Actually, no...I don't do "diversity training." A thread.

I've had to put considerable energy into saying "no" over the past month. This isn't easy for me, as someone who habitually takes on too much and who has an overblown sense of responsibility to take on things that I...

personally deem worthy. Many of the "noes" have been acts of self-preservation but others have been clarifications of my work in the craft beer space. Since I am now working in this space full-time, I figured I'd put this out into the Twitter ether.

I don't do "diversity...

training" for two major reasons--1) I don't believe "diversity" is the goal we should be focusing on and 2) research reveals that stand alone "diversity training" doesn't work. Let's address those one at a time.

To expand upon the first point, I'll share an excerpt from an...

old post on my blog. "Diversity refers to an end state; in this case, when/where the craft beer industry and craft beer culture are made up of many different heterogeneous parts that are more or less representative of the beautiful heterogeneity of the country (world) at large...

What’s wrong with this vision of diversity? Absolutely nothing. But if we continue speak primarily in terms of the finish-line, we will forget that we have a marathon to run. I would rather have this conversation in terms of the process–what we need to be or do to move toward...

the goal of a more diverse craft beer industry. I would rather have conversations about "inclusion", "equity", and "justice."

I won't expand too much on the second point (as this thread is already going to be long), but dozens of studies report that participants in stand...

alone, compulsory training (which is often punitive and compliance-minded) often report feeling MORE animosity toward other groups afterward. Moreover, future complaints of bias and discrimination are more likely to be ignored in organizations that use this kind of training...

because employees assume the complaints cannot be valid since "everyone sat through the training."

So...if I don't do diversity training, what DO I do? I'm glad you asked!

I help organizations become more inclusive, equitable and just. These are organizational practices that drive not just diversity but also success. I use a four-part framework to support the implementation of holistic IEJ efforts. That framework includes:

1) Visioning & planning - aligning IEJ goals to overall business goals and cultivating buy-in.
2) System Development - designing SOPs and responsibility structures that support IEJ practices throughout the organization.
3) Diagnosis & Assessment - using data collection and...

analysis to discover problems, drive policy, keep track of progress, and foster transparency.
4) Knowledge & Skill Building - provide resources and education about specific skills that give employees the confidence to excel in an inclusive, equitable and just workplace.

I'm working hard to pivot my business model for a post-COVID craft brewing industry, relying less on costly travel-intensive on-site consulting and shifting toward more affordable resources, tools, and remote products. You can learn more at https://craftbeerforall.com . Apologies...

for the virtual "dust," as I'm still under construction.

If you are a brewery, cidery, professional association, or allied trade organization and you're up for the long-term work of making positive change, I'd love to work with you.

(Thank you for attending my infomercial. )