2015 Workplaces that Work Summit

December 9, 2015 | 2-5pm

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center

An analysis of the 1,500 Standard & Poor’s companies over 15 years found that the more women firms had in top management, the more market value they generated. With such definitive data, why have companies found it so difficult to take action and address the gender and diversity gaps within their organizations?

To help companies tackle these issues, the Massachusetts Conference for Women is convening our first “Workplaces that Work” Summit. The Summit offers the most cost-effective and time-efficient way to gain access to the nation’s top strategists on these issues. Our content is not theory based – it is structured around real and current challenges managers face while trying to improve their group’s performance.

AGENDA

2:00 pm: Welcome

2:05 pm: Welcome and Keynote

Challenging Convention: Using Disruptive Innovation to Create a Workplace that Works for Everyone
Offering powerful – and practical – techniques, this keynote will explore how innovation can drive break through ideas, tackle the most pressing leadership challenges and help you transform your thinking around staffing and leading teams. Duncan will illustrate how doing so will not only play a crucial role in creating an effective workplace, but is integral to your operational efficiency and success. Attendees will be asked to push their comfort zones and tasked to identify concrete takeaways to implement and make positive changes within their organization.
Speaker: David Duncan, senior partner, Innosight

2:30 pm: Networking Break and Transition to Sessions

2:45-4:15 pm: Breakout Sessions (Participants select one session to attend)

Creating a Level Playing Field
The evidence is crystal clear – a diverse workforce unlocks innovation and drives market growth. Yet despite this knowledge, why is it that so many teams still lack diversity at all levels? After decades of the same conversation and presented with the same evidence why do managers ignore the facts to the detriment of their bottom line? Sadly the reality is that most people feel more comfortable working with others who are most like themselves. While bias can’t be eliminated – male and female managers can learn tools to avoid bias and think differently about hiring new and promoting current employees. This session will use a blend of real life examples and practical advice to teach managers why it is critical and how they can create a level playing field within their teams.
Speakers: Deepali Bagati, PhD, executive director, United States, Catalyst; Julie S. Nugent, vice president & center leader, Catalyst Research Center for Corporate Practice

Inclusive Leadership
Good managers know that diversity is “good for business” but can’t necessarily correlate how it positively benefits their business strategy or bottom line. Good managers want to build high-performing teams but it isn’t always clear how to do so – especially given the unconscious biases we all carry with us. This session will bring together theory and practice to help you understand the why – and how you can ensure that your employees feel included at work. Attendees will explore how to overcome the barriers to inclusion, including two bias reduction tools that can be used immediately upon returning to the workplace. Participants will be asked to identify at least one way their team or organization would be positively impacted if the environment was one where “everyone can excel”.
Speaker: Angela Peacock, leadership strategist and chair and founding partner, The People Development Team

Men as Advocates for Real Diversity Change
Power in organizations tends to get shared across a largely male network resulting in deep gaps in pay and job-level for equally skilled and ambitious women employees. Fostering a culture where power is shared more equitably can ensure more employees have access to critical opportunities and ultimately can contribute to business success. We need leaders who can create these cultures—environments where women and men have equal opportunities to make contributions and advance to leadership roles. As the leadership majority, men are in a strong position to influence change and to build followers across cultural, demographic and organizational groups. By engaging men in creating more equal workplaces, we’re creating better leaders, stronger businesses, more fulfilling lives for both women and men.
Speaker: Heather Foust-Cummings, Catalyst

4:15 pm: Networking Break and Transition Back to Main Session

4:30 pm: Closing Discussion

The Challenge: How Will You Disrupt to Create a Workplace that Works?
Weaving together the concepts of disruptive innovation/thinking, participants will come together for a facilitated discussion led by Innosight. Attendees will be selected from each breakout session to “take the challenge” and answer a variety of questions to illustrate what they can now do to create a workplace that works for their teams and organization.
Speaker: David Duncan, senior partner, Innosight

REGISTER NOW

To purchase tickets, please download this registration form and return to us by November 1, 2015.