Innovations International - World's First Virtual Diversity Conference

Innovations International Virtual Diversity Conference

A Conference for the New Millennium (March 9-13, 2009)

Innovations International is presenting our first Virtual Diversity Conference! As an added bonus to our attendees, we will be featuring part of our newest course offering, Social Networking—A Holistic Approach to Cultural Inclusion as part of our concluding seminar Diversity the Unifying Force for the 21st Century. This new topic will be presented by author Dr. William A. Guillory.

HOW TO ATTEND Virtual Conference

A Breakthrough in Transformation

Due to the current economic situation, we recognize the realities of cost cutting and travel moratoriums; however, the need for continuous learning has not disappeared, in fact, in a global competitive business environment it has become more crucial. As a unique solution, Innovations is offering this fantastic learning opportunity from the convenience of your desktop. No traveling, no hotel expenses, no time away from the office!

Each session will be an interactive diversity webinar where attendees will be able to have interactive dialogue with the presenter. We recognize that a considerable benefit of attending a conference is the opportunity to meet new people in your industry or with similar interests. Using web-based tools we will be able to replicate not only the interactive experience of a traditional conference, but also the important networking opportunities between participants.

As a result, during the Virtual Diversity Conference a specific time will be set aside for social networking using a cutting-edge tool called Crowdvine. This tool will give you access to the session calendar, participant profiles, ability to post areas of interest for discussion, and the ability to have public and private communications with attendees.

BENEFITS OF EACH SESSION

Attend from your desktop (No special software needed)
Interactive sessions with polls, surveys, and Q&A
Meet new people in your industry
Diversity Social Network Membership through CrowdVine

SCHEDULE

This will take place over a five day period with six 1-hour interactive sessions. The program will include (all times EST):

Day 1 - Presented on Monday - March 9, 2009

View the Recording of This Session (Flash format) >>

View the Recording of This Session (Webex Player format) >>

Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace with Chris Harding

Cultural sensitivity is the ability to respond appropriately to cross-cultural situations from the point-of-view and awareness of the attitudes, feelings, and circumstances of others. Cultural sensitivity involves the mastery of cultural intelligence, cultural transformation, and cross-cultural skills. This course provides the opportunity for the participants to engage in these three learning experiences in individual, paired, and team exercises. The course is dominantly interactive, experiential learning which deals with real-world workplace scenarios.

The overall objectives of the program are to:

Learn the critical skills associated with cultural sensitivity and discover how culturally proficient you are in working in a multicultural environment.
Experience the process of cultural transformation when involved in a cross-cultural encounter.
Resolve your greatest challenge involving interpersonal cross-cultural relationship, communication, or coaching of co-workers.
Acquire the interpersonal skills necessary to work effectively with a diverse, multicultural work force.
Present generalize cultural values (propensities) of the four major American cultural groups as guidelines for appropriate culturally sensitive behavior.

Virtual Collaboration combines the transformation in thinking from rugged individualism to collaboration, followed by the design of a unique Information and Knowledge Base Network. This program provides the cognitive and behavioral skills necessary to work cooperatively with others in a globally connected workplace—where globally connected refers to any geographically dispersed working arrangement. It combines a holistic approach to collaboration by emphasizing both the interpersonal and technical aspects of cooperation, teamwork, and cross-functional networking.

Day 3 - Presented on Wednesday - March 11, 2009

View the Recording of This Session (Flash format) >>

View the Recording of This Session (Webex Player format) >>

The Business Case for Diversity with Darrell Butler

Each year, many businesses lose money in overt, unconscious, and subtle ways by assuming that diversity has no significant business impact. Diversity has a direct or indirect relationship to organizational productivity. People working together in the most efficient way is the key to profitability. In the competitive business world, corporations are profitable because of the "efficiency of production" of their products and services.

Diversity is the people factor. It spans each of the vertical initiatives by virtue of the employees who actually implement the processes and the full array of differences they inherently bring to the workplace. Diversity and people are synonymous. In this sense, diversity is the key element in producing high performance since people make things happen, not structure or process.

This session on Global Diversity provides an opportunity to examine historical, cultural, and national differences, within a region or globally, which prevent proactive relationships and the smooth exchange of business ideas that benefit the organizations. The seminar focuses on providing a basis for understanding historical cultural differences which dictate the way business is conducted and establishing the organization’s core values in a way which is global in perspective and local in focus.

This presentation will involve a new breakthrough combination of social networking and viral dissemination for the achievement of cultural inclusion. This breakthrough is based upon a 21st Century definition of diversity and its relationship to inclusion and a unified work force. The key element in the cultural transformation to inclusion is the comprehensive implementation of small acts of inclusion through naturally existing social networks. These learning experiences will involve two major exercises and interactive dialogue.