Are you a leader in ITE? If so, the D&I Committee challenges you to commit to diversity and inclusion as you go about your leadership role and activities this year. Successful diverse teams outperform others and ultimately better serve their communities - which in this case are our members at the District, Section, and Chapter levels. What does that commitment look like? It can take on various forms, some of which might already be part of how you run your meetings. The following are a few examples that can show your commitment to diversity within ITE (courtesy of the Women in ITE Committee):
- Plan meetings in advance and deliberately invite a diverse set of speakers. Consider gender, race/ethnicity, professional background, and presentation topics.
- Learn how to pronounce the names of speakers/participants prior to introducing them. Google is a great resource for this. Better yet, ask the speakers themselves!
- Host a variety of types of events throughout the year including technical tours, luncheons, socials, and meetings.
- Personally invite speakers who may lack confidence.
- Personally welcome new members who attend an event. People who feel included are more likely to return.
- Hold affinity group events at meetings/conferences. Encourage your members to share their common interests.
- Ensure meetings are not scheduled to occur on national or spiritual holidays.
- Acknowledge important calendar events that are close to your event.
- Establish a diversity committee at your local D/S/C level.
- Encourage diverse candidates to run for leadership positions and offer active support.
- Consider adding a nominated position if your D/S/C board is not diverse.
- Ensure recruitment language is inclusive and not divisive.
- Encourage LeadershipITE graduates to serve in leadership positions for 2 years following their graduation.
We have much more to come on these topics, but this is a start to get your creative juices flowing. Do you have any other ideas about how we can commit to diversity? Do you have examples of what has been successful? Share them on the ITE D&I Community. We welcome your thoughts, ideas, and engagement around this essential topic, so join in the conversation!
Beverly Kuhn