You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Why Representation Matters | Sessions

Search Schedule

Concurrent Session, ENX CHRO, ENX HR Leaders, ENX Mid-Market
You Can’t Be What You Can’t See: Why Representation Matters
In-Person and Virtual Tuesday 06/25/2024 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM   Add to calendar

Competencies: Organization (Technical), People (Technical) | Intended Audience: Mid-Level
Workplace Application:
From this session, attendees will learn about the importance of representation and how to improve representation particularly in leadership. 

Seating Instructions: Seating is first-come, first-served. Reserved seating options are available for accessibility and accommodations. For detailed accessibility information, visit INFO > FAQs in the app.

Marian Wright Edelman, an American civil rights activist, once said, 'You can't see what you can't be,' referring to the importance of representation to help inspire children of color to positions of power. If you can't see someone who looks like you in a position you aspire to, how can you imagine yourself in that position? But why does representation matter? And how can organizations work toward better representation in their organization without it looking like tokenism?   You Can't Be What You Can't See looks at the importance of representation, why it matters, and what concrete initiatives organizations can take to improve their representation. Leveraging the research for his book Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right and his extensive experience in inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, Michael Bach shares his thoughts on this critical topic.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the difference between representation and diversity.
  • Hear why representation matters.
  • Discover concrete actions organizations can take to improve representation. 



Direct Link to Session Materials: If the speaker provides session materials, you can access them via the app, web format or at https://presentations.shrm.org/.

Live Streaming and Recording: Unless marked 'in person only,' all sessions are live-streamed on the app or web format and available for replay 30 days after the event.

Acknowledgment of Technical Issues: While rare, technical issues may occur during sessions. We appreciate your patience as we quickly address them.

Accessibility & Accommodations Information: For detailed accessibility & accommodations information, visit INFO > FAQs in the app.

Michael Bach Photo
Presenter:
Michael Bach, CEO,
Future of IDEA, LLC