Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Greene Espel provides customized, strategic solutions to address your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals and objectives.

We are thought leaders in this space—writing, speaking, and advising nationally on improving workplace diversity and creating inclusive cultures. Our programs are grounded in extensive research comparing effective programs to ineffective ones so that we can deliver sustainable and measurable results for your workforce or workplace.

But this doesn’t mean there’s a single, perfect solution to creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations. A diversity program’s effectiveness depends on the specific training method used, the characteristics of those trained, and the specific outcomes measured after training concludes. We tailor empirically supported exercises and activities to your goals and your employees’ characteristics, so you can make your organization more welcoming and inclusive.

PROGRAMMING

We can help you design a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy, implement your strategic plan, or provide one-time trainings.

Regardless as to the scope of our engagement, we begin by listening. And we work with you to design a program that suits your needs, objectives, and budget. Among other services, we help clients:  

• Develop DEI strategies and multi-year plans
• Develop governance and organizational structures that reduce bias
• Prevent litigation
• Facilitate focus groups or interviews with employees
• Improve hiring practices
• Improve review and feedback processes
• Reduce bias in compensation systems
• Train the trainers
• Plan/facilitate workplace retreats
• Review workplace policies

TRAININGS

A comprehensive DEI training program provides concrete ways to engage in respectful and positive workplace interactions, while reducing discrimination, bias and prejudice based on factors including gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, religion, and physical and mental ability.

A well-done training should also help participants realize this is just the beginning. Our trainings don’t just explain the problems. We identify procedural and policy changes that will interrupt injustices at institutional and systemic levels. We empower participants with practical strategies and instill a sense of responsibility so that participants can be change agents. Finally, every training should be energizing and interesting—it’s the only way to ensure that people hear your message.

Our most popular trainings include:

• Employee Trainings
  • Conscious inclusion in the workplace
  • Preventing discrimination and harassment
• Management Trainings
  • Creating policies that drive change
  • Improving hiring practices
  • Providing non-biased feedback
  • Retaining diverse talent
• Legal Industry Trainings
  • Why the legal profession is the least diverse (and how to fix it)
  • Conscious inclusion at your law firm
  • Mitigating bias in the judiciary
  • Mitigating bias in the courtroom
  • Best practices to mitigate bias (for prosecutors)
  • Best practices to mitigate bias (for defenders)
• Other Industry/Group Trainings
  • We have tailored our diversity programming to address challenges facing multiple industries and groups including city employees, court reporters, engineers, firefighters, housing code officials, the judiciary, mediators and arbitrators, and mothers.  
• Sexual Harassment Prevention

Our trainings are well-reviewed and award winning, recognized by both Minnesota Lawyer and the Hennepin County Bar Association. 

Participants say:

• “This is a huge wow – engaging, informative, with extremely helpful information, examples clearly given with such passion. Will be recommending this to all lawyers in my office.”
• “Excellent, knowledgeable, and presented in a factual manner. This should not alienate any non-female audience members because of skillful presentation.”
• “This was one of the best CLEs I have taken in my 11 years of practicing.”
• “The BEST presentation on demand I have ever seen.”

We have trained audiences around the country including at Thomson Reuters, Cargill, and Resideo as well as the Federal Defenders’ Office of the Dakotas, the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the Ohio State Bar, the City of Bloomington, the City of Vadnais Heights, and multiple law firms.

TEAM

Our team has over 40 years’ experience facilitating group discussions, running trainings, and designing and implementing strategic plans.

Team members include the past president of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers and past chair of the Council of Minnesotans of African Heritage, the past president of the Association of Legal Administrators, the past president of the Infinity Project as well as lawyers with employment, public sector, and civil rights litigation experience.

We care about these issues professionally and personally.