2012 Global LGBT Workplace Summit Workshops, Session 3
Friday, 6 July, 11:30-13:00
Building Transgender Cultural Competence in the Culturally Diverse Organization
Allyson Robinson
What is the best way to train a workforce in transgender inclusion? As organizations around the globe add gender identity to their diversity portfolios, advocates at all levels are seeking the best tools to provide professional training and development around these issues. Which methods are most effective at extending a culture of inclusion to cover transgender workers, clients and customers -- particularly when many perceive non-traditional gender identities as controversial? Drawing on her experience as the lead trainer on transgender issues at the US's largest LGBT civil rights organization, Human Rights Campaign, Allyson Robinson will lay out a training framework organized around the principles of cultural competence. Participants will learn how to use a shared "culture of gender" to overcome other cultural barriers and build truly inclusive organizations.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 3
The Business Case for Diversity
Claudia Brind-Woody, Ken Batty
This workshop exploes how to build a business case to get organisations committed to a diversity and inclusion strategy including LGBT people. We will review research showing how valuable diversity is to an organisation, and how it gives companies proven business advantage. We will look at how LGBT policies enhance a diversity strategy and show research to demonstrate that. We will look at the diversity strategy of several leading corporations to see how they drive that through the whole business to ensure real value across the organisation. We'll discuss how this can be effectively presented to the decision makers in an organisation, thus ensuring attendees can articulate and gain agreement to the business case for diversity in their organisation.
Level: Introductory
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 12
Creating a LGBT-Diverse Global Workforce
Robert Conti, Juan Carlos Varela
Global employers are discovering both the advantages and the challenges of creating a diverse workforce. Perhaps one of the most difficult areas to address globally is the inclusion of LGBT employees into the organization, both at the employers' local level as well as worldwide. Progress toward achieving such a goal is particularly daunting when trying to overcome not only internal challenges, but cultural ones as well. For example, how can one establish an inclusive workforce when the employer is located in a region hostile to LGBT individuals? This workshop is designed to aid employers in establishing such a workforce through establishing a corporate infrastructure that includes creating ERGs, training and the necessary follow-through.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Human Resource and Diversity Professionals
Room: Plaza 4/5
Diverse & Collaborative: Sharing Insight from Successful Diversity Leadership
Roman Podolczuk, Victor Nieves, Nejc Jaka Sekula, Kelly Widelski, Markus Mueller
Chaired by experienced diversity professionals from top global companies Ernst & Young and IBM, this collaborative workshop intends to facilitate the sharing of valuable insight between participants, which better help us to develop diversity best-practices in our own organisations. As well as hearing from these two companies, a conversational and inclusive style encourages workshop participants to add their own experiences of what has (and hasn't) worked with each other. For example, a joint focus on collaboration and diversity of thought has enabled Ernst & Young and IBM to progress their diversity agendas whilst simultaneously driving business growth. From the values of mentoring and awareness to driving forward business strategy and the bottom line, there is much we can learn from sharing our experiences.
Level: Advanced
Target Audience: Employee Resource Group members
Room: Plaza 6/7
Exploring LGBT Opportunities in Asia
Kate Vernon
Based on its body of research and partnership with leading companies in the region, Community Business will share its understanding of key LGBT issues in Asia. The session will look at the legal and cultural context in markets such as China, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore; highlighting some of the key workplace issues in the region, and providing recommendations for companies looking to address LGBT issues in Asia. Partners Barclays, Goldman Sachs and IBM will provide a corporate perspective, sharing their approaches to promoting LGBT diversity in the Asia region, including their experiences and learnings.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 8/9
Finding Intersections on the Edges
Nadine Vogel, Pat Baillie
What can we learn from other emerging groups around the world about how to secure our rights in the workplace? Join our presenters as they contrast and compare workplace rights efforts for employees with disabilities and LGBT employees. Where are the connection points in the workplace for LGBT employees/ERGs to leverage the work that has been done to secure rights for disabled employees? Are there common concerns about coming out as LGBT and coming out with a disability as an employee? Globally, what are the best practices and tools that have been used to advance disability rights that you can take back to your company; and are there ways to create allies across emerging groups to advance LGBT workplace equality?
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 10
How to Become a Bisexual Ally
Brent Chamberlain, Daniel Danso
Despite the many positive developments in LGBT workplace equality, very little is known about the unique issues faced by the bisexual community. And, with some studies estimating that half of the LGBT population identifies as bisexual, most ERGs do not do enough to include them in LGBT. This workshop will draw on groundbreaking international research and personal testimonials to help illustrate how bi allies, both gay and straight, can help foster more inclusive workplaces for everyone.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 11
The Value of LGB Role Models in the Workplace
Jo Bostock
Based on the latest IBM-sponsored research for Stonewall, this workshop will explore what it means to be an authentic, visible LGB role model in the workplace. It will draw on the stories of 17 role models at varying levels of seniority and coming from a range of sectors including law, science, engineering, consultancy, media, arts, politics and education. This workshop will share the 10 themes that emerged from the research and consider the practical implications for how individuals step up as role models and the ways an organisation can create a context which encourages them to do so.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 13
Friday, 6 July, 11:30-13:00
Building Transgender Cultural Competence in the Culturally Diverse Organization
Allyson Robinson
What is the best way to train a workforce in transgender inclusion? As organizations around the globe add gender identity to their diversity portfolios, advocates at all levels are seeking the best tools to provide professional training and development around these issues. Which methods are most effective at extending a culture of inclusion to cover transgender workers, clients and customers -- particularly when many perceive non-traditional gender identities as controversial? Drawing on her experience as the lead trainer on transgender issues at the US's largest LGBT civil rights organization, Human Rights Campaign, Allyson Robinson will lay out a training framework organized around the principles of cultural competence. Participants will learn how to use a shared "culture of gender" to overcome other cultural barriers and build truly inclusive organizations.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 3
The Business Case for Diversity
Claudia Brind-Woody, Ken Batty
This workshop exploes how to build a business case to get organisations committed to a diversity and inclusion strategy including LGBT people. We will review research showing how valuable diversity is to an organisation, and how it gives companies proven business advantage. We will look at how LGBT policies enhance a diversity strategy and show research to demonstrate that. We will look at the diversity strategy of several leading corporations to see how they drive that through the whole business to ensure real value across the organisation. We'll discuss how this can be effectively presented to the decision makers in an organisation, thus ensuring attendees can articulate and gain agreement to the business case for diversity in their organisation.
Level: Introductory
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 12
Creating a LGBT-Diverse Global Workforce
Robert Conti, Juan Carlos Varela
Global employers are discovering both the advantages and the challenges of creating a diverse workforce. Perhaps one of the most difficult areas to address globally is the inclusion of LGBT employees into the organization, both at the employers' local level as well as worldwide. Progress toward achieving such a goal is particularly daunting when trying to overcome not only internal challenges, but cultural ones as well. For example, how can one establish an inclusive workforce when the employer is located in a region hostile to LGBT individuals? This workshop is designed to aid employers in establishing such a workforce through establishing a corporate infrastructure that includes creating ERGs, training and the necessary follow-through.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: Human Resource and Diversity Professionals
Room: Plaza 4/5
Diverse & Collaborative: Sharing Insight from Successful Diversity Leadership
Roman Podolczuk, Victor Nieves, Nejc Jaka Sekula, Kelly Widelski, Markus Mueller
Chaired by experienced diversity professionals from top global companies Ernst & Young and IBM, this collaborative workshop intends to facilitate the sharing of valuable insight between participants, which better help us to develop diversity best-practices in our own organisations. As well as hearing from these two companies, a conversational and inclusive style encourages workshop participants to add their own experiences of what has (and hasn't) worked with each other. For example, a joint focus on collaboration and diversity of thought has enabled Ernst & Young and IBM to progress their diversity agendas whilst simultaneously driving business growth. From the values of mentoring and awareness to driving forward business strategy and the bottom line, there is much we can learn from sharing our experiences.
Level: Advanced
Target Audience: Employee Resource Group members
Room: Plaza 6/7
Exploring LGBT Opportunities in Asia
Kate Vernon
Based on its body of research and partnership with leading companies in the region, Community Business will share its understanding of key LGBT issues in Asia. The session will look at the legal and cultural context in markets such as China, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore; highlighting some of the key workplace issues in the region, and providing recommendations for companies looking to address LGBT issues in Asia. Partners Barclays, Goldman Sachs and IBM will provide a corporate perspective, sharing their approaches to promoting LGBT diversity in the Asia region, including their experiences and learnings.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 8/9
Finding Intersections on the Edges
Nadine Vogel, Pat Baillie
What can we learn from other emerging groups around the world about how to secure our rights in the workplace? Join our presenters as they contrast and compare workplace rights efforts for employees with disabilities and LGBT employees. Where are the connection points in the workplace for LGBT employees/ERGs to leverage the work that has been done to secure rights for disabled employees? Are there common concerns about coming out as LGBT and coming out with a disability as an employee? Globally, what are the best practices and tools that have been used to advance disability rights that you can take back to your company; and are there ways to create allies across emerging groups to advance LGBT workplace equality?
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 10
How to Become a Bisexual Ally
Brent Chamberlain, Daniel Danso
Despite the many positive developments in LGBT workplace equality, very little is known about the unique issues faced by the bisexual community. And, with some studies estimating that half of the LGBT population identifies as bisexual, most ERGs do not do enough to include them in LGBT. This workshop will draw on groundbreaking international research and personal testimonials to help illustrate how bi allies, both gay and straight, can help foster more inclusive workplaces for everyone.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 11
The Value of LGB Role Models in the Workplace
Jo Bostock
Based on the latest IBM-sponsored research for Stonewall, this workshop will explore what it means to be an authentic, visible LGB role model in the workplace. It will draw on the stories of 17 role models at varying levels of seniority and coming from a range of sectors including law, science, engineering, consultancy, media, arts, politics and education. This workshop will share the 10 themes that emerged from the research and consider the practical implications for how individuals step up as role models and the ways an organisation can create a context which encourages them to do so.
Level: Intermediate
Target Audience: General Audience
Room: Plaza 13
