TRI-Partners, Inc. presents
the 11th Annual NW Diversity Learning Series
A New Era of Relationships: Traveling Unchartered Paths
What is the 2009 Series about?
The climate in the United States is rapidly changing. We have the first African American president (some would say bi-ethnic, bi-racial), whose campaign promised hope and change. At the same time we are in the midst of an economic crisis of global proportions. Surrounded by so much change, Americans find themselves now more than ever balancing angst about job security with great hope for a viable future.
In this complex equation where do diversity and inclusion efforts fit?
One thing is clear: the status quo no longer serves the needs of our organizations or our employees. We must mobilize our multicultural workforce to build organizations that are relevant and sustainable. A vital path to relevance and sustainability is through relationships that work. Building effective relationships with people who are different from us is not the norm in many US based organizations. It requires many of us to travel uncharted paths.
What are the sessions about?
Each of the Series' six highly-interactive morning educations sessions, will address four questions:
- Why are relationships across difference (or with a particular group) important to me and my organization?
- Historically how have these relationships been uncharted for me and my organization? What are the risks and rewards for traveling these uncharted paths?
- What skills and tools do I need to effectively build relationships?
- How do I actually go about building relationships with members of particular groups in this new era?
What are the sessions?
Session #1: Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Emotional Intelligence: Building Relationship Agility
Session #2: March, Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Forging Relationships Across Generational Differences
Session #3: Friday, May 15, 2009
Reshaping Relationships in the Face of White Privilege
Executive Session: Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Disney Approach to Diversity and Inclusion
Session #4: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Invisible Disabilities: Relating Across Generations
Session #5: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cross-Cultural Mentoring: Expanding Relationships
Session #6: Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Creating Authentic Relationships: A New Era for Women of Color and White Women
What is the learning approach for the sessions?
The learning methodologies for the 11th Annual NW Diversity Learning Series will be aimed at the diverse learning styles and needs of our audience. The sessions will be experiential - adult learning theory tells us that most adults learn best by "doing". All facilitators will be guided to use a variety of methods in each session which will include - but may not be limited to: storytelling, audio presentations (i.e. music, voice), visual/video presentations ( i.e. PPT, DVD) and internet media, if available (i.e. YouTube). In addition, after the first session, facilitators of the remaining five sessions will include Emotional Intelligence concepts into their sessions to reinforce the importance of relationship building - regardless of the topic.
Each session will also include print resources and references so that participants may continue their education on the topic beyond the morning session. Sourcing of presenters will be intentionally diverse - to appeal to the diverse needs and backgrounds of our participants.
