the end of the blame game

Tanenbaum and PFLAG National (through its Straight for Equality in the Workplace 
and Faith programs) are teaming up to help companies move beyond the blame game
and proactively address the intersection of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression
and religion at work.

Tanenbaum offers real world solutions to a real world problem: religious discrimination and hate. We are the only secular, non-sectarian not-for-profit organization with over a decade of experience providing companies with practical programs that help them function in a religiously inclusive manner.

PFLAG National is the nation’s largest family and ally organization. Uniting people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) with families, friends and allies, PFLAG is committed to advancing equality and full societal affirmation of LGBTQ+ people through its threefold mission of support, education and advocacy. Through its Straight for Equality program, more than 20,000 people have been educated in learning sessions in nearly 150 organizations.

In a joint session, Mark E. Fowler of Tanenbaum and Jean-Marie Navetta of PFLAG will identify the misconceptions and oversimplifications that too often derail constructive conversations about LGBTQ+ and religious identities and result in blame shifting. Learning sessions will provide attendees with the parameters and possibilities for what can be done to mitigate conflicts and create cultures of inclusion for everyone at work.

Discover how Tanenbaum and PFLAG National can help your company move beyond the blame game.

For more information on session availability, content, and costs, please contact:

Learning session options:

• 90-Minute General Employee Session
   
• Half-Day General Employee Session
   
• Full-Day Manager’s Session + One-Hour Consultation

 90-Minute General Employee Learning Session

The goal of this 90-minute session is to set the parameters and possibilities for creating an inclusive workplace for employees, regardless of their identities and beliefs. In this session, participants will:

• Define and contextualize the many ways that religious and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer identities intersect at work.
   
• Discuss the common stereotypes and pitfalls that employees must overcome in addressing religious and LGBTQ+ inclusion at work.
   
• Identify skills for respectful communication and strategies for fostering inclusion at work.

Participants will explore these topics through the examination of an in-depth interactive case study. After attending this session, participants will better understand the diversity of these identities and how they intersect in the United States and will be familiar with strategies to build mutual respect.

In preparation for each session, Tanenbaum and PFLAG will conduct up to three confidential interviews to gain a sense of the current experience of diversity and inclusion among the company’s workforce. The interviewees will be mutually agreed upon by the facilitators and the company.

Tanenbaum and PFLAG will work closely with the company to ensure that the content of the session resonates with its audience and meets the company’s specific diversity and inclusion goals.

Half-Day General Employee Learning Session

The goal of this half day session is to provide participants with the opportunity to practice skills for creating an inclusive workplace for all employees, regardless of how they identify. This session will be designed to examine the complicated and sometimes tense intersection between sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, and religion at work. Topics may include, but not be limited to:

• Religion v. LGBTQ+ — reality or fiction? A critical look at quantitative and qualitative data on how people in the United States identify and experience conflicts and bias around this intersection.
   
• How respectful am I? An exploration of the disconnect between the way we think we treat people, and the way people actually feel they’re being treated.
   
• How would I respond? An exploration of in-depth case studies, based on real interactions that have created both tensions and opportunities. Participants will be challenged to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and practice skills for respectful communication.
   
• What are the pathways to inclusion? The identification of pathways to creating strategic partnerships between religious, sexual and gender identities at work.

After participating in this session, participants will be better prepared to mitigate conflicts, prevent bias, and build mutual respect. In preparation for this session, Tanenbaum and PFLAG will conduct up to three confidential interviews to gain a sense of the current experience of diversity and inclusion among the company’s workforce. The interviewees will be mutually agreed upon by the facilitators and the company.

Tanenbaum and PFLAG will work closely with the company to ensure that the content of the session resonates with its audience and meets the company’s specific diversity and inclusion goals.

Full-Day Manager’s Learning Session + One-Hour Consultation

The goal of this manager’s learning session is to demonstrate the business case for fostering inclusion at work, and practice skills for managing diverse teams. These two half-day sessions would be delivered to two groups of up to 40 managers to maximize opportunities for interaction and hand-on learning. Topics may include, but not be limited to:

• The Legal Landscape: An overview of relevant case law, proposed legislation and anti-discrimination laws. This section will briefly outline the impact and significance of recent state legislation, the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision, The Equality Act, and Title VII on workplace experiences.
   
• The Business Case: An overview of the concrete ways in which proactively addressing the intersection of religion, sexual orientation and gender identity can improve productivity, performance and retention. This section would also include a brief overview of the law and the company’s relevant diversity and inclusion, anti-harassment and discrimination policies.
   
• Impact of Identity on Behavior: An examination of how participants’ religiosity (or lack thereof), sexual orientation, gender identity and other identifiers impacts work relationships.
   
• Beyond the Blame Game: An examination of in-depth interactive case studies, designed to illustrate the many ways that religious and LGBTQ+ identities intersect. Participants will be prompted to discuss the common stereotypes and pitfalls that often stifle constructive conversations about this intersection, and strategies for creating inclusive workplaces, without pointing fingers.
   
• Strategies for Fostering Inclusion: A review of the better practices identified for managing diverse teams, preventing conflicts, providing accommodations and leveraging religious diversity to meet bottom line business goals.

In preparation for each session, Tanenbaum and PFLAG will conduct up to three confidential interviews to gain a sense of the current experience of diversity and inclusion among the company’s workforce. The interviewees will be mutually agreed upon by the facilitators and the company. Tanenbaum and PFLAG will work closely with the company to ensure that the content of the session resonates with its audience and meets the company’s specific diversity and inclusion goals.

Following any of the sessions described here, Tanenbaum and PFLAG will engage in a 1-hour consultation to debrief the sessions with diversity and human resource executives at the company. During this 60 minute consultation, the facilitators will debrief the sessions, identifying the challenges and opportunities that surfaced. The goals of the consultation hour would be to identify the company’s concrete action steps for creating a more inclusive environment, reducing risk and leveraging its existing strengths.