| | _________________________________________________
MCDC Past Diversity Conferences, Available Now on DVD
“Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace: Creating a Compatible Environment for Spiritual and Religious Values and Practices.” (Available in DVD format with facilitator's guide created by Dr. Guillory.)
Order "Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace" Training Program
Organizations are created and run by people. In any successful institution, faculty and staff as well as students need to be recognized, valued, respected and assured that they are welcome with all of the differences that they bring with them. This includes their religious and spiritual beliefs.
Gone are the days when people are expected to leave their spirituality at the door. Today's organizations and institutions of higher learning understand that, to retain their best talent and achieve high levels of academic excellence, all people must feel they are able to bring their whole self to the organization. Personal expectations have also changed, with many individuals having appealed that their spiritual beliefs be accommodated.
The challenge comes in managing people diversity. Interaction between people with different worldviews, specifically spiritual or religious perspectives, can result in polarized opinions that can spill out onto the campus and create chaos in an otherwise harmonious environment.
Keynote presenter Dr. Bill Guillory, author and nationally-recognized expert in spirituality and religion in the workplace, outlines the need for creating organizational cultures that integrate “humanistic core values with core business policies, decisions, functions, and behaviors; cultures that support the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of its employees.” These positive organizational cultures are vital in order to make or maintain productive and profitable workplaces in today's competitive global economy.
Host Cathy Wurzer leads a dialogue with Dr. Guillory about the changing realities in the American workplace and the impact that they have had on recruitment, retention and organizational effectiveness.
Pillsbury House Theatre's Breaking Ice compliments the key points of Guillory's presentation by demonstrating both positive and negative impacts and gets to the heart of the difficult issues surrounding spirituality and workplace harmony.
Viewers engage Dr. Guillory during the question and answer session.
Additional information about the
"Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace" training program.
1997-2005 Video Conference VHS Tapes: Order Form (PDF file)
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files.
2005 Conference: Creating Organizational Change Through Dialogue: Tools to Address the Shifting Realities in the American Workplace
The ultimate goal of any company or organization is to grow their bottom line and to provide excellent service to its customers or clientele. No business or institution can remain static if it hopes to be successful in today's uncertain environment. Due to the ever-growing diversity within the workplace, some institutions have realized that differing viewpoints are major assets – not liabilities. It is an unfortunate reality, however, that in many workplaces employees do not express suggestions and opinions because they feel that their workplace climate does not support a free exchange of ideas.
These occurrences can stifle creativity and lessen productivity and morale. A key tool that can remedy this problem is dialogue. Dialogue will help co-workers find a closer relationship with one another that will improve the effectiveness of their organization. Businesses and organizations that understand and anticipate these changes, and also appreciate the richness that diversity brings will have the “Diversity Advantage”.
The 12th Annual MCDC Diversity Conference, Live via Satellite addresses issues of organizational change and dialogue. The conference provides dialogue tools that can help organizations ensure that different and diverse viewpoints are valued and shared within an organization so that it may successfully adapt to the continuous changes that occur within the American workplace. Program highlights include:
-
Keynote presenter Dr. Rogier Gregoire, Harvard scholar and nationally recognized expert in dialogue and conflict resolution, outlines the dialogue process including the important tools to use in initiating effective cross-cultural communication. Gregoire also provides techniques for achieving results that spur authentic dialogue in workplaces and communities.
-
Host Cathy Wurzer leads a discussion about the changing realities in the American workplace and the impact that they have had on recruitment, retention and organizational effectiveness.
-
Pillsbury House Theatre's Breaking Ice compliments the discussion by demonstrating both positive and negative forms of dialogue and gets to the heart of the difficult issues surrounding workplace harmony.
Return to Top
2004 Conference: “Achieving Success in Challenging Times: Reaching the Leader Within ”
In these challenging social, political and economic times, organizations must fully engage individuals at all levels to achieve their goals and objectives. Those organizations that move people to understand the impact of diversity in their personal and professional lives become the front-runners that empower individuals and foster leadership.
The MCDC 11th Annual Diversity C onference , Live via Satellite provide s participants with tools and strategies to:
• Empower anyone to influence positive change regardless of their “official” title or position
• Cultivate leadership skills to positively influence productivity and retention as well as to enhance interpersonal relationships with other employees, students, clients and the community
• Position leaders to effectively drive organizations to a higher level of financial performance while continuing to value diversity
Keynote presenter Kevin Cashman outlines specific techniques for developing leadership skills while encouraging contribution, regardless of placement in the hierarchy. All this is done to strengthen what Cashman calls the “Triple Bottom Line;” namely the financial, employee and customer base of any organization.
Following the featured presentation, a panel discussion of diverse leaders highlights the importance of developing positive leadership and addresses some of the issues and unique challenges of leaders from emerging groups. Panelists include:
• Maureen O'Brien Wieser, Vice President of Human Resources for Bremer Financial Services,
• Raúl Ramos, Community Outreach and Recruitment Specialist for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities,
• LaJune Lange, Hennepin County District Court Judge and founder of the International Leadership Institute
Broadcast live from MnSAT studios and hosted by Cathy Wurzer, the MCDC Annual Diversity Conference, Live via Satellite provides learning opportunities to develop diversity skills and competencies as we address the important topic of personal and professional leadership. The Pillsbury House Theatre's Breaking Ice provides thought-provoking vignettes about success, challenging times, and leadership. Herschel Herndon, Vice President of Talent Relations and Chief Diversity Officer of Best Buy gives the opening statements.
Return to Top
2003
Conference: "Living and Working in America: Opportunity or Adversity?"
Transforming Personal Stories into Tools for Success.
In
the United States, every person making up the fabric of the American experience
has a story to tell. Stories help to capture the imagination, exert influence,
and build community. In the world of business, stories help organizations understand
the rich heritage of all of their employees and stakeholders and offer successful
examples of dealing with change. Personal stories are the most powerful tools
we have to understand the value of compassion and cooperation as we seek to strengthen
organizational success and build meaningful relationships. Through stories, we
develop and enhance our cultural understanding and competencies in an attempt
to create cooperative workplaces and communities free of racism and bias.
By viewing the MCDC 10th annual conference, participants will be given direct
access to practical information and concepts that can be applied immediately.
The conference video features four moving stories by people who were changed by
their experiences of living and working in America and who went on to learn, grow
and help others in their organizations and communities. Facilitator Dolores Fridge,
Associate Vice Chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, facilitates
a discussion on using the power of stories to create tools that build positive
interactions and expand cross-cultural competencies.
Program Highlights:
- Four
personal stories are woven together and synthesized for discussion and
understanding. Storytellers include Jonathan Odell, Dianne Binns, John Doan, and
Stephanie Cunningham.
- Dolores Fridge, Associate Vice Chancellor
of the MN State Colleges and Universities, transforms the personal stories of
opportunity and adversity into tools to help expand competencies to create more
positive interactions among people.
- Cathy Wurzer, one of Minnesota's
premier broadcast journalists and host of the Morning Edition, Minnesota Public
Radio, hosts the broadcast
- The Pillsbury House Theatre's Breaking
Ice, presents customized vignettes.
- Participants walk away with
an understanding of the value of compassion and cooperation, which can be transferred,
to strengthening organizational success and improving personal relationships.
The
diversity conference will stimulate thinking, raise questions, spark discussion
and challenge viewers to become actively involved in addressing diversity issues
in the workplace.
Return to Top
2002 Conference: "Conquering
the Fear, A Process for Healing: Exploring the Impact of Current World Events
on the Individual, Organization and Community."
Recently,
we have witnessed some extraordinary events that have impacted all of us. The
tragedies of September 11th, the continuing struggles in the Middle East, and
the economic downturn are constantly in the news and a part of our daily thoughts
and consciousness. The result is often fear, the fueling of racism or hatred,
and general distraction from our daily lives. These reactions can lead to conflict
and misunderstandings in our workplaces, communities and personal lives.
This
conference explores how our workplaces, communities and ourselves as individuals
have reacted to these events, the ways in which personal, social, cultural, racial
and economic fears inhibit growth and progress and how we can address counter-
productive behaviors and start the healing process.
Program Highlights:
- Cathy
Wurzer, regional host of MN Public Radio's "Morning Edition," hosts
the event at the main studio in St. Paul.
- Dr. Joseph L. White, Professor
Emeritus of Psychology & Psychiatry at University of California, Irvine, is
an author, consultant, and well-known psychologist. He speaks about cultural fears,
their affects, and the impact that they have in our workplaces, communities, and
personal relationships, and leads participants into steps for healing.
- The
Pillsbury House Theatre's Breaking Ice, presents customized vignettes.
- C.
Philip Bamberger, Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development, ProGroup
Inc; Bruce P. Corrie, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Concordia University; Janice
Downing, Senior Consultant, Fredrikson Human Resources Consulting, LTD and Val
Vargas, CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota serve as panelists during
the discussion.
Return to Top
2001 Conference: "Building Full Partnerships:
Purpose, Process, Payoff."
We live in an interconnected world.
In our businesses and schools, our communities, and our personal lives, we discover
over and over again that it is the quality of our relationships that truly enrich
us. To the extent that we isolate ourselves by defining only the boundaries that
separate us, we limit what we can achieve, and who we can become. In such an environment
the isolated white male can become just as left out as the marginalized person-of-color,
woman, GLBT, or person with a disability. We are each different in our strengths,
yet stronger, greater and better because of our differences and we must celebrate
that fact. Those leading the diversity front realize that it is vital to address
racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, cultural insensitivity and the unfortunate
growing list of "isms" in order to succeed and ensure fully inclusive
world-class organizations. The presenters address the purpose and importance of
full partnerships and ally building, suggest tools and cultural competency measures
needed in today's organizations, schools and communities, and show the payoff
of diversity as it relates to the business case.
Program Highlights:
- Lee
Pao Xiong, President & CEO of the Urban Coalition and former Bush Leadership
Fellow and McKnight Fellow, provides the keynote address
- Cathy Wurzer,
Minnesota Public Radio, is host of the event at the studio in the World Trade
Center, St. Paul
- "Promising Practices" of working examples
of Full Partnerships, shot on location, are featured through a series of video
clips
- The Pillsbury House Theatre presents customized vignettes
- Sonia
Alvarez-Robinson, HR Manager, Cummins Power Generation; Scott Fearing, Statewide
Organizer, OutFront Minnesota; Amy Kahn, President and Founder, Culture Link (headquartered
in Phoenix, Arizona); and Michael Welp, Ph.D., Founder, EqualVoice serve as the
panel of opinion experts
Return to Top
2000 Conference: "The Diversity
Advantage: Staying Relevant in a Changing Community."
Technology
is rapidly changing the way we work and live. Look back just five years. Who would
have thought that the Internet, for example, would have become such a force in
our lives? We are quickly becoming a global community. Businesses buy and sell,
not just in their local communities, but all over the world. We draw our workers
from an increasingly diverse pool that crosses cultural and national boundaries.
These are times of change. Businesses and organizations that understand and anticipate
these changes are the ones that also appreciate the richness that diversity brings
- they have the Diversity Advantage. The Minnesota Cultural Diversity Center (MCDC),
in its seventh annual video conference, focuses on, "The Diversity Advantage:
Staying Relevant in a Changing Community."
Program Highlights:
- A
new and innovative format shows interaction via Interactive TV (ITV) from three
Minnesota locations: St. Paul, Rochester, and St. Cloud.
- Real People
telling Real Stories provide viewpoints on themes such as: challenges and contributions
of immigrants new to communities, linking strategic initiatives to the changes
in urban and rural communities, developing cultural competencies in order to provide
better services, partnering with youth to develop a prosperous future, creating
dialogue and building relationships based on respect, and learning about the growth
of women and minority owned suppliers and vendors.
- Cathy Wurzer,
WCCO news anchor, hosts the event at the main studio in St. Paul; Amy Gage, Staff
Columnist, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, moderates in Rochester; and Les Green, Director
of Multicultural Affairs, College of Education, St. Cloud State University, moderates
in St. Cloud.
- Dr. Robert Hayles, author, consultant, and well-known
public figure on diversity issues, provides subject-matter expertise and opinion
on the stories that are shared, as well as take questions from the audiences.
- The Pillsbury House Theatre presents customized vignettes.
Return to Top
1999
Conference: "Gaining a Competitive Edge by Creating a Productive and Inclusive
Work Environment."
- The program begins with an opening speech
by J.T. (Ted) Childs, Jr.-Vice President, Global Workforce Diversity, IBM Corporation.
- Keynote
Speaker, Barbara Nobles Crawford, Vice President of Client Information and Research
Services for Work Family Directions (WFD) in New York has over 24 years of experience
in consulting, management, research and entrepreneurship, having worked in both
national and multinational corporations. The focus of her keynote address is Work/Life
Balance. Ms. Nobles Crawford discusses the need for work/life balance in our rapidly
changing society and presents tools and resources useful for individuals, businesses
and higher learning institutions.
- Panel discussion with leaders from
a variety of corporate Affinity Groups (commonly known as employee network groups).
Moderated by Cathy Wurzer, the panel explores:
- What Affinity Groups
are, how to start them, goals/objectives/structure and support from the organization
(financial and in-kind)
- Employees' need to seek out Affinity Groups
and how this involvement can help influence decision making in the organization
- How the Affinity Groups can become strategic partners of the organization
by contributing to greater employee morale, productivity, recruitment and retention
- How the Affinity Groups can enhance the connection between work and
the community
- Pillsbury House Theatre presents two customized
vignettes addressing both Work/Life Balance and Affinity Groups in the workplace.
Return to Top
1998
Conference: "Planning for Success: The Business Case for Building and
Retaining a Diverse Workforce."
We are pleased to offer these
program highlights, hosted by KMSP news anchor Robyne Robinson:
- The
program begins with an opening speech by Stephen Sanger, Chairman and CEO of General
Mills, Inc.
- Recruitment and retention of current and future employees
are explored:
· A theatrical presentation by Pillsbury House Theatre,
"Breaking Ice," presents situations on sexual orientation, disabilities,
welfare to work, and new immigrants in the workforce.
· A panel of talented
high school and college level students clarifies their workplace expectations
for future employment and talks about what they look for in an employer.
·
Dave Anderson of Famous Dave's Barbecue shares his success in recruiting and retaining
his workforce as his restaurant business experiences continued growth.
- Toby
Eagan of ProGroup defines how to create a respectful work environment and provides
tools for developing cultural competencies in the workplace.
- Dr. Edward
Hubbard of Hubbard Diversity Measurement & Productivity Institute offers his
measurement expertise. A Multicultural Business Case will include tools for measuring
diversity initiative success.
Return to Top
1997 Conference: "Integrating
Diversity For Real Change: Competencies for the 21st Century. "
As
we move into the 21st century, successful organizations will be those that integrate
diversity for real change. Many organizations are faced even today by the huge
challenge of the forceful knowledge based competitive global economy. In order
to increase productivity and improve quality, organizations are forced to use
the knowledge of the talented multicultural diverse workforce that is available
in the competitive labor market. Executives who integrate diversity into their
life and all aspects of their organization's core operation and those who develop
and focus on developing personal competencies will be able to lead successfully
their organizations into the 21st century.
Program Highlights:
- During
the first part of the conference, four top executives including Doug Leatherdale,
Merge Anderson, Reatha Clark King, and Richard S. Gaskins, explore the topic of
" Diversity for me, my workplace and my community." They count opportunities
for linking company's or organization's diversity efforts with marketing, human
resources and corporate and community affairs.
- The Video Conference,
moderated by Robyne Robinson, KMSP news anchor, also includes a diversity tools
presentation by Lee Mun Wah, Peggy Jones, and Enrique Baltierra. These tools can
be used in creating real and sustainable change through building and developing
skills and competencies for leading diversity into the 21st century.
Return to Top
MCDC
would like to thank the following organizations
for their support of the
2006
MCDC 13th Annual Diversity Conference, Live via Satellite
"Religion and Spirituality in the Workplace:
Creating a Compatible Environment for Spiritual and Religious Values and Practices"
Patron
Sponsor
Deluxe Corporation
Gold
Level Sponsors
Ameriprise Financial Services
Carlson Companies
Ceridian
Corporation
Cub Foods
Northwest Airlines
3M
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
Silver
Level Sponsors BAE Systems
Mayo Clinic
Medtronic
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Thomson West
Media Sponsors
One Nation News
In-Kind Sponsors
Blue House Graphics
Events by Jana
Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity
Return to Top
info@mcdc.org
ph. 952.881.6090
fax 952.887.6099
Copyright 2008 MultiCultural Development Center (MCDC), All Rights Reserved
|
