Enhancing Workplace Diversity and Driving Organizational Excellence
Presented by Deborah Biddle, founder and chief consultant, The People Company
We all know that the workforce is becoming more diverse and that embracing that diversity has many benefits for an organization. It’s not just a matter of numbers—being able to pull from the largest pool of candidates in a highly competitive economy; it’s also a matter of culture and of being able to consider and leverage differing perspectives, opinions, and ideas to drive innovation and reach the greatest outcomes and solutions. This is something we value greatly at UW–Madison, where we understand that “sifting and winnowing” is at the heart of learning and growth.
So how can we build and maintain a diverse workplace environment—one that promotes creative thinking and idea generation, and ultimately contributes to organizational excellence?
In her keynote address, Deborah Biddle, founder and chief consultant for The People Company, addressed just that. She discussed why workplace diversity doesn’t just happen accidentally but requires purposeful decision-making and a continuous improvement mindset. She also explored the benefits of workplace diversity and offered strategies for implementing a people-centered approach to nurturing diversity, equity, and inclusion across our institution and within each of our unique organizational units.