At Ciena, our People Promise reinforces the importance of creating an environment where everyone feels they belong and can bring their whole selves to work. To achieve true belonging, we need to build diversity and be inclusive by having a curious mindset, connecting with people from all backgrounds and experiences, and having the courage to seek understanding of the unfamiliar.

To strengthen our culture, we are embarking on a new learning and education program around Conscious Inclusion. This is an important step in our journey to embed inclusive behaviors into the fabric of life at Ciena. 

We have designed a program with an external thought leadership partner in the D&I space, and we have unique workshop offerings for senior leaders, managers, and individuals. 

We have chosen Conscious Inclusion as it starts with self-driven reflection on an individual’s identity, how people get them wrong, and its impact on them. This approach is part of a broader cultural and systemic approach to diversity, inclusion, and belonging in fostering active allyship across the organization.

We will create a greater sense of belonging through deeper connections and understanding of each other by:

• Aligning on a shared language and framework
• Connecting personally to diversity and inclusion
• Understanding our role and actions to foster inclusion

At the end of each workshop, actionable goals are suggested, and each attendee is asked to share their personal commitment with their manager. Together, we will hold each other to account and collectively display inclusive behaviors and embed Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging into the fabric of Ciena’s culture, aligning with our People Promise.