Navigating Power Dynamics: Putting Power Into Practice
An Interactive Workshop Series
Tuesday, November 19, 1-2:30 pm ET/10-11:30 am PT (90 minutes) & Wednesday, December 4, 1-2:30 pm ET/ 10-11:30 am PT (90 minutes)
"How do we move the needle within existing organizational power dynamics?”
This is a frequent question within the work of building safe, respectful, and equitable workplaces. Oftentimes, the dedicated professionals who are passionate champions for safety, respect and equity do not hold the final decision-making authority to bring about the change they seek. And yet, there is significant change they can make.
What You'll Learn
In this interactive workshop series, Dr. Sara Shapiro-Plevan, the CEO and Founder of the Gender Equity in Hiring Project, will guide participants through:
- Exploring power dynamics at work and enhancing the understanding of how power manifests in the workplace,
- Discovering strategies to leverage power to create progress, and
- Designing plans to help move the needle and use power responsibly.
Who Should Attend
This series is designed for individuals who are championing safety, respect, and equity at their organizations, but may not hold final decision-making authority.
Session Details
The first two sessions are 90-minute workshops that will include introduction of key topics, tools, and frameworks; small group breakouts; large group discussions; and self-reflection. There will also be an optional third session–an asynchronous, 60-minute guided conversation with an accountability partner.
Session 1: Locating & Using Our Power (90 minutes)
Tuesday, November 19 at 1-2:30 pm ET/10-11:30 am PT
The first session will focus on helping participants notice and understand power and where it lives in workplaces, and reflect on how they can engage power to move the needle. Participants will:
- Learn to identify specific forms of power in use, other preferred forms of power, and power evident in other relationships at work
- Discuss examples of how they’ve recently used power at work and where they have engaged power to make safety, respect, or equity-related change
- Consider how to support their organizations to move the needle and create relationships of accountability to get the work done
- Practice giving and receiving feedback on their use of power at work
Session 2: Power in Practice (90 minutes)
Wednesday, December 4 at 1-2:30 pm ET/ 10-11:30 am PT
The second session will dive into how we leverage our power, and design actionable, measurable plans to use power appropriately and responsibly. At this session, participants will:
- Examine case studies to identify risks and rewards of the use of power at work.
- Generate strategies for using their power at work based on personal experience, and gain a number of structural frameworks.
- Set actionable, measurable goals for their use of power at work, with an eye toward future reflection on those goals.
(Optional) Session 3: Power in Partnership – Guided Small Group Conversation (60 minutes)
Mid to Late December – To Schedule at Your Convenience
Participants will be matched with a partner(s) for a check-in about two weeks after session two and meet at their convenience. During their meeting, participants will explore guided questions to support their partners through a check-in around their articulated goals and outcomes in how they are leveraging and navigating power at work. Through these relational meetings, participants will continue developing supportive relationships around personal and organizational change.
Registration Details
Pre-registration is required. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the first two sessions on Tuesday, November 19 and Wednesday, December 4. You will also have the opportunity to sign up for the third session (a meeting with an accountability partner), which will take place at your convenience in mid-December. Once registered, we will be in touch with you to schedule this.
If you have any questions, please contact info@srenetwork.org.
About Sara Shapiro-Plevan, Ed.D.
Sara Shapiro-Plevan, EdD, is all about relationships, leveraging connection to improve practice, shift culture, understand our work, and engage effectively with others as we build sustainable networks, communities and workplaces. As the CEO of the Gender Equity in Hiring Project, she puts our Jewish values of equity and justice into action to build Jewish workplaces that tap into the best of our human potential, transforming the endemic culture of gender bias that so often keeps women and people of all genders from rising into leadership. Sara actively challenges bias as it shows up in Jewish organizational life and across our community, drawing on her career as a consultant, coach, facilitator, and educator, as she examines the ways gender, power and privilege affect the Jewish workplace.
Sara holds an EdD and an MA from the Davidson School of The Jewish Theological Seminary, a BA from Brandeis University, and was Senior Educator at the Melton Center at Hebrew University. She is a Certified Salary Negotiation Specialist and an Advanced Career Facilitator for the 21st Century, holds DEI in the Workplace Certification from MUMA School of Business at the University of South Florida and is pursuing certification in Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching. Sara serves as a board member of Camp Ramah in New England.