Navigating Power Dynamics at Green Shield Canada
Discover how Green Shield Canada transformed its workplace culture: A comprehensive case study on our successful journey to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization.
The Client
Green Shield of Canada (GSC) is a not-for-profit health and dental benefits provider based in Canada.
Green Shield Canada (GSC), an eminent health insurance provider, serves over a million Canadians with its extensive range of health and dental benefits. Celebrating over 60 years in operation, GSC has established itself as a leader in delivering innovative health management solutions. With a commitment to sustainable healthcare, GSC manages a broad portfolio that includes both individual and group insurance plans, emphasizing its role in promoting accessible and comprehensive healthcare across Canada.
The Challenge
Facilitate honest and impactful discussions to identify actionable strategies, acknowledging and managing the inherent power dynamics involving HR and the DEI manager, various Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and the Executive Team.
Our Approach
Our Comprehensive Participatory Approach involved:
- Understanding GSC’s DEI Landscape: We began by engaging with GSC’s HR and DEI managers to gain insights into their existing DEI strategy.
- ERG Group Dialogues: Individual conversations with each ERG group were conducted to understand their unique perspectives and challenges.
- Preparing the Executive Team: Prior to facilitating joint sessions, we provided tailored preparation to the Executive Team to ensure productive and respectful engagement.
- Facilitating Joint ERG and Executive Conversations: These sessions were pivotal in addressing the nuances of power dynamics and fostering mutual understanding.
The Impact
A More Equitable and Inclusive GSC
Our approach led to significant improvements in recognizing and incorporating DEI efforts into company metrics, fostering transparent communication, and integrating DEI training for leadership. The outcomes? A refined DEI framework that not only aligns with Green Shield Canada’s organizational goals but also sets a new standard for inclusivity in the healthcare insurance sector.
Manal did an exceptional job leveraging her consulting and creative skills while working with us in the process design, and in the facilitation of the sessions themselves. She was able to set each group at ease during the time she spent exclusively with each group in preparatory discussions, and during the time that she facilitated the sharing with the executive team. Manal modelled empathy and compassion, and a strong business mindset, throughout the sessions and in the follow up. At our request she synthesized the key themes emerging from the sessions, and provided some concrete suggestions on potential next steps for our consideration. We received very positive feedback from the participants and from our executive team on the work that Manal did with us. I highly recommend her to other organizations on their own DEI journey for this type of work.
