Diversity & Inclusion Training - GreenTPsychology - New York, NY

Is Your Institution Looking For Diversity And Inclusion Training? 

Are you a corporate human relations professional or university administrator who constantly puts out fires related to diversity and inclusion? Maybe you’re having to mediate for folks who have been insulted or are frustrated with co-workers’ behaviors or unintended microaggressions. With a variety of complaints coming across your desk, you’re probably looking for better ways to manage these issues yourself.

You may also seek advice and tools for creating a safer, more accepting environment, so your team members or students are completely free to be themselves. It could be that you, ultimately, wish for happiness and productivity amongst your team, but morale is currently low due to poor communication and/or unfamiliarity with diversity.

At GreenT Psychology, I offer a number of university and corporate diversity trainings. These trainings can last three hours, all afternoon, an entire day or can be ongoing, building from one session to another.

Gender Sensitivity Training

Training can be useful if your organization has received reports of discrimination based on gender. It can also benefit organizations with a predominately male population or a culture that seems unaware of discrepancies between genders and expectations between men and women. If your organization is proactive, these trainings can serve as a preventative measure for protecting both the company and its employees while you foster a safe work environment. 

Women And Their Voice

Training can be a powerful tool for professional women looking to build their assertiveness and fine tune their voices as managers and leaders. It can also be beneficial to women in professional environments where there have been incidents of discrimination. I can help your team deal with these issues without silencing anyone’s voice. These trainings are also useful for women’s professional networking groups who are looking to sharpen their skillset.

Race, Ethnicity, Religion Diversity Sensitivity Training

If your work environment is racially or ethnically homogenous, these trainings could be very helpful, especially if people of color or particular ethnic or religious groups have reported mistreatment, or there seem to be implicit biases impacting safety or productivity. Diversity training can help your team listen to each other and communicate in more open and respectful manners.

Understanding Gender Non-Conformity

It’s fairly common for universities and professional organizations to have little experience with gender non-conforming populations. There’s a lot of misinformation that often leads to discrimination, fear or interference in a fluid and creative work environment. These trainings provides crucial education and awareness that ultimately fosters empathic understanding.

Understanding Generational Differences

Effective communication among people of different generations is often challenging due to differences in languages, cultural values and expectations. Diversity training can teach your workforce about the rich diversity in culture that, ultimately, leads to increased satisfaction and productivity.

Diversity training can help your workforce clarify and remedy issues regarding tensions or misperceptions. It can also demonstrate how closed communication can affect the overall tone, happiness, productivity and performance at your establishment. 

It’s Common For Difficult Experiences To Occur In Workplaces And Academic Environments

The trouble of understanding one another stems from a lack of familiarity—whether that be between generations, genders, races, religions or among the LGBTQ+ community. Many groups are highly underrepresented in certain work and school settings.

The 2018 Standard & Poor’s 500 indicates that only five percent of CEO positions are held by women.  

The 2017 Standard & Poor’s 500 indicates there were only four black CEOs.

Everyone comes with their own set of values and biases. When someone’s perspective doesn’t align with someone else’s, it can create communication problems, often due to fear—on both sides. When someone is asserting themselves in a diverse setting, they may be afraid of being culturally insensitive, so instead of speaking up, that person often shuts down.

Studies show that workplaces and schools with greater diversity outperform more homogeneous environments. When folks from different backgrounds are able to bring their skillsets together, it creates a rich atmosphere for growth. However, in order to host a smooth and productive environment, people must feel free to be themselves. That requires having the tools to resolve conflicts peacefully and have open, sometimes even difficult, dialogues.

Diversity training activities can help generate these types of respectful dialogues. Here, people can become more aware of biases and learn how to listen and open up in a courteous manner.

Diversity And Inclusion Training Can Help Your Organization Thrive

Depending on your organization’s needs, diversity and inclusion training programs can last a few hours, all-day, or multiple days. I offer both one-time and ongoing services with trainings that build off one another. Each program is tailor-made to fit the needs of the university or organization. 

During these trainings, your team can walk into a safe, nonjudgmental space for reflecting on individual biases and how they impact crucial processes. This awareness will ultimately serve as the foundation of change.

Assumptions can fortify the walls that stand in the way of having more harmonious relationships. Here, we strip down those barriers, carefully, in a manner that doesn’t single anyone out. Rather than pointing fingers, we want to listen and support each other so everyone feels comfortable sharing their views.

As folks become more aware of their blind spots, where they stem from and how they influence behavior, they also learn communication techniques to foster more respectful relationships among peers. This is a collaborative process that can focus on everything from a specific problem to more explorative questions about how to navigate relationships.

During our trainings, we may practice mindfulness, role playing and exercises that minimize frustrations, stress and anger. With newfound ways to identify, understand and overcome biases, team members often find themselves connecting and collaborating in ways that promote profound growth.

Working with me, you are assured your organization is in the hands of a skilled psychologist who has experience working with a diverse clientele. New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world, which is largely what makes this place so magical. 

No matter how many tensions are currently circulating in your workforce, sensitive and respectful communication are absolutely possible. It’s entirely possible for your team to become more curious and educated about alternative perspectives. The fact that your organization is seeking these services at all is a testament to your progressiveness and a commitment to positive change.

You may still have questions or concerns about diversity training in the workplace…  

How is one training going to change anything?

Even with just one training session, your organization can lay the foundation of change. I can also offer building block trainings in order to maintain progress or reinforce information. The change may seem small at first, but just opening to these dialogues can lead to significant and sustained development.

What if someone doesn’t want to participate or feels uncomfortable sharing?

Nobody is forced to share or participate in the exercises. Sometimes, when people who initially feel uncomfortable recognize that the environment is safe and nonjudgmental, they often change their mind and are glad they have participated.

Will anyone be singled out?

No. These workshops are nonjudgmental. It’s a not a place to attack one another. It’s a place to learn how to hold open respectful dialogues. And, if you feel uncomfortable, you are not alone. A lot of people are afraid to admit they might struggle with different groups.

It’s important to remember that everyone has biases. Here, it’s not my aim to shame anyone for that—that’s simply part of being human. If we talk about those biases in a safe, open space, the likelihood of things improving are greater than if your organization pretends biases don’t exist.

Diversity training courses can provide your team with the opportunity to progress and evolve into a more diverse, open and creative organization.

Learn More About What Diversity And Inclusion Training Can Offer

I look forward to helping your team thrive in and out of the workplace.

Testimonials

Sign Up To Receive My Free Newsletter

Recent Blog Posts