Samantha Schak
Senior Project Manager, Handsome
Y’all Means All: Diversity & Inclusion in Project Management
This session will open up the conversation around design thinking and project management for D&I application. I will go over how to lay the groundwork for diversity and inclusion initiatives on an individual and systemic level within a company. We will cover the benefits to D&I programs, what it can look like, and tools you can take with you and start using tomorrow to create a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone.
The session will be broken up into four parts:
1) Warm-Up: We’ll get warm for the workshop and give fellow PMs improv exercises they can easily take back to their teams for work sessions, kick-offs, client meetings, etc. Improv can be the gateway to helping us confront the shame by strengthening up our vulnerability muscles.
2) D&I Meets Project Management: No one can really do the job they showed up to do if they don’t feel safe. What does this look like? We’ll take a look at how to some self-reflection exercises and how you can get internal buy-in for inclusive initiatives.
3) Empathetic Confrontation: Now that we have some tools for identifying gaps in our safe spaces, how can we start to bring these up to match the intention vs the impact of all parties involved? We’ll walk through a three-step confrontation structure and practice in small groups.
4) Q&A and Discussion: If your team’s culture is already focused on this, what’s going well? What questions do you have?
Join us in creating more empathy-driven project managers!
About Samantha
I am a project manager by title, party planner at heart. For the past two years, I’ve been growing at Handsome, a holistic design agency in Austin, TX, where I’ve been able to create a diversity & inclusion pilot program. The initiatives outline how we can create safer spaces at Handsome, for our clients, and for the people who interact with our digital experiences to drive innovation and delight. Outside of work I have a few passion projects. I am co-creator of “But, Have You Considered Therapy?” podcast. The mission of the podcast is to make therapy more accessible and normalize the process of seeking professional help. I am also an improv teacher and performer; I helped start improv classes for youth on the Autism spectrum called “Building Connections” at the Hideout Theater here in Austin.
My Sessions
Y’all Means All: Diversity & Inclusion in Project Management
This interactive workshop will open up the conversation around design thinking and project management for D&I application. I will go over how to lay the groundwork for diversity and inclusion initiatives on an individual and systemic level within a company. We will cover the benefits to D&I programs, what it can look like, and tools […]