities and teachable moments. Auto pilot will signal If this is their score, then they must not care.  If this is their grade, then there’s no way they can get into college. STOP !IMPOSING your limiting beliefs onto them based on numerical statistics and instead ask questions. Back to the beginning, have a conversation. You will be surprised at what you can uncover.
4. Raise your Expectations. As a general rule, most children will strive to live up to, or down to your expectations. If they know the bare minimum is all that is expected, they will not feel compelled to attempt to do more. They may not even be aware of that “more” is an option. They certainly will not be incentivized to stretch themselves. And suddenly that “If this, then” mindset will kick in to gear for them. If this is all that is expected, then this is all I HAVE TO DO and in turn, this is all I’m going to do.” In turn, if you as a leader have not cancelled that mindset for your self you too will move into auto pilot mode. If this is all the effort they put out, then he or she must not care. Which may be the farthest thing from the truth. In reality, for many students, if someone would be willing to set a higher standard with clear expectations of achievement established, they are quite capable of rising up to the challenge. By raising your expectations, you affirm, that something more is possible.
5. Trade the map in for an Atlas. Often times our own beliefs can impact the path that we set forth for a child and we choose to map out only one way to accomplish a goal or reach a target. When in reality, there may be 15 other ways to get there. I challenge you to familiarize our young people with the whole atlas and teach them to explore various routes. The route that may seem easiest in your mind may not be the route that is the most appealing to them. One of the hardest things we do as parents, educators and leaders is to take our hand off the wheel and give our children the freedom to chart their own course. Our job is to show them the world of possibilities and reinforce their ability to accomplish anything they set their mind to.  At the end of the day be willing to accept that the path they choose may be quite different than the one you may have chosen for them. And that is OK.

Bridging the gap starts with a conversation but the conversation never ends. Keep your heart, eyes, and ears open. Change the lens and be willing to see the world through new eyes. Cancel outdated beliefs limiting mindsets. Keep your expectations high, just because we have never touched a star doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate they are there. And finally, your job, is to show there are various routes, be available to course correct when necessary, but in the end let them explore.
Bridging the gap starts with HEART!