Confronting Bias: Thriving Across Our Differences

- We're living at a time when diversity and inclusion at work and in the rest of our lives are finally beginning to be taken seriously. Not only because they make our workplaces more just, but because performance improves when we're surrounded by people who look and think differently from us. Yet for all the progress we've made we have a long to go toward creating workplaces that truly work for everyone. For example, far too many workplaces are fueled by a culture of machismo.

It's so often driven by a growth above our mindset and the glorification of burnout. We talk a lot about gender parity and how there should be more women at the top of every profession, but we're never going to get there if we don't change the day-to-day experience of women at every level. For decades Verna Myers has been helping organizations eradicate barriers based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other differences in order to build a new stronger, more productive status quo.

Once at the JP Morgan event Verna spoke before me and I stood in the back of the room and watched her spellbound as she captured the hearts of the audience around issues of yes, diversity and inclusion. And I'm delighted that she lead us through some of the ways each of us can actively create inclusive environments where everyone can contribute and thrive.