Expert Forum

Over the past few years, I have read and written reviews of a diverse set of excellent books on diversity and leadership from 4 LGBT consultants who like me as Certified LGBT Business Enterprises through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

The four books I will summarize and review  are...Read more

In late October, I published the blog, “After Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Comes … BELONGING!” I shared two perspectives; from a North Carolina-based diversity and inclusion consultant (Gracie Johnson-Lopez) who recently spoke at our local HR SHRM chapter, and Rhodes Perry, founder and CEO of a leadership and management consulting firm in Portland, Oregon. I also mentioned that Rhodes was just about to publish his new book about this topic. Read more

About four years ago, I read a blog called “5 Things to Never Say to a Black Person” and that inspired me to write “5 Things to Never Say to a Gay Person” which was my first blog to go viral. I thought – wow, how cool! So, I later followed with “5 Common Misconceptions about Gay People” and “5 Things to Never Say to Transgender People”.

Then two years later my Hispanic colleague Elsa Maria Jimenez Salgado wrote “5 Things to Never Say to an Hispanic Person” and “Five Misconceptions about Hispanic People.” Read more

And of course this list is not exhaustive… I am sure you can think of several more.

So what should we do? It is important to recognize that these thoughts are a combination of stereotyping and unconscious bias – two concepts that are very closely related. Read more

Many of us continue to read about the growing labor shortage across the US, especially as the number of younger trained professionals entering the workforce is far less that the huge numbers of retiring “baby boomers” born between 1946 – 1965. One way of addressing this shortage is better utilization of the mature worker, many who may not be ready for full retirement. Read more

Recently a Facebook friend of mine provided the following disturbing account on his Facebook Page: “It’s such a small thing nowadays, but the AM/PM (convenience store / gas station prevalent in Southern California) attendant told a gentleman in front of me to “Speak English” three times. I can’t believe this is how we greet people now! Read more

There is a lot of uncertainty and much angst and consternation about what may be next for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender) Americans with the election of US President Donald Trump. It is important to provide a facts-based analysis and what could possibly change and how fast. Read more

As a diversity consultant, I strive to stay up to date on current trends and issues in the diversity and inclusion field. One of the tough issues growing within our country is Islamophobia. My definition of Islamophobia is, “an irrational fear or hatred of Muslim people based on unfamiliarity or stereotyping.” Read more

This is more of a lighthearted and somewhat humorous resource which still does contain a lot of truth.  In fact this may be a resource you will find useful during  National Hispanic Heritage Month being celebrated in the USA each year September 15 – October 15. Read more

Many devout Muslims attend weekly services at their mosques on Fridays around noon. 

When I wrote my blog last month, “Islamophobia – a Growing US Diversity Issue,”I promised to follow up with blogs about Islam in the workplace and the intersection of LGBT issues with Islam. So here is the workplace blog.  Read more

In an earlier submission for the Workforce Diversity Network Expert Panel, I wrote about the audiences and components of Diversity and Inclusion Training. In terms of components, training should appeal to the mind in terms of business rationale, appeal to the heart or emotions in terms of a sense of “right-doing”, and include an element of taking action. Read more

Throughout 2015, there has been a tremendous increase in the focus of the Human Resources profession on supporting transgender employees in the workplace. Here is an outline starting with definitions and going all the way through policies and procedures that should be considered for fully supporting transgender employees in the workplace. Read more

In discussions about diversity, we often discuss the “primary dimensions,” characteristics people are born with or cannot alter like race, gender, age, height and sexual orientation.  And then we often add secondary diversity dimensions which shape people throughout life, such as religious beliefs,  work background, education and parental status. An important element to add to this mix is economic or financial status. Read more

When asked to submit a bid to a Fortune 500 firm for design and delivery of a one-day diversity and inclusion workshop for middle managers, I studied my past material, prepared my bid, and concluded that successful and compelling diversity training needs to contain three major components that I call heart, mind and action. Read more

Companies are always looking for new and fast growing markets to grow their businesses.  One of the fastest growing, more dynamic, most loyal, lucrative market segments to pursue is the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) marketplace. Read more

One topic which many more human resource professionals and managers are talking about is workplace harassment and bullying.  Frequently, just like in school, those often the target of workplace bullying are ethnic and cultural minorities who may not “fit in” with the majority crowd. Read more

At a recent Sunday church service I recently attended, “Miss Mildred,” a 93 year-old woman was very slowly assisted to the keyboard and played two hymns that the congregation sang. After the songs, the pastor remarked how so often society simply discards or disregards our older citizens, even when they still have gifts and talents to share with us. Read more

Are you and your enterprise ready for LGBT Pride Month this year?

There is often discussion around the business case for embracing and executing LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) diversity initiatives as we near LGBT Pride Month each June.  We frequently talk about reaching the $700B+ LGBT market in the US as well as recruiting and retaining the best employees.  But this year I want to add a little bit of fun to the discussion and summarize my two most read blogs since I started my consulting practice in 2010. Read more

When I do an overall presentation about diversity as a key strategic initiative important to any business or organization, I always include a few charts about hot emerging areas within the diversity discussion.  I include brief overviews of areas such as generational diversity in the workplace, diversity of thought, and particularly for small business or in the South – LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender).  Gone are the days when diversity meant gender and race, though certainly those remains as critical core underpinnings of diversity. Read more

Even though I am now an HR Consultant, I do have an MBA in Finance and Accounting and spent much of my early career in Financial and Business Planning roles.  Hence, I understand the need to express investment in diversity initiatives in financial terms. Read more

Transgender is an umbrella term for the spectrum of people whose gender identity or expression does not conform to society’s expectations of male and female.  In some cases, gender expression takes the form of clothing, hair style, voice and body characteristics.  In other cases, we are taking about gender identity, which is the way a person feels internally about who they really are.  Read more