Inclusion is the paradigm shift in a culture that embraces the welcomed invitation, engagement, and connectivity of individuals, organizations, and communities to an environment that allows for the most effective leveraging and use of diversity within its boundaries and encourages globally filtered best practices that drive economic bottom line impact.
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Agenda & Workshops
The Central New York Conference Agenda* |
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Sessions & Plenary Descriptions
Concurrent Morning Sessions
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Session 1 - Wm Moore Room
National Grid Presents:
Strategic Employee Resource/Networking Groups and Diversity Councils
Presenter: Neddy Perez, Vice President, Inclusion & Diversity, National Grid
Employee Networking/Affinity Groups as well as Diversity Councils have proven to be key strategic components of successful diversity and inclusion initiatives. Traditionally they served as ways to ensure employee development, engagement and support outside of standard work activities. They also serve to help drive the momentum and strategic direction of Inclusion & Diversity efforts internally and externally. In this workshop we will examine how these groups can be structured and leveraged most effectively as well as how they can, and have been, used to help drive multiple initiatives related to things like targeted recruiting, employee retention programs, supplier diversity outreach, community engagement, multi-cultural marketing and sales and others.
Session 2 - George Blowers Room
Flexible Work: A New Approach to Attract & Engage Diverse Talent
Presenter: Karol Rose, Chief Knowledge Officer, FlexPaths
Flexibility in where, when and how work is done is a critical aspect of diversity and inclusion that takes into consideration each individual’s unique work and life needs. A more flexible work environment is what diverse segments of the workforce -- women and men, young and mature workers, caregivers and people with disabilities – all say they want (and need) to be most effective and productive. As many companies have learned, flexible work initiatives can be initiated, enhanced or advanced in cost effective ways that meet both business and employee needs.
Session 3 - WF Allyn Room
Organizational Connectivity: A New Framework for Understanding & Analyzing Inclusion in the Workplace
Presenter: Christian Baldia, CEO Constellations Learning Solutions
Organizational Connectivity is an innovative and rigorous diagnostic tool for uncovering and studying patterns of interaction and relationships among people in an organization. This type of valuable information does not appear on any traditional organization charts, but it can provide detailed information about how work actually gets done and show whether a work environment is truly inclusive or not. This workshop will demonstrate both the concept and the tool for participants and show how it can be used to effectively support the growth and/or development of organization’s Inclusion & Diversity efforts.
Session 4 - Rocky Bills Room
The Inclusive Application of Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
Presenter: Dr. Emad Rahim, Sr. Consultant Global i365
Discover why so many corporations, academics and practitioners alike are finding success in applying and teaching this change management phenomenon known as Appreciative Inquiry (AI). AI looks to discover and foster the best in organizations, its employees, and its business environment. AI is not a methodology that looks to scrutinize an organization’s problems, but to identify its true potential and synergize all of its human capital and resources from the inside out. AI is described as an inquisitive art form that looks to reinforce a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. Learn to ignite the power and passion of your organization’s human capital through Appreciative Inquiry.
Morning Plenary Session
11:30 am – 12:30 am
Evans Auditorium
Diversity's Return on Investment
Presenter: Dr. Edward Hubbard, CEO Hubbard & Hubbard
In order for Inclusion & Diversity efforts to be effective and resonate with senior executives they must have relevant metrics attached to them that allow for an organization to measure the success of the overall strategy as well have quantifiable impact on an organization’s bottom line. This plenary session will examine some of the most effective ways for organizations to develop these kinds of metrics, using empirical data allowing an organization’s diversity effort to be evaluated and supported like any other business initiative.
Concurrent Afternoon Sessions
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Session 5 - George Blowers Room
The Law Firm of Hiscock & Barclay Presents:
2010 Employment Law Update – What Every Employer Needs to Know
Presenters: Laurence B. Oppenheimer, Partner and Chair, Labor & Employment Practice Area, Christopher J. Harrigan, Partner, Hiscock & Barclay, LLP
Topics of discussion include:
- Protected classes and relevant statutes
- Strategies for minimizing risk of workplace discrimination
- State and Federal Legislative Update - new laws and proposed legislation affecting your business and workforce.
Session 6 - WF Allyn Room
Return-On-Investment Focused Case Studies of Disability Inclusion and Accommodation
Presenters: Meera Adya, Director of Research, Burton Blatt Institute &
Deborah Greene, Senior Program Development Associate
This workshop will discuss what we have learned about enhancing the capacity of employers to improve workforce productivity and bottom line results using evidence-based and promising workforce practices. Past research has helped us to identify and disseminate promising employer practices through case studies of companies that focus on inclusive employment and accommodation policies and practices.
DISABILITY SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM
Discuss how we can provide businesses with ready-made tools, strategies, and solutions for implementing disability supplier diversity programs. Describe the program developed in partnership with the U.S. BLN. to establish a new Disability Supplier Diversity Program to certify disability-owned businesses and enhance opportunities for procurement preferences of diverse-owned businesses.
EMPLOYER/PROVIDER CAPACITY-BUILDING: DISABILITY IS DIVERSITY
Learn how to strengthen local employer/provider relationships to align disability services, workforce and economic development efforts with employer and market needs.
Session 7 - Wm Moore Room
Dignity & Respect Campaign (A Community Awareness Initiative)
Presenter: Candi Castleberry – Singleton, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, University Pittsburg Medical Center
Inclusion begins with the core belief that everyone deserves dignity and respect. With UPMC and the Pittsburgh Foundation leading the way, the Mayor of Pittsburgh declared October Dignity and Respect Month, which officially launched the community Dignity and Respect Campaign. What began as an internal initiative to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, and respect is becoming the inspiration for a community. This session will demonstrate how to launch a community based campaign that will enhance your diversity brand and strengthen strategic relationships.
In the workshop you will learn how to:
- Promote dignity and respect in your workplace
- Use the Dignity and Respect Campaign to start or re-ignite inclusion in your organization
- Leverage the Campaign to build and strengthen strategic partnerships in your community
Session 8 - Rocky Bills Room
Building Cross Cultural Competency in Recruiting, Interviewing & Retaining Global Talent
Presenter: Sherazade Langlade - Managing Director, Upwardly Global
Recruiters and human resource professionals are expected to be able to solve new problems, capitalize on new opportunities and navigate through the ever changing landscape of business. This workshop will provide tools and information that will enable your organization to capitalize an untapped talent opportunity and more effectively recruit, select, retain and leverage foreign-born professionals.
Upwardly Global is an award winning and internationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to helping employers benefit from global talent and to creating a pathway to career opportunities for new immigrant professionals in the United States.
Learning Objectives
- Define the talent opportunity
- Understand key cultural distinctions and barriers faced by employers in assessing foreign trained talent
- Develop skills in communicating, influencing and negotiating with peers, subordinates and senior managers on global talent and cultural bridging
Afternoon Plenary Session
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Evans Auditorium
Exploring the Importance & Challenges to Greater White Male Involvement in Inclusion & Diversity Initiatives
Panelists: Patrick Mannion, CEO, Chairman & President, Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company; Christopher Mozina, Managing Director, BNY Mellon; Michael Davis, Co-Founder, Global i365, Facilitated by: Katherine Goldfarb-Findling, Executive Director, The Gifford Foundation
One of the more difficult ironies in the development of many Inclusion & Diversity initiatives that have begun in the last 20 years has been the perception that white men shouldn’t have much to do with driving the efforts. In many cases indirect or even direct messages have been given to white males that they shouldn’t be a part of a diversity effort.
However, we now know without a doubt that not only the involvement of white men is crucial, it is crucial at all levels (particularly at the senior & executive levels) if any organization hopes to affect real and long lasting culture change they need to get the buy-in and involvement of as many members and groups within an organization. During this plenary session we will have an open dialogue with a great panel of both local and well know executive white males who will share their thoughts about things like:
- How they see themselves playing a role in a movement to create more diverse and inclusive organizations
- How do they personally connect to the need to create more diverse and inclusive environments
- What they have seen or experienced that could be considered barriers to getting greater involvement from other white men
- Advice they might give to those who could be leading their Inclusion & Diversity efforts and have trouble getting more white men involved
- What do they see as the biggest advantages to a successful Inclusion & Diversity strategy in their organizations
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