STRATEGIES FOR BUSTING BIAS

Designed for groups of people who have learned the basics of unconscious bias who say “OK, I’m biased – now what?” I share research alongside practical and relatable strategies for busting bias across both the corporate and individual level. This talk is distilled from academia, but is the real world, real life version.

AUDIENCE: Large or small groups, women’s networks, etc. Can be done as a presentation or facilitated session with breakouts.

ASSETS: reference materials: self-surveys on bias; tools for navigating bias.

FEEDBACK:
“Laraine was positive, eloquent, honest, and did more than just point out what’s wrong. I really appreciated the tools she offered for coping with bias. I also thought the visuals were organized and helpful!”

“The speaker was phenomonal; she was relatable and knowledgeable. I left that meeting feeling uplifted, informed, and understood – unfortunately not common for me as a minority. I appreciated the questions that were asked an how clear and honest they were answered.”

“Laraine’s talk was engaging and had actionable strategies”

“Good presenter, helpful materials, candid discussion.”

“It was very informative. I enjoyed the presentation.”

“Laraine gave an excellent presentation.”

“Really appreciated the data driven approach and concrete examples of potential bias in the workplace. Left the session feeling like I had much more knowledge on immediate steps that i can take to help combat potential bias.”

“I found the tools for communicating with supervising individuals really encouraging, as well as demonstrations on how we can support one another and create a productive and equitable environment around us.”

“The takeaways I can immediately start using when looking at my interactions with others.”

INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE

How do we create a healthy workplace culture? By working on it, intentionally. Watch our workplace video scenes and discuss the power of curiosity and empathy, explore privilege and allyship, and learn what to do when you mess up.

AUDIENCE: large groups or small teams. Presentation or facilitation with breakout groups.

ASSETS: digital checklist

FEEDBACK:
“Really appreciated today’s session, the 2 hours flew by because the class was so engaging and interesting.”

“Laraine’s course is the best session I’ve seen yet addressing the topic of inclusion. She brought the discussion and concepts down to a desktop level. The incorporation of small groups was equally as powerful. It was refreshing to listen to my colleagues and begin to learn to see them differently.”

“I really enjoyed the presentation. It does make you think in different ways and that is powerful.”

“What I liked was the instructor talking about her background and allowing the team breakout session as a forum for each person. This allowed each person to discuss the topic with the team in a non threatening environment.”

“Thoughtful and engaging conversations”

“Great job and presentation. We need this class.”

“Very professional/enjoyable session”

MANAGING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS

A presentation abut Unconscious Bias and the way it impacts all of us at work. Practical workplace examples, along with actionable steps that you can begin to use right away. How can your organization make better decisions and improve relationships? By understanding unconscious bias, becoming more aware and intentional around decision making, and implementing a new set of processes. We’ll bring your team through a series of videos and reflective exercises to explore the ‘leaky funnel’ of diverse talent and ensure fairer allocation of everything from tasks to opportunities.

AUDIENCE: large group, small group, or executive team training sessions.

ASSETS: Digital checklists

FEEDBACK:
“This was great because it touches on so many different scenarios and gives us great tools to become better managers and people.”

“A great learning experience as well as a reinforcement of the steps which I have been taking to overcome bias in all situations official and personal.

“A great session that importantly stimulated the self reflection of our on unconscious biases and the need for continuous awareness.”

SIX STEPS FOR CAREER GROWTH

An inspirational and practical review of six key steps to accelerate your career: Career Development, Personal Brand, Public Profile, Network, Community, Board Readiness. Combines visioning, goal setting, and tactical practical next steps, and incorporates modern trends (hybrid work, social media Twitter/TikTok, gig economy/side hustle).

AUDIENCE: This content was created for a leadership development program for high-performing, high-potential women. has been delivered at companies and industry groups. Can be delivered as a Presentation, Workshop, or Program. Great for companies (talent development, ERGs), industry groups, and women’s organizations.

ASSETS: “Career Boost Workbook” (visioning, goal setting, personal brand) available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3L24fGX
Additional worksheets available

FEEDBACK: “Our sincere appreciation for the outstanding presentation you made to share your thoughts and experiences with us. Your depth of research and your ability to present the subject in such an interesting way will help magnify our diversity efforts in the best possible way.”

WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM RUNNING A WOMEN’S TALENT INCUBATOR IN SILICON VALLEY

It turns out there are remarkable similarities in roadblocks and frustrations for senior women regardless of industry or job type. What do women need to do to get to the next level? Create a personal brand, build a public profile and activate a network. Hear real world learnings and how they’ve led to success for women at Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, NASA, PayPal, Pinterest, PwC, Salesforce, Tesla, Uber, as well as law firms, academia and for individual entrepreneurs.
—– this talk is for managers in high-performing organizations
—- a book of stories is forthcoming

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, DIVERSITY, AND YOUR 401(K)

a presentation to inspire a growth mindset around innovation and the opportunity we each have to drive inclusion. Includes an inspirational example of the power of diverse minds to innovate and influence trillions of dollars.
3 minute version: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1avOkWrgRSmiV5-m7-ELH1_fWAZCBeGLx/view?usp=sharing
—- may be delivered as a short or long presentation. Great for financial industry conferences or companies looking doing Innovation Offsites or Hackathons

SHIFTING FROM HUMAN CAPITAL TO SOCIAL CAPITAL: LEADING INDICATORS OF INCLUSION

Today’s organizations rely heavily on human capital strategies—assessing individual skills, abilities, and experience—but this is only part of the equation. It is increasingly important for leaders to manage and measure the social capital of the organization–the attitudes and behaviors of employees, demonstrated through interpersonal interactions and relationships–particularly when it comes to inclusion. Emtrain’s innovative approach to social capital management treats Inclusion as a competency (a cluster of skills and behaviors) and scores, measures and benchmarks leading indicators of Inclusion: valuing differences, curiosity, empathy, allyship, fair decision-making processes, and demographic experience.
In this session, we will 1) Provide an overview of the Workplace Social Capital indicators™ 2) Recognize how each indicator shows up at work and its implications for inclusion 3) Discover action items that organizations can use to create meaningful learning
This presentation was originally designed for The Forum On Workplace Inclusion and can be done as a Workshop (2 hr or 1/2 Day)
—– this ‘future of work’ thought leadership session is great for industry conferences, executive offsites, diversity & inclusion initiatives etc.

DIVERSITY DONE RIGHT

What are the benefits of diversity, and how can companies start to instill inclusion as an everyday norm? Learn the basics of behavioral science and action steps to start making a difference today. Makes the business case for diversity, and how to incorporate inclusive practices in every day work (team management, meetings, recruiting, opportunity allocation, client/customer success, marketing, etc.)
—– bring me in to inspire corporate leaders who need to increase the diversity within their organization but aren’t quite sure how to do it

UNLOCKING INNOVATION: IDEA GENERATION, MODERN MANAGEMENT, AND THE “SO WHAT?” OF DIVERSITY

With the pace of change in our economy and the exponential power of technology, we need to adapt, be proactive, and think ahead.
• How do we build a growth mindset for the future of work, our products and services?
• How do we tap the diversity of talent (or grow it if needed) to develop the new ideas that work for the broadest addressable market?
• How do we meet the needs of our teams – diverse, hybrid, always evolving?
Topics include recruiting and retention, brainstorming for innovation, future trends, and modern management techniques of active listening, respectful curiosity, and empathy.
—– this can be delivered as a talk or a workshop, ideal for corporate executives and managers, especially high-growth tech

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND SOCIAL INDICATORS: BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH IN THE MODERN ECONOMY

Introducing a new management theory using social capital indicators as modern measures of organizational health. Traditional human capital management theory focuses on individual performance. Opportunities are presented by improving social capital, the productive value of interpersonal relationships between employees and groups. We’ll share a framework of Workplace Social Indicators that organizations can use to measure, manage, and predict organizational health and productivity, covering topics like Power Dynamics, Organizational Norms of Behavior, In-Group/Out-Group Dynamics, Demographic Experience, Valuing Differences, Authenticity, Empathy. We’ll share how leading organizations are implementing this model.
—– corporations bring me in-house to inspire and inform senior managers driving HR, DEIB, Culture/Organizational Design, Legal, Corporate strategy functions

KNOWN:HOW TO CREATE A GREAT 401(K)

Behavioral finance and investment theory have shown how to design 401(k) plans that deliver on retirement readiness. But how do plan sponsors and financial advisors use what’s known to drive the decisions that create a great 401(k)?
—– great for for 401(k) plan fiduciaries / committee member education, financial advisors, investment managers, benefits conferences
—- Book available “Known: How to Create A Great 401(k)”: https://amzn.to/3uqOOSM