Organizational Ignition

DEI 201 Workshop: How to Have Difficult Conversations
2023-11-06 09:00 - 10:30 UTC
Someone says something to you that is disrespectful of your heritage. You witness behavior that has sexist overtones. You observe a conversation where someone demeans a person because of their racial identity. Besides your legal and organizational policy obligations, you need to have a difficult conversation with the person who caused the affront. But how do you have that conversation in a kind and effective way that has a positive outcome?
Combining recent research by cognitive neuroscientists such as Dr. Lara Boyd and Dr. Michael Gazzaniga; conversation experts such as Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton; and discriminatory behavior experts such as Resmaa Menachem, and Iris Bohnet, author and DEI expert James McKim will will use videos and activities to give you insights into when and how to have these difficult conversations as well as tips on what to do when you see a discriminatory situation occurring.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

recognize when offensive situations arise
feel the role trauma plays in contentious situations
determine when to have difficult conversations
identify the three (3) conversations in every difficult conversation leverage the steps for having a difficult conversation

Sponsored by

Race, Ethics, & the Arts
2023-10-20 08:30 - 10:30 UTC
Friday, October 20 | 8:30 – 10:30am | Saint Anselm College
James McKim will participate in a panel discussion about “Race, Ethics, and the Arts,” hosted by the Richard L. Bready Chair in Ethics, Economics, and the Common Good and the Center for Ethics in Society. A broad spectrum of scholars, practitioners, and theorists will explore ethical questions related to the intersection of race and art.
For those attending in person, please join us in the Roger and Francine Jean Student Center at 8:30am for breakfast. For those joining virtually, the Zoom Webinar will begin at 9am. For more information please visit our website.

Register (In-person)

Register (Zoom)

Taming Unconscious & Other Types of Bias in Engineering
2023-10-18 08:00 - 10:00 UTC
17th NHJES Annual Conference

Come hear author and internationally known DEI expert James McKim speak on Taming Unconscious & Other Types of Bias in Engineering at the 2023 NH Joint Engineering Societies Annual Conference.
Date: Wednesday October 18th
Location: Bedford Event Center, 379 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110

NHTA Innovation Summit Panel on AI in Employment
2023-10-17 11:00 - 18:00 UTC
When: October 17
Where: Grappone Conference Center, Concord, NH

DEI 301 - DEI for Managers: Managing the Talent Lifecycle
2023-10-17 09:00 - 10:30 UTC
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) is a proven way to elicit superior performance from teams and individuals. But that performance does not just happen by itself. Even if there is a DEI Plan, that plan needs to be carried out day-to-day. So, how do you bring diversity into your group? This workshop explores how to embed DEI into your daily work as a manager.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• create a culture for your group to live into DEI
• include DEI in the recruitment, hiring, and retention of team members
• encourage DEI in your team’s communication, decision-making, and general project management.

Sponsored by

DEI 102: 3 Levels of Bias, Microaggressions, & Belonging
2023-09-21 09:00 - 10:30 UTC
Are you aware that 100% of people are biased but most do not know it? Do you feel you can interact with diverse people without offending them? Would you recognize a microaggression when you see it? Do you understand the true impact of discrimination on your organization? Do you know for certain whether your workspace environment is welcoming to diverse people?
If you answered NO to any of these questions or just want to brush up on the topics, this session is for you? Come participate in an interactive session led by bestselling author and DEI expert James McKim that takes you through how do our preconceived ideas influence how we view and react to people and situations and how our biases lead to microaggressions, organizational policies, and culture that is, at best, unwelcoming and at worse, illegal.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session participants will be able to:

understand the 6 key fundamental concepts in a welcoming workspace
understand what preconceived notions (unconscious implicit biases) are and how they influence our behavior
interpret types of microaggressions and their impact to your organization
begin to analyze the “welcomness” of your workplace for diverse employees and clients/customers

Sponsored by

One Goffstown - How to be an Ally
2023-07-20 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
Want to be an ally to those who are being bullied because of race, sex, age, etc.? Come to the Goffstown Library’s session How to Be An Ally.
Registration required, no library card necessary. This event will be virtual and all registrants will receive a link to the event.
This event is part of our #OneGoffstown series.

One Goffstown - What is Implicit Bias?
2023-06-29 18:30 - 20:00 UTC
Curious to learn what implicit bias is and how it affects our behavior and how we treat others? Come to One Goffstown – What is Implicit Bias? hosted by the Goffstown Library.
Registration required, no library card necessary. This event will be virtual and all registrants will receive a link to the event.
This event is part of our #OneGoffstown series.

James McKim to Speak at NH Bar Association’s Annual Meeting 2023
2023-06-23 08:00 - 12:30 UTC
James McKim will be speaking the morning of June 23rd and facilitating a panel of legal experts on their experiences with diversity in the NH Bar.

How to Have Difficult Conversations @ NH Nonprofit Conference & Expo 5/18/2023
2023-05-18 13:30 - 15:00 UTC
Someone says something to you that is disrespectful of your heritage. You witness behavior that has sexist overtones. You observe a conversation where someone demeans a person because of their racial identity. Besides your legal and organizational policy obligations, you need to have a difficult conversation with the person who caused the affront. But how do you have that conversation in a kind and effective way that has a positive outcome? Combining recent research by cognitive neuroscientists such as Dr. Lara Boyd and Dr. Michael Gazzaniga; conversation experts such as Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton; and discriminatory behavior experts such as Resmaa Menachem, and Iris Bohnet, James McKim will use videos and activities to give you insights into when and how to have these difficult conversations in a productive manner during a session at the upcoming NH Nonprofit Conference & Expo.

James McKim Speaks on Civility in the Workplace at NH BSR 2023 Spring Conference
2023-05-17 01:30 UTC
It seems our society has become more polarized than ever. Disrespectful rhetoric intentional and unintentional – now fills the media, our institutions, and our workplaces. How do we interact with civility in this emotionally fraught environment? How do we interact with one another in a way that allows us to be productive while respecting the opinions of those with whom we may not agree?

Come hear James McKim speak at this year’s NH Businesses for Social Responsibility Spring Conference on the topic of Civility in the Workplace. He will discuss• what civility is;
• why civility is so important;

• steps to promote civility in the workplace.

The theme of the overall conference is Uncertainty = Opportunity for a bold new vision of what the world could be. The conference is designed to appeal to businesses across the spectrum of sustainable/socially responsible business operations, allowing the 300+ attendees from large and small companies to find the perfect opportunity to learn and share best practices.

Join us for this event of inspiration, ideas, connection, and collaboration. This conference will bring together thought leaders from throughout NH for exciting and thought-provoking conversations.

Network and share ideas for moving sustainability forward in our state
Learn about current developments and best practices in CSR and sustainability
Receive practical tools, resources and examples you can utilize to transform your organization
Engage with big thinkers and leading practitioners
Take away relevant and actionable ideas
Collaborate with like-minded professionals

Courageous Community Conversations at Libraries
2023-05-09 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
James McKim will join Goffstown Public Library Director Dianne Hathaway to discuss the groundbreaking Courageous Community Conversations program at the NH Library Association 2023 Spring Conference.
The program was created and first launched in 2019. Since then it has been replicated at libraries across the state.
The session will be part of the conference for library employees and trustees across the state. The conference itself will focus on how libraries can flourish in this time when the freedom to read is under attack.

Cultivating an Engaged Workplace
2023-04-25 13:00 - 14:00 UTC | Wentworth By The Sea, 588 Wentworth Rd, New Castle, NH, 03854, United States
Come hear James McKim speak on how managers can reap the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Get Tech Smart: DEI INDUSTRY NETWORKING NIGHT
2023-04-13 17:30 - 19:30 UTC | UNH Victory Club, 155 Main Street, Durham, 03824, United States
Wonder what is going on in New Hampshire to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the technology industry?
Get Tech Smart: DEI INDUSTRY NETWORKING NIGHT will be an opportunity to discuss this important topic. Hosted by the University of New Hampshire Paul College UNH Center for Business Analytics and MCed by Get Tech Smart’s Flo Nicholas, the event promises to be informative and fun.
Organizational Ignition is a sponsor and James McKim will be speaking about the #EliminateBiasInTech campaign. We hope to see you there!

James McKim Speaks at Leadership Greater Concord Friday March 31st
2023-03-31 08:00 - 09:30 UTC
Leadership Greater Concord (LGC) invites you to the 22nd annual Richard G. Warner Scholarship Fund Breakfast & Auction. Tickets are $30 and include a full breakfast. LGC alum Joe Kasper and current Event Chair Tori Berube will call a live auction with fabulous items. Proceeds from the event benefit the LGC Scholarship Fund and provide tuition support to LGC participants.
Keynote speaker James T. McKim, Jr., PMP, ITIL, Managing Partner of Organizational Ignition, LLC. and author of The Diversity Factor: Igniting Superior Organizational Performance will speak about inclusive leadership. Thank you to Concord Hospital for their continued support of this event.

Age-Inclusive Workplaces at the Inclusion Maine Conference
2023-03-30 08:30 - 16:30 UTC
Curious to learn about strategies for building an Age-inclusive workplace and some small group coaching around DEI? Come hear us share insights at the Inclusion Maine Conference on March 30th in Portland, ME.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Hackathon
2023-03-16 09:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Come hack into topics that have been impacting our workplaces! The purpose of this event is to bring those who have a passion and commitment for diversity, equity, and inclusion together and discuss and hack into difficult topics in a respectful and safe setting. The DEI Hackathon is a perfect opportunity for those working on DEI Plans and strategies to come together to have empowering and courageous conversations about the implementation of DEI. It allows for the co-creation of solutions to increase workplace diversity & inclusion. It is perfect for organizations that recognize the value of intentional inclusive culture building and are looking to boost morale and take positive action.
By attending the Hackathon you will gain ideas on how to:

Describe the importance of diversity and inclusion and how it is not just the ‘right’ thing to do but critical for business success.
Change mindsets to build inclusivity into the way people think.
Encourage ownership and participation across the company on this important topic.
Build awareness for different people’s experiences and understanding of the team dynamics or systems that can hinder a sense of belonging or create exclusion.
Get a global view of how people in different organizations feel and what challenges are faced.
Generate ideas for driving positive change and drive inclusive action.
Open up conversations and encourage the development of relationships
Encourage diversity of thought and new ideas
Develop skills around empathy, relationship building & problem-solving.

The topics will be as follows:

DEI Goal Setting & Monitoring
Disability Inclusivity
Cultural Sensitivity
Women in the Workplace
Age in the Workplace
Recruitment and Pipeline Challenges
Bias in the Hiring and Interviewing ProcessLGBTQIA+ Inclusivity
White Privilege in the Workplace
Pay Equity
Building Powerful and Influential ERGs
Veterans

Project Management IT Summit
2023-03-02 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
The upcoming HolisticPMC Project Management IT Summit on March 2nd will be a great opportunity to learn about project management and technology.
James McKim will be speaking on the Impact of DEI on Project Management. Registration is free!

DEI and Project Management
2023-02-16 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Curious to learn how Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion impact project management? James McKim will share thoughts on this topic at the February Project Management Instutute – Mass Bay Chapter’s February meeting.
Date: February 16, 2023
Time: 7PM
Place: Crowne Plaza, Wouburn, MA

Ensuring Equity & Inclusion Through Technology
2023-02-16 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
We use technology – the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or, as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment (OED) – to automate our work. Machines and software aid us in making decisions or even making decisions for us. To help us see things and do things that we ourselves cannot do because of lack of time, lack of knowledge, or lack of ability.
But technology is biased. The World Economic Forum article “Research shows AI is often biased. Here’s how to make algorithms work for all of us” states , “Bias represents injustice against a person or a group. A lot of existing human bias can be transferred to machines because technologies are not neutral; they are only as good, or bad, as the people who develop them.” Even worse, bias infects our decisions on what technology to use and how we use technology.
Why? Because all humans are all biased. And who creates and uses technology? Humans. Consciously or subconsciously, our biases lead to discrimination. Discrimination either in the development or use of technology. So, how can we determine how bias impacts our use or development of technology?
Learning Objectives
After this workshop you will be able to:
• Describe how bias impacts the development of technology
• Describe how bias impacts the use of technology
• Describe how to select technology that minimizes bias

Inclusive Leadership
2023-01-19 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
DEI is a proven way to elicit superior performance from teams and individuals. But that performance does not just happen by itself. Even if there is a DEI Plan, that plan needs to be carried out day-to-day by the people in your group. How do you engage everyone equitably so that they perform at their best and your team performs at its highest level? This workshop explores how to ignite your staff to optimal performance using our formula of equitable inclusion of diverse people.
Learning Takeaways
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

provide an equitable, inclusive environment for their team;
facilitate innovative thinking and decision-making;
create win-win situations with each employee.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session participants will understand:

how different cultures, thinking styles, and behavioral preferences impact performance;
the impact of implicit bias on performance and behavior;
different motivational models;
the impact of diversity on decision-making and critical thinking.

Diversity In Institutions & Society @ Gibson's Bookstore January 9, 2023
2023-01-10 18:30 - 19:30 UTC | Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S Main St., Concord, NH, 03301, United States
Diversity is a popular topic these days. But many say that diversity in institutions is difficult to achieve or navigate. Others say diversity is not an issue here in New Hampshire.
Bring your questions about diversity in institutions and society to Gibson‘s Bookstore on January 10, 2023 for a fascinating discussion with James McKim about how New Hampshire and the United States are grappling with the topic based on his book The Diversity Factor: Igniting Superior Organizational Performance.”
View the Gibson’s Event Page

De-Biasing Techniques
2023-01-10 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Are you aware that 100% of people are biased but most do not know it? Research has shown that it is this unconscious implicit bias that causes discrimination and the “isms” that exist in society. This highly interactive workshop will help you understand how to de-bias yourself and show you how to embrace diverse people and ideas.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

fully understand implicit bias
list the different types of biases
list techniques to de-bias yourself.

Measuring DEI: Beyond Simple Counts to Impactful Engagement
2022-12-16 08:30 - 10:00 (America/New_York)
You have made the decision to embark on a DEI initiative. Good. Now how do you know whether or not your effort is successful? Management guru Peter Drucker said that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” That applies to DEI. If you can’t measure DEI in your organization, you can’t improve it. Join us for a discussion of measuring a DEI initiative.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

identify and calculate the metrics that are important in a DEI initiative
gather data about your DEI initiative
analyze the data and draw conclusions from the analysis.

Facilitators: James McKim, PMP, ITIL, Managing Partner, Organizational Ignition
Julie Alig, PhD, Principal, JLA Analytics, LLC

Eliminating Bias from Technology for Developers
2022-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
December 13 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Price: $35.00

As reported in the Forbes article “The Role Of Bias In Artificial Intelligence”, facial recognition systems are under scrutiny. The class imbalance is a leading issue in facial recognition software. A dataset called “Faces in the Wild,” considered the benchmark for testing facial recognition software, had data that was 70% male and 80% white. Although it might be good enough to be used on lower-quality pictures, “in the wild” is a highly debatable topic.
Apart from algorithms and data, researchers and engineers developing any system are also responsible for bias. According to VentureBeat, a Columbia University study found that “the more homogenous the [engineering] team is, the more likely it is that a given prediction error will appear.” This can create a lack of empathy for the people who face problems of discrimination, leading to an unconscious introduction of bias in these algorithmic-savvy systems.
So, how can we eliminate the negative impact of bias in the use or development of our technology?
After this workshop you will be able to:

Minimize if not eliminate the embedding of bias in the development of your technology
Minimize if not eliminate the embedding of bias in the configuration of your technology
Minimize if not eliminate bias in the use of your technology

Sponsored By

Women/Age in the Workplace
2022-12-06 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Research has shown that organizations that truly engage women and people of all ages at all levels outperform those organizations that do not. And despite claims to the contrary, research also shows that truly and equitably engaging women and people of all ages equitably is not happening in the US.
This session explores how organizations can create an environment where women and people of all ages are treated equitably while helping to drive innovation and sustainable performance.

After Hours Networking: A Path to a More Diverse Bar - Hosted by NHWBA and NHBA's Gender Equality Committee
2022-11-30 17:30 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
The New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association and the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Gender Equality Committee are hosting their second After Hours Networking Event.

This event will feature a panel discussion moderated by James McKim focused on what steps the bar, needs to take to better reflect the diversity of the varied communities served by the Bar.

Eliminating Bias from Technology for Users
2022-11-29 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
Date: November 29Time:
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST
Cost:$35.00
The use of technology is expanding exponentially. The World Economic Forum reports as shared in the article “TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION: How has technology changed – and changed us – in the past 20 years?” that “In 2004, fewer than 1 million people were on Myspace; Facebook had not even launched. By 2018, Facebook had more 2.26 billion users with other sites also growing to hundreds of millions of users.”
We tend to think that technology is objective, cold, and dispassionate. But it is not! Technology is built by humans. We humans all biased. So, bias is built into how we select and use technology. But how can we minimize the negative impacts of bias in technology?
After this workshop you will be able to:

Minimize if not eliminate bias in the selection of technology
Minimize if not eliminate the selection of biased technology
Minimize if not eliminate bias in the use of technology

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Sponsored By

DEI For Managers
2022-11-17 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
DEI is a proven way to elicit superior performance from teams and individuals. But that performance does not just happen by itself. Even if there is a DEI Plan, that plan needs to be carried out day-to-day. So, how do you bring diversity into your group? How do you engage everyone equitably so that they perform at their best and your team performs at its highest level? This workshop explores how to embed DEI into your daily work as a manager.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

create a culture for your group to live into DEI
include DEI in the recruitment, hiring, and retention
encourage DEI in your team’s communication, decision-making, and general project management.

Facilitator: James McKim, PMP, ITIL, Managing Partner, Organizational Ignition, LLC

Culture in the Workplace
2022-11-09 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Resmaa Menachem says that culture is the way our bodies re-enact history through the foods we eat, the stories we tell, and the images that move us. This workshop introduces how our different cultures impact our interactions in the workplace.
Facilitator: Trini Tellez, MD, Principal, Health Equity Strategies, LLC
