Dima Ghawi
Bio
Dima is an award-winning author and a three-time TEDx Speaker. Through keynote speeches, workshops, training programs, and executive coaching, she has honed a keen expertise in developing leaders to meet the demands of the global workforce.
Stories (77/0)
GROWing Better Body Language
The scoff. The eye roll. The exasperated sigh. The furrowed brows. The shrug. We’ve all seen examples of disrespectful, dismissive, and outright rude body language in the workplace, and I doubt it’s an exaggeration to say that we all wish this body language was far less frequent among some of our employers and employees!
By Dima Ghawi13 days ago in Journal
Advancing Diversity Even With Texas's DEI Ban
In early 2024, Texas’s DEI ban went into effect, and many individuals, organizations, and institutions didn’t know how to react. Personally, I found this news to be anxiety-inducing—laws are intimidating, and seeking to understand their nuances is even more so! But as citizens, it is crucial that we refuse to bow down to fear-mongering, instead remaining informed about the legislation passed in our country. So let’s take the first step together!
By Dima Ghawi17 days ago in The Swamp
Let's Create a Culture of Courage
While I have spoken extensively about the importance of companies supporting DEI in the present, workforces will continue to evolve as the future arrives. In turn, we must incorporate a focus on making our work cultures more courageous. If we don’t have this emphasis, we’ll lose out on the innovation of the younger generation, and that’s a situation no organization wants to be in!
By Dima Ghawiabout a month ago in Journal
Four Tips for Being Inclusive Towards Individuals With Disabilities
Disability inclusion is becoming ever more common in today’s workplaces, a reality to the benefit of both people with disabilities and the rest of society! One key way all of us can advance our inclusion journey is thus educating ourselves on microaggressions faced by people with disabilities. In this blog, I will be discussing some of the most common behavioral microaggressions that people with disabilities too often have to deal with on a daily basis.
By Dima Ghawi2 months ago in Pride
Four Tips for Fostering a Culture of Courage at Work
Workplaces are driven by innovation. Innovation necessitates change. Yet so many of us find ourselves tied up in fear at the prospect of taking the risks required to propel change! After all, people are wired for survival. The consequence of this aversion to risk is that in organizations across industries, the dominant culture is the implicit insistence to play it safe, where we are “more afraid of potential losses than excited about potential gains.” So how can organizations challenge this mindset? How can we ensure our employees “feel psychologically safe at work” and are empowered to make innovative suggestions and pursue bold risks?
By Dima Ghawi3 months ago in Journal
Re-Branding DEI to "A Culture of Kindness"
DEI. Diversity, equity, and inclusion. For some, these words cause immense resistance, striking discomfort, fear, and even anger into them! How can we implement DEI and avoid this knee-jerk reaction of resistance? After all, many people—even if they oppose DEI as a project—are not opposed to DEI’s core idea: kindness. So, what can we do with this information?
By Dima Ghawi12 months ago in Pride
Call Me Woke — I Call DEI Good Business
2023 has seen an extreme amount resistance to DEI, and many companies that are supporting DEI are facing backlash for their advertisements and products. Chick-fil-A, too, recently faced negative backlash simply for having a DEI page on their website, with people accusing them of “going woke” and demanding boycotts. One person even suggested DEI was antithetical to Chick-fil-A’s Christian values.
By Dima Ghawi12 months ago in Journal
Three Tips for Applying Sales Strategies for DEI Advocacy
In my work as a DEI consultant, I have witnessed other DEI coaches and trainers stand at the front of a room full of white men and begin their presentation by discussing racial privilege. Don’t get me wrong—white privilege is real and important to acknowledge during any in-depth discussion of DEI! However, to start a discussion about DEI using white privilege risks losing this group in the first breath, leaving everyone unsatisfied. At the end of the day, we want to sell the concept of DEI, winning not just the minds but also the hearts of individuals! And what better way to achieve this goal than by importing a few sales tactics into our DEI regimens?
By Dima Ghawi12 months ago in Journal
Six Areas of Focus for Beginning Your Organization's DEI Journey
In my work as a DEI consultant, I have witnessed a range of organizations express a desire to begin the DEI journey and make their workplaces more inclusive to all. The first problem that presents itself is simple: where to start?
By Dima Ghawiabout a year ago in Journal