Diversity and Inclusion in the Board Room
In boardrooms and C-suites around the globe In the C-suites and boardrooms of all countries, diversity and inclusion are rapidly evolving from slogans and promises to actualities.
These meetings could be focused on the company’s performance, but it is crucial to keep in mind that decisions made at these meetings affect everyone from employees to shareholders to the economy. These meetings are highly structured, and follow a set of rules and procedures (such as Robert’s Rules of Order).
Boardrooms are designed to accommodate a smaller number of people, typically seating 8 to 20 people around a central table that allows face-to-face discussion and fosters a sense of unity. Furniture that is of high-quality, as well as technology such a teleconferencing capability and advanced audiovisual systems, can create the right atmosphere necessary for productive collaboration.
Using discussion boards is an effective method of engaging students in discussions that extend beyond the classroom, and help students to understand how different perspectives are a part of the learning process in the classroom. To encourage participation from students instructors can begin by asking icebreaker questions that make students familiar with their peers and their responses. Speer at Wichita State, asks her students to create an emoji-based chain to describe their personality and their interests. Students then read and respond to their peers’ responses. Summarizing a discussion by highlighting the most important ideas and themes encourages students to follow the entire forum.
