Description and objectives
Has it ever happened to you that you witnessed a situation where somebody got treated unfairly and you felt bad because you did not know how to react? Or did a female or minority colleague of yours complain about being discriminated and you did not know how to support them?

In this workshop participants will explore how they can stop being passive bystanders and become active upstanders and allies in situations where others are confronted with discrimination, sexism and bias. In this workshop participants will learn that they can have a positive impact in challenging situations and leave with a toolbox of smart intervention strategies. Knowing how to speak-up for others will also help you to learn to speak up for yourself with courage and confidence.

The workshop will focus on three elements:
• Awareness: How to recognize (subtle) discrimination and understand why it is harmful not just for the targets, but the entire team or organization.
• Obstacles: Why is speaking up difficult.
• Skills: How to listen, learn and engage towards positive change of behavior without creating aggression and defensiveness.

Approach
This workshop is highly interactive. We will play a simulations game to kick off an open discussion on participants’ own experiences. They will learn from each other and get introduced to various techniques like centering or active listening, that will help them to become fearless and skillful allies for a more human workplace of dignity, equality and innovation.