Unlock the Power of Thriving: BWT Toolkits

Women of color face unique challenges, from limited access to influential networks to underrepresentation in leadership—challenges that can be addressed with a strong sponsorship program.

Black women face biases that encourage them to conform to office culture at the expense of their own authenticity.

Both roles rely on trust and transparency to foster a beneficial relationship.

Developing a sponsorship charter is a strategic step in outlining the mission, aspirations, and importance of the program.

Securing the commitment of senior leaders and key stakeholders who are willing to back this program is critical in driving the success of the sponsorship program.

To ensure the success of a Women of Color Sponsorship Program, a clear structure is key for clarity and accountability.

These criteria should align with the program’s objectives ensuring that proteges can contribute to and benefit from the sponsorship experience.

For Black women, the idea of "bringing your authentic self to work" is often fraught with challenges.

Recognizing biases is the first step toward reducing them.

Because whiteness is seen as the default, Black women are often asked or expected to conform to those standards.

Different standards for how Black women show up in the workplace prevent true belonging.

Leading the way for change can be challenging, but ultimately improves the entire organization.

Helping Black women thrive means understanding the impact long-term stressors have on mental and physical health.

What is weathering and how does it affect thriving in the workplace?

What is the effect of weathering on Black women?

Health disparities have an outsized impact on Black women that needs to be considered in equity work.

Introduce your lesson with an optional, short summary. You can edit this excerpt in lesson settings.

Introduce your lesson with an optional, short summary. You can edit this excerpt in lesson settings.

Rest is essential to a thriving workplace. Taking the lead in promoting rest policies shows you value the well-being of your employees.

What rest practices can you implement in your organization?

Proactive rest policies are an investment in employee well-being that benefits the entire company.

Having a solid plan for change, starting from the top, is essential to creating a thriving workplace.

Trust, connectedness, and inclusion of colleagues and managers is a prerequisite for workplace thriving.

Evaluating the alignment of actions and words of leadership and colleagues.

Assessing the openness of decision processes and communication.

Understanding the integration and respect for diverse perspectives.

Probing perceptions of equity in career advancement and reward distribution.

Examining the comfort level in expressing ideas and the effectiveness of feedback systems.

Balancing autonomy with responsibility in the organizational structure.

Black women face a pay gap that stems from both race and gender,  compounding the effects of both.

A practical guide to addressing intersectional pay gaps.

Equity is the guiding principle.

Pay transparency creates trust and prevents bias.

Standardized processes ensure no one is left behind.

If Black women are absent, ask yourself why.

Who are policies written for, and are Black women part of the conversation?

Understanding how intersectionality affects compensation gets more policy buy-in.

Taking an intersectional approach to pay equity is essential for closing the wage gap for Black women.

Increased workplace satisfaction leads to better performance and retention.

Creating a peer mentorship program is an important step in fostering a thriving workforce, but it can be overwhelming to implement. This tool is here to guide and support your effort.

Finding those who would thrive in a mentoring program

Identifying compatible pairings for success

Preparing mentors to support their mentees

Creating guidelines that give clear direction

Set your program up for success

Regular check ins prevent issues down the line

Share your program’s success

When companies take the time to support and cultivate a strong, equitable promotion track they benefit from promoting from within. 

The four phases of creating a values aligned promotion process.

Review and reflect on your core values and how they are put into practice.

Develop the metrics needed to assess employee performance and train against biases.

Transparency, support, and diversity in leadership is essential.

Setting the bar for ongoing review and improvement.

When companies take the time to support and cultivate a strong, equitable promotion track they benefit from promoting from within. 

Defining goals and assessing talent needs.

Equity and fairness in evaluating and identifying potential leaders.

Aligning with HR and development of training.