2009-2010 Deputy Director for Management (DDM) Seminar Series

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On behalf of Colleen Barros, Deputy Director for Management (DDM), the NIH Training Center is pleased to announce the second seminar of the 2009 - 2010 DDM Seminar Series featuring Steve Robbins. He will address the NIH community in a presentation on organizational success strategies entitled “Diversity and Inclusion 2.0: A 21st Century Approach.” A powerful storyteller with a powerful story to tell, Dr. Steve L. Robbins has an unmatched ability to inspire people even in the midst of disrupting and challenging the way they think about the world. Born in Vietnam, Dr. Robbins immigrated to the United States when he was five years old. He and his mother faced many challenges as Vietnamese immigrants in a new land, during a time when there was much anti-war and anti-Vietnamese sentiment. Working through and rising out of the challenges of poverty, discrimination and the tough streets of Los Angeles, Dr. Robbins now brings insightful perspectives on issues of diversity, inclusion, and the power of caring. Drawing upon a compelling life journey, his talks and workshops are filled with intriguing stories, laugh-out-loud humor and a keen understanding of the human condition.

During his presentation, Steve Robbins will discuss “Unintentional Intolerance” which refers to the manner in which nice, well-meaning people (and organizations) go about potentially excluding others and their ideas, even when they want to include them. Research and experience reveals that we all have unconscious biases. These biases influence our decision-making, behaviors and attributions of others on a daily basis. Could we be making "bad" decisions and engaging in exclusive behavior without knowing? Could we being throwing away creative ideas and the next big innovation? The answer is, "Yes." Dr. Robbins explores the "how’s" and "why’s" surrounding unintentional intolerance in this interactive, humorous and eye-opening presentation, and also gives the antidote for such behavior.

Topics Include:

Culture: Lenses and Filters for Interpreting the World
Social Justice and Creativity/Innovation frameworks for diversity & inclusion
The “Efficiency Principle” and closed-mindedness
Cognitive Dissonance and how we respond to inconsistencies
Mindfulness + Knowledge: The antidote for Unintentional Intolerance
The power of “What if?” to spur open-mindedness and inclusion

The DDM Seminar Series is open to all NIH employees and there is no need to pre-register for the event. Participation will be recorded in the HHS Learning Management System (LMS) for those that sign-in and attend.