Event Details At A Glance
- ⏰ Time: 9AM – 11AM PT, 10AM – 12PM MT, 11AM – 1PM CT, 12PM – 2PM ET
- 🎯 Title: NWDLS Workshop #2: Working with Polarizing Tensions: Practicing Inclusion with Compassion and Care
- ✍️ Register: https://i4sdi.org/registration-2026/
- 📅 Date: May 14, 2026
- 🎤 Presenter: Bernardo Ferdman
- 📚 Series: Navigating Workplace Uncertainties: Let’s Recommit to Practicing Inclusion to Foster Safety, Belonging & Healthy Relationships
Polarizing tensions in our society don’t stop at the door of your workplace. Indeed, they just walk in the door and can make inclusion difficult.
“Inclusion work has always involved navigating tension,” says presenter, Bernardo Ferdman. “What is different now is that those tensions are more visible, more contested, and more consequential.”
So this raises two challenging questions:
- How do you lead with compassion, care and accountability when differences feel polarized or personal?
- What small, everyday actions make people feel they belong, or quietly push them away?
Save Your Spot: Join in this critically important learning opportunity with Bernardo Ferdman, editor of Diversity at Work: The Practice of Inclusion (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2014), and author of the recent blog post, “Staying the Course: Navigating the Tensions of Inclusion in a Time of Pushback” (The Inclusion Solution Blog, April 2, 2026).
Our presenter, Bernardo Ferdman is widely recognized for his work on inclusive leadership and for framing inclusion as a practice, because he is the one that conceived of it that way. A “practice” is something that you continually do and improve. It must be developed in every situation and practiced every day. And no one can just say you’re “included.” Each individual is the one who determines whether they are included. Each individual is the one who points to the behaviors, the structure & policies, and the communications in the context that makes them feel included, or not.
You’ll discover what it takes to practice inclusion with intention, skill, and care when it matters most. You’ll learn how to practice inclusion in real time, especially when conversations feel difficult or charged. You will learn not only practical ways to navigate tension, but how to strengthen connection and trust. And in the process, you’ll have ample opportunities to dialogue with your fellow participants about how to do this!
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, you will:
- Recognize and name key tensions that arise in polarized conversations
- Use simple practices to stay engaged with others across differences
- Learn how to respond with compassion and care while addressing difficult issues directly
- Apply an inclusion lens at multiple levels, from individual interactions to group dynamics
- Take specific actions to foster more inclusive and constructive dialogue in your workplace
Reserve your spot and join us in this important conversation.
We can’t wait to see you at the next workshop.
Until then, please share this post with anyone you think would be interested.
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