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March 5, 2021 By cs

Inclusive leadership in a digital-first workplace

The rapid transition to remote work – especially during a global pandemic – wasn’t easy.

Over the past year, organizations across all industries have shown immense resilience, successfully pivoting their workflows and workforce into a digital-first environment.

While this digital transformation was critical for growth and stability, it also created challenges and opportunities for making remote work more diverse and inclusive.

From embracing new and unfamiliar technologies to balancing job responsibilities while caring for children, elders, or relatives, this new virtual world has impacted generations, genders, and ethnic groups in different – and often inequitable – ways.

While organizations must take the initial step to continue to strengthen their diversity and build inclusive cultures, research has found that a leader’s behavior has a direct link to an employee’s experience of inclusion.

Effective and inclusive leadership in a virtual workplace takes self-awareness, vulnerability, empathy, and often – agility. When these leadership skills and behaviors are applied effectively, inclusive teams routinely make better decisions and more quickly achieve better results.

Here are three ways you can embrace accelerating change and lead your remote team with inclusivity.

Recognize and challenge your implicit biases

When you take on the role and responsibility of leading a team, you’re charged with fostering a culture of collaboration, engagement, and growth while leveraging the differences of your employees. As individuals, we all have implicit biases – influenced by our environments, experiences, and those around us – that lead us to form unconscious judgments about others.

Further, research shows that when we’re stressed, we often default to mental shortcuts and gut instincts, rather than making deliberate and goal-oriented decisions. Thus, potentially perpetuating inequalities in the virtual workplace and reinforcing the phenomenon of homophily, or the tendency to seek out those similar to yourself. If left uncurbed, the effects of unconscious biases can be detrimental to remote teams, causing corrosion of relationships and impacting your capacity as a leader, compelling you to make choices outside of The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) mandates, company values, established best practices, or general ethics.

“As a leader, it is vital to routinely assess your team and look for opportunities to transform dynamics,” says Sonia Alvarez-Robinson, executive director at Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting and the host of the Georgia Tech Organizational Effectiveness Conference. “Think about everyone on your team. Do you hear ideas from each of them regularly? When in meetings, are there voices that get overrun? Very often, things that create discord are subtle nuances that can easily be missed.”

Leaders should be intentional about leveraging the varied strengths and talents of all their employees. To combat implicit biases, Harvard Business Review suggests making a list of the current core and extended team members, with their photos, and keep it in front of you while you’re working each day to help you make more conscious decisions about allocating responsibilities and information.

In doing so, inclusive team leaders can create a deliberate space that values differences, ensures all voices are heard, and harnesses the power of diverse perspectives.

Create a strong sense of belonging

When people feel like they belong at work, they are more productive, motivated, and more likely to contribute to their fullest potential, according to research from BetterUp.

Being physically separated from colleagues can impact team communication, and over time, stifle opportunities for engagement, impede diverse perspectives, and perpetuate systemic inequalities. By taking extra steps to make your remote team feel valued, connected, and respected, you are creating psychological safety while improving morale, motivation, productivity, and retention.

An inclusive workplace is one in which employees feel safe, comfortable, and respected. “It’s about establishing those relationships within your organization and establishing that sense of, ‘Yes, I belong there. I matter,'” notes Sonia Garcia, senior director of Access and Inclusions at Texas A&M’s College of Engineering. Without the blanket of inclusivity, there is no opportunity for equity.

On a peer-to-peer level, establishing more opportunities for coworkers to check in with one another will help to make inclusivity tangible and allow teammates to feel seen and connected, regardless of their backgrounds. One easy way to do this is to create a virtual water cooler – such as a group chat on Microsoft Teams – for colleagues to share resources, tips, life hacks, words of encouragement, or non-work-related chatter.

In addition to virtual connections among distributed colleagues, it’s also important as an inclusive leader to develop individual personal relationships to foster a culture of open dialogue and mutual respect. According to a study by Gallup, employees who meet with their managers regularly are three times more likely to be engaged than those who don’t.

To ensure these valuable conversations routinely take place, establish a standing weekly or biweekly check-in and take advantage of audio and visual technology to mimic face-to-face interactions. Leave time at the beginning or end of the meeting to connect socially and listen for any challenges, feelings of isolation, or privacy concerns while proactively sourcing or empowering team members to crowdsource solutions.

Enhance your communication skills and approach

For leaders, communication isn’t just part of the job – it is the job. Studies from McKinsey Global Institute have found that leaders spend about 80% of their workdays communicating, and even more so in a virtual setting.

Take the time to think about the varying viewpoints and backgrounds of your team members, and adapt your communication skills and approach according to their interests and demographic makeup.

For example, using “guys” to address a multi-gendered team could insinuate that men are the preferred gender at the organization. Instead, use gender-inclusive alternatives, such as “team” or “colleagues.”

Additionally, your actions will speak louder than your words. Interactions aren’t just limited to verbal or written communication, your visual behaviors, such as posture, facial expressions, or eye contact, are also an effective component of your communication style.

“Whether listening attentively when another person is voicing their point of view or preventing miscommunication by double-checking tone, inclusive leaders must be skilled at delivering authentic, clear, and supportive messages to build trust and credibility with their remote team,” says Nisha Botchwey, assistant dean of academic programs, Georgia Tech Professional Education.

The future of work requires inclusion

While cultivating and managing an inclusive workforce was already a major challenge across industries, the Covid-19 pandemic elevated systemic racial and economic inequities while disrupting the professional workforce. The uprising for racial justice has amplified the need for organizations to reassess priorities, values, and dynamics – confirming that previous, more passive strategies have not been effective.

To create a workplace where every employee feels included, leaders must embrace these changes and take action now. These approaches will be crucial, not only to help remote teams build new habits and social connections, but also to allow for a more cohesive and inclusive culture better equipped for an equitable society and the future of work.

Source: https://pe.gatech.edu/blog/future-of-work/inclusive-virtual-leadership

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: communication, Georgia Tech, inclusion, pandemic, professional education, remote learning, remote work, telework

January 8, 2021 By cs

Leadership changes at Enterprise Innovation Institute

Karen Fite, who, for the past 18 months has led the Georgia Institute of Technology’s economic development efforts as interim vice president and director of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), has retired after more than 27 years of service.

David Bridges, director of EI2’s Economic Development Lab (EDL), will assume the interim vice president role effective Jan. 1, 2021.

Karen Fite, who served as interim vice president and director of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2), has retired after 27 years of service. David Bridges, director of EI2’s Economic Development Lab (EDL), has assumed the interim vice president role.

EI2 is the largest and most comprehensive university-based program of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization, and economic development in the United States.

Prior to leading EI2, Fite ran the unit’s Business & Industry Services group of programs, comprised of the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), EI2’s largest economic development offering. The group also includes the Safety, Health, and Environmental Services (SHES), Atlanta MBDA Centers, Contracting Education Academy, Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), and the Southeastern Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (SETAAC) programs.

Before taking on that role, Fite was GaMEP director.

“Over the years at Georgia Tech, I have been privileged to serve in a wide variety of capacities — assisting companies with government procurement, their implementation of quality management systems and Lean Manufacturing protocols, the launch of a Lean Healthcare initiative, creating community economic development research and strategic plans, and directing the GaMEP,” Fite said.

“As interim vice president, I have had the opportunity to interact with virtually every EI2 employee. Working with such a talented group of employees of EI2 has been an honor because across the board they are passionate about their work, dedicated to Georgia Tech’s mission of progress and service by serving clients, and continually looking to innovate, improve, and expand our services to help create long lasting and meaningful impact not only in Georgia and across the country, but around the world.”

Chaouki T. Abdallah, Georgia Tech’s executive vice president for research said Fite was a valued member of his leadership team.

“She has been a very effective and engaging leader,” Abdallah said. “She’s brought me solutions, given me critical feedback and has been an invaluable partner. Georgia Tech is lucky to have had her contributions for so long.”

Fite has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Miami and a bachelor’s in health systems from Georgia Tech. In 2018, she achieved the faculty rank of principal extension professional, Georgia Tech’s highest professional extension faculty rank.

“We are fortunate to have someone of David Bridges’ caliber who can not only build on Karen’s legacy but also brings a wealth of experience and economic development successes,” Abdallah said.

Bridges, who joined EI2 in 1994, authored, co-authored or contributed to more than 100 economic development grants totaling more than $40 million. He assisted in the formation of the two proof-of-concept units — the Global Center for Medical Innovation, a Tech affiliate in the medical device space, and I3L, a health information technology innovation hub.

Beyond Georgia, Bridges helped catalyze the development of the Soft Landings program to bring companies from overseas to the United States. He also helped to establish the I-Corps Puerto Rico program as the National Science Foundation’s first I-Corps program ever offered to teams from that community.

He also supported the expansion of technology extension programs in Chile and Colombia, built a new program in professional development around innovation and technology commercialization, and expanded Georgia Tech’s presence by helping to build startup ecosystems around the Institute’s international campuses and in Latin America.

Bridges and his EDL team have also implemented ecosystem building projects for numerous countries including Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Guatemala, South Africa, China, Korea, and Japan.

Source: https://news.gatech.edu/2021/01/07/karen-fite-interim-vp-and-director-enterprise-innovation-institute-retires

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Contracting Academy, contracting education, EI2, Enterprise Innovation Institute, GaMEP, Georgia Tech, GTPAC, MBDA, SETAAC, SHES

January 8, 2021 By cs

NIST selects 4 awardees for metals-based 3D printing research

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded nearly $4 million in grants to help accelerate the adoption of new measurement methods and standards to advance U.S. competitiveness in metals-based additive manufacturing (AM). 

Georgia Tech Research Corp., the University of Texas at El Paso, Purdue University and Northeastern University will each receive either nearly or exactly $1 million in grants under the Metals-Based Additive Manufacturing Grants Program.

Additive manufacturing typically creates parts and components by building them layer by layer, based on a 3D computer model that is virtually sliced into many thin layers. Metals-based additive processes form parts by melting or sintering material in powder form. The process offers advantages such as reduced material waste, lower energy intensity, reduced time to market and just-in-time production.

Through its own research and with these grants, NIST is addressing barriers to adoption of additive manufacturing, including surface finish and quality issues, dimensional accuracy, fabrication speed, material properties and computational requirements.

The following organizations will receive NIST Metals-Based Additive Manufacturing Grants Program funding to be spent over two years:

Georgia Tech Research Corporation ($1 million)
This project will analyze detailed data gathered during a powder bed fusion process to both control the manufacturing and predict the final properties of the manufactured parts. The goal is to establish a comprehensive basis to qualify, verify and validate parts produced by this technique. The initial focus will be on an alloy of titanium that could see extensive applications in the health care and aerospace sectors.

University of Texas at El Paso ($1 million)
This project will define a test artifact that will standardize the collection of data on the process inputs and performance of parts made via laser powder bed fusion, an important method of metals-based AM. Academic, government and industrial partners will replicate the artifact and collect data on the key inputs to the process and the resulting properties of the artifact for a data repository. The work will lead to a greater understanding of the AM process and will allow for greater confidence in final parts.

Purdue University ($999,929)
Qualification of parts made by AM now requires an extensive set of tests. This project aims to reduce that burden by developing a standardized approach to predict key performance properties through measurements of material microstructures and the use of mathematical models. The work promises to create a streamlined method for industry to understand part performance with less testing than is currently required.

Northeastern University ($999,464)
This project aims to improve sensing approaches and create a suite of sensor technologies that will help optimize cold spray additive manufacturing. Cold spray AM processes have the potential to create parts that are more durable and stronger than those made with other AM processes. New sensors will help characterize the properties of the powder feedstock and the key parameters of the process, such as temperatures and part dimensions, and allow for better control of this promising technique.

In addition to these awards, NIST anticipates funding additional projects as part of a second phase of awards in the first half of 2021.

NIST, a nonregulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2020/12/nist-awards-nearly-4-million-support-metals-based-additive-manufacturing

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: 3D printing, additive manufacturing, Georgia Tech, NIST

August 19, 2020 By cs

Georgia Tech to lead technology coalition to advance inclusive innovation across the state

Announced by Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan on Aug. 17, Georgia Tech will take a lead role in the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, a public-private partnership created to foster technology access, growth, entrepreneurship, and evolution across the state of Georgia. The organization is the first of its kind — a statewide, public-private partnership built from the ground up entirely in a virtual environment.

The new organization follows the foundational work of the Georgia Innovates Task Force, established by Lt. Gov. Duncan in January 2020. The task force, under the chairmanship of G.P. “Bud” Peterson, president emeritus of Georgia Tech, and former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, made recommendations last month to formalize efforts that will establish the state as a national leader in technology research, development, and implementation.  Peterson will continue as board chair.  Debra Lam, current managing director of Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech, has been named executive director of the new organization.

“Through collaboration between industry and education, the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation has the potential to transform our entire state and the lives of its citizens,” said Ángel Cabrera, president, Georgia Tech. “ We are very grateful to Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan for creating the Georgia Innovates Task Force earlier this year, and for the thousands of volunteer hours that my predecessor, co-chair G.P. “Bud” Peterson, and other civic and community leaders and supporting organizations invested in creating this exciting vision.  We at Georgia Tech are honored to help Georgia maximize inclusive innovation throughout our state.”

Following the recommendations of the task force and building on the state’s existing infrastructure and leadership, the organization’s focus will center on “foundational, transformational, and sustaining” work throughout the state of Georgia that is guided by principles of connectedness, talent, diversity, sustainability, and identity.  Pilot programs will focus on providing access to digital resources and education; advancing agriculture, food system innovation, venture capital growth, and lab-to-market tech transfer; and ensuring resources, access, and opportunities are sustained via public-private partnerships.

Advancement efforts will include a series of high-impact, low-cost pilot programs, including K-12 Digital Readiness, Advanced Food Supply Innovation, and Regional Industry/Education Collaboratives. The first set of pilots, including Civic Data Science for Equitable Development in Savannah and a Traffic Monitoring and Communication System in Valdosta, were recently announced by the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge.

Georgia Tech research across a broad range of disciplines, including optical technology, will help define Georgia’s identity as a national leader in technology research, development and implementation. (Credit: Christa Ernst, Georgia Tech)

“Georgia Tech’s leadership role in the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation is an ongoing testament to its strategic mission of advancing technology to improve the human condition,” said Lam. “The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation’s establishment also reflects the level and depth of statewide commitment to improve access and opportunities for all Georgians.  It was an honor to work with the full Georgia Innovates Task Force, and I look forward to working with the esteemed board of advisors and the greater innovation ecosystem to deliver real impact.”

Additional pilots are planned, with the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation working closely with local governments, startups, nonprofits, and other collaborators, increasing access to educational, entrepreneurial, and technological opportunities for Georgians as well as attracting new talent to the state’s workforce. Program funding will be provided through a combination of state, industry, and philanthropic support.

Joining Peterson and Lam, the board for the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation will include members representing government, industry, and higher education organizations.

Source: http://news.gatech.edu/2020/08/17/georgia-tech-lead-technology-coalition-advance-inclusive-innovation-across-state

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: diversity, entrepreneurship, Georgia Innovates Task Force, Georgia Tech, innovation, optical technology, Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, pilot, research, Smart Cities, sustainability, technology

July 23, 2020 By cs

Georgia Tech’s Economic Development Administration University Center awarded $300,000 grant

Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $300,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Georgia Institute of Technology’s EDA University Center.

The grant will be used to boost the center’s capacity to support regional economic development strategies in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Trump Administration is eager to allocate these essential CARES Act funds and deliver on our promise to help American communities recover from the impact of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said in a statement. “I am proud of the perseverance and strength shown by our communities coast to coast throughout this pandemic, and these funds will help provide Georgia with the necessary resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback.”

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

EDA university centers marshal the resources found in colleges and universities to support regional economic development strategies in areas challenged with chronic and acute economic distress.

Tech was the first institution of higher learning to be designated an EDA University Center when the program was launched in the 1960s. It has been an EDA award recipient since inception — the only institute of higher learning with that distinction.

Tech’s EDA University Center, an offering of its economic development arm, the Enterprise Innovation Institute, will use the CARES Act funding to support three specific activities with businesses, communities, and entrepreneurs in Georgia:

  • Conduct, share, and disseminate applied research to address specific challenges or needs, or solve specific problems resulting from the economic impacts of coronavirus.
  • Provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs, businesses and communities to assist in their recovery efforts from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Assist communities in identifying, defining, and supporting their workforce talent with the goal of helping communities recover from the economic impacts of coronavirus.

“We always incorporate new, innovative approaches in working with our clients,” said Georgia Tech EDA University Center Director Lynne Henkiel. “Georgia businesses and communities are all dealing with the effects that COVID-19 on their operations and local economies. This funding will help support our work and development of programs and training for business and community leaders to evaluate and reassess their activities to help them get back up and operating quickly.”

Among some of the services that Tech’s EDA University Center will offer under grant include business counseling, feasibility studies, and resilience plans, as well as skills development and workforce training, among other offerings.

“This investment comes at a crucial time to help Georgia’s and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, performing the delegated duties of the assistant secretary of commerce for economic development. “We are pleased to make this investment in Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by assisting communities across Georgia develop short and long-term resilience plans with additional support for workforce development initiatives.”

In 2018, the most recent reporting data available, the EDA University Center at Georgia Tech worked with 13 clients and helped them save or create 57 jobs and secure more than $1.4 million in private and public sector investments.

Source: https://innovate.gatech.edu/blog/georgia-tech-economic-development-administration-university-center-awarded-300k-grant/

Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: CARES Act, economic development, EDA, EDA University Center, EI2, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Tech

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