Ami Kaur, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Dudley College of Technology, reflects on the experience of the ETF Inclusive Leadership programme and takeaways from it for implementation.
What an opportunity to gain such insight into inclusive leadership! The programme run by AoC on behalf of ETF covered so many different aspects and for me, it was a great opportunity to be part of. Undertaking such training with my line manager means that our organisation is committed to change. It was a safe space to give honest opinions and think about our organisational gaps, and what we can do to make things better. The use of Lego to illustrate certain scenarios was absolutely brilliant. It showed the simplicity behind the tasks, and how we can sometimes overcomplicate things ourselves. It allowed us to be serious, but have some fun at the same time and be creative.
It was a well thought out programme that covered an array of topics, and it offered something different to a traditional textbook or training course. It was both engaging and thought provoking, and also provided an opportunity to share best practice and hear what work is being undertaken nationally.
Within the training, although all parts were great, I particularly enjoyed the unconscious bias and blind spots piece. I thought it was so important in reflecting on our own behaviours, but also behaviours around us. The activity used was great, as it highlighted possible unconscious bias in the room, and how we may easily notice other people’s biases, but often don’t recognise our own. It also helped highlight how some biases can be learned and how to tackle unconscious bias.
