The Diversity Imperative

HR considerations for all people managers

Hello and welcome! This week, Erin and Hannah are joined by Stacey Redford, Head of Human Resources and Dan Wright, Head of Seeds, with Syngenta Canada to talk human resource (HR) considerations as they relate to an organization's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy. Stacey, who joined Syngenta in January 2022 and leads Syngenta’s renewed “people strategy”, answers a number of questions we have about HR’s role in supporting employees and as always, Dan candidly shares a few of his leadership strategies and gives us an update on Syngenta’s DEI journey. Dan and Stacey leave us with a number of great practical strategies you won’t want to miss.

Creating Inclusive Cultures; Expanding influence and disrupting bias with Claire Cowan

So, you’ve been learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and you want to contribute to building an inclusive culture in your community or at work, but how do we make that desire actionable? How can each of us work within, and grow our “sphere of influence” to build an inclusive culture?   This week, Erin and Hannah share a conversation where we discuss these important questions with Claire Cowan, entrepreneur and facilitator in the seed industry. We also discuss her workshop, Creating Inclusive Cultures, created specifically for the agriculture sector, that allows participants to build pragmatic and specific skills in these areas, and to practice those skills, like disrupting bias. Claire also shares some excellent tips on what to do if you’re on the receiving end of some tough feedback about your own actions.

Pass The Mic with The Do More Agriculture Foundation, Mental Health Week

For Mental Health Week, we’re passing the mic to The Do More Agriculture Foundation for a candid conversation on mental health and inclusion. The Do More Agriculture Foundation (DMAF) is the national voice and champion for mental health in Canadian agriculture.  Megz Reynolds and Himadry Singh of DMAF in conversation with Amy Vanderheide, farmer from Nova Scotia and Stuart Chutter, farmer from Saskatchewan, discuss and share their perspectives on important topics such as the power of language to build community and overcome mental health stigma, the importance of representation, understanding our own mental health to help others, and so much more!

4 ways to lead more Inclusively with Dr. Melissa Horne from Dialectic

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Diversity Imperative! Erin Gowriluk and Hannah Konschuh are back with a focus on practical leadership strategies we can all implement in our daily lives when it comes to building inclusive cultures. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Melissa Horne, Director of Client Experience at Dialectic, about 4 ways we can lead more inclusively and the core concepts that drive inclusive leadership. Thanks to our sponsor, Syngenta, for their continued support.

Food for thought and tough decisions with Ryan Goodman aka Beef Runner

Welcome to the last episode of the Summer Series where we sit down with agriculture advocate and cattle rancher, Ryan Goodman aka “Beef Runner” to talk about the personal experiences that he has posted on his blog “Food for Thought.” This candid conversation explores some of the difficult decisions that Ryan had to make when he realized that his personal values did not align with those of his employer. We also talk about his continued advocacy and leadership as he works to ensure that the sector he loves can reap the benefits that come from a more open and inclusive culture. Resources mentioned in this episode: Ryan’s Blog, “Food for Thought” https://beefrunner.com/category/food-for-thought/ [https://beefrunner.com/category/food-for-thought/]