Build Team Capacity

Every team member has biases that have subtle ways of creeping into various people-related processes. This session helps learners challenge entrenched biases in organizational areas such as recruitment, assessment, hiring, promotion, professional development, and more.  Learners explore the nature of bias in the workplace and how unchecked biases negatively impact non-dominant groups, take a personal bias inventory, and develop effective strategies for bias management. Learners gain practical tools to promote fairness and equity across people operations through process design, targeted initiatives, data-informed interventions, and leading practices.

Workplace benefits and perks are key differentiators when people are considering workplaces, or seeking work elsewhere. This session helps learners understand what benefits and perks appeal to people of different backgrounds and lived experiences, and consider which may be feasible to implement at their own organization. Learners survey a range of conventional, newly popularized, and leading workplace benefits and perks and deepen their awareness of their impacts on team members from non-dominant groups. Learners gain tools for designing existing perks and benefits more inclusively, marketing their workplace’s unique approach to benefits and perks, and strategizing constructive additions and changes. 

With greater visibility and awareness around sexual and gender diversity in the workplace, many organizations are now asking the vital question of how they can best support their LGBTQIA2+ team members. This session helps learners enhance their awareness of LGBTQIA2+ needs and experiences, and uncover actionable strategies for supporting LGBTQIA2+ team members across policies, benefits, and workplace culture. Learners review key concepts and terminology relating to the gender and sexuality spectrums and interpersonal inclusion behaviours. Learners explore leading practices relating to data collection, restroom policy, dress codes, gender transition, workplace leaves, events, and more. Learners gain tools to advance LGBTQIA2+ recruitment and facilitate inclusive and intersectional programming. 

Caregiving is an enormous part of so many lives, yet it is often overlooked and rarely accounted for in the workplace. This session begins by broadening our understanding of who qualifies as a caregiver and delving into the various forms of caregiving – from caring for children and ageing parents to supporting those in our communities. Learners will unpack common biases related to caregiving and the nuclear family and the inequities and barriers caregivers encounter at work. The session also explores leading practices to promote caregiver inclusion, such as employing tools to communicate more inclusively about families and family formation, supporting caregiving colleagues, and designing effective policies and programs in the workplace.

New tools have made data collection more accessible than ever, but many organizations don’t know where to start when it comes to leveraging their data to further equity and inclusion at work. This session helps learners appreciate the importance of demographic data collection and understand how to design inclusive data collection methods that affirm people of different backgrounds and lived experiences. Learners explore how diversity catalyzes innovation in teams and strategic ways to measure and monitor workplace diversity dimensions. Learners gain tools to design surveys, interviews, and assessments that respect and reflect the diversity within their teams. 

As organizations continue to manage competing priorities and an ever-evolving market, those that harness the power of survey design can better meet emerging needs. In this session, learners explore how to craft surveys that capture critical DEI sentiments that empower your team with tangible and actionable insights. Learners uncover the art of designing inclusive surveys with intention and practice designing surveys that foster genuine growth and understanding within your teams. Learners leave equipped to advocate for inclusive demographic data collection and intersectional analysis. 

Voluntary self-identification isn’t just about data; it's a strategic move toward understanding and supporting groups experiencing marginalization within your organization. Learners uncover how to implement self-identification practices, emphasizing privacy and confidentiality. Potential challenges are reviewed, with tactical and practical methods for addressing any gaps in data. Learners leave equipped to implement inclusive practices when collecting data to create strategies designed to foster a workplace where everyone's unique identity is acknowledged and valued.

Human Resource Information Systems can collect more demographic information than ever, but it’s not always clear how to best use that data. This session helps learners leverage people data simply and meaningfully to get leaders away from “gut” feelings and over to people-centred and data-informed decision-making regarding organizational talent. Learners explore practical strategies to identify bias and opportunities across the talent lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, and performance evaluation. Learners gain tools to track DEI progress in the workplace through key performance indicators (KPIs) and leading practices for people analytics. 

Teams thrive, and organizations excel in environments where people feel secure sharing their thoughts, ideas, and experiences without fearing adverse consequences. This session helps learners examine the behaviours that promote or hinder psychological safety, explore the impact of workplace culture phenomena such as perfectionism and cancel culture, and discuss strategies to foster a culture of accountability and learning. Participants will learn practical ways to communicate with empathy, handle conflicts, give and receive feedback constructively, and encourage risk-taking within teams.

An organization’s DEI efforts are only as strong as its managers' support. In this session, learners will explore practical strategies to infuse DEI principles into daily business operations and advance organizational DEI goals. Learners will gain tools to conduct inclusive one-on-ones, collaborate effectively across cultures, address DEI skepticism, and challenge team biases. Additionally, learners will develop a business case for DEI, empowering them to implement sustainable DEI practices that drive change and enhance team performance.

Ready to build a robust and resilient model to sustain your DEI efforts over time? This co-design session lays the foundation for emerging DEI teams to cultivate trust by understanding each member's unique needs, values, and expertise. The group will collaboratively establish the mission, focus areas, and guiding principles to solidify group norms. Groups explore frameworks for assigning roles, prioritizing tasks, and encouraging self-management, and learn about decentralized structures to weave DEI efforts into an organization's DNA. Participants acquire actionable insights to promote a culture of inclusion in the workplace through engaging discussions, case studies, and the process of designing the team charter.  Following the session, the Feminuity team will synthesize the co-design session inputs and share your team’s initial DEI Blueprint to drive meaningful change and progress within your organization.

Team members from non-dominant groups need intentional spaces that amplify their voice and facilitate their professional growth. This session helps learners design Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in ways that maximize their potential as vehicles of belonging, retention, advancement, and organizational change. Learners explore strategies for making ERGs more equitable such as considering more dimensions of diversity and meaningfully recognizing the efforts of ERG leaders. Learners discover a range of opportunities for ERGs to positively impact workplace culture and contribute to the broader organization’s success from recruitment to product/service innovation. Learners gain tools to promote ERG participation, enhance mentorship, and create more intersectional programming.

Intentional DEI governance models provide a framework to institutionalize and sustain DEI initiatives within an organization. This session helps learners identify the unique perspectives, contributions and focuses required to sustain DEI efforts. Learners uncover how to strategically map the organization’s stakeholder groups to ensure DEI efforts are distributed across business functions and strategic priorities. Learners leave with a well-defined DEI governance model and implementation infrastructure that empowers stakeholders and ensures that each role contributes meaningfully to the organization's overarching DEI goals.

In this insightful session, we delve into the pivotal role that Boards of Directors play in fostering DEI within organizations. Recognizing the influential position of boards in shaping organizational strategies and cultures, this session aims to equip board members with the knowledge, tools, and strategic insights needed to champion DEI initiatives effectively. Through informative presentations, interactive discussions, and case studies, participants will explore the transformative potential of a DEI-focused board on organizational success. From understanding the business case for diversity to exploring best practices in governance, this session will empower board members to lead with an inclusive vision, ultimately steering their organizations toward a more equitable and thriving future.

Retrofitting DEI for organizations after they have long passed their formative years, presents unique challenges that can be avoided. This session helps learners embed DEI in the DNA of their business from the start. Learners explore the meaning of DEI and how it contributes to the success and sustainability of their venture. Learners review cost-effective and practical DEI-related processes, policies, structures, and groups for start-ups and scale-ups to proactively implement. Learners gain tools to animate inclusive approaches to governance, recruitment, culture building, procurement, product/service design, and more that make sense for early growth stages. 

In today's fast-evolving landscape, the dynamic needs of our teams and customers demand agile, engaged, and innovative leadership. This session explores the power of inclusive leadership, preparing you to move beyond the outdated one-size-fits-all mindset. Discover effective strategies to dismantle biases and foster fair decision-making. Learn how to expand your global perspective and strengthen cross-cultural teamwork. Gain tools to communicate with empathy and promote psychological safety. By the end, you'll craft a personalized business case to apply these crucial insights across roles, teams, and departments, ensuring real-world impact.

DEI lives in all organizational departments and practices, especially creative ones. This session helps learners transform their marketing and communications strategy with diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Learners explore the impact of representation and the significance of authentic storytelling for an organization’s brand and marketing initiatives. Learners align on practical strategies to create more accessible content and cultivate social media engagement by meaningfully recognizing times of significance and contributing to timely conversations. Learners gain tools to scale inclusive language and emoji use across different marketing mediums, address potential backlash to marketing campaigns, and integrate DEI into their work year-round. 

Now more than ever, marketing and media leaders need the skills to engage with people of all genders, especially transgender, non-binary, genderfluid, and nonconforming people, with dignity and accuracy. This session helps learners develop content that challenges stereotypes and positively shapes social perceptions of gender-expansive people. Learners build a shared language around gender and gender-related experiences. Through timely case studies, learners examine the benefits of inventive, authentic, and trail-blazing storytelling around gender diversity. Learners gain practical tools to craft inclusive campaigns and deal with potential backlash. Learners leave well-prepared to contribute to marketing, public relations, and media initiatives that feature and celebrate people across the gender spectrum. 

Presentations are a ubiquitous part of workplace life, yet many professionals may be unaware of a multitude of ways to make presentation experiences more inclusive. This session helps learners enhance the inclusivity and accessibility of their workplace presentations both in design and delivery. Learners review leading practices for accessibility when composing presentations and key inclusive language considerations for presenters. Learners explore practical strategies to create welcoming presentation environments from land acknowledgements to fostering respect around names and pronouns. Learners gain tools to promote engagement and accessibility through their presentation style and deliberate tactics for interacting with presentation audiences.

Entertainment projects are highly collaborative work environments that often bring diverse groups of creatives together for short periods. This session helps equip learners with leading practices to affirm cast and crew members and communicate across differences. Learners explore ways that bias shows up on and off the set and gain tools to co-create inclusive set environments through respectful name and pronoun use, inclusive language, calling in and bridge-building, and tools to foster accessibility and inclusion on set.  

Product inclusion is proven to promote innovation, enhance brand reputation, and increase market share, yet many teams do not know where to start. This session helps learners understand how to apply an inclusive lens to the products, services, and experiences they share with the world. Learners discuss hidden biases embedded in products through timely case studies and unpack the underlying drivers of design misses. Learners explore practical strategies across the product lifecycle from user research to testing to implement a more inclusive approach. Learners gain tools to assess their product and service lines for gaps, make the case for product inclusion to leadership, and strategically iterate their offerings.

Every day, workplaces discover new and exciting ways to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) across their operations. This session empowers learners to implement an ethical, accountable, and values-aligned approach when scaling AI tools. Through leading research and case studies, learners examine important considerations from compliance to privacy for AI implementation. Learners explore strategies to ensure fairness, transparency, and bias mitigation in AI deployment at work. Learners gain tools for vetting AI tools, responsible and inclusive AI use, and establishing reasonable human safeguards for automated tasks.

New technologies are scaling at warp speed throughout workplaces and everyday life, but many remain unaware of the inequities and complications that come with them. This session helps learners constructively discuss the risks and unintended impacts of NextGen tech across artificial intelligence, ‘big data,’ predictive algorithms, and more. Learners explore timely case studies illustrating the ‘shadow side’ of tech and unpack the hidden machinations of tech-related marginalization. Learners investigate strategies for challenging bias in tech creation and deployment from deliberate approaches to machine learning to thoughtful human safeguards. Learners gain tools to work against inadvertent tech discrimination and act as conscious co-creators of tech inclusion.

Sales teams are always striving to maximize performance and DEI is key to unlocking new potentials. This session helps learners transform their sales approach to better navigate diverse markets and foster inclusive client relationships. Learners examine why building diverse teams promotes sales success and meaningful ways to foster an inclusive sales environment that challenges common obstacles like bro culture. Learners explore practical strategies to drive business growth through empathetic sales techniques, identifying new markets and use cases for products, and creating inclusive customer experiences. Learners gain tools to design inclusive sales collateral and CRM systems and communicate inclusively across buyer backgrounds. 

Frontline teams are often a first point of contact for customers and shape their perceptions of your organization and its commitment to serve people of all backgrounds. This  session helps learners elevate client and customer interactions through inclusive communication and leading DEI practices. Learners review a range of practical language recommendations to affirm customers across different identities, lived experiences, and linguistic backgrounds. Learners explore practical strategies relating names, pronouns, and multicultural exchanges to engage all customers respectfully. Learners gain tools to foster inclusive customer service environments and constructively manage tricky situations without alienating potential buyers.

In diverse and dynamic workplaces, conflict is inevitable and essential. Making this even more difficult is that conflicts rarely present themselves in simple ways that enable straightforward solutions. This session helps learners deliberately and compassionately navigate tensions, misunderstandings, and disagreements on the job. Learners explore practical strategies for de-escalating conflict, respecting boundaries, and being an active bystander in tough situations. Learners gain tools to engage in nonviolent communication such as “calling in” and delivering inclusive feedback. Learners dedicate a substantial portion of the session to applying tactics and takeaways to timely scenarios tailored to their industry and the nature of their role.