By Carla Ferreira Rodrigues, Director Human Resources, Olivia Thedorf, Human Resources Advisor and Coco Doré, Senior Advisor, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization
Since June 2022, Human Resources Director Carla Ferreira Rodrigues, Human Resource Advisor Olivia Thedorf, and EDII Senior Advisor Coco Doré, worked collaboratively on an Indigenization – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (I-EDIAA) human resource initiative:
Phase 1: To perform a thorough review of the Office of Advancement talent management infrastructure, including protocols, processes, and systems used by applicants, employees, and leaders, to identify areas that may be creating systemic barriers and/or undermining a culture of equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Phase 2: To develop and implement a framework that engages and supports applicants of diverse backgrounds, employees, and leaders in Queen’s Advancement. This work must be rooted in the long-term goal of a collective sense of belonging and bolster the existing high- performing Advancement culture.
We want to thank the Advancement Leadership Team (ALT) for their continued support and commitment to I-EDIAA in Advancement.
Our work was divided into four key human resource pillars and subsequent themes that represent the employee life cycle:
• Recruitment & Selection (including Bias, Hiring Panel & Manager Support, Challenging Conversations …)
• Onboarding (including Technology, Training, Probationary Period…)
• Retention & Promotion (including DiSC, Talent Review, Staff Recognition…)
• Turnover (including Analytics, Exit Interviews, Offboarding Process…)
In early December 2022, ALT reviewed all the recommendations offered. While not all recommendations will be moving forward, we are optimistic about the impact this work will have on current and future staff in the office of Advancement at Queen’s. In the coming months, we will create a multi-year project plan to implement the approved recommendations and proactively foster a collective sense of equity and belonging. The project plan, including actions proposed for 2023/24, will come forward as part of the planning process launching in March.
If you are interested in learning more about what was presented to ALT in terms of the positive strides, areas of concern, and recommendations, please refer to the PowerPoint presentations found on the I:Drive (ADV Common\2020-2025 Advancement\I-EDIAA\2022-2023).
I-EDIAA and DiSC
By Deanna Bennett, Executive Director, Office of the Vice Principal (Advancement) and Coco Doré Senior Advisor, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization
The Indigenization – Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility (I-EDIAA) human resource initiative slides contain information about Everything DiSC. For those who are unaware, DiSC is a tool that is used universitywide for initiatives such as leadership training, team building, and interpersonal development.
Coco conducted historical research into the psychologist who first proposed the DiSC model of behaviour in 1928 and offered a linguistic assessment of his original labels: Dominance (D), Inducement (I), Submission (S), and Compliance (C) (and their impacts), and analyzed the questions used in the tool; as a result, many things came to light that do not align with our values around I-EDIAA.
More details can be found in the slides of Pillar 3. Note: This information may be difficult to read and process, so please keep this in mind when deciding when to read the above analysis and in discussions with others.
After delivering findings to ALT, Coco consulted with the Human Rights and Equity Office (HREO). A meeting has been scheduled with Central HR, HREO and Advancement HR to continue unpacking our connections to this tool, as well as the potential harm perpetuated.
As a result of this ongoing work, we in Advancement are pausing the use of the tool until further notice. It is imperative that we get this right. This work will take time and we will continue to update you as it unfolds.
Congratulations to our gift planning team
Congrats to our gift planning team who will be presenting at the Canadian Association of Gift Planners on Apr. 19-21. Associate Director, Gift Planning Carmen Vanderlinde and Senior Estates and Trust Officer Christina Parfitt will present Looking After Legacies, a presentation on how as donors become savvier in their ways of giving, charities are learning how to administer complex gift structures. Honouring donor intentions is an essential component of our ethical duty as gift planners and estate gift administrators. Occasionally, we may find ourselves at a crossroads navigating the competing needs of the charity and the estate trustees while ensuring the donor’s legacy intentions are fulfilled. Finding the way forward is not always obvious.
Please give them a fist-bump or a note of kudos when you see them next.
Ask the ALT
This is a friendly reminder that the next Advancement Leadership Team (ALT) Q&A session will be at 11 am ET on Thursday, Feb. 23.
For those who are new to Queen’s Advancement, the rules for these open Q&A sessions are as follows: attendance is optional; anyone can ask any member of the ALT any question on any topic; and there will be no pre-set agendas so the Q&A session will last as long as attendees have questions (the optional Zoom meeting already in your calendar is booked for up to 55 minutes). Please come prepared with the questions you would like to personally pose to ALT.
We understand that some people may not be comfortable asking questions in front of a group. If you would prefer to submit your question(s) via an anonymous survey, we are happy to provide that option. Peggy Shanks will manage these anonymous questions, submitters will not be identified to Peggy through the survey, and she will ask the questions on your behalf at the ALT Q&A.
The option to personally pose your question(s) at the meeting still exists.
Please consider questions you would like the ALT to answer and either submit them via the anonymous survey by 4 pm on Feb. 21 or come prepared to ask them Feb. 23. Members of the ALT look forward to the discussion, and we will do our best to answer your questions.
Black Histories and Futures Month
Organized by the Human Rights and Equity Office at Queen’s University and Kingston Community Partners, staff are invited to explore events taking place throughout the month of February for Black Histories and Futures Month, which celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians who, throughout history, have done so much to make Canada the culturally diverse, compassionate, and prosperous nation is it today.
Visit the live calendar for updates and new event information as it is posted.
Employee spotlight
The Employee Spotlight celebrates the arrival of our new and existing staff by profiling responses they share through a fun and informal survey that will help us get to know them better. Be sure to review these profiles and use these fun facts and tidbits to find commonalities, embrace differences, and spark a conversation.
This week, we introduce Julie Bertoia, in the position of Relationship Manager, Leadership Giving, Smith. Learn more about Julie and her favourite travel destination.
Jobs with Advancement
There are no job postings to announce this week.