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PDD PANEL TOPIC: The value of Inclusive & Effective leadership in an increasingly diverse workplace and world

Objective: Listen and learn from a panel of diverse experts in their field, talk about their experiences and observations on leadership and diversity of thought in this increasingly changing world. Our afternoon panel discussed the importance of inclusive leadership - as an integrated set of skills that are required to channel the power, and potential of a diverse workforce, for the benefit of the organization, teams, workgroups, individual employees, customers, suppliers, and communities we serve.

PMI Rochester enthusiastically welcomed an amazingly talented and caring group of panelists for a diversity panel for its last event at PDD 2019. Dr. Rashid Muhammad moderated the panel, fielding prepared questions and a few from the attendees. Some takeaways:

• For an organization to truly embrace diversity and inclusion, leaders must be committed to it, and it must be embedded throughout the organization, particularly with HR, recruiting, and supervisors.
• To be leader in this area, you must have courage, be humble, have accountability, and have cultural intelligence. You must bring people together, role model good behavior, acknowledge good behavior and indict bad behavior, and meet people where they are. “Who defined what the perfect candidate or employee is?”
• 40%of USA residents are non-white. Because diversity is here, companies should embrace it and make Rochester workplaces safe and advantageous for minorities. Did you know that black workers are moving from Rochester at high rates because of a sense that the workplaces are not places where black workers can be a part of the community and share in opportunities for advancement?