Description: Explore the importance of belonging in the DEI movement in this 30 minute THRIVE podcast episode. Discover how it empowers individuals, amplifies voices, and enhances well-being in our diverse world. Perfect for anyone seeking insights into creating a more inclusive and equitable society. Resources: DEI Conference - 10/18/23  Belonging in the Workplace: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter?  Belonging: The Cornerstone of the Human Experience at Work  Belonging Drivers & Elements  DEI Resources for Employers  MRA Membership  About MRA  Let's Connect: Guest Bio - Denise Jamison  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Denise Jamison  Guest Bio - Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry  Guest LinkedIn Profile - Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry  Host Bio - Sophie Boler  Host LinkedIn Profile - Sophie Boler  Transcript: Transcripts are computer generated -- not 100% accurate word-for-word. 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:21:03UnknownHello everybody and welcome to 30 minute Thrive, your go to podcast for anything and everything HR, powered by MRA, the Management Association. Looking to stay on top of the ever changing world of HR? MRA has got you covered. We'll be the first to tell you what's hot and what's not. I'm your host, Sophie Boler, and we are so glad you're here. 00:00:21:05 - 00:00:43:19UnknownNow it's time to thrive. All right. Well, hello, everybody, and thanks for joining us today. I'm here with and really excited to introduce to you Denise Jamison and Cheryl Lucas-DeBerry. They're both learning and development instructors here at MRA and come with a lot of great insight and expertise today on our topic. So, Denise, welcome to the show. 00:00:43:20 - 00:01:23:10UnknownI know you've never been on the podcast. And Cheryl, welcome back. Thank you. Well, these two both come with 20 plus years of experience. And Denise specifically comes with experience in presenting and facilitating really large groups around diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and implementation. And Cheryl's experience includes the development of programs and leadership, customer service and diversity. And I know that you guys do a lot more than just this, but I'm just kind of highlighting your expertise and our topic for today. 00:01:23:12 - 00:01:43:11UnknownSo I know you both are really passionate about DEI and have led a lot of successful DEI plans and initiatives. So today we're really going to be focusing on how to bring belonging a part of the DEI mix. But before we do that, I just want to kind of start out by defining what DEI truly means in the workplace. 00:01:43:11 - 00:02:13:07UnknownSo Cheryl, do you want to kick us off and kind of explain what you think DEI means when we're talking about bringing it into the workplace? Yeah, absolutely. And I. Sophie, it's great to be here, and I am. This is a topic I'm very excited about, especially including the, the piece on belonging. But just to kind of level set as diversity is kind of the multiple identities that are represented within an organization. 00:02:13:09 - 00:02:44:16UnknownInclusion is those thoughts and ideas and perspectives that each individual kind of brings to the workplace and things that actually matter for that individual. And then equity is constantly and consistently recognizing and kind of redistributing power and thinking about the whole equity piece. Equity does not mean necessarily equal. And sometimes we get a little bit confused on that. 00:02:44:20 - 00:03:11:20UnknownIt doesn't mean that we're treating everybody equally. We're giving people what they need in in the workplace. And so those are some things just to be consciously aware of. That's a great point, Cheryl. And we're seeing more of the DEI, B acronym now with belonging included in the mix. So what is belonging truly mean? I know you touched on this briefly, but you expand on that. 00:03:11:22 - 00:03:50:07UnknownYeah, I think the learning is really helping individuals bring their whole authentic selves to the workplace. And so whatev