E-News
How We YPC: Diversity and Inclusion
About 31 people gathered at Wellmark on Tuesday to learn about Diversity & Inclusion Councils. The featured speaker, Rona Berinobis, provided a very engaging presentation followed by thought-provoking questions from the audience.
We learned about what a Diversity/Inclusion Council is and does, the business case for developing a Council, how Diversity/Inclusion Councils are leveraged strategically, what Wellmark has done/is doing with their Council, and some best practices.
Diversity & Inclusion Councils are: ambassadors for the organization in the community, the eyes and ears of the organization, a group that provides a diversity of ideas, run “by the people for the people”, and groups that help raise awareness from a grass roots level.
What makes a good Council member? Someone who:
• Has demonstrated the appreciation of diversity through professional or life experiences
• Is passionate about making a difference – action more than words
• Has effective teamwork skills
• Brings ideas to the table
• Is active in the community
• Is respected in the organization
• Provides strategic purpose for their role on the Council
• Can serve as an influential leader
We learned all of this and more! What it really comes down to is that every organization is different and needs to design a Council that works for them. Wellmark’s Council didn’t happen overnight—it was an experiment over time that fleshed out what works and what doesn’t; it is a continuous evolution and they encouraged everyone to consider their own model that works for them. Overall a great session!
-Megan Ruble, YPC Business Relations Chair
Aug 17, 2012 10:00 AM
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