DEIB Facilitator Training

This intensive, highly interactive course will help you become a certified facilitator of discussions about race, inequity, difference, and inclusion in both group settings and more intimate conversations. The course is 40 hours and includes live instruction, small group exercises, extensive practice, and a downloadable workbook.

This course is designed to disrupt the current model of diversity training, in which team members either complete an annual computer training module or a consultant is hired when there are issues of bias within an organization. Having a capable facilitator on staff can help organizations avoid crises by engaging in productive discussions before the situation escalates.

Research shows that standard diversity training not only does not work but can make incidents of bias and discrimination more likely. Trained facilitators, on the other hand, can bring substantive progress by moderating discussions about inequity and justice that are honest, respectful, and constructive.

By the end of the course, participants will know how to lead a conversation about equity and inclusion, how to help resolve conflicts in the workplace, and how to respond to everyday microaggressions that might otherwise escalate tension. The course offers step-by-step instructions and dozens of exercises that you will be able to use in any organization where tensions over difference and inequity might arise.

COST - $850 includes a printed workbook, dozens of downloadable exercises, worksheets, and research articles, along with copies of two books: Race Talk by Derald Wing Sue and Speaking of Race by Celeste Headlee.

This course will cover:

The purpose of facilitation – Not to give people the answers, give instruction, or educate, but to guide the discussion so that participants arrive at their own solutions and compromises.

Unconscious bias – What is it and how can we identify biases that are mostly invisible? Help people become aware of their unconscious biases and learn new strategies for counteracting them.

No venting – Learn to moderate discussions that steer away from venting or airing grievances, which is not ultimately productive, and toward healthy methods of talking about pain and inequity.

Behavior, not values – Racism and inequity are not knowledge problems, so discussions about deeply held beliefs and values will not likely motivate change. Instead, learn to focus discussions on systems and behaviors that perpetuate inequity and are easier to influence.

Toxic workplace – How to recognize toxicity within an organization and help others to identify the source of the toxicity and the solutions so that everyone can bring their authentic selves into the workplace.

Setting boundaries – The ethics of discourse are rarely discussed or considered, but it is crucial that participants mutually agree on ground rules for any conversations about racial identity or difference.

Listening – At least half of what you do as a facilitator is listen actively to what is said. You will learn how to improve your listening skills.

Undiscussables – Learn to identify the unspoken rules and assumptions that often set the tone in an organization, then bring those rules into the open so they can be openly discussed and changed, if necessary.

Psychological safety – How to create a culture of correction, in which team members feel empowered to interrupt microaggressions and other expressions of bias without fear of retribution.

Collaborative problem-solving – Learn to guide participants through a discussion of emotionally volatile subjects like race and identity without arguing or distancing themselves. It’s crucial that everyone sees how inequity and bias are causing problems for others and agree to work together to find solutions that make the organization a more inclusive and just place.

Defuse defensiveness – The most common reaction, among white people, to discussions of race is defensiveness and a rush to either escape the conversation or prove they are not racist. Learn to identify defensiveness early so that you can guide participants to a healthier discussion.

Mistakes – Learn how to respond when someone says the wrong thing, how to facilitate the apology and move forward with the discussion

Management – Strategies for talking with executives and managers about issues of bias and inequity that increase the possibility of reform and substantive change.