#diversity & inclusion consulting firms

[newdimenzion3]

How to Implement Effective Diversity and Inclusion Consulting

In today’s dynamic work environment, fostering diversity and inclusion (D&I) has become a top priority for organizations around the globe. Companies are no longer just focused on hiring a diverse workforce but are committed to creating inclusive environments where everyone, regardless of background, feels valued and empowered. The process of achieving this transformation often requires strategic guidance, which is where diversity and inclusion consulting comes into play.

Understanding how to implement effective diversity and inclusion consulting can be the key to unlocking your organization's full potential. By leveraging the expertise of diversity and inclusion consultants and working with experienced diversity consulting firms in India, businesses can ensure sustainable and meaningful progress.

The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion Consulting

Before diving into the steps to implement diversity and inclusion consulting, it's crucial to understand why this process matters. Diverse and inclusive workplaces are proven to have higher levels of innovation, better financial performance, and more engaged employees. However, achieving this requires a structured and thoughtful approach, which diversity and inclusion consultants specialize in.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Effective Diversity and Inclusion Consulting

Implementing a successful D&I strategy is a multifaceted process that requires commitment, introspection, and a well-crafted plan. Here’s a breakdown of how to make it work:

1. Assess Your Current Diversity and Inclusion Landscape

The first step in any diversity and inclusion consulting project is to understand where your organization currently stands. This involves conducting a comprehensive assessment of your company’s existing policies, culture, and workforce demographics. Diversity and inclusion consultants often use surveys, interviews, and data analysis to gather insights into your organization’s strengths and areas for improvement.

Analyze Workforce Data: Evaluate the demographic makeup of your organization and compare it to industry standards. This helps identify gaps in representation and areas that need targeted efforts.

Review Existing Policies and Practices: Assess your hiring, promotion, and performance evaluation processes to spot any unintentional biases.

Gather Employee Feedback: Conduct focus groups or anonymous surveys to understand how employees perceive the inclusivity of your workplace.

The insights from this assessment will form the foundation for your D&I strategy.

2. Develop a Tailored Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

Based on the assessment, diversity and inclusion consultants will help you create a customized strategy. This plan should be aligned with your organization’s mission, values, and long-term goals.

Set Clear Objectives and KPIs: Establish specific, measurable goals to track your progress. For instance, if the aim is to increase female representation in leadership roles, set a realistic target and timeline.

Design Inclusive Policies and Programs: Update your policies to promote inclusivity. This could include flexible work arrangements, unconscious bias training, or mentorship programs for underrepresented groups.

Engage Leadership: D&I efforts must be driven from the top. Leaders should be educated and committed to championing diversity and fostering an inclusive culture.

Working with diversity consulting firms in India can provide valuable cultural context and insights, especially if your company operates in or has a significant presence in India.

3. Invest in Education and Training

Training is a critical component of diversity and inclusion consulting. The goal is to raise awareness, break down stereotypes, and equip employees with the tools to foster an inclusive work environment.

Unconscious Bias Training: This helps employees recognize and address their implicit biases, making them more aware of how their actions can impact others.

Cultural Competency Workshops: For companies with a global or multicultural workforce, cultural awareness training is essential to build mutual respect and understanding.

Leadership Development Programs: Train leaders to be advocates of D&I. They should model inclusive behavior and be held accountable for creating a welcoming workplace.

Diversity consulting firms in India offer workshops that cater specifically to the cultural diversity found within the country, addressing issues such as caste, gender inequality, and regional differences.

4. Foster an Inclusive Culture

Creating an inclusive workplace goes beyond policies; it’s about embedding inclusivity into your company’s culture. Here’s how to achieve that:

Celebrate Diversity: Recognize and celebrate cultural and religious holidays that are meaningful to your diverse workforce. This promotes a sense of belonging and respect.

Promote Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): Encourage employees to form groups based on shared interests or identities, such as women in tech, LGBTQ+ networks, or cultural affinity groups. ERGs create a support system and foster a sense of community.

Ensure Equitable Opportunities: Make sure that all employees have equal access to professional development and advancement opportunities. Regularly review your practices to ensure fairness.

5. Implement Inclusive Hiring Practices

Recruitment is a key area where biases often creep in. To attract a diverse talent pool, diversity and inclusion consultants recommend several best practices:

Use Diverse Interview Panels: Having a diverse group of interviewers can reduce bias in the selection process.

Review Job Descriptions: Ensure your job postings use inclusive language and focus on essential skills rather than unnecessary qualifications.

Expand Recruitment Channels: Partner with universities, organizations, and platforms that cater to underrepresented groups to broaden your talent pool.

Diversity consulting firms in India can assist in identifying and breaking down barriers specific to the Indian market, such as addressing biases related to educational background or socioeconomic status.

6. Monitor Progress and Adapt

Finally, no D&I strategy is complete without ongoing evaluation and adjustment. Regularly monitor the impact of your diversity and inclusion consulting efforts and be prepared to make changes as needed.

Track Key Metrics: Measure diversity metrics, such as the representation of different groups, as well as inclusion metrics, like employee engagement and satisfaction levels.

Conduct Follow-Up Surveys: Gather employee feedback periodically to gauge the effectiveness of your initiatives and make improvements.

Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge and celebrate your successes to keep the momentum going and show your commitment to D&I.

The Role of Diversity Consulting Firms in India

India’s diverse cultural landscape presents unique challenges and opportunities for D&I. Diversity consulting firms in India understand these complexities and can offer insights tailored to local contexts. They help organizations navigate issues like regional diversity, gender imbalances, and socio-economic disparities, making them invaluable partners for companies looking to implement inclusive practices effectively.

For multinational companies with operations in India, partnering with these local experts ensures that D&I initiatives are culturally sensitive and relevant.

Conclusion

Implementing effective diversity and inclusion consulting is a journey that requires dedication, continuous learning, and adaptability. By working with experienced diversity and inclusion consultants and partnering with reputable diversity consulting firms in India, organizations can foster a culture of inclusion that benefits everyone.

The time to act is now. Investing in D&I isn’t just about staying competitive; it’s about building a workplace where every individual can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential. Start your journey today, and transform your organization into a diverse, inclusive, and future-ready powerhouse.

[dimenzion3blog]

WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES

It seems like the current situation has pushed your colleagues from other cultures even further away from you and that might be making you wonder how you would ever work with them effectively and collaborate beter for business results.

'WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES - Working effectively across cultures in the virtual world' is a 3 hours interactive virtual session that will empower you with tools and techniques to collaborate, communicate and calibrate with colleagues from another culture to achieve business results effectively.

[kindallevolve]

The Impact of Coaching on Professional Growth

Transformational coaching & consulting in Florida has a profound impact on professional growth, empowering individuals to unleash their full potential. Through personalized coaching sessions, professionals gain valuable insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for development, setting the stage for transformative growth.

Coaching in Florida encourages self-discovery and helps professionals overcome barriers that may be hindering their progress. With the guidance of transformational coaches, individuals can set clear goals and create actionable plans to achieve them, fostering a sense of purpose and direction in their careers.

Additionally, transformational coaching instills confidence and resilience, enabling professionals to navigate challenges and seize opportunities with a growth mindset. The support and feedback received from coaches in Florida aid in refining skills, enhancing leadership abilities, and unlocking hidden talents.

As a result of transformational coaching and consulting in Florida, professionals experience accelerated personal and career growth, leading to greater job satisfaction, increased productivity, and improved overall success in their chosen endeavors.

[thecareerdevelopmentgroup]

Transform your business with our diversity consultancy and marketing services. We help you leverage the power of diversity to build strong, inclusive brands that resonate with a wider audience. Let us drive your growth and success.

[mariacallous]

On May 16, the gaming and entertainment news site Dexerto tweeted an image from the forthcoming game Assassin’s Creed Shadows featuring one of its protagonists, the Black samurai Yasuke, in a fighting pose. Across scores of replies, some voiced optimism, others fatigue with Assassin’s Creed’s now 14-game-long run, and a very vocal few expressed frustration and anger that a Black person was at the center of the narrative.

“Gonna pass on the DEI games,” wrote one blue-check X user, referencing the acronym for diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Why Wokeism?” asked another. Comments full of racist and sexist language filled the thread.

A more articulate undercurrent of these reactionaries, across many online forums, had a more specific set of complaints. Some alleged the race of the real Yasuke was never known, others that he wasn’t a samurai but a retainer, and another claimed he was never in combat.

These were all fairly elaborate conclusions to draw about a guy from 1581 who’s been depicted as a samurai in Japanese media many times, including in the 2017 video game Nioh and Samurai Warriors 5 in 2021, as well as his own animated series on Netflix.

They also may have been the last bit of armchair history we got on Yasuke if the conversation hadn’t been sustained by a set of accounts looking to build yet another front in the online culture war, fueling what some have been calling Gamergate 2.0. Whereas the Gamergate of 2014 focused on trying to drown out feminist voices, and the voices of women of color, in gaming culture, this second incarnation seems focused on pushing back against diversity in games of all kinds. Yasuke just stepped in their path.

The resurgence of the Gamergate moniker came earlier this year in reaction to the work of Sweet Baby. Staff at the small consultancy received a wave of harassment this spring stemming from misinformation and conspiracy theories claiming the company was a BlackRock-backed outfit trying to force diversity into games. (It’s not affiliated with BlackRock and merely advises on characters and storylines.) As the controversy around Assassin’s Creed Shadows intensified, several posts mentioned Sweet Baby, even though company CEO Kim Belair says the firm didn’t work on the game.

“I think it just comes with the post-Gamergate (late-Gamergate?) territory,” Belair wrote in an email to WIRED. “To a certain kind of person, largely trolls, we're synonymous with their idea of ‘wokeness in games’ or a vague idea of ‘DEI,’ but it's ultimately reflective of the overall misinformation that fuels this campaign.”

Gamergate was not the first harassment campaign conceived in the bowels of 4chan and its affiliate websites, but it was perhaps their crowning achievement. The attacks against developers Zoë Quinn and Brianna Wu and media critic Anita Sarkeesian, among others, ranged from doxing to rape and death threats. Its tenets and tactics eventually proved valuable in bringing people into the burgeoning alt-right movement. Even Pizzagate and QAnon can, in some ways, be traced back to what was happening with gamers online in 2014.

“Gamergate was a recruiting ground, a pipeline to leverage the loneliness, discontentment, and alienation of young men—often white young men—into alt-right politics, extremist misogyny, and outright white supremacy and Nazism,” Thirsty Suitors narrative lead Meghna Jayanth told WIRED.

If the early days of social media incubated a cultural cold war, Gamergate turned it hot. Frustrated that they were no longer the sole demographic being catered to, Gamergaters saw “the growing visibility of women, not to mention their incomprehensible insistence that games cater to their perspectives as well, as an unwelcome intrusion in a space that does not belong to them,” Laura Hudson wrote in WIRED at the time. As a result, they wanted more than debate, they wanted blood—and nothing really stopped them from going after it.

Ten years later, aggrieved gamers are focusing on other forms of diversity and inclusion, which is how Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Yasuke has become the latest point of contention.

While only so much can be truly known when it comes to history, accounts suggest Yasuke (the real one, not the video game character) was a man presumed to be from west Africa who served the Italian missionary Alessandro Valignano. He accompanied Valignano to Japan where he served Oda Nobunaga at the daimyo’s demand. Yasuke was presented with the trappings of a samurai: a house, servants, a sword. He would go on to be with Nobunaga, or near him, at the time of his death, before seeking his heir Nobutada and joining him in battling those responsible for Nobunga’s death, though unsuccessfully.

While Yasuke’s history is fascinating and mysterious, much of the fuss over him has concerned whether he was officially a samurai, a depiction that has shown up in media several times in and outside of Japan. Some insist that he may have instead been a retainer, page, squire, or sword-bearer. Others decrying his inclusion in Shadows said he looked gay.

“There is no easy way to separate the many threads of what we are seeing within the Yasuke backlash,” says Paula Curtis, a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA’s Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies. “There are legitimate complaints about the developers’ decisions regarding representation and historical engagement … There are also many discriminatory responses to the game that have been anti-Black, misogynistic, and politically motivated.” It’s important to note, Curtis adds, that Shadows’ fans and commentators, and the issues they’re raising, aren’t uniform.

When Japanese historian Yu Hirayama tweeted there was “no doubt” as to Yasuke’s samurai status, he was treated to a tirade of abusive replies in English, including one claiming he brought “dishonor to [his] family and Japanese history.”

Amid the backlash to Yasuke’s inclusion in the game—and specifically to his role as a samurai—Ubisoft, the game’s developer, issued a statement saying that while the company “extensively collaborated with external consultants, historians, researchers, and internal teams at Ubisoft Japan” on the game, “some elements in our promotional materials have caused concern within the Japanese community.”

Without saying specifically which aspects caused concern, the company added that it was taking this “constructive criticism” into account as it prepared for the game’s November launch, and apologized. (Ubisoft did not respond to a request for comment on this story.)

Jayanth believes the apology was a case of misplaced appeasement.

“The alt-right's fundamental drive is hatred of the ‘other,’” she says. “Even if we cleansed our games of women, non-white people, queer people—which is their ask, and one we absolutely should not give in to—they would turn to insufficiently ‘masculine’ depictions of white men. This movement exists only in opposition to some polluting ‘other,’ an enemy that must be manufactured if a real enemy cannot be found.”

Revisionist approaches to history have seen a rise in recent years, especially in the interest of enshrining an idealist sense of a traditionalist past as an ahistorically conservative utopia.

“You see this in the false assertion of a purely white Middle Ages or the denial of war atrocities in World War II,” Curtis says. “Bad-faith actors may cherry-pick historical sources in order to craft specific narratives, completely ignore sources that do not support their views, or appropriate historical symbols as rallying cries to their causes.”

The proponents of Gamergate 2.0 have veiled their scorn for Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ inclusion of Yasuke within concerns for historical accuracy. Much Like the Gamergaters of old, who insisted they were defending ethics in gaming journalism and not harassing women they felt needed to be put in their place.

Gamergate then, and Gamergate now, are both ultimately about the sensitivities around who saw representation and how, made disproportionately important by how disempowered and alienated modern people feel. As games have made room for a wider array of characters, the gamers at the center of the backlash have seen this progress as a form of persecution. Games are changing, and as much as those upset over Yasuke’s inclusion in Shadows want to push back, they may not be able to stop that.

“It's certainly been strange to see us tied to a ton of games we've never worked on simply because people perceive ‘wokeness’ or progressive ideas in them,” Sweet Baby’s Belair says, “but maybe it's indicative of a greater truth that Gamergaters miss: No external consultancy is forcing studios to make their products more diverse or more progressive. The change, whatever you think of it, is coming from inside the house.”

[beardedmrbean]

Growing evidence makes this clearer by the day: Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) does not help American institutions attain progress or profit.

It’s time for all institutions to get back to their basic duties and stop pushing extreme agendas on the American people. This is especially important for American corporations that have a fiduciary obligation to make decisions in the best financial interests of their shareholders.

A growing chorus of Americans recognizes the acute challenges of DEI. Even the co-founder and CEO of a prominent DEI consulting firm laments assuming the role of “moral authority” on the subject and regrets labeling people who disagree with DEI as “bad” people.

The controversy over DEI has also captured the attention of two well-known businessmen, Mark Cuban and Bill Ackman, both of whom have engaged in a tense exchange on X, formerly Twitter.

Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks owner and star of “Shark Tank,” wrote, “Diversity—means you expand the possible pool of candidates as widely as you can. Once you have identified the candidates, you hire the person you believe is the best.”

“That’s exactly what I thought until I did the work,” said Ackman, the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management and Democrat mega-donor. “I encourage you to do the same and revert. DEI is not about diversity, equity or inclusion. Trust me. I fell for the same trap you did.”

In the same post, Ackman explained that DEI is “a political advocacy movement on behalf of certain groups that are deemed oppressed under DEI’s own methodology.”

In simplest terms, what Ackman and others critical of DEI have identified is the inherently flawed nature of the ideology. By insisting that our institutions are irredeemable and cannot escape past wrongs or that people groups should be divided into two camps — oppressed and oppressor — the adherents of DEI are compelled to use the levers of those very same institutions to manipulate outcomes based on identity rather than merit. 

This conduct is dangerous when you consider its effects on our economy and our public corporations.

Good business is ultimately about producing a good product, not pushing an agenda. DEI unnecessarily complicates that winning American formula. Rather than focus on improving production and goods, companies are now choosing to divert resources and attention to internal race and identity-based policies that neither improve return on investment to shareholders nor result in better products for consumers. 

Corporations adopting policies that prioritize social engineering over corporate responsibility do not serve the interests of all Americans. Instead, they appease the extreme desires of a few, thereby eroding confidence in the ability and competency of our institutions. 

It is neither profitable for businesses nor sustainable for the American people.

Along the same lines, those in the financial services industry must understand that fiduciaries must have a single-minded purpose in the returns on their beneficiaries’ investments.

State and federal law have long recognized fiduciary duties for those who manage other people’s money. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, for example, demands that a fiduciary “discharge that person’s duties with respect to the plan solely in the interests of the participants and beneficiaries, for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits to participants and their beneficiaries …”

As attorney general of Kentucky, I was one of 22 state attorneys general who signed a letter warning financial services companies that they may be violating their fiduciary responsibility to shareholders by agreeing to radical activism in their environmental proposals. I also issued a legal opinion outlining why government-sponsored racial discrimination and so-called “stakeholder capitalism” was unlawful.

We’ve collectively witnessed some of the consequences of extreme ideology taking priority over responsible corporate governance. After Bud Light’s infamous foray into the culture wars, its sales collapsed, forcing one of its executives to step down. We’ve also seen prominent fund managers like Vanguard drop ESG-driven investments — another ideological blunder at the corporate level — because they have not been profitable and have exposed their investors to greater losses.

DEI objectives have moved some of our business so far from their purpose that even those on the left like Ackman are compelled to speak out, underscoring that the adverse reaction to DEI is not a partisan issue. 

Most Americans want our corporate institutions to move away from extreme ideologies. It’s time to return to the American formula of producing great products and services, not pushing agendas.

Daniel Cameron is the former attorney general of Kentucky and the current CEO of the 1792 Exchange.

[seepunkrun]

Notes from the Nov 12 OTW Public Board Meeting

Today's Agenda:

Decisions made since the last public board meeting

Welcome new Board members

Announce officer roles

Diversity update

Any other business

Decisions taken since last meeting:

Approved Finance requests

Approved new chairs for Fanlore, Support, and Strategic Planning

Granted preliminary approval for complaint management system

Created Twitter report for impersonation account

Approved new committee formation - Board Assistants Team

Approved new chairs for Board Assistants Team

Signed onto a letter opposing the Stop CSAM Act introduced in the US Senate

This meeting ran much more smoothly than the last due to the new rules and the way questions were handled. The first roll call showed 91 guests, and the last showed 88. Anh, as president, ran the meeting and got through the cut and paste business quickly, leaving 40 minutes for questions.

The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) update was very brief but contained long awaited news:

We're delighted to announce that we've signed a contract with a consulting firm, who will be working with us on an organizational culture audit. (If you were wondering about the unlabeled $96,000 line item in the budget, this was it!) The consulting firm has already completed an initial survey and begun interviewing volunteers, and will continue this process over the next few weeks. DEI subject matter experts will be involved and consulted throughout the process. We are incredibly excited to work with them and make the OTW a better, more inclusive place!

Later, in response to my question asking for more details, Zixin said they would not be sharing information about the firm in order to protect them from possible harassment and that they don't have a sense of how many people at the firm will be working on this or for how long. They expect a preliminary report by the end of January 2024 and will give updates at the next public meeting.

Considering how long we've been waiting for progress on the DEI consultant, getting a report from them by January feels lightning fast, but history suggests the next Board meeting won't be until March, so it'll probably be a while before that information reaches us.

Also of note was the question of paid staff: Has the board been looking into hiring a volunteer to look into hiring paid staff? Is there a timeline for hiring paid staff?

Kathryn S responded:

We do have a timeline for Paid Staff Transition in our Strategic Planning 2023-2026: The Volunteers & Recruiting Committee has been working on finding an external HR firm for the organization for several months. There are two main goals behind for the OTW behind this initiative: • To help the OTW create a better environment for its volunteers by reviewing our current org-wide policies and procedures and creating new ones when needed; • To help the OTW transition from a fully volunteer-based organization to hiring our first employee. The committee has interviewed several firms, but the size and global scope of the OTW's volunteer and user bases make it a complicated project. They are still meeting with candidate firms and exploring potential alternatives.

I asked a follow up to this, a request for an update on the search for a Paid Staff Transition Officer, but it did not make it before the Board during the relevant conversation, or in the meeting at all. I used the double arm (o//) to indicate it was a follow up question, but it still depended on votes to get in front of them, which feels like a flaw in the system, but I'll get an answer eventually, see below.

People asked a lot of good questions, and we got answers for the promised ten, even though it made the meeting run about twenty minutes longer than its scheduled hour. Some of the topics covered: confidentiality policy for Board and the emergency procedures promised to volunteers; Finance investing OTW's money to avoid being solely dependent on donors; evaluation and improvement of the Constructive Corrective Action Procedure (CCAP procedure); progress on the ToS review; proposed subcommittee to handle complaints and conflicts within the OTW; complaint management system for volunteers.

If you'd like to learn more, I recommend joining the OTW Discord and reading back through the #public-board-meetings channel, which is pretty straightforward now that Board members are the only ones allowed to post there. If you've already joined, you can use this link to jump to the top of the Nov 12 meeting.

The meeting closed with the news that the Board is planning to release a high-level overview of their timeline that includes their goals for the 2023-2024 Board Year at the next public meeting.

The questions that didn't get answered during this meeting will be answered in the #questions-answers channel starting in two weeks. So expect those around November 26, when the Board will begin posting weekly Q&A threads.

[notbeingnoticed]

A report out last month shows that studies from the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company showing a correlation between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and significant profits were based on junk research.

[lboogie1906]

Attorney Bakari Sellers (September 18, 1984) is a noted attorney, political commentator, and politician. He was born in Bamberg, South Carolina the son of Cleveland and Gwendolyn Sellers. His father is a well-known civil rights activist and leader of the Student Non-Violent.

He excelled in school and attended Morehouse College where he was elected Student Body President. He attended the University of South Carolina Law School where he earned a JD.

While attending law school he ran for the office of South Carolina state representative on the Democratic Party ticket. He became the youngest member of the South Carolina legislature. He was the youngest African American elected official in the US at the time. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives for the 90th District (2006-14). He served on the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives. On June 6, 2013, he announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina. Although he won the Democratic Primary, he lost the general election.

He practices law with the Strom Law Firm based in Columbia, South Carolina. He heads the firm’s strategic communication and public affairs team and offers consultant services on the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. He serves as a political commentator for CNN. He was named to TIME magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2010, as well as the 2014 and 2015 “The Root 100” list of the nation’s most influential African Americans.

He released his best-selling book, My Vanishing Country: A Memoir, which is autobiographical but tells of his father, Cleveland Sellers, working with Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King, and his role in the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee which made him a civil rights hero to many.

He released a children’s book Who Are Your People? The book teaches young children about the history of Black Americans and stresses the importance of the Black community in American history and culture.

He has has two siblings. He married Dr. Ellen Rucher (2015) and they have twins. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[lifewithchronicpain]

Do pain patients on long-term opioid therapy make irrational decisions? Is their mental capacity so diminished by opioids that they shouldn’t be involved in treatment decisions with their doctors? The answer to both questions is often yes, according to a controversial new op/ed published in JAMA Internal Medicine. At issue is a recent update to the CDC’s opioid prescribing guideline, which calls for shared decision-making (SDM) when a prescriber considers tapering a patient or abruptly discontinuing their opioid treatment. The guideline was revised last year after reports of “serious harm” to patients caused by forced tapering.

“In situations where benefits and risks of continuing opioids are considered to be close, shared decision-making with patients is particularly important,” the 2022 guideline states. But that advice about consulting with patients goes too far, according to the lead author of the JAMA op/ed, Mark Sullivan, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington and a longtime board member of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing

“The value of SDM has been recognized for many years but also has its limitations, including where patients make irrational or short-sighted decisions,” Sullivan wrote. “Long-term opioid therapy induces a state of opioid dependence that compromises patients’ decisional capacity, specifically altering their perception of the value and necessity of the therapy; and although patients with chronic pain are not usually at imminent risk of death, they often can see no possibility of a satisfying life without a significant and immediate reduction in their pain.”

Sullivan and his two co-authors, Jeffrey Linder, MD, and Jason Doctor, PhD, have long been critical of opioid prescribing practices in the U.S. In their conflict of interest statements, Sullivan and Doctor disclose that they have worked for law firms involved in opioid litigation, a lucrative sideline for several PROP members...

...“In the case of opioid prescribing, and especially opioid tapering, working to persuade the patient is almost always the best clinical strategy. But there are circumstances (opioid use disorder, diversion, serious medical risks) where tapering should occur even if the patient objects,” Sullivan wrote. Opioid diversion by patients is actually rare. The DEA estimates that less than one percent of oxycodone (0.3%) and hydrocodone (0.42%) will be used by someone they were not intended for.

As for patients on opioids behaving “irrational,” Sullivan and his co-authors cite an op/ed published 33 years ago in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). But that article doesn’t even discuss opioids or tapering, it’s about whether patients and doctors should collaborate in making decisions about end-of-life medical care. It also makes an important disclaimer that “even the irrational choices of a competent patient must be respected if the patient cannot be persuaded to change them." Sullivan rejects that approach to opioid treatment...

...In a rebuttal to Sullivan’s op/ed also published in JAMA Internal Medicine, Mitchell Katz, MD, and Deborah Grady, MD, disputed the notion that a patient’s choices shouldn’t be respected. “Primary care professionals generally highly value the inclusion of the patient’s perspective in decision-making, consistent with the principles of patient autonomy and self-determination, and are loathe to go against a patient’s wishes,” they wrote. “As primary care professionals, we have found it helpful to tell patients that it is not recommended to take more than a specific threshold of opioids and that we do not want to prescribe something that is not recommended. However, that does not mean sticking to rigid cut points for dose and duration of opioid use, abandoning patients, or having them undergo too rapid a taper.”

Others questioned JAMA’s decision to publish Sullivan’s op/ed. “While I recognize the editors’ legitimate intellectual interest in providing a forum for open discussion on the opioid policy space, I question their decision to publish an editorial that represents an ongoing call for broad, ill-defined reductions in opioid prescribing,” said Chad Kollas, MD, a palliative care specialist who rejects the idea that patients shouldn’t be involved in their healthcare choices. “Errantly embracing a lower evidentiary standard for medical decision-making capacity creates an unacceptable risk for harm to patients with pain by violating their rights of medical autonomy and self-determination.” (Full article at link)

So essentially a man with a bias against opioids and who makes money litigating against uses a 33 year old op ed to assert pain patients shouldn't have a say in their medical care because we irrational. Proof of that irrationality is that if we have to deal with severe chronic pain with no relief, we may contemplate suicide. So fucking irrational, right? 🤬

This man is fucking cruel and inhumane. He works for an organization (PROP) that has had direct influence on the 2016 CDC Opioid Guidelines which lead to many pain patients committing suicide or dying from complications due to forced tapering and withdrawals. And this man has been given a platform to assert that our desire to not exist in severe daily pain is irrational. Fuck him!

[madamlaydebug]

𝐌𝐚𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞🔥🔥

Mae Jemison, born on October 17, 1956, is an American physician, engineer, and former NASA astronaut. She made history as the first African American woman to travel to space.

Jemison was born in Decatur, Alabama, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois. From a young age, she developed a passion for science and space exploration. After completing high school, she attended Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. Jemison then went on to obtain her Doctor of Medicine degree from Cornell University Medical College.

In 1987, Jemison was selected by NASA to join the astronaut program. She underwent rigorous training and preparation for her space mission. On September 12, 1992, aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Jemison made history as the first African American woman to travel to space. During her mission, she conducted various experiments related to life sciences and material science.

After leaving NASA in 1993, Jemison pursued a diverse range of interests. She founded The Jemison Group, a technology consulting firm, and also became involved in promoting science education and encouraging young people, especially girls, and minorities, to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Jemison has been a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in science and technology.

Mae Jemison's groundbreaking journey to space shattered barriers and inspired generations of aspiring scientists and astronauts, particularly women and people of color. Her achievements serve as a testament to the power of determination, perseverance, and breaking down societal barriers.

[newdimenzion3]

Dimenzion3 Global Solutions Private Limited

How do you feel and what do you do when you propose an idea and someone proposes a completely different or contradictory idea to resolve the same problem?

Would you accept the idea or would you shoot it down? Would you hear the person out or would you give reasons why that idea isn't going to work and your idea is the one? Would your response changed if you were the boss?

Inclusion is all about giving a seat at the table to everyone and enabling diversity through ideation.

Thought diversity is all about recognising, welcoming and accepting a variety of thoughts and ideas from all involved irrespective of your opinions and sentiments about the topic or issue at hand.

Thought diversity goes beyond the identity based elements like gender, age, disability, sexual orientation etc and takes an extraordinary amount of courage and humility to manifest.

Visit - https://new.dimenzion3.com/

[tumblingyeti]

Sloan According to Sloanies

For our final project, our group (Sloanies for Sloanies), has decided to examine and assist MIT Sloan in their branding strategy. In this blogpost, I reflect on some of the dilemmas faced by Burberry and the power of consumer stories in digital marketing as it applies to Sloan’s branding challenges and opportunities.

Pricing Dilemma: Elite but not elitist?

The Burberry case mentions three customer segments of the luxury fashion goods industry: absolute, aspirational, and accessible. The absolute segment is characterized by their “push back against masstige” in which they desire to own unique, iconic brands with history and heritage that emphasize their elitism. For this customer segment, the product’s price is an important element as it must be high enough to price out the mass-market; thus, helping set them apart from the masses.

Though I personally associate MIT Sloan with more inclusivity than elitism and exclusivism, it is true that per its pricing, Sloan does stand out as one of the most expensive among the MBA schools in the US. In 2023, MIT Sloan had the third highest tuition fees for a two-year US MBA program trailing only Wharton and Columbia Business School (see table below). As a pricing strategy, this would signal and maintain a certain level of exclusivity.

Source: AdmitExpert (link: https://admitexpert.com/blog/mba-cost-usa/)

This exclusionary pricing is in contrast to the mission statement and values of the parent institution, MIT which states its mission is to “make a better world through education, research, and innovation” and its culture as “elite but not elitist.” Additionally, Sloan describes it culture as welcoming people with a “wide range of backgrounds, experience, and interests” (see screenshots below). Perhaps in the context of education, one can argue that price indicates more about the quality and benefits of education than the exclusivity. For example, maybe Sloan is more expensive because it provides better opportunities for skills-building and career-building. As a student, there are opportunities such as the action lab which provide hands-on learning opportunities domestically and abroad, entrepreneurial programs and grants, and courses from exceptional faculty which define the quality of the educational experience. All of these have costs associated with them. However, it’s also true that price does largely determine who and who cannot afford to attend a school and therefore, can have a discriminatory effect.

Given this, I would imagine for Sloan, their pricing strategy should carefully consider a balance between quality (value) and affordability (inclusiveness/diversity). If it becomes too expensive, it may sacrifice on the diversity and range of candidates it can attract, while it becomes too cheap, it may require sacrifices on the quality of experience provided to its students.

Source: MIT website

Source: MIT Sloan website

Power of Consumer Stories: Sloanies defining Sloan?

I imagine that most of us spoke to at least one Sloan student/alum to help us make the decision on whether or not to attend the Sloan MBA program. From a small sample size of my core groups and extended Sloan friend network, I would presume that >90% had talked to a Sloanie in this decision making process. Speaking from personal experience, it was in fact a panel with a current Sloanie and a former HBS alum that solidified my decision to go to Sloan.

I remember in my conversation during AdMIT weekend, I had a 1-on-1 chat with a student who was in the middle of her 1st year in the MBA program. She described an experience where multiple Sloanies were in the interview process for a certain consulting firm. She then continued to describe how the students were sharing insights amongst themselves to help each other in the process, even though they were likely competing for the same position. Students who did their interviews first left notes on what kinds of questions were asked and gave tips to the students who were interviewing after them. She said “This was unexpected and really made me appreciate our culture of Sloanies helping Sloanies. It’s truly a place where we collaborate with each other, rather than compete.”

At the same time, my mentor, who had attended HBS encouraged me also to go to Sloan over HBS. According to him, he thought MIT had a “humble” culture where I would fit in better.

At the time, I didn’t realize that “Sloanies helping Sloanies” was somewhat of a slogan for an aspect of the culture. I was surprised to see it mentioned on the Sloan website and think this is proof of a great marketing strategy from the school.

Albeit being a small sample size, I thought it was curious and compelling that out of all the business schools, Sloan was the only one with a perfect 5.0 review on GMAT Club.

Source: GMAT Club (link: https://gmatclub.com/reviews/business_schools/)

I was curious what the student reviews said decided to create a word cloud of the 5 most recent reviews which gave the following result. Seeing the words – students, culture, and people – being mentioned the most points towards culture being a potential differentiation point of Sloan, as voiced by its consumers/students.

Given how much prospective students rely on the experiences of other students to inform the decision and the positive students reviews already being posted online, Sloan’s branding could benefit from leveraging more of its student stories and by focusing on specific differentiation points that resonate with its consumers such as the “Sloanies helping Sloanies” culture.

[kindallevolve]

How do I become an organizational change management consultant?

Becoming an organizational change management consultant requires a strategic approach and specialized skills.

Firstly, obtain relevant education in business, management, or organizational psychology. Pursuing courses or certifications in organization consulting training enhances expertise. Gain practical experience through internships or entry-level consulting roles. Develop strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills, essential for guiding organizational transformations. Network with industry professionals to gain insights and potential job opportunities. Establish a personal brand by writing articles, attending conferences, and showcasing expertise on relevant platforms.

Finally, seek advanced certifications in change management to stand out in the field. With determination, continuous learning, and a passion for driving organizational success, one can become a successful organizational change management consultant, influencing positive transformations in various businesses and industries.

[thecareerdevelopmentgroup]

Diversity and inclusion in the workplace are crucial aspects that promote employee satisfaction and productivity. An organisation that fosters an inclusive environment enjoys better innovation, creativity, and employee retention. However, many organisations struggle with diversity and inclusion issues, leading to a lack of employee engagement, cultural misunderstandings, and high turnover rates. The Career Development Group offers innovative solutions to help organisations achieve diversity and inclusion goals.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Claire Lehmann

Published: Jul 7, 2023

In medieval times, it was common practice for the wealthy to buy indulgences from the church to atone for their sins. These payments, the church assured, meant the person paying would not remain in purgatory for too long and would later ascend into heaven.

A wealthy person could even buy indulgences for their family members or ancestors who were long dead. Today we think of ourselves as far more enlightened than our medieval forebears. We secular folk would never pay a class of clerics large sums of money to atone for our sins. Or would we?

In recent years, billions of dollars have flowed into investment funds that market themselves as providing “environmental, social and governance” impacts. In Australia, industry super funds lead this trend, with money pouring into funds that then invest in companies that promote green, social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion causes.

The basic idea behind ESG, which has been promoted by organisations such as the World Economic Forum, is that one can make a profit and “do good” at the same time. Investors argue they can contribute to a net-zero future while making solid returns, or contribute to social justice alongside their fiduciary duty.

Rating agencies and research firms issue ESG “scores” to companies that are then used by bodies who advise institutional and retail investors which organisations they should invest in. Because ESG has no standardised metrics or even standardised definitions, such scores can be massaged by those companies that have enough money to play the game.

An entire industry of consulting agencies and non-profits exists today to implement cosmetic changes within companies to boost their ESG scores. Such cosmetic changes may include sponsoring a float at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or offering paid leave for staff who wish to change their gender.

As I commented in these pages last year, “gender affirmation leave” is offered by our two biggest supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, and contributes to these companies earning “gold- and platinum-tier” status by the Australian Workplace Equality Index – despite the fact both companies are simultaneously implicated in wage theft scandals.

Sometimes called “wokewashing”, the practice of buying virtue through ESG allows corporate entities to deflect attention away from their PR embarrassments, like Henry VIII’s Indulgences allowed him to go on indulging.

Such practices are called wokewashing because these changes usually do not go deep enough to really cause change within a large organisation. By sheer virtue of their size, our largest corporations often make mistakes that only a complete overhaul of management practices could possibly address.

Take BHP, for example. The biggest company in Australia, and largest mining company in the world, is now embroiled in one of the biggest wage theft scandals in history. Accused of underpaying 28,500 workers $430m in wages for deducting public holidays from leave entitlements, BHP is now supporting the Yes vote in the voice referendum and has pledged a $2m donation to the campaign. This pledge is likely to boost its ESG score, but whether it satisfies the workers who have been underpaid is yet to be seen.

It is not just the mining industry that seeks ESG redemption. The banking industry wants to buy its way into heaven as well. Following on the heels of the disastrous royal commission into the sector, the Big Four are all doubling down on ESG. NAB faced criminal charges in 2021 for failing to pay casual employees long-service leave entitlements, but this is offset by its sponsorship of Midsumma – Melbourne’s queer arts and cultural festival. Last year ANZ was fined $25m for misleading consumer practices, but it also announced it was offering its staff paid leave for a sex change.

Commonwealth Bank has been in hot water in recent years for breaching money-laundering laws and Westpac was required to pay a $1.3bn fine after 250 customers made transfers that were linked to child exploitation. Both organisations are atoning for these sins by campaigning for the Yes vote.

Almost every large corporation that has signed on to the Yes campaign for the voice referendum is embroiled in some kind of scandal that involves their core business. Whether Coles is underpaying its staff, or Rio Tinto is dealing with dozens of accusations of sexual harassment, each company has significant work to do internally.

And this is why ESG is so popular among our corporate class. Symbolic gestures that can be outsourced to consultants and NGOs are an easy box-ticking exercise. Systemic changes to management habits, or making sure business practices are fair, is much more costly and time-consuming than simply waving a rainbow flag.

In the medieval period, wealthy elites would pay indulgences in order to curry favour with the church because the institution was incredibly powerful.

It is not surprising then that our biggest corporations are pledging their support for ESG goals that are also supported by the government, unions, the majority of our media, academia and non-profit sectors.

While commitment to ESG is not necessarily a sign of true moral fibre, if it can assist in washing away the stain of sin, then every dollar pledged will be money well spent.

==

Whenever a large corporation pledges its commitment to some movement or ideology, especially those that are unrelated to their actual business, you should assume that it's hiding something.

The more controversial the movement or ideology, the bigger the scandal they're trying to distract attention from.

For reference, the "Voice to Parliament" is a referendum to embed in the Australian constitution a vaguely defined independent body with unknown powers, unclear authority and unidentified influence to be a whisper in the ear of the Australian political system, supposedly representing all indigenous (Aboriginal) Australians. In essence, it functions as a form of "reparations."

When it's rejected, as current polling indicates it massively will be, as with Affirmative Action, citizens will be scolded by the supporters for their "racism," and the country will be told it's irredeemably racist. Rather than recognizing the diverse objections to the initiative: the lack of transparency of what the body is or does; progressives who insist it doesn't go far enough (e.g. a desire to literally "hand back" the land); Aboriginal Australians themselves who are concerned about establishing a "separate but equal" system; importing Critical Race Theory ideas from the US to racially divide the nation; the rather racist notion itself that any single "voice" could represent all indigenous people, ignoring that their viewpoints are as diverse as everyone else's; and the very simple answer of "I don't like this particular solution."

But while all of that is going on, the companies will be looking for their next diversion.