PGE Consulting Group is unique in providing the much-needed hybrid of professional development training through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This is a critical innovation, allowing general programming for leadership, management, and staff to incorporate inclusive terms, strategies, best practices, and resources that better support all employees and leaders to generate impactful change.
PGE Consulting Group’s programming is distinct and effective not only because of the unique qualifications that CEO and lead educator Paula Edgar brings to these areas, but also because our methodology employs a bespoke approach for each client.
We incorporate assessment tools when working with clients to ensure that our customized programming and interventions will be relevant and engaging to attendees, allowing them to feel uniquely heard and ready to take actionable steps for lasting impact.
PGE Consulting Group does not use any off the shelf programming, rather we collaborate with our clients to develop the most effective plan to meet their intended outcomes each time.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Professional development is key to assessing and reaching individual and organizational goals. Whether focusing on maximizing potential in a current role or providing the skills and tools to elevate to a new level of competency or leadership, being strategic about talent development is key.
As a skilled presenter, facilitator, and coach Paula creates professional development learning and engagement opportunities to provide practical expertise, inspirational and action focused content to propel current and emerging leaders for greater impact.
After each session, Paula and her team provide curated resources to reinforce learning and to motivate action, so that attendees and participants will continue developing even post engagement.
Some questions to consider are:
Where is the individual and/or organization currently?
What are the immediate and long-term goals?
What is the delta between where we are and where we want to be?
What are the skills, opportunities, techniques, and connections needed to get there?
CLIENTS
SAY…
“Manatt has had the pleasure of welcoming Paula Edgar to lead dynamic firmwide presentations this year. Her sessions were customized and responsive to specific, real-time feedback from our participants and also utilized innovative tools allowing the group to engage in the discussions openly. These virtual presentations have allowed us to meaningfully connect with our professionals—despite their physical locations and working remotely—to further our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as a community.”
CLIENTS
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION SERVICES
There has been an increased focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion training in recent years, given the social unrest regarding race/racism, continued gender inequities and the insufficient support of LGBTQ+ communities.
Many organizations separate the need for professional/talent development (PD) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) education within their programming, processes, and strategic planning. PGE Consulting Group believes that PD and DEI should be prioritized and incorporated into all organizational offerings.
This strategy is effective as it directly addresses the hesitancy to attend “Diversity Trainings” sometimes experienced among employees by marrying it to professional development, which is often sought after.
Additionally, we employ a more focused approach to DEI training, overlaying best practices on coaching and consulting, we create customized presentations on topics including unconscious bias, anti-racism, microaggressions, allyship, and many more.
Questions to consider:
- Why is your organization seeking to engage regarding DEI at this time?
- Do you have a diversity and inclusion plan?
- Do you have an organizational strategic plan?
- Are stakeholders engaged and supportive of DEI focused organizational change (Is there a DEI Committee)?
- Has the organization engaged in diversity training previously?
- How long ago?
- Is the proposed training a part of a DEI plan or a standalone event?
- Has there been an incident related to DEI at your organization that needs to be addressed?
- Have your employees, board, affinity groups, clients, or other stakeholders collaborated to address the organization’s lack of diversity, resistance to accountability or ineffective DEI strategies?
Understanding the often urgent or time-sensitive nature of these issues, we can help you to assess what has occurred and to develop a short-term strategy for responsive action and to engage the appropriate stakeholders to ensure that your next steps will be accountable, impactful (not simply performative or surface level), and are grounded in inclusion.
INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP COACHING AND INTERVENTIONS
Is there a leader or group of top-level leaders in your organization who need neutral external support to help navigate internal conflict around diversity, equity inclusion topics, or to help strategize and have a place of reflection and a thought partner on how to address particular challenges?
Do they need assistance on their allyship journey or reflecting on their privilege to be able to help catalyze others in the organization for impactful change?
Has there been an issue where a leader or influential employee has made a statement or misstep that needs to be addressed? Instead of “training”, do they need the opportunity to engage and understand the impact of their words and actions and to develop a strategy on how to go forward collaboratively with an external expert?
Are you a new or experienced diversity professional who needs external support to strategize about how to navigate internal politics or how to introduce a new initiative or framework?
If the answer to any of the above is yes, then contact Paula (Right Now).
CLIENTS
SAY…
Ropes & Gray LLP
I knew that when it came time for our firm to host its first mandatory unconscious bias training, Paula would be just the person for the job. To start, Paula was so thorough in her preparation for her presentation to the Ropes & Gray community. She took the time to really get to know the firm so that she could meet our firm community where we were in terms of understanding what unconscious bias is and the impact that it can have on our community members.
From conducting an initial climate assessment to meeting with members of the firm’s training and DE&I teams, she covered every base before putting together a program that was tailored to our needs.
What I enjoyed the most about Paula’s style was her ability to interact with and engage a large audience in real time while imparting her wisdom and laying the groundwork for our continued progress in the firm’s DE&I efforts and initiatives. The approach was impactful and emphasized the importance of the work being something that everyone must do.
Building this program with Paula was one of the highlights and bright spots in what has been a difficult and challenging year. Her effervescence and charisma draws people in and she is able to win over even the most skeptical among us. I look forward to our continued working relationship with many more programs in the future.
CLIENTS
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“(The presentation) was great, I felt like she was talking directly to me. The timing of this session was perfect. I am so inspired and wish to share with friends and family!!”
“Thank you for the wonderful presentation Paula. This session has helped me better understand microaggressions and how to be more aware of how to communicate with others. These are great leadership skills for myself and others.”
“Thank you for your time. This presentation was enlightening. I will be going to a colleague and apologizing for making a comment that was not intended to be gaslighting but I am sure she felt that I was minimizing her feelings on a specific issue”
“This was a fantastic learning session. I’m so grateful to work for a company that values this topic and strives to further improve on its culture and environment.”
“Paula was an amazing presenter, honestly nothing but good things to say about her and the quality of the presentation. I plan to attend any other webinar that she hosts with Manatt as I found the content extremely helpful.”
“Paula has a wonderful energy and gave very practical tips that I had not heard before. I already started putting some of her advice into practice. Thank you!”
“Great presenter!!!!! Would love to see this be a yearly exercise!”
“Just saw you at the NALSC conference. It was wonderful – full of great tips and insights. Thank you!”
“I just attended your session at the NALSC Symposium. You were incredible and I have so many takeaways. Gotta go, though…I need to get to 500! Thanks!”
“I enjoyed your presentation with Ice Miller today. You gave me much to work on and think about. I would love to follow you.”
“Hard to make racism engaging, but you did that. Thank you!”
“I really like the way Paula presented difficult info in a streamlined way that was digestible.”
“I learned a lot from this session & would be excited if Paula was to return. As a white woman, I did not fully understand the terms “white privilege” and “systematic racism” but Paula’s presentation gave me a better understanding.”
“I found this presentation to be informative, well-structured, and created space for an open dialogue.”
“This is a sensitive and potentially uncomfortable issue, but I felt this training was outstanding! Thank you!”
“This would be a great workshop! I really got a lot out of it ..and honestly wasn’t really excited about yet another diversity and inclusion webx…we are inundated with them! This one was excellent and really addressed things in a way that everyone could understand.”
“This topic is very interesting. It made me reflect on myself, evaluate my behavior, and be mindful of what or how I communicate with people to not be hurtful.”
“I thought the presentation was fantastic in its pace, real time incorporation of participant content and in the presenter’s frank treatment of difficult content.”
“Thank you for the wonderful presentation Paula. This session has helped me better understand microaggressions and how to be more aware of how to communicate with others. These are great leadership skills for myself and others.” Presentation
“Bravo for making this engaging despite the fact that it was completely virtual.”
“THANK YOU! This was extremely valuable and helpful content and a very good use of the 90 minutes we dedicated to this topic.”
“Thank you for explaining what is often hard to comprehend and acknowledge in the workplace.”
“This presentation should be ‘mandatory’ for all.”
“Speaker was dynamic, direct, enthusiastic and clear. Very appreciative and well done! Thank you.”
“Paula is an excellent presenter and keeps the training moving at a quick pace. She also does a good job of making you really think about the topic. Now that I have thought about it and she has highlighted ways, we are unconsciously ‘thinking’ about.”
“Very good job running the program — and not an easy group. Extremely impressed with how you politely but firmly stayed in control and did not let others hijack the meeting. Thank you!”