Cindy Hosea

DEI work, while fulfilling, carries a significant emotional burden. This recent Harvard Business Review article sheds light on the ‘emotional labor’ many DEI professionals face—navigating complex dynamics, biases, and organizational paradigms that don’t always align with genuine inclusion efforts. The pressure to constantly manage emotions, combined with the responsibility of educating others, often leads to burnout. It’s vital for organizations to recognize this and build environments that genuinely support and value DEI work, integrating it into the organizational fabric rather than treating it as a box-ticking exercise.

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Is there a business case for diversity? I came across this debate on my feed. There are so many popular articles that assume diversity leads to performance. The evidence for more diverse companies performing better, however, is mixed at best. But this isn't surprising. Much of what we know about diversity suggests that it has the potential to support higher levels of performance, innovation, etc. but also comes with significant pitfalls that hinder teams and organizations from attaining this potential.  My two cents is that much of this debate is asking the wrong question. The better question is "how can we as leaders create a business case for diversity?" It is time to move away from whether diversity helps organizations to putting the onus on leaders and what they can do to capitalize on the potential of diversity. Just being more diverse should not be expected to automatically translate to better outcomes. Whether diversity translates into better performance, more innovation, more growth is directly a function of what leaders and organizations do with it, the conditions they create to amplify the benefits of diversity while removing barriers. Those who are able to do this effectively are most likely to have a business case for diversity while many others may not.

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Lots of good stuff in this article from the Center for Creative Leadership. I couldn't agree more with ideas like shifting from episodic to continuous learning, enabling learning-in-action, and integrating vertical development. I've spent my career figuring out how to make all of this happening in powerful and scalable ways. Want to learn how? Check the comments for a link my upcoming workshop, the One Day Mindset Shift Intensive. Have still got a couple spots open for the session occurring next Tuesday! #Leadershipdevelopment #Verticaldevelopment #innerdevelopmentgoals

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New blog post! Mentorship is a hot topic in higher ed and workforce development. But mentoring programs must do more than just create matches and hope for the best. The best programs have: --Shared goals based on mentees' needs --Opportunities for organic matching --Benefits that go beyond just giving advice Shout out to Sarah Asher for sharing her mentorship experience with me and inspiring this post.

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🌍 Is your organization truly culturally responsive? In my latest article, I dive into the critical importance of cultural responsiveness in Organizational Behavior Management. Discover how embracing diversity can lead to more innovative, productive, and equitable workplaces. Read, share, and let's discuss: How is your organization addressing cultural responsiveness? #OBM #CulturalResponsiveness #OrganizationalDevelopment

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This piece reminded me of the book What Works by Iris Bohnet, which promotes #designthinking for mitigating bias in #hiring decisions. Hiring is a time-consuming process and a high-stakes decision. It's important to understand what the literature tells us about best practices so we can design our interview processes to yield the best possible results.

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This article is an interesting data-informed summary of effective and ineffective strategies to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion, and well as how frequently each strategy is used. - Accountability matters (e.g., Chief Diversity Officer) but is underutilized - A culture of learning instead of shaming is more effective - Organizations invest in the strategies that seem safer, but are less effective Let’s stop doing more of the things are ineffective. Better to do one or two things that work than invest in ten strategies and programs that do not, and are performative anyway. #leadership #diversityequityandinclusion #organizationalhealth https://lnkd.in/e6b_npat

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Narrative Organizers are a type of Advanced Organizer that introduces new content through storytelling or scenario-based contexts. These organizers use relatable narratives to connect new information with learners' prior knowledge, providing a real-world framework that makes abstract concepts more tangible and memorable. Narrative organizers can make learning more engaging, memorable, and practical by illustrating how new information is applied in realistic or relatable contexts. Narrative Organizers also can be very effective within communications and presentations. Here are 10 types of narrative organizers along with descriptions, examples and benefits. Where could you use a narrative organizer? #InstructionalDesign #training #cognitiveload #neuroscience #instructionaldesign #instructionaldesigners #elearning #elearningdesign #talentdevelopment #education #learning

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I’ve witnessed firsthand that coaches who are also OD practitioners have a much broader understanding of the organizational context than those who only coach. We tell students in our Organizational Development and Knowledge Management master’s program that coaching is one of many OD interventions in a system. While supporting individual growth and development is a very good idea, it does no good if the organization does not change (or does its change badly!). https://ODKM.gmu.edu #gmu #schar #odkm #AllTogetherDifferent

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I just completed the CarolinaCrED (mCrED) Managing Change micro-credential, where I designed and implemented a plan to lead meaningful transformation. One of the key tools I used was an Innovation Configuration Map—a framework that breaks change into clear, actionable steps. 🔑 Key Takeaways: • I created a shared vision for change by collaborating with stakeholders. • I outlined clear implementation steps, from minimal to ideal, to ensure success. • I focused on building mutual accountability and momentum. This experience strengthened my ability to plan, communicate, and execute systemic improvements—skills directly impacting my work with the Center for Educational Partnerships. Change is hard, but it's possible with clarity, collaboration, and strategy!

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Do you spend a lot of money on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at work, but aren't sure if they're achieving the goals you'd hoped for? You're not alone. Many organizations want to achieve DEI but aren't sure about the best way to go about it. New research shows which initiatives might actually pay off. Want to get the most out of your DEI investments? Learn from our new episode! Link in the comments. #leadingforwellness #inclusion #diversity #culture #training

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Is your culture being affected by remote work? The answer might surprise you. In a three-year study, behavior transmission within teams increased by 3-15% in fully remote environments. Our recent MBR article explores how cultural behaviors form and spread within organizations, revealing key insights into the dynamics of culture shifts across different work environments. We evaluated the interplay between network connections, employee energy, and behavior transmission to reveal new patterns of organizational that is shaped by local interactions. Andras Vicsek, John Golden, Ph.D., Scott Hines, PhD Full article https://lnkd.in/gfhvjxnY https://lnkd.in/g6XugBbC

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Diversity and inclusion are more than just values—they’re strategic advantages. Organizations that empower historically marginalized communities unlock innovation and drive long-term success. It starts with leadership: creating inclusive cultures, equitable talent pipelines, and opportunities for all voices to be heard. How is your organization empowering diverse voices? Share your strategies or challenges below!

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Within the first 30 minutes of The Visual Design for Learning conference via The Training, Learning, and Development Community yesterday, I had jotted these three things in my notebook -- yes, in a paper notebook with a pencil that I sharpened to a perfect point -- I'm sometimes old school that way. User goals and learning outcomes are not the same thing -- I think in higher ed we often conflate these two Learning is not about the materials we create but about the tasks we want learners to be able to do Learning should be challenging while the learning experience should be easy Luis Malbas Rod Hinn #traininganddevelopment

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Last week, Emily Roh and I co-facilitated our first of two DEI Potluck 🍽️ Preview Sessions. Curious? Check out all the details at our website. Link in the comments. 🔗 I’ll be honest, it’s taken me a week to fully process the experience and then reflect it back to y’all.  This practice of slowing down, trusting the time it takes, and acknowledging that Liberatory practices are not linear is essential. In fact, I experienced what Francis Weller, the author of “The Wild Edge of Sorrow,” references as “a deep encounter with an essential experience of being human.” In other words, grief. Even though I left our previous session feeling nourished by what we co-created together 🥰, afterwards, I emotionally and physically crashed. This looked like spending the afternoon in bed—feeling, integrating, and resting. An effort to not effort so that I could process and embody what we’re co-creating with the DEI Potluck—a community where we can heal, grow, and move toward embodied liberation together. With all this in mind, I’m struck by the the tarot card pulled during the session—Ten of Spirals. It represents growth, transformation, and the cyclical nature of progress while conveying a sense of upward movement and the journey of continual development through the visual of a spiral staircase. This practice grounded and connected us, for which I am grateful. 💝 I am grateful for the BIPOC DEI practitioners who showed up with us to be in community. I am grateful for a generative partner who is committed to this essential work and willing to hold the space with me so that true transformation comes from collective reflection, embodied practices, and centering the experiences of those most impacted by our work—us. If this sounds like a community of practice that you’re yearning for in this current political climate, then: Register for our final Preview Session on Thursday, 12/5. Link in the comments. 🔗 Tag the BIPOC DEI practitioners in your organization, network, and life. Many of us need a space like this more than we may realize.  Share our website (in the comments) via DM, text, or email. We recognize there are many ways to engage in this work, and we want to remind you that you get to choose what’s best for you to protect yourself. My hope is that by sharing this unconventional reflection as a facilitator, it will speak to the part of you that’s ready to radically reimagine what’s possible and create a new reality together. In Lovelution…

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It's the third week of Pride and this week's 'Putting Pride into Practice' resource is an ode to the research and wisdom of Ethan Trinh, Ph.D. They have inspired me in countless ways and helped me better understand the role of love in research. How might you put pride into practice this week? You can find the resources linked in the comment below.

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