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Question I: I think of bias-reduction
and diversity as appropriate only for diversity or H.R. conferences.
Why would I chose that topic for a meeting in which the theme
has nothing to do with diversity?
Answer: The beauty of diversity and bias
reduction as a general session topic is that it relates to almost
every conference theme. Whether that theme be leadership, change,
customer care, or any other of a large number of business-related
topics, Sondra has something to contribute.
To site just a couple of examples
of how this works, when Sondra conducted a general session
address for The Society of Incentive
Travel Executives in Lisbon, the conference theme was “Navigating
the 21st Century” and she was able to show the audience
how reducing their biases would make them better able to
conduct business internationally.
Similarly, when The Staubach Company
held a corporate meeting with a focus called “One Team, One Dream,” Sondra
was able to tailor her general session material to emphasize
how bias reduction can enhance team performance and team
solidarity.
Just call our office and we can talk about how diversity and
bias-reduction can contribute to your conference goals.
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Question II: I can see diversity as a breakout session or corporate
workshop, but is it entertaining and uplifting enough for a general
session?
Answer: If you
take a look at Sondra’s
demonstration
tape and program content ,
you will see that, although her presentations are filled
with practical material, she
delivers that material through the use of amusing anecdotes
and inspirational
stories. Click
here to see what some of her clients have said about this
aspect of Sondra’s work.
Question III: We’ve heard many presentations
on diversity, how is Sondra Thiederman different?
Answer: The
things that distinguish Sondra from other diversity
speakers are…:
- Her willingness to shift the diversity
dialogue from one of blame and finger pointing to
an emphasis on the skills we
all
can use to overcome workplace tension and inequity.
Sondra’s talks are not about blaming any one population
for the biases around us, but about how each of us—men,
women, white, black, gay, straight--has the power to
rid ourselves of the biases that destroy our workplaces
and our lives. In short:
Sondra never preaches, blames, or accuses. Click
here to read a client’s thoughts on this aspect of Sondra’s
work.
The
Benefit of This Approach: The absence of blame allows
the audience to safely drop its defenses, become engaged
in the presentation,
and, therefore, really take-in the strategies that
will bring about lasting change.
- Her commitment to being
realistic and honest about diversity and bias reduction.
This
means to be realistic about the business case for diversity,
to admit to painful truths like the fact that
all groups
are capable of bias, and to provide “real world” strategies
for diffusing bias in ourselves and others. Click
here to read a client’s thoughts on this aspect of Sondra’s
work.
The Benefit of This Approach: Sondra’s commitment
to being realistic and practical means that she will
provide your audience
with specific strategies and information that they can
immediately apply in the workplace. . Click
here to read a client’s
thoughts on this aspect of Sondra’s work.
- Her willingness to expose her own biases to the audience
By
sharing her own biases, where they originated, and how they
were diminished, Sondra models the principle that
the first step
to bias reduction is to recognize their existence.
The Benefit
of This Approach: When Sondra shows her own foibles and biases
to the audience members, they instantly
get
the message that they no longer need to be ashamed of their
biases and that
it is safe to look at them, analyze them, and begin
the process of getting them under control.
- Her effort to introduce ground breaking concepts such
as “Kinship
Groups,” “Guerilla Bias,” “Gateway Events,” and “Emerging
Groups.”
Sondra’s talks are new and innovative; they could
never be describes as “that same old diversity
message.” Click
here to read a client’s thoughts on this aspect
of Sondra’s
work.
The
Benefit of This Approach: The presentation of
new ideas encourages the group to continue the “conversation” long
after Sondra has finished speaking. This conversation
not only will energize your convention, but will continue
in the workplace
where it can create real and lasting change. Click
here to read a client’s thoughts on this aspect of Sondra’s
work.
- Her ability to adapt her presentation to reach a wide-variety
of audience members.
From white-male executives at
Motorola to the trade union representatives of General Motors
Union to black professionals
at the National
Black MBA Association to engineers at Procter & Gamble,
Sondra’s
flexibility and her easy-going style makes her perfect
for audiences of all backgrounds. Click
here to read a client’s thoughts
on this aspect of Sondra’s work.
The Benefit of This Approach: Because audience members feel respected for who they
are and where they are in the
diversity and bias-reduction process, they are more able
and
willing
to take in the essence of the speaker’s message.
- Her ability to take a lighthearted look at a serious
topic.
Sondra has a reputation for using humor to create a
buoyant atmosphere which enables audiences to hear her message
and begin a journey of self-discovery and lasting change.
The
Benefit of This Approach: Of course humor, when
respectful and balanced, contributes greatly to the success
of any
meeting. More importantly, though, a little lightness can
go a long
way toward enhancing the learning process. Click
here to read a
client’s thoughts on this aspect of Sondra’s
work.
Question III: I have always thought of diversity and
bias reduction as a “soft” topic–my people
want presentations that will make a real difference in their
business success.
Why would I want a talk on this subject?
Answer: The problem
with biases is that they interfere with our ability to
see people accurately. No one can deny that few skills
are more important to successful business than the ability
to interpret accurately the behaviors and needs of colleagues
and
customers. In fact, when those skills are lacking, there
is a serious price to pay. Whether that price be litigation,
costly
turnover, lost customers, or wasted management time, Sondra
provides
specific strategies for avoiding these losses and building
instead productive and profitable business. Click
here to read a client’s
thoughts on this aspect of Sondra’s work.
Question IV: We don’t have blatant bias problems nor are
we threatened with litigation. Why would I want Sondra’s
program?
Answer: Sondra’s talks are directed,
not at blatant racism, sexism, and homophobia, but at the subtler
forms
of bias; the
ones held by otherwise “nice people” (that’s
you and me and most of the folks we know) and that are
insidious in the harm they do to our workplaces, our communities,
and
ourselves. Because, like guerilla warriors, they are hidden,
Sondra calls
these “Guerilla Biases™” and demonstrates
how each of us can identify and eradicate their influence
on our lives and workplaces.
Question
V: Sondra is white, what credibility will she have
talking about diversity?
Answer: Admittedly, from time to
time someone wonders, when
first seeing Sondra walk on the stage, “What does a
white able-bodied person know about diversity?” By
the time she is finished speaking, however, this skepticism
has dissolved.
Of course Sondra has never lived the frustrations of a person
in a wheelchair, she has only tasted what it is like to be
dismissed because of the kinship group to which she belongs
(being the
target of “blond” jokes hardly counts), and she has
only rarely felt excluded because of the color of her skin. And
of this adds up to one reason why she is such an effective speaker
on bias reduction. Sondra has felt just enough of what it is
like to be a target of bias to know that it is real while, at
the same time, she grasps the point-of-view and life experience
of the “majority” population. This dual life experience
means that she can craft her message in a way they will be understood
by audiences of very different backgrounds.
Question VI: Our
workplace is far from diverse. Why would we need a topic like
bias-reduction?
Answer: I can best answer this question with
another question. Does your audience need to know how to
accurately interpret
the needs and behavior of colleagues, customers, and
employees? Do
they need to motivate appropriately, promote and hire
intelligently, and do business with people who aren’t exactly like themselves.
The answer to all of these questions is obviously, “Yes” and
that means your group can benefit from what Sondra has
to offer.
To check on Sondra’s availability or to receive additional information including a demonstration tape and references, please contact the bureau who sent you to this site or:
Joan Pierce
Marketing Director
Cross-Cultural Communications
4585 48th Street
San Diego, CA 92115
Phone: 619-583-4478 / 800-858-4478
Fax: 619-583-0304
E-mail: STPhD@Thiederman.com
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