Guiding Organizational Change
How do you achieve a truly inclusive workplace? One that sees diversity at every level within the institution...where the many cultures, traditions, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles that are prevalent in both the workforce as well as in consumer populations are respected without judgment? In today’s highly diverse organizations, the ability to work with people having varied values and cultures is extremely important...and simply hiring people of different races and hanging a training certificate on your wall isn’t going to get you there.
The Guiding Organizational Changes Initiative, led by Dr. Gary Lyon and Kim Hopkins, LICSW, is a Centerboard program dedicated to helping organizations enhance their cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and overall organizational leadership. With decades of combined experience in nonprofit leadership, cultural assessments, DEI programming, and organizational strategy, our initiative provides tailored solutions to support organizations in fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces.
Why Centerboard?
11 years of participating in DEI awareness and training within the organization via outside consultants trained in the VISIONS model
11 years of experience in the implementation of DEI work within a nonprofit organization
We use storytelling as a road map
Trained in Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model; International CPS Trainer on staff
Certified trainer in the VISIONS, Inc. model of DEI on staff
Staff that serve on the Providers’ Council’s Race, Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Success in making effective change within an organization, for example, improving the retention and promotion of people of color by
Utilizing a multicultural lens when revising policies, such as our dress code and drug/alcohol use policy
Strengthening employee support procedures and turning to the cooperative process when an issue arises
The Guiding Organizational Changes Initiative is committed to driving meaningful change by equipping organizations with the knowledge, tools, and strategies necessary to build inclusive and high-performing workplaces. Whether through cultural assessments, DEI programming, leadership training, or project management consultation, we provide customized solutions that align with each organization’s mission and goals
What we offer.
Ready to do more than hang a certificate of training on your wall? Ready to roll up your sleeves and dive in? Great! Our work with you is based on the understanding that we all must first build awareness of unconscious beliefs, assumptions, and behaviors…and then the stage is set for a conscious and lasting shift in those behaviors without shame or blame.
What you won’t get from us: shame, blame, guilt, confrontation.
What you will get from us:
Practice applying evidenced-based tools for doing real DEI work as it relates to situations you are encountering
The knowledge to have courageous, necessary conversations about differences
Setting the stage for all to speak their truth
The support and constructive feedback to keep on keepin’ on when the work gets messy
The development of internal capacity to put new knowledge and insights into practice on a daily basis organization-wide
Sharing of resources, including two slots for your staff to attend Centerboard’s DEI orientation
Consulting Areas and Objectives
1. Cultural Assessments
Our cultural assessment services help organizations evaluate their workplace culture, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and develop actionable strategies for fostering inclusivity and belonging.
2. DEI Programming & Training
Our DEI programs are designed to foster awareness, education, and skill-building in areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These interactive training sessions help organizations build a culture of belonging and equip leaders with the tools to address systemic challenges.
3. Organizational Leadership Training
Our leadership training programs focus on developing inclusive, effective, and culturally competent leaders. We provide strategies for strengthening leadership capacity, enhancing decision-making, and promoting workplace equity.
4. Project Management Consultation
We provide project management consulting to help organizations streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and execute DEI-focused initiatives with measurable impact.
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Identify what is working well and what needs improvement in diversity, inclusion, and cultural belonging within the organization.
Gather insights and recommendations from a cross-section of employees to improve DEI efforts.
Capture perspectives from different departments, working groups, and demographic groups to ensure diverse voices are heard.
Develop a comprehensive report summarizing findings and providing strategic recommendations to leadership.
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Increase awareness of implicit biases and their impact on workplace culture.
Support leaders in fostering an inclusive and psychologically safe work environment.
Introduce multicultural tools and skills to address oppression at all levels of the organization.
Deepen self-awareness as cultural beings and develop a shared language for engaging in DEI discussions.
Strengthen skills in applying multicultural strategies for sustainable organizational change.
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Equip leaders with tools to drive inclusive and equitable change.
Foster a leadership culture that values diverse perspectives and experiences.
Provide frameworks for inclusive decision-making and conflict resolution.
Strengthen team dynamics through effective communication and collaboration strategies.
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Develop strategies for successfully implementing multicultural tools within organizational processes.
Strengthen skills in applying anti-oppression frameworks to project management.
Ensure that DEI principles are integrated into strategic planning and execution.
Tower Foundation Partnership
Beginning in June 2022, we are partnering with the Tower Foundation to offer inclusion training to 15 Essex County nonprofits over the next three years! Learn more here.
15 non-profit organizations received organizational DEI assessments with recommendations
90 instructional hours
95% of participants rated the work as valuable or extremely valuable
Several of these orgs have stayed in touch as they create their DEI strategic plans and seek to educate their colleagues about DEI tools
Gary Lyon, Ed.D.
Gary Lyon, Ed.D. joined Centerboard in 2013. Native to North Carolina, Gary brings his southern charm along with nearly 20 years of nonprofit managerial experience to Centerboard. As Director of Youth Services & Special Initiatives, Gary is responsible for the overall operations of Youth Services at Centerboard with the support of his leadership team. In 2020, Gary obtained his doctorate in education specializing in organizational management. He completed his dissertation on social identity and fostering inclusion in the workplace. Gary spearheads Centerboard’s diversity, equity and inclusion work, overseeing and implementing strategies to support continuous quality improvement for the organization. Gary is also a consultant at VISIONS, Inc. where he teaches and trains core concepts around culture and identity with VISIONS’s tools and guidelines to assist others in embracing, utilizing, and understanding differences.
Kim Hopkins, LICSW.
Kim Hopkins, LICSW, is the Director of Innovation & Planning for Centerboard. She has more than 20 years of experience working with youth and families in a variety of settings including residential programs, foster homes, special education day schools, public schools, and outpatient clinics. Kim has been a Collaborative & Proactive Solutions trainer with Lives in the Balance since 2007, and has brought her expertise to Centerboard. Kim brings ten years of experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She also has a Certificate in Professional Fundraising and is involved with our quality assurance, program development, and grant writing initiatives.
Contact us.
For a free phone consultation contact Kim Hopkins, LICSW, Director of Innovation & Planning, by phone or fill out the form below:
(339) 883-1388
16 City Hall Square
Lynn, MA 01901