Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP
With more than twenty-five years of experience in the public and private sectors, Lenora was named as one of 100 Global Thought Leaders on Diversity and Inclusion by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Diversity and Inclusion is a full-time focus, not just one topic among many for keynoter Lenora Billings-Harris. She an internationally recognized diversity strategist and thought leader, Certified Professional Speaker (CSP), facilitator, and author. With more than twenty-five years of experience in the public and private sectors, Lenora was named as one of 100 Global Thought Leaders on Diversity and Inclusion by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Additionally, she was named as one of the Top Twenty Diversity Leaders in the USA, by Diversity Woman magazine. Through her presentations, train-the-trainer sessions, books and other educational resources, she has developed a unique way of presenting sensitive topics in a substantive, thought-provoking and non-judgmental way. She is known for her ability to simplify and demystify the complexities of diversity and inclusion in the workplace which lead her participants to immediately applicable "how to's," thus causing them to invite her back again and again.
Lenora is the author of The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work and the co-author of TRAILBLAZERS: How Top Business Leaders are Accelerating Results through Inclusion and Diversity.
She is a past president of the 3000 member National Speakers Association. Lenora serves on the adjunct faculty of Averett University as well as the Bryan School of Business and Economics, University of North Carolina-Greensboro where she and her team conducted award winning research on diversity attitudes and leadership results. The results of their research have been published in several scholarly journals. Lenora has presented to audiences in over eighteen countries in person and via satellite. Before starting her consulting firm in 1986, Lenora held several key management positions with two Fortune 500 companies as well as with the Graduate School of Business, University of Michigan.
Beyond the Vision
Lenora uses personal stories, metaphors, audience interaction and quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. and others to help you discover how you can use your abilities and courage to make a real and sustainable difference in today's multicultural world. This uplifting, yet thought-provoking message will inspire you to embrace the unique gifts you have and to value the gifts of others to increase your options for positive change.
By realizing the power to make a difference is within each individual, you will discover ways to go beyond stereotypes and bias to create an environment that supports high success while celebrating differences.
As a result of attending this session, participants will be able to:
· Apply techniques to interact effectively with people different then themselves
- Connect to others with compassion instead of through stereotypical judgments
· Engage their courage to lead sustainable inclusion changes for business, community and family.
From Adversaries to Allies:
Gender Communication in the Workplace
"The content of your program was so timely and applicable to our delegates. They really walked away with new knowledge that will help them improve their business practices as owners and managers."
Heather Matthews
American Bus Association
This fun presentation will help you improve your communication skills with the opposite gender. You will explore ways to say what you mean in a way the other gender will understand. This insightful session will help both men and women learn how to express themselves in a way that improves results. By practicing techniques that recognize communication differences without value judging, you will discover your own hidden communication strengths.
As a result of applying the principles and skills presented, you will be able to:
- Identify the 3 major male and female communication tendencies;
- Explore the 5 habits that hinder effective communication;
- Manage gender conflict more effectively.
The focus of this session is on communication solutions not gender bashing, thus both men and women can enhance their effectiveness. By applying a few simple rules each will be able to refrain from trying to change the other.
Today's Multicultural Market
Are your sales representatives losing opportunities to close sales because they are pre-judging the client or customer? Are they only prospecting and selling to people who are "just like them?" This program is for people who know the basic steps of selling, and are looking for ways to increase sales results through effective relationship-building techniques with a diverse market that includes differences of age, gender and ethnicity. Many of the best practices in Lenora?s book, Real Sales Strategies that Work will be shared and discussed.
As a result of applying the principles and skills presented, you will be able to:
- Identify key behaviors that often reduce trust, respect, and cooperation across diverse groups;
- Quickly identify a prospect's "comfort zone" surrounding the sales process and determine the best ways to initiate contact, make the presentation, negotiate, close the sale, and maintain positive client relationships;
- Develop sales plans that address the uniqueness of each customer.
Effective sales professionals take the time to read their customer or prospect before launching into the sales process. Multicultural sales skills will help you read a broader mix of customers more accurately
.The Diversity Advantage: The Wizard of OZ Perspective
Presented by Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP
This highly interactive, thought-provoking, yet and fun session provides an opportunity for you to explore and find solutions to the impact of the biases of our society's "isms" that impede productivity in the workplace. By realizing the power of inclusion is within each individual, you will discover ways to go beyond stereotypes and bias to create and sustain an environment that supports high productivity and culturally competent sensitivity while celebrating differences.
Lenora uses the characters and music from The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz to create an entertaining and stimulating learning environment.
As a result of attending this session, you will be able to:
· Identify how unintentional stereotypical behavior impedes effectiveness;
· Explore the Four Cornerstones of Diversity and Inclusion;
· Use the S.T.O.P.- technique to minimize multicultural mishaps;
· Identify how the Brain, Heart and Courage as well as witches, wizards and Toto improve cultural competencies;
· Develop a person action plan for your diversity journey
TRAILBLAZERS? Secrets Revealed:
How to Accelerate Business Results through Inclusion and Diversity
Presented by
Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP
Uncover the critical strategies and successes related to world class diversity and inclusion management used by award-winning organizations. Lenora Billings-Harris, co-author of TRAILBLAZERS will combine her 20+ years of experience in the D&I field with the best practices of such companies as Verizon, Sodexo, Dell, American Airlines, IBM and many more.
This session will address the key components of success as well as how to get results. Some of the components Lenora will include are: CEO Commitment, CDO Competencies, The Research Proves?, Making Learning and Education Effective, Engaging Middle Managers, Community Commitment, and Metrics. You will leave this session with clear and specific strategies and tactics that can help make your organization's diversity and inclusion plan world class.
A Workshop presented by Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP
BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR TEAM! The toughest aspect of leading others is communication because there are so many factors to consider. During this session you will learn the FOUR key communication/behavior styles and how to identify the preferred styles of each of your team members. You will be able to complete your own DiSC profile and identify your strengths as a leader.
DiSC® Classic can help you:
· understand your own behavior
· learn how and when to adapt your behavior
· improve communication results
· promote appreciation of differences
· enhance individual and team performance
· reduce conflict
· increase employee engagement
Chelsea Handler
US Toll Free: 1.800.842.4483
International: +1.214.744.3885