with Margo Hittleman, of Natural Leaders Initiative
Building strong, ongoing relationships – with people from many different backgrounds – is a key step for building an inclusive organization. But it’s a step that stops many people in their tracks. This highly-interactive workshop creates a supportive environment for participants to explore the attitudes, skills, behaviors, and organizational norms that can help (or hinder) in building respectful relationships across “difference.”
In this workshop, you will:
- Clarify personal and organizational purposes in seeking “diversity” and “inclusion.”
- Assess how you and your organization currently build relationships, and learn why a relational focus offers a better path to success.
- Explore attitudes, behaviors and norms that support building respectful relationships across “difference.”
- Practice the relationally-focused skills of “ask and learn” as an antidote to the more common organizational orientation of “do and tell.”
- Tap into your own intention and courage for reaching beyond limiting social divides.
- Leave with clearly defined steps to move from “talk” to “action”.
Margo Hittleman, PhD is co-founder and coordinator of the Natural Leaders Initiative and a resource educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. Her greatest passion is helping people and organizations strengthen their capacities to collectively build strong, inclusive, resilient and sustainable organizations and communities. Over the past 35 years, she has designed and led numerous educational and professional development workshops and curricula on leadership; staff and organizational development; diversity and inclusion; social and organizational change; participatory action research; and evaluation. Margo has also taught at Cornell University and was the recipient of three teaching awards there. She is a former Cornell Civil Leaders Fellow and is a Senior Fellow with the Dorothy Cotton Institute. Margo has written several professional development books and publications, including Winning Decisions: Getting It Right the First Time (Doubleday, 2002), and Counting Caring: Attending to the Human in an Age of Public Management (Cornell Cooperative Extension, 2007). She lives in Lansing, NY.
About the L.E.A.R.N. with the Chamber Series:
The L.E.A.R.N. Professional Development series, powered by Tompkins Trust Company, is designed to give Chamber members access to tools and resources that will help them grow and strengthen their businesses or organizations. Under the core areas of Leadership, Equity, Action, Resilience, and Navigation, the Tompkins Chamber seeks to deliver a valuable series of workshops to the topics most important to you and your team.
Featured Annual Events
Economic Summit
The Tompkins Chamber presents key local issues impacting local businesses and developers, policy issues impacting the business community, and local insights from participants in a national economic outlook survey. Partnering with Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED), the event includes important updates about our economy, workforce, upcoming projects, and strategies to move forward and achieve a sustainable economic recovery.
Annual Dinner & Awards
One of the premier business community events of the year, the Annual Meeting highlights the Chamber community and previews the goals and initiatives for the coming year. Come and celebrate the success of our business community and economic development with hundreds of local leaders and elected officials! Join us as we raise a glass to the companies, not-for-profits, and volunteers who partner with us to help our community thrive.
Golf Tournament
This day on the green combines top-notch golf with valuable networking and advertising opportunities. Held at one of the County’s finest and professionally-rated golf courses. Staggered start golf tournament with several prizes, including skins. Lunch and beverages provided.
Great Big Chamber Auction
See and be seen by the region’s top business executives and small business owners. The Great Big Chamber Thank You & Auction holds tremendous value to our sponsors, donors, and attendees as it is one of our most highly publicized and attended events. The Great Big Chamber Auction portion helps underwrite the events and programs that support our Chamber members. Traditional silent and live auction, networking, and nonprofit recognition awards.