This week I'm joined for the first of two conversations with Dipal Damani, a leader in the field of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Dipal started her consulting firm, D & D Inclusion Consulting, specifically, to help organizations understand how to change, by working through DEIB audits with various clients. Dipal talks about how organizations and the people in them realise that they want to change, that this can still be a scary process for leaders to go through. We talk about how emotions and emotional responses are a big part of this work and Dipal talks about how organizations and their people can prepare for this process. Dipal identifies the process for how leaders can prepare themselves for an audit so that they can approach the findings with a spirit of openness and growth. This is an important conversation on this subject and one that talks about the real steps that organizations and leaders can take to become more diverse, equitable, inclusive and belonging-centered going forward. More about Dipal Dipal is the Founder and President of D&D Inclusion Consulting and is a racialized equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) consultant. She has extensive knowledge and experience in EDI, having delivered results in this area for the past 15 years. As someone who represents multiple identities that are historically marginalized and oppressed, Dipal has a deep understanding of the impact and intersection of marginalization, oppression, exclusion and power imbalance, and is able to speak to these issues from lived and professional experience. Prior to founding the company, Dipal worked with provincial and regional governments to implement inclusion policies, conduct EDI organizational audits, and launch multi-stakeholder EDI initiatives. In 2015, she founded D&D Inclusion Consulting to leverage her experience, knowledge, and expertise to work directly with organizations in creating more inclusive workplaces and communities. Dipal blends her social science research background with her practical experience to design strategies, tools, and training that help organizations move forward on their EDI goals. She takes organizations from understanding the benefits of EDI through to developing a plan, implementation, and evaluation. In her work, she uses an evidence-based, data driven-approach, and also leverages her strong research, strategic planning, and evaluation background. She has extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in conducting EDI evaluations with a focus on anti-oppression, anti-racism and anti-colonialism. She brings to this work a strong understanding of differential impacts of historical inequities and racism faced by Black and Indigenous communities in Canada. Dipal holds a Master’s in Public Policy and Governance with a Certificate in Ethnic, Immigration, and Pluralism Studies from the University of Toronto. She is truly passionate about her work and loves finding innovative approaches and practices that benefit her clients. D&D Inclusion Consulting: D&D Inclusion consulting is an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) consulting firm that provides assessment, training and advisory services. The firm uses a proven methodology that has delivered results for clients. We use an appreciative inquiry lens, which is a strength-based approach that affirms strengths of the organization and the potential for growth in equity and inclusion - it is a methodology rooted in building organizational capacity. We have found using this approach with management teams, staff and boards allow for a safe space for rich dialogue and, more importantly, buy-in on moving the organization forward. We conduct EDI organizational audits to improve workplace culture and engagement. The audits are based on a data-driven, evidence-based approach, and draw upon leading research and promising practices in the field. We draw from the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks (GDEIB) from the Centre for Global Inclusion. We also root our analysis in global research from leading sources as well as promising practices. We are known for our engagement skills in our facilitation work. A strong focus is placed on ensuring the psychological safety of participants, creating safe spaces for open and honest dialogue, and managing expectations. Follow Dipal at: Website | Linkedin We're back for our third conversation with Nadine Araksi, and we are talking about when you want to build a new future, the stories that you create are incredibly powerful. Nadine is an expert at crafting story to create shared vision and making the future real. We talk about context, intent and the building blocks that you need to build a strong story for change. We cover what to do if you need to adjust or change the story mid-flight-- how context and new information can impact us, and how getting it right (vs. being right) focuses us on the process vs. the end result. This conversation is for anyone looking to spark change in others and themselves, in a positive way. Links to resources mentioned in the episode: The Pilgrimage Paulo Coelho Maya Angelou – Know Better Do Better More about Nadine: Story coach, writer and marketer, Nadine Araksi (formerly Silverthorne) has spent over two decades creating click-worthy content, publishing personal essays and writing researched service journalism for some of Canada’s biggest brands. As a story coach, Nadine is obsessed with examining the stories we tell ourselves, the ones that keep us stuck, the ones that oppress us and her passion is in rewriting those stories to empower women and marginalized groups. Nadine’s current focus is on mental and physical well-being and helping women avoid burnout through mind-body connection and story exploration. Nadine hopes to share her personal experiences of moving from darkness to light with courage, kindness, and gratitude with those who are ready to listen and use them as a catapult for their own journeys. Follow Nadine at: Website | Instagram | Instagram (story coach) Nadine and I are back with another conversation on the power of story, and in this one, we get deep into how to use story to bring about change. How to the stories we tell about ourselves, our own thoughts and internal stories help us understand and manage our experiences. Nadine breaks down one of the ways that she coaches people through discovering their own stories, how they can identify resistance and change their stories to enable bigger change in their work, lives and organizations. Links to resources mentioned in the episode: Yes And Game More about Nadine: Story coach, writer and marketer, Nadine Araksi (formerly Silverthorne) has spent over two decades creating click-worthy content, publishing personal essays and writing researched service journalism for some of Canada’s biggest brands. As a story coach, Nadine is obsessed with examining the stories we tell ourselves, the ones that keep us stuck, the ones that oppress us and her passion is in rewriting those stories to empower women and marginalized groups. Nadine’s current focus is on mental and physical well-being and helping women avoid burnout through mind-body connection and story exploration. Nadine hopes to share her personal experiences of moving from darkness to light with courage, kindness, and gratitude with those who are ready to listen and use them as a catapult for their own journeys. Follow Nadine at: Website | Instagram | Instagram (story coach) This week I'm joined by Nadine Araksi, an expert on stories and how they can facilitate incredible change. Nadine talks about the client work that she does as a story coach and how story has been the unifying thread throughout her life and career. We get into how story is a tool to help people connect with purpose and intent, how it facilitated inclusion and brings people together. Nadine talks about one of her favourite tools for using and applying story and how central emotions are in story to make sense of our experiences, thoughts and decisions. Nadine tells us about a difficult change experience that she led a team through and how story was an important part of helping people move through the change towards a common future. Links to resources mentioned in the episode: KUBA Dr. Laurie Santos – Happiness Lab episode Do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know the side you are used to is better than the one to come? - Rumi More about Nadine: Story coach, writer and marketer, Nadine Araksi (formerly Silverthorne) has spent over two decades creating click-worthy content, publishing personal essays and writing researched service journalism for some of Canada’s biggest brands. As a story coach, Nadine is obsessed with examining the stories we tell ourselves, the ones that keep us stuck, the ones that oppress us and her passion is in rewriting those stories to empower women and marginalized groups. Nadine’s current focus is on mental and physical well-being and helping women avoid burnout through mind-body connection and story exploration. Nadine hopes to share her personal experiences of moving from darkness to light with courage, kindness, and gratitude with those who are ready to listen and use them as a catapult for their own journeys. Follow Nadine at: Website | Instagram | Instagram (story coach) |
Change: The ConversationTune in for conversations about change management where we seek out business leaders and talk about their experience managing and navigating change. Hear stories about change from the people who have experienced it, led it and created amazing results. Watch all videos in the series here Archives
January 2023
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