As part of our efforts to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) at Mission Met, we're hosting internal workshops where each team member explores topics of interest about incorporating DEIJ principles into our work

These workshops help us better understand and commit to creating a diverse, fair, inclusive, and just environment at Mission Met and in our broader community. This is the third workshop in our series and we’re sharing the key takeaways with you. (You can also find insights from our previous workshops on project management, unconscious bias, and allyship.)

The Topic: Incorporating DEIJ Into Our Approach to Consulting and Training 

In a recent DEIJ reflection session led by Eric Ryan, co-founder and co-owner of Mission Met, we delved into the incorporation of DEIJ principles into our consulting and training services. Through discussion, it became evident that we're already implementing DEIJ practices authentically within both our company culture and services.

However, the session also sparked ideas for strengthening the integration of DEIJ principles into our consulting, facilitation, and training work. One such idea is to explore ways to make strategic planning more accessible to all, such as through initiatives like an international Strategic Planning Day and changes to our THRIVE cohort program. (We are in the early stages of planning for a virtual Strategy Day. Use this form to add your name to our contact list for this event and let us know what topics should be included!)

Additionally, Eric expressed interest in learning more about topics, such as incorporating land acknowledgments into our facilitation process for certain clients, demonstrating our commitment to inclusivity, and promoting cultural awareness.

Moving forward, Eric aims to continue exploring these avenues to ensure that DEIJ principles are not only embedded within Mission Met's internal operations but also deeply ingrained in our external services, reflecting our dedication to equity, inclusion, and justice.

Key Takeaways

In this recent DEIJ training series for Mission Met, we identified several key takeaways and, as always, you can access the presentation slides for more information.

While progress has been made in our DEIJ efforts, there's room for improvement by being more deliberate and intentional in how we integrate DEIJ principles into our consulting, training, and client work.

We are reminded of the reason why we do this work, one of which is that it's crucial to understand and effectively communicate the strategic advantages of DEIJ work to better assist our clients.

We brainstormed a variety of ideas to enhance DEIJ integration, including changes to our website, adjustments to assessments, and the creation of new resources such as videos or course modules.

Just like in our strategic planning process, we want to focus on efforts that are simple and effective. We emphasized the importance of focusing on smaller, actionable ideas that can be swiftly implemented rather than overwhelming the team with an extensive list of initiatives.

Follow-up discussions were immediately scheduled to assess priorities and determine the next steps based on the ideas generated during this training.

Our team understands that fostering an environment of reflection and alignment around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) initiatives is paramount for meaningful progress. By taking the time to reflect on past efforts, we acknowledged successes and identified areas for improvement. Overall, it helps us learn from our experiences. Additionally, getting on the same page about future work ensures that everyone is working towards common goals and objectives, maximizing the collective impact of our efforts. These principles of reflecting, celebrating success, identifying areas for improvement, and learning mirror the principles of our strategic planning process. Just like reviewing and aligning on a strategic plan helps advance an organization's goals, ongoing review and alignment can continue to advance us toward a more inclusive and equitable future for all.