Yesterday we kicked off a 'lunch and learn' session with InterHealth Canada - The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospitals. I have been looking forward to this for some time because Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is one of my absolute favorite topics!

The importance of DEI training is often underestimated, but in taking the first steps to increase awareness and eventually take intentional action, companies begin to see the benefits of having an inclusive environment.

​Benefits to embracing DEI include:

• An increase of fairness
• Higher levels of creativity and innovation
• New and fresh perspectives
• The ability to understand individual needs
• Better hiring processes
• Lower employee turnover rates
• Deeper trust and commitment
• Better decision making

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne Johnson

Today I was excited to host the HR team from the Financial Services Commission for their team building session. One of the themes that arose was the importance of having clarity in the vision and the goals of the organization and what each team must do to be in a position to succeed. 

Through their games, the HR team was reminded of the power of rhythm and consistency. Although this is important in all teams; we discussed the role that HR teams have in providing consistent resources and support to their organizations. 

“I think that the greatest gift God ever gave man is not the gift of sight but the gift of vision. Sight is a function of the eyes, but vision is a function of the heart”. Myles Monroe

Today we had a lovely time in COMO Parrot Cay with the Young Leaders group from the Turks and Caicos Islands Hotel and Tourism Association. In addition to a personal and professional development chat on intentions, goals, and habits, participants created their vision boards as a tool to manifest their personal and professional desires.

We are looking forward to hearing about the success of their vision boards in the months to come!

Often, I am asked whether small teams should do team building exercises as well. Of course! Once you have a team, you should be intention about the way you build it.

Today's group, the Bank and Trust team from FSC, enjoyed discussing and working through the challenges in Building Our Team Dynamic. While completing the challenges the group did a great job at connecting what they were learning to everyday workplace scenarios.

​Way to go Bank and Trust!

Paradigms are like glasses. When you have incomplete paradigms about yourself or life in general, it's like wearing glasses with the wrong prescription. That lens affects how you see everything else. - Sean Covey​

Today we hosted some of the managers and supervisors from the Financial Services Commission at Learn and Lead. They completed "The Dynamic Leader" a full day session that focuses on equipping managers and supervisors with want they need to lead their teams. 

Participants, after taking part in an activity that challenged their perception, found that with each theme we explored it challenged them to be reminded of their individual paradigms and the effect that can have on the way they behave, interact and lead. 

One of the most common concerns that The Business Writer participants have occurs when they know what they want to say but aren't sure how to say it. Taking time to plan your writing can help tremendously in the flow and clarity of your writing. In The Business Writer, participants are taught quick and easy brainstorm tricks to use before they start writing. These tips help whether you are writing an email, a report, a proposal or any other business writing document.

Congrats to these participants from Fast Track TCI that have one more session to go! They have been working diligently to improve their writing!

Today I worked with FSC Team no. 2, the IT team. A significant take home point that came out of today's workshop was the impact of mindset and the importance of every team member doing their own 'mindset work.' This is the foundation needed for the collective team mindset required to propel teams towards their desired outcomes.

Way to go IT!

On Monday we began the first of a series of workshops with the Financial Services Commission. I enjoyed beginning these sessions with the Insurance Department. This group was ready and willing to take in new information!

​One of the highlights for me, which is highlighted in this post's picture, is how essential alignment is for progress. In our professional lives, that means that we must ensure that our actions are aligned with the purpose of our organization.

​Way to go Insurance Team!

Last week we were busy beginning a new round of The Business Writer. We had 3 groups begin their 5 session programs yesterday. Although The Business Writer can be done privately, it's a great program to do as a team. It challenges team members to work together to improve the quality of writing coming out of their department.  

This morning we concluded our first round of DEI training at Fortis TCI. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training is an essential and welcome tool for many companies trying to get their next level. Diversity training is about awareness. DEI workshops challenge participants to gain a deeper understanding of the complex elements of the subject matter and apply that understanding they live and work.
 
Congratulations to Fortis TCI, for taking the initiative to train their entire company on this topic!

This morning I had such a great time working with Paradise Smiles. We looked at 'Building Our Team Dynamic.' This is a great workshop that facilities teams learning and playing together. During our session together we looked at how to develop chemistry between members and a sense of unity. Topics in today's session included:

• Understanding Teams
• Team Development
• Chemistry in Teams
• Vision and Goals
• Developing and Building Relationships

On Monday February 27th I will be a panelist at the Flow Live2Lead Leadership Conference! Live2Lead is a leadership development experience that is designed for leaders to gain practical tools to equip themselves with new perspectives.

​I am excited to speak about a topic that I absolutely love to discuss: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

Register Here:  https://bit.ly/3EmGbwY

This morning it was so great to be in Grand Turk working with the Department of Youth Affairs facilitating a Youth Skills Workshop with the 4th form students at the HJ Robinson High School. As we did in South Caicos and North Caicos, we looked at "Celebrating Diversity and Building Resilience Through Human Capital."

Topics covered at the workshop included:

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Human Capital and Resilience
• Time Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Resume Writing

Students were reminded of the importance of taking ownership of their development and their learning to be the best they can be.

When I began Diversity training, I was often asked whether this was a topic we really needed in our environment here in the Turks and Caicos. YES! An awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is essential in all business environments.

Often people mistake diversity training for being only about race, whereas diversity relates to any types of differences we may have. Diversity is simply who is in the room. Each room will have differences. These differences can range from age, ability, generation, culture, nationality, religion, education, social class etc. Simply having a diverse staff will not bring you gains you are hoping for. You must be willing to embrace the diversity within your team and create an inclusive environment for that team. Equity is an essential piece to creating an inclusive environment. 

In 2022 Fortis TCI embarked on a journey to provide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training to their entire staff. Yesterday, I had a great session with their staff in North Caicos. It was filled with great learning, great discussion and a few 'ah-ha moments.'  

Yesterday evening I had a great time with a lovely group of ladies. Vision Board Parties are a great opportunity for small intimate groups to come together and discuss their goals, their dreams, their intentions and their visions.

Vision Boards have become extremely popular in the last few years, and they are an awesome tool. When creating them, it's important to reflect on the vision you have for yourself and whether you are 'wishing' or 'manifesting.' Wising and manifesting may have similar roots, but they are certainly not the same thing. Manifesting is about preparing your mind, body and soul for the vision that you would like to attain. Energy needs to be put into clarifying your intentions, honoring your current season, outlining where you would like to go, and aligning your habits and actions for the outcomes that you would like to see. 

Yesterday's event was the second Vision Board party for this group of friends. This allowed for our session to begin with reviewing their highlights, the ways they were stretched and the lessons that they learned in 2022. 

If you are interested in finding out more about small group Vision Board parties, contact us!

Earlier this week we had the pleasure of hosting a few employees from the Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission. In addition to offering ESL services, we are also available to provide support with teaching. Sometimes there are new protocols or systems that you may need your employees to learn, and you may need some guidance on how to best introduce and practice the materials. In this case, Ms. Guilmise, who also speaks Creole, was able to bridge the language gap to increase understanding. 

Yesterday we made a quick trip over to Grand Turk to speak on the theme “Stepping into 2023- Balance and Priorities” with the administrative staff from the Ministry of Health. Although productivity was the main focus for this presentation, participants were reminded of the role personal development plays in one’s professional growth.

It’s always important to have clarity on your intentions. Once you have clarity, you can align your mindset and your actions to lay the foundation for achieving your personal and professional goals.

Today we had an awesome morning working with the @departmentofyouthtci facilitating a Youth Skills Workshop on their behalf in North Caicos. The Raymond Gardiner High School students spent to morning exploring “Celebrating Diversity and Building Resilience Through Human Capital”.
Topics covered at the workshop included:

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Human Capital and Resilience
• Time Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Resume

Yesterday evening Learn and Lead hosted its first parent workshop since 2019! It was such a pleasure!
Jumpstart 2023 is a positive parenting workshop that focuses on:

• What is Positive Parenting
• Mindset
• Understanding Emotions and Behavior
• Defining Your Family Dynamic

We look forward to more parent workshops in the future!