GDP’s bespoke training tackles learning needs at every stage of the D&I journey.
Our learning interventions are flexible, modular and personal – even when we use technology to cascade training to ensure everyone in an organisation is included.
We use fun and impactful techniques to address difficult topics, such as D&I awareness, unconscious bias, inclusive leadership, gender equity, bullying and harassment.
Face to face seminars and workshops are supported by digital solutions that extend the message to every part of the organisation.
Our award-winning ”Open Minds” unconscious bias training equips leaders and employees with tools and techniques to manage their biases and develop inclusive working and leadership skills.
“Open Minds” training, learning and awareness can be delivered via conferences, keynote speaking, webinars and drama-based learning.
We help you to build your in-house capability with cascade mechanisms including train the trainer, toolkits, DVD based digital tools and e-learning products. We have also developed creative bias reduction communication and marketing campaigns to reinforce behavioural change.
D&I Awareness
Managing Diversity and Inclusion requires understanding, knowledge, empathy and sensitivity to difference with a commitment to developing inclusive behaviours and actions. When Diversity and Inclusion is well managed it can:
Harnessing and leveraging these differences, perspectives and talents will allow companies to better position themselves to adapt to the ever changing global demands that will not only improve productivity and staff morale but also increase customer expectations.
These initiatives allow a diverse workforce to feel a sense of belonging, which in turn increases their commitment to the company and allows each of them to contribute in a unique manner. All employees want to have good and harmonious relationship with their follow employers and leaders; they want supportive mentors that can help them achieve their individual goals.
When Diversity and Inclusion is well managed it can enhance team competence and confidence, ensure all our voices are heard, our multiple perspectives are encouraged and new paradigms are created to recognise the visible and invisible differences which make up the rich fabric of our workplaces.
How does unconscious bias work?
Unconscious bias, blind-spots, mind bugs, cognitive errors, confirmation bias: these are all terms associated with the latest neuroscience discoveries on how the workings of the human brain naturally lead to discrimination.
Unconscious bias is common to everyone. It affects our decision-making, our relationships and who we have affinity with. Unconscious bias consequently impacts who we provide opportunities in the workplace.
It helps us to understand why despite various efforts within our organisations we have not been able to move the dial in relation to treating everyone equally to the extent we wished.
The latest research combines the findings of neuroscience, behavioural economics, organisational and social psychology and confirms that we all have biases. It’s part of the human condition to be influenced by our life experiences, by the society we live in and the media images we are exposed to among many other factors.
Faced with a vast amount of information, our brains are hardwired to categorise and to sub-consciously make judgments that place people in a wide range of categories, some of which may result in our excluding them from certain opportunities.
Consciously, we are well-intentioned. We are horrified to learn that unconscious bias means that the assumptions and stereotypes that lead to institutional discrimination and injustice also affect us and are part of our behaviour.
Unconscious bias remains part of how we navigate the social landscape around us, how we “decode” how to relate to others, and how we interpret the behaviour of those we interact with, unless we take deliberate steps to change.
Being aware of our blind spots and how they affect our interactions is an essential first step toward advancing truly inclusive leadership and sustainable corporate culture change.
The point is not to blame people for their biases, nor is it to blame discrimination in the workplace on individuals because of their biases. Our work is to help all employees at every level to see beyond their biases so that they behave equally towards all.
Immediate impact
“Open Minds” training demystifies the science and delivers immediate impact to everyone who participates.
We draw from a wide range of digital and multi-media resource to help every “Open Minds” participant to understand how their behaviour is leading to group-think and discrimination, and most importantly, to learn how to recognise triggers for bias and to avoid the pitfalls.
We help leaders to understand how unconscious bias gets in the way of effective utilisation of people, reducing opportunities to serve customers better.
Our interventions are pragmatic, commercially focused, relevant to your people and linked to your bottom-line goals.
Licensed Implicit Association Test centre
As a licensed Implicit Association Test centre, we can measure associations between employee thoughts and your responses to provide metrics around the key areas where bias may be affecting your business.
We have been using GDP for many of our unconscious bias training sessions for consultants from across the globe at all levels of our firm. Farrah has had a memorable impact on everyone she’s interacted with, not only because of the content knowledge she shares, but more importantly through the personal connection she’s able to make in her delivery.