Encouraging Diversity and Inclusion by Treating People as Unique Individuals

In our new podcast, Natalie Runyon, Director of Enterprise Content for Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute and content strategist for the Next Gen Leadership: Advancing Lawyers of Color initiative sat down with Paula Edgar and Wendy Amengual Wark, partners from Inclusion Strategy Solutions.

Both Edgar and Amengual Wark have deep expertise in how to build inclusive organizations that promote workplaces where everyone, including under-represented groups, can thrive and reach their full potential. In this podcast, we explore the reasons why representation of women, professionals of color, and members of the LGBT+ and disability communities as so under-resented at the corporate executive ranks and why their progress is advancing so slowly.

We also debunk the myth that increasing diversity results in compromising on quality, citing the fact that research study after research study going back to the 1990s say the exact opposite.

In addition, we also examine the definition of inclusion, as well as the approach of Edgar and Amengual Wark to partnering with straight white men to craft their "distance travelled" story and allow them to open up about fears of working with women in the post #MeToo era.

Next, we discuss how to interrupt common norms that continue to promote gender-specific social structures that hurt both men and women. Finally, we close out our conversation by investigating the role of allies and how to activate their commitment and advocacy.