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Being diversity aware
DEI of the beholder: Exploring the subjectivity of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Why did I choose this tool? I think sometimes we choose topics in academia and organizations that sound very concrete and easy to identify, and yet they can be very hard to pin down. I believe that’s the case with DEI. I think it’s important to explore the dictionary definitions of these terms, but also to dive into the details…
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Communication meaningfully with others
Why DEI: Four Cases for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Why did I choose this tool? I think we often use certain buzzwords or jargon related to being trainers without pausing to look more deeply into what the words mean. I know that I often feel confused at what people mean when they use the terms diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). While there are various ways to define these terms,…
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Addresses the issue of identity when working with a group of learners
Identity Priorities
Why did I choose this tool? I participated in a session in It’s Up to Me 5, run by Antonio Jovanovski, called Five Identities, which had us rank five of our identities in terms of the most important to the least important to us in the moment. I saw how much this exercise helped me and other people understand our…
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An awareness of identity-related issues
Difference Matters
Why did I choose this tool? This book served as the foundational text for a course I took in university that changed my life. It was the most vulnerable and open classroom experience I have had at university, and it was with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. I liked how the book defined different dimensions of social identity…
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An awareness of identity-related issues
Reflected Best Self Exercise
Why did I choose this tool? Some of my friends who have done this exercise at the University of Michigan school have said how this has changed their life. I believe one part of understanding our identity is understanding the things that we do well and how other people identify us. For example, I don’t normally describe myself as a…
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An awareness of identity-related issues
Planning for Identities
Why did I choose this tool? I believe that many of the identity issues can be predicted if we do our research on the people arriving to the project. Yes, there will be errors, but having an understanding of potential conflicts and misunderstandings can give us the preparation for dealing with the conflict when it arises. I have seen on…
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Addresses the issue of identity when working with a group of learners
Five Identities
Why did I choose this tool? I participated in this session in It’s Up to Me 5, run by Antonio Jovanovski, and I saw how much it helped other people and felt how much it helped me in understanding my identities better. I liked how simple it was and how it quickly showed me which identities don’t matter too much…
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An ability to clearly express thoughts and emotions
Emotional Arc
Why did I choose this tool? This tool, more than many others, is what makes me feel confident in my abilities as a trainer. In planning a workshop, the participants will go on an emotional journey, and to some extent we can predict where they’ll go. The point of this tool is to imagine how participants will experience our workshop,…
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An ability to be empathetic
Creating intimate spaces
Why did I choose this tool? While I normally talk about ways in which we can speak or behave to change the energy of a room, I chose this tool because it highlights how the physical environment can impact the dynamics of a group. By designing the physical space in which we’ll conduct the training, we can influence the types…
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An ability to be empathetic
Open first
Why did I choose this tool? One of many the deciding moments for me to quit innovation consulting and to build an app focused on emotions was quite simple: I liked a girl and I wanted to know if she liked me. However, I had been hoping that she would tell me how she felt about me BEFORE I told…
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