Belonging Builder Learning Lab Outcomes

Last year I developed this experience I call the Belonging Builder Learning Lab. I almost don't want to call it a program, certainly not a training, because it's very different than that. It is really an experience that guides leaders through every stage of the change journey so that, like I said, they emerge as more confident, inclusive leaders on the other side. And it is meant to be engaged in small cohorts of about four to six people at a time. So consider a leadership team of about six people. Or it could be leaders across the organization that are not of the same team, but come together. I'm even implementing it with industry associations who their members go through in small groups and, and they're not from the same organization, but maybe from the same industry, so it doesn't matter. But the point is small groups because that's how people engage more authentically, more quickly. And it's very interactive. It includes a little bit of asynchronous learning on your own, some self reflection, but really the bulk of it is in small group discussion to talk through how you are internalizing this content to prepare you to show up as a more inclusive leader so that you learn and grow together. I'll explain a little bit more about the content and how it's implemented, but first I just want to start with the outcome. So I'll talk about the outcomes, a little bit about the approach, the content, some actual results from clients, and then stop there and take some questions. Okay, so the outcomes. At the end of the experience, the leaders should be able to articulate why belonging matters to them in terms of their own leadership goals, team goals, and work goals. The true outcome of embracing inclusivity as a competency is so that people feel that sense of belonging so you can achieve all the great things that come from that. Higher engagement, better decision making, that sort of thing. But it really stems from the leader internalizing this. It's not a check the box. It is part of their own leadership aspirations. So that's your first outcome. The second is that they really broaden their appreciation for all the many different dimensions of diversity that are inherent in everyone. Even people who think that they are not diverse, because maybe they make up the majority of the population and some organizations that might mean one white men. They are in fact diverse. Everyone is diverse. And to feel that sense of belonging, people need to feel that you value and recognize what is unique to them and you know, those aspects of their own identity and background that really shape and define who they are. So a broader appreciation of that and also an understanding of key inclusive behaviors, the foundational inclusive behaviors that I really recommend that help them better appreciate and bridge across those differences. Third, leave with an actual action plan, something that is doable, something that is inspired by the leader so it is authentic, it is relevant to them and their work and their role. So therefore it will be implemented because it is unique to them. And then the fourth outcome is one that, honestly, I wasn't anticipating. It would be such a strong outcome that the folks who go through this program really, really highly value way more than I thought, which was the trust and the connection that comes from these interactions with fellow participants. This is important because that trust and bond with the participants becomes almost like the home base that leaders can keep coming back to for inspiration, for support, for ideas that is needed to make inclusivity a habit as they continue to go forward well beyond engaging in this experience. And also, I think that people are just enjoying spending time, quality time with co workers. They don't get enough of that. So that's an outcome. And when we get to the results that I share, I think you'll be surprised. I was very surprised how highly valued that particular outcome is.