BEYOND DIVERSITY - CONVERSATION STARTERS

CONVERSATION STARTER …

CONVERSATION STARTERS

A Collection of 72 Provocative Questions to Start Conversations In Classrooms, Employee Teams or Book Clubs.

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Who is one under-appreciated storyteller that you know from your cultural background but whom others might be unfamiliar with? How could you promote them?

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Find two stories from recent news about the same subject that have opposing perspectives. Why are they different, and what biases do they show?

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

When’s the first time you recognized a part of your identity in a story (movie, book, TV, etc.) and how did it make you feel?

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s an example of a story from the dominant culture, and what’s a story or perspective that’s missing from it?

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s your favorite movie or TV show, and what kind of identities are depicted? What kind of identities or stories are missing?

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Who is the greatest storyteller in your life, either someone you know or someone who creates media? What’s the greatest lesson you ever learned from them?

THEME:

STORYTELLING

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Write 3-5 sentences describing your identity. How have these words changed over time?

THEME:

IDENTITY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What is one conversation or activity that you could engage in to better understand an identity different from your own?

THEME:

IDENTITY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

When have you felt safe and valid in the workplace to discuss your identity? When have you felt unsafe or uncomfortable?

THEME:

IDENTITY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What is one non-obvious thing you can share with others about your identity to help them understand it better?

THEME:

IDENTITY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s an institution or program that supports your identity or helps you explore it? How?

THEME:

IDENTITY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What is one proactive thing you could do to be more of a role model to people who share your identity?

THEME:

IDENTITY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

How much of your home life do you feel comfortable sharing at work and why do you feel this way?

THEME:

FAMILY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Where do you see diversity in your own family and how would you define diversity?

THEME:

FAMILY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What values were you taught by your family members and which ones did you develop on your own?

THEME:

FAMILY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Have your assumptions or perceptions about family ever been challenged by someone else? How?

THEME:

FAMILY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s one thing about your family that you take for granted, but might surprise other people?

THEME:

FAMILY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

When is the first time you saw a family that’s different from your own? How was it different and what did you think about it?

THEME:

FAMILY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

How was culture discussed in your home growing up or in your school? What was missing?

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

How do you feel about the idea of being a global citizen, and what does this mean to you?

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

List 2-3 cultures or subcultures you know nothing about. Now go and discover one new fact about each one.

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s a subculture you’re part of, and is it inclusive or open to new people? Could you do something to make it more inclusive?

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s a conversation around culture that makes you uncomfortable? Why?

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s a stereotype about your cultural background you want everyone to know is wrong? How could they help change other peoples’ misconceptions about it?

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s an example of a time you saw your culture depicted in the media? What did it teach people about it?

THEME:

CULTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Looking back on your upbringing, what perspectives were missing?

THEME:

EDUCATION

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What was a formative moment in your education that shifted your perspective of yourself, others, or the world?

THEME:

EDUCATION

CONVERSATION STARTER …

How many teachers did you have in elementary school who were BIPOC or disabled?

THEME:

EDUCATION

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Can you name a young activist, could be someone you know personally or someone you don’t, doing advocacy work you find inspiring? What’s the best way to support them?

THEME:

EDUCATION

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Who was the teacher who most changed your life? How were they different from others? What was the most important lesson you learned from them?

THEME:

EDUCATION

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s one fundamental thing you’d change about the education system structure? Why?

THEME:

EDUCATION

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What are the values most important to you and which specific retailers share those priorities?

THEME:

RETAIL

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Can you identify 2-3 ways that a retail store’s layout or placement of products may be biased and proactively raise these concerns with a store owner/manager?

THEME:

RETAIL

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Have you ever felt a bias against you in a retail or customer service situation? What did you do … and what do you wish you did?

THEME:

RETAIL

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Pick your favourite brand and see if they have any kind of diversity, equity or inclusion mandate. How are they implementing it? What did you learn?

THEME:

RETAIL

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What are 2-3 independently-owned stores in your neighborhood, and what do they add to the community?

THEME:

RETAIL

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Think of your favourite retail space.

Is it physically accessible to people who need mobility assistance?

What could they change to make it more physically accessible?

THEME:

RETAIL

CONVERSATION STARTER …

In your workplace, what team members lack representation and what are 2-3 things you could do to correct this imbalance?

THEME:

THE WORKPLACE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What external voices that offer a different perspective could you bring in either as consultants or testers to offer a new lens on the work you do?

THEME:

THE WORKPLACE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Do you consider your workplace to be diverse? Why or why not?

THEME:

THE WORKPLACE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s a recruiting, hiring or interview practice you think hurts hiring more diverse candidates? How could your organization change it?

THEME:

THE WORKPLACE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

If your workplace or organization had an “emotional intelligence” index, how would you say it rates?

What are a few ways they might reassess emotionally supporting their employees?

THEME:

THE WORKPLACE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Is there someone on your team you could go to if you were having a difficult time? What is it about them that makes them someone you can go to for support?

THEME:

THE WORKPLACE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Challenge yourself to discover 2-3 reasons why the stories that appear at the top of your social media feed or your Google search results rise to the top. What does this teach you about how the algorithms work?

THEME:

TECHNOLOGY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What are some technology platforms developed by inclusive teams or started by underrepresented founders that you can support or switch to using?

THEME:

TECHNOLOGY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Does your hiring process make it more or less difficult for diverse applicants (people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, etc.)?

THEME:

TECHNOLOGY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Take a look at the leadership team of a big tech company for something you own. What did you learn, and what do you think it says about the company’s work?

THEME:

TECHNOLOGY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s a way your organization uses technology in their work? What does it say about your team’s values or operational priorities?

THEME:

TECHNOLOGY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Can you name one Person of Color, LGBTQ+ person, or person with a disability working in a leadership position in tech? If not, find one or two and share their story.

THEME:

TECHNOLOGY

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What is an actionable way in which you can meet diverse, nontraditional entrepreneurs in business and consider working with them?

THEME:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Consider the stores or businesses that you buy from regularly. What more could you do to seek out and buy from more diverse businesses?

THEME:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Other than money, what’s a way you as an individual or your team could support a diverse entrepreneur?

What would that look like?

THEME:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Find 2-3 small, crowdfunded entrepreneurial projects from a diverse team? What do the products they’re creating offer to the industry they’re a part of?

THEME:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s something underserved or missing in your community that a diverse entrepreneur could offer?

What do you think is stopping them?

THEME:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Do you think you could spend more of your own money supporting diverse entrepreneurs instead of defaulting to buy everything from an online retailer? Why or why not?

THEME:

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Consider your personal leadership style: do you emphasize inclusion or vulnerability as a key quality?

Why or why not?

THEME:

LEADERSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Think of a time you had an effective mentor. What did they do to make you feel included or heard?

How can you do the same for someone else?

THEME:

LEADERSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Think of the leadership of your team or school; does the leadership represent the diversity of those lower in the hierarchy?

THEME:

LEADERSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Would you feel comfortable bringing an issue of discrimination to your team’s leadership?

Why or why not?

THEME:

LEADERSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Do some research and find an organization or two that offers specific third party certification for diversity, equity and inclusion. How could they be helpful to your team?

THEME:

LEADERSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Write down a few sentences describing the ideal leader and pick out some specific words and phrases. What jumps out about them? Do you feel like they assume a certain identity?

THEME:

LEADERSHIP

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What political figures personally give you hope, and why?

THEME:

GOVERNMENT

CONVERSATION STARTER …

In your local community, who is— and perhaps more importantly, who isn’t—currently involved?

THEME:

GOVERNMENT

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Has an opposing political viewpoint ever changed your mind or made you think about something differently?

THEME:

GOVERNMENT

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Are there any instances of voter suppression laws or discrimination in your area? What needs to be done to challenge them and how could you help that effort?

THEME:

GOVERNMENT

CONVERSATION STARTER …

How would you describe the diverse makeup of your local community? Is that reflected in your local representation?

THEME:

GOVERNMENT

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Do you know the names and beliefs of your local politicians?

What are some values or policies they have implemented and who do they help or hurt?

THEME:

GOVERNMENT

CONVERSATION STARTER …

How has your community, town, or city evolved in the time you’ve spent in it and do you feel it has become more or less inclusive?

THEME:

FUTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What are some ways that the structures and spaces around you might create inequity?

THEME:

FUTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Do you have anyone in your life of a different generation who offers an unusual perspective to help you think about the past and future?

THEME:

FUTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What’s an inequitable system put in place in the past you think needs to be overhauled or replaced? What would be the first step to do it?

THEME:

FUTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

Find and share a quote by a diverse voice in the futurism or thought leader communities.

What do you like most about it?

THEME:

FUTURE

CONVERSATION STARTER …

What are some physical spaces or infrastructure that’s prioritized in your local area? Which communities do they serve, and who is left out?

THEME:

FUTURE