Event Details

A first crucial step to DEI work is understanding identity. It starts with recognizing how far one's professional identity shapes one's personal identity. A person's professional identity incorporates their unique self and position within various social and workplace groups. The impact of diverse composition in teams is neither straightforward nor direct, and research suggests that diversity can be either conducive or detrimental to team innovation. Organizations consequently face a dilemma when it comes to embracing professional diversity in teams, they risk interprofessional conflict, but if they choose homogeneous teams, they diminish their teams' capacity to innovate.

Perfectionism, the value of quantity above quality, open conflict fear, and power hoarding are some of the principles that infiltrate organizational cultures and are accepted as "expected," normal, and/or professional behavior. While each of these beliefs alone might not be overbearing, when combined to establish a certain work culture, they begin to grant privileges to some while denying them to others.

Professional identities are threatened in a variety of ways, including the loss of valued activities and a sense of professionalism, the invasion of autonomy, and lower status. Equity principles in professional identity eliminate the biases that deny every individual an equal opportunity to flourish. For organizations striving for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, meaningful consideration of ideas, perspectives, experiences, opinions, needs, and career drivers is critical to your DEI strategy.

Program Objectives

• Discuss how HR practitioners can address distinctive professional identity challenges in their implementation of HR practices.
• Explore the capacity of Human Resources to support an employee's sense of belonging by fostering a positive professional identity.
• Describes measures or actions that could facilitate a more integrated strategy engagement centered on professional identity across organizational departments and operations.
• Recognize that diversity enriches an organization's mission, vision, and values, and capitalize on diversity to improve organizational bottom-line performance.
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Executive Objectives

• Incorporate insightful questions to increase participant interaction
• Encourage active participation and follow-through by providing a DEI integration guide

About the speakers:

Joyce Weru, SPHR., MBA., MS, is the President & CEO of Rise Above Coaching. Joyce is an insightful global certified executive leadership coach and thought Leader with comprehensive strategic and operational leadership experience in developing leaders, people, and organizations with global and diverse cultural backgrounds. 

Joyce has worked in the field of international NGOs for over 15 years. She served as a key liaison between U.S. headquarters and far-flung field offices across the globe, navigating the challenges raised by language barriers, varying relationships, inclusion, belonging, and many other cultural contrasts. Joyce found ways to bridge differences to accomplish a shared organizational mission. 

Joyce is completing her Ph.D. doctoral degree in Organizational Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Joyce holds a master's degree in human resources management and a master's in business administration from the University of Maryland University College. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). Joyce has also received the Certified Executive Leadership Coach designation by Georgetown University's Institute for Transformational Leadership. Joyce is also PCC credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).