Diversity Training: Does it Work?

Diversity training, estimated to be an $8 billion industry, has gained immense popularity over the past two decades. Most major corporations require that all employees take at least one class on diversity. However, such training is not without its controversy. Some say it causes greater divisiveness. Others claim it is simply a waste of time because the principles are common sense… “treat all people with respect”… And critics complain that there is no way to measure ROI.

Diversity remains a word that invokes multiple meanings and strong emotional responses. Do the naysayers have a point or does diversity training make a difference? What are some examples of successful diversity training? How can it benefit the business?

Tuition for the live event: $299 Two week, on-demand recording access: $299 Tuition and two week recording access: $349 – Best Value!

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Assessing the Practice of Diversity and the Bottom Line

Over the years, diversity training has focused on a range of issues, from social justice, to sensitivity and awareness, to the appreciation of differences, to, most recently, the connection with achieving business strategy. The evolution of diversity training is not complete, and we can see gaps that still need to be filled, particularly in terms of developing clarity on desired outcomes and effective measuring tools. But many major corporations have developed diversity training that is an essential component of their HR strategy and their overall business strategy.

In this 90-minute interactive webinar, Dr. Mary-Frances Winters will bring us up to date with best practices in diversity training, and provide studies of how that work has positively impacted the bottom line. She will explain why globalization, changing demographics, and technological advances make it imperative for companies to embrace diversity and inclusion, and provide you with a better understanding of:

1. The critical differences between diversity and inclusion
2. Effective learning models
3. The impact of diversity training on ROI
4. Why it is necessary to integrate diversity into the business model, at both the individual and organizational levels

Dr. Mary-Frances Winters is President and Founder of The Winters Group, a 24-year-old organization development and diversity-consulting firm, specializing in research, strategic planning, training, and public speaking with an emphasis in ethnic and multicultural issues.  She is the author of three books, Only Wet Babies Like Change: Workplace Wisdom for Baby Boomers, Inclusion Starts with “I” and CEO’s Who Get It: Diversity Leadership from the Heart and Soul. Dr. Winters has worked with numerous fortune 500 companies, including, Honda, Eastman Kodak, Cisco, Hewitt, and Xerox.  She is a graduate of the University of Rochester with degrees in English and Psychology, and an M.B.A. from the William E. Simon Executive Development Program. She received an honorary doctorate from Roberts Wesleyan College in 1997. Among her other awards and honors, the Rochester Minority Enterprise Development Committee named her Minority Business Person of the Year in 1988. She was featured in the 1989 edition of Marquis “Who’s Who in American Women,” and was named the 1991 recipient of the Athena Award by the Women’s Council of the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce.  In recent years, she received the Urban League’s Outstanding Community Leader Award, the Hutchinson Medal from The University of Rochester and was named Mother of the Year by the local March of Dimes.