Al Smith shares BPG Involvement in Toyota’s Texas Transition

Written by Michael Colley

More in Best Practices:

CDOs on the Run: Why 2021 Has Been a Tough Year in DEI November 8, 2021
Praxis Labs’ Elise Smith on the Role of VR in DEI Training and Education November 4, 2021
Webinar Recap: Executive Diversity Council Best Practices October 25, 2021
From Recruitment to Scheduling: How to Ensure Your Stores Look Like the Community They Serve October 20, 2021

Al Smith is Toyota’s Group Vice President and Chief Social Innovation Officer. With his experience, he shares the improvements Business Productivity Groups (BPGs) make in the industry. During Toyota’s move to Texas, it retained many of its members. There was concern regarding the political and racial climate in Texas. Many of the employees of color were worried about their integration. Smith shares his thoughts and how Toyota’s employees handled the transition. BPG involvement smoothed the transition and made it much easier for integration for people of color.

Latest Best Practices

A black woman sits in front of a laptop taking notes and listening to headphones.

Government and Companies Take Aim at the Digital Divide

Awareness Workforce January 20, 2022 / by David Rice

At the beginning of the pandemic, as companies sent their workforces home to work remotely at the same time children and their schoolteachers began conducting classes online, one thing became clear: technology is not yet…

Webinar Recap: 2022 Top 50 Competition Survey Prep Webinar (Part 2)

Top 50 Webinars Webinar Recap January 19, 2022 / by David Rice

Where do your company’s diversity and inclusion efforts rank? How well is your D&I program working out? Are you creating the level of change you want — and expect — or does your organization have…

A picture of an LGBTQ+ allies flag representing an image of allyship.

Beyond the Crisis: Making Allyship a Lifelong Journey

2021 Women of Color and their Allies Event Recap Allyship January 18, 2022 / by Danielle Hess

Crises such as the murder of George Floyd by police in Minnesota and the rise of Asian hate crimes over the past two years have led companies to increase Black allyship, Asian allyship and the…

The Growing Importance of Neurodiversity in the New Era of Work

DIBP Diversity & Inclusion Talent Management Workforce January 13, 2022 / by David Rice

As we talk about diversity in 2022, neurodiversity and the different ways people process information must become central to every organization’s DEI strategy. More research into learning disabilities such as ADD, ADHD, dyscalculia or dyslexia…

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day graphic

Human Trafficking: Raising Awareness Around Modern-Day Slavery

DIBP January 11, 2022 / by Danielle Hess

In 2019, the Polaris Project, operator of the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, documented 11,500 cases of reported human trafficking, a 20% increase over the previous year and likely only a fraction of the number…

A visually impaired Black man walks away from a meeting.

The Importance of Self-Description in Meetings for Employees with Impaired Vision

DIBP Diversity & Inclusion Top Best Practices January 10, 2022 / by David Rice

As companies target more inclusive workplace practices, their focus must be on everyday interactions across all employee groups. Among those to consider are individuals with visual impairment. For this population, something like a town hall…

Overhead view of humans gathering in a shape of two people coming together.

Book Preview: ‘Reigniting the Human Connection – A Pathway to Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity’

DIBP Research January 7, 2022 / by David Rice

Healthcare has long had its issues with equity when it comes to the quality of care and how it delivers care outcomes to patients from diverse backgrounds. In the early 2000s, the National Institutes of…

Diverse group of people having a group discussion.

Ensuring DEI Conversations Aren’t One-Sided in 2022

DIBP January 5, 2022 / by David Rice

The last two years have been full of talk about how companies have become “comfortable with being uncomfortable” around discussions on social issues that are often the source of division and animosity across various groups….

Allyship word cloud

Overcoming the Cognitive Barriers to Allyship

Allyship December 20, 2021 / by David Rice

Allyship has been a buzzword since the summer of 2020, and we don’t expect it to go anywhere in 2022. More people than ever have expressed intentions in becoming an ally at a time when…

Diverse group of people seen from above forming the shape of an upward trend arrow.

Diversity Trends To Look Out for in 2022

Diversity & Inclusion Recruiting Workforce December 16, 2021 / by David Rice

With each passing year, the landscape in the world of diversity, equity and inclusion evolves. There are landmark years like 2020 and years of struggle like 2021. Whichever way 2022 moves will largely be determined…