When it comes to an organization’s DEI journey sustaining efforts is critical. It’s easy to hit a benchmark, check a box, and pat ourselves on the back. But rarely can we confidently declare “Mission Accomplished.” After hitting a milestone som

I'm In Business, Why Should I Say Anything About Social Issues?

Oct 19th, 2022 33m 59s

Sarah Black, Global Communications Consultant for The Kaleidoscope Group’s Global Practice, outlined the dilemma in an episode of the company’s Becoming Inclusive Podcast, hosted by Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder. In the podcast, Black outlines wh

Please, Micromanage Me!...(Said No One Ever)

Oct 4th, 2022 25m 48s

“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” ― Steve JobsThere’s a buzz going around among hybrid and remote workers and it’s not reached a boiling point yet, b

Beyond the Numbers: Why Metrics Don’t Tell The Whole Story About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Sep 28th, 2022 32m 26s

Measuring diversity, equity and inclusion is an important, vital, part of implementing a robust strategy that delivers desired outcomes. But as organizations accrue data to qualify and quantify their efforts, they need to think beyond the organ

The Danger Lurking Behind External Benchmarks

Sep 21st, 2022 28m 57s

Embracing DEI is now a common organizational value shared across most sectors and industries. But how do organizations measure and benchmark their efforts? Truth be told, it’s a lot more difficult than people often think—particularly when we’re

Managing Change: Stakeholder Alignment

Sep 8th, 2022 29m 44s

Managing change is a complex process that entails engaging diverse and disparate groups of stakeholders. Often these various stakeholders have different priorities within the workplace despite everyone working toward a supposedly common goal of

What is Cross-Cultural Management And How Does It Intersect With DEI?

Aug 31st, 2022 36m 4s

To understand organizational culture, consider this analogy from the late author and novelist David Foster Wallace. Here’s how it goes: A big fish meets a little fish and asks “how’s the water?” In response, the little fish say’s “what’s water?

Employer & Employee Loyalty. Does It Still Exist?

Aug 25th, 2022 26m 22s

Ask people about company loyalty today, and you’re likely to get a lot of different responses—especially generationally. The days of working for a single employer over the course of a career, earning a pension, and retiring at a relatively youn

Can Too Much Inclusion Lead To Confusion?

Aug 23rd, 2022 28m 37s

Inclusion is not some nebulous concept. It’s a critical business priority that stokes innovation and increases organizational performance in real terms. Therefore, it’s important that inclusion is strategic and efficient in process and deployme

The Ever-Changing Terminology of DEI

Aug 16th, 2022 30m 21s

The concept of workplace diversity isn’t new. It’s been around since the 1960s, growing out of the Civil Rights movements—which included the Women’s movement and Gay Rights movement. In a large part, these complimentary movements focused on fai

Helping Leaders Embrace Change

Aug 10th, 2022 33m 35s

Do we demonize leaders too much in business today? Some would say yes, including the hosts and guests on this episode Becoming Inclusive podcast. Frequent guest and Kaleidoscope Group Executive Consultant Brian Johnson joined co-hosts Reggie a

Global Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: A View from South Africa

Aug 3rd, 2022 51m 38s

“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.” ― Bishop Desmond TutuEveryone has a story. But not everyone tells their story. And we don’t always ask. Sharing th

The U.S. Doesn't Own The Narrative On DEI

Jul 26th, 2022 32m 9s

On this episode of Becoming Inclusive hosts, Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder are joined by Jerry Jones, Global Director of Design and Development for The Kaleidoscope Group where they address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and how DEI in th

How Can You Tell If Your Workplace Is Actually Inclusive?

Jul 20th, 2022 28m 20s

So much talk in C-suites about the importance of inclusion as part of an overarching DEI discussion. But are those conversations really doing anything to drive inclusion in the workplace? Let’s be honest, it’s complicated at best since “inclusi

What About The People In The Project?

Jul 6th, 2022 24m 11s

We’ve all been there. We’re working on a team project and have to adapt to a new process, and sometimes new technologies, to fully contribute to the project. But we’re all different in terms of our work and learning styles and our competencies

Designing for Change

Jun 28th, 2022 30m 44s

In this podcast episode of Becoming Inclusive, the hosts welcomed Hanlie van Wyk, a global change management consultant, to talk about conscious change enablement using a “human forward” instead of a “process forward” approach.The thrust of the

Do I Really Have To Go Back Into The Office?

Jun 21st, 2022 32m 19s

Recently, Elon Musk made news by saying that remote employees who refused to return to the office would be terminated, which caused somewhat of a controversy. But at the recent Davos Conference of global business leaders, Ravin Jesuthasan, a gl

Juneteenth: It’s Not Just for African Americans

Jun 10th, 2022 34m 58s

Now that Juneteenth is officially a Federal Holiday, more Americans are aware of the historical significance of the occasion. Celebrated every June 19, until recently mostly by African Americans, Juneteenth marks the final emancipation of ensla

Advocates, Mentors, & Sponsors: What Are They And Why Do They Matter?

Jun 8th, 2022 26m 37s

In this episode of Becoming Inclusive hosts Kat Potts and Reggie Ponder forgo their usual guest format to do a deep dive into DEI terminology and specific terminology related to “advocates, mentors, and sponsors.” What exactly are they? Do thes

The Power Of Pronouns: Ask, Apologize, & Advocate

Jun 2nd, 2022 34m 22s

With June marking Pride Month, Becoming Inclusive co-hosts Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts are joined by special guest Jeffery B. Strader, head of the LGBTQ+ practice at the Kaleidoscope Group for an in-depth conversation on the Power of Pronouns.

A Winning Formula for Change Enablement: Self, Social, Systems, & Spaces

May 25th, 2022 37m 54s

We all know that change is the only constant. However, change also stokes a significant degree of fear and anxiety in many people, which can result in resistance from some people who may be impacted by the change. In this very compelling episod

Mental Health: It Matters in the Workplace!

May 19th, 2022 32m 45s

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month and we’ll be exploring the connections between mental wellness and diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s episode of Being Inclusive podcast. Hosts Reggie Ponder and Kat Potts are joined by special gu

Change Management: Is Your Company Succeeding At It?

May 10th, 2022 30m 42s

In today’s episode of our Podcast, we’re joined by Global Engagement Leader & Subject Matter Expert Hanlie van Wyck, who helps us understand the role of engagement in the change management process to drive sustainable and positive change within

Flexible Leadership: The Power of Pivoting Your Style

May 5th, 2022 28m 48s

When you think about strong leadership, certain characteristics likely come to mind. However, depending on where you are, and who you’re leading, other attributes become more crucial. In today’s podcast we talk about leadership for global org

Tolerated vs. Included: Choosing To Embrace Rather Than Endure

Apr 28th, 2022 31m 51s

"'Everyone is welcome' is drastically different from, ‘We built this with you in mind.’” This powerful quote kicks off today’s podcast about tolerating vs including. For a long time tolerance was considered aspirational. In many ways, respectin