The Culture Coach
I’m Wendy Brand, Your Culture Coach, dedicated to supporting people-first leaders. Each week we dive into strategies and insights to help you build a workplace where employees feel valued, motivated, and inspired. From fostering tribal values and improving core processes to developing inclusive communities and responsive listening strategies, we cover it all.
Join me weekly for practical tips, expert interviews, and real-world examples to help you boost productivity, extinguish burnout and cultivate a vibrant organizational culture that reflects your mission, vision and values.
The Culture Coach
#049: Inclusivity and the ARC Model with Bernadette Smith
This episode features a conversation on Inclusivity, the "I" in my THRIVE Culture framework that I use to work with non-profit and small business CEOs to create an environment where their employees can thrive.
My guest today is an author, podcast host, and CEO, dedicated to shining a light on DEI through various mediums. Bernadette Smith is Founder and CEO of the Equality Institute and an award-winning author of four books, including her latest, the bestseller Inclusive 360: Proven Solutions for an Equitable Organization.
Here are my top takeaways from the episode:
- Successful DEI requires training and change management, with a cross-functional lens.
- Cancel Culture has made us afraid of ‘getting it wrong’ and sow we often go around making assumptions about others, but the ARC Method (Ask. Respect. Connect) was created to bring people together and allow them to bridge differences.
- It takes humility and an ability to admit what you don’t know. But, starting with humility can help break the ice.
- Inclusivity is not rocket science and we all have a role to play in it.
- If you are an organization that is new to this, start by assessing where you and your teams currently are in the journey. Use culture surveys and other data to determine how inclusive your environment is to determine the solutions that may be needed within your organization.
- Psychological safety is a driver for inclusivity and creates high performing teams. Psychological Safety is the belief that you will not be humiliated or punished by speaking up with your questions, concerns, ideas, or mistakes.
- Psychological safety happens on the team level. Every team member has the ability to contribute to psychological safety at work.
- The leader’s role requires humility and vulnerability
You can find Bernadette on her website at https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/
Or to subscribe to her weekly Five Things newsletter, go to https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/5-things.
To learn more about the work I am doing with organizations, visit my website at https://wmbcoaching.com/.
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With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.
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