Education and Training at MGIC
Challenge
We know that our strength is our people. We celebrate our differences and endeavor to foster a diverse and inclusive company culture because we believe it leads to better business outcomes and it is the right thing to do. While we have made great strides, we acknowledge that not everyone is in the same place when it comes to awareness or understanding of social justice, inclusion or diversity. Our Talent Development program needed to expand to introduce an inclusive scope of inclusion and diversity education and training.
Actions
Over the past two years, we developed and introduced new training opportunities to build awareness of diversity, equity and inclusion issues while providing practical tools to help co-workers navigate the workplace with cultural intelligence and sensitivity.
Outcomes
In 2020, 683 Diversity and Inclusion courses were completed at MGIC, totaling 1,717 hours:
MARC / Men Advocating Real Change. This interactive workshop was presented virtually to all officers of our company in 2020. The learning outcomes of the course are:
- Increased awareness of men’s role as advocates of inclusion and gender equity
- Exploration of actions that can be taken to promote effective gender partnership
- Skills to communicate more courageously and inclusively across gender and other forms of difference (including interrupting sexism and bias)
- Development of personal commitments to help enable and support a culture of inclusion where people of all genders can thrive
Crucial Conversations®. Through the program Crucial Conversations®, we provided co-workers with useful techniques to navigate difficult conversations, including those that may relate to unconscious bias and discrimination in and out of the workplace.
Creating an Inclusive Culture. We created this workshop to help employees cultivate a more productive and inclusive environment by deepening their understanding of diversity and the impact of unconscious bias. We partnered with the University of Wisconsin’s School of Business, Center for Professional and Executive development, to leverage expert research, tools and activities.
Confronting Bias: Thriving Across our Differences. All employees are encouraged to take this LinkedIn Learning course which discusses the impact of our cultural lens on our daily relationships and how to counter bias in our words and actions.
Quote
At MGIC, fostering an inclusive environment that embraces diversity and positions our people to succeed is central; it guides us in our daily work and ensures that all our employees feel seen, heard, and respected. This in turn allows us to learn from each other and do our best work. Education and training programs that support our ability to be inclusive and collaborative are a natural and necessary step in support of our goals.