YEAR 2 | ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATIONS
Monday 23rd - Friday 27th January
MONDAY 23RD JANUARY | In person
LAUNCH DAY | A chance for Black professionals & allies from all BBN companies to connect and exchange thoughts/key discussions from various speakers
On Monday 23rd January we kick off our week of roundtables in person at one of our new BBN corporate members HQ based in London. The day will see contributions from various guest speakers, staff members and members of the Black community who have engaged with the BBN since its launch in 2021. This will also be an opportunity to connect and engage with other BBN members. We have two sessions available for this day with space for up to 100 attendees to join per session.
Session 1 | 10:00am - 11:30am
Session 2 | 14:30 - 16:00
TUESDAY 24TH JANUARY
Roundtable 1 | 10:00 - 11:30
TOPIC: George Floyd | Have promises been kept since the murder of George Floyd in 2020?
In this session we will reflect on what each company has done, we will also explore initiatives that have been announced from companies across the board. We will compare notes on what has worked, what hasn't worked and ways we can strengthen the work being done.
Roundtable 2 | 12:30 - 14:00
TOPIC: Allyship | What does true allyship look like?
In this session we are interested in hearing from everyone in the room, from the Black community and allies. We will be exploring any case studies and stories of allyship in action. The aim of this session is to help with our collective learning around the misconceptions and errors of how individuals and companies set out to support the Black community. At the same time we will use this as an opportunity to explore best practices that often find its route in our shared sense of humanity.
Roundtable 3 | 15:00 - 16:30
TOPIC: Employee Life Cycle | What's working, What's not working and ways to improve - let's compare notes.
In this session we will be looking at the complete employee lifecycle from recruitment, employment, retention, progression & promotion all the way to exit interviews. We are keen to look at the various elements where Black people find themselves marginalised or not adequately supported by the systems we have in place. It's important for us to start to unpack individual experiences with systems or processes that are designed to support our progression, in a way that can support HR leadership and the wider working force in developing their processes in a way that supports that black community.
WEDNESDAY 25TH JANUARY | In person
Roundtable 4 | 09:30 - 11:00
TOPIC: Racism in Society | How does this impact the professional day to day?
Considering all things HR, one of the key themes that came out of the year 1 roundtable discussions, was how much the human element of this role was missing from the experiences of many staff members that joined our sessions. It is important that while we recognise people are employed to deliver on work and hit targets/KPIs, we are all still people. With this in mind at this session we will explore some of the issues that affect us as Black people both inside and outside the workplace, and how these issues can have a direct/in direct impact on our wellbeing, our performance and overall work life experience.
Roundtable 5 | 12:00 - 13:30
TOPIC: Employee Life Cycle | What's working, What's not working and ways to improve - let's compare notes.
In this session we will be looking at the complete employee lifecycle from recruitment, employment, retention, progression & promotion all the way to exit interviews. We are keen to look at the various elements where Black people find themselves marginalised or not adequately supported by the systems we have in place. It's important for us to start to unpack individual experiences with systems or processes that are designed to support our progression, in a way that can support HR leadership and the wider working force in developing their processes in a way that supports that Black community.
Roundtable 6 | 14:30 - 16:00
TOPIC: Wellbeing & Black Professionals
In this session we will explore the various elements of the workplace that affect our wellbeing and how in some cases this is specifically tied to our race/ethnicity. Since covid we now have a new understanding of the workplace which consists of both physical and virtual working patterns, and as such it's important for us to explore the nuances of how Black staff keep up with their well being in both spaces. This conversation will include topics around workplace bullying, culture and workplace politics that are specifically targeted toward the Black community as well as elements that happen across the board. The aim of this session will be to leave with a better understanding of how Black people can navigate their own wellbeing, as well as how companies and colleagues can better support Black staff.
THURSDAY 26TH JANUARY | In person
Roundtable 7 | 10:00 - 11:30
TOPIC: White Privilege | What does this look like in society & the workplace?
In this session we will explore what white privilege actually means. While Black people are not asking for handouts, it's important to unearth the dynamics at play that often lean in the favour of people who are not Black, based on the colour of their skin. The learnings from this will not only further educate allies in the room but will help us bring clarity to some of the disparities that Black people face in a bid to help organisations approach workplace situations in a way that evens the playing field.
Roundtable 8 | 12:30 - 14:00
TOPIC: Accountability | How do we hold companies accountable in a way that brings about change?
In this session we will welcome thoughts from all in the room. The topic of accountability is a serious one and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. It can be true to say that many organisations across the board struggle with maintaining a good standard of accountability across many public commitments made around the murder of Geroge Floyd. The aim of this session is not to trip anyone up or to call anyone out, but for us to discuss collectively about how we hold leadership and organisations to account in a way that supports the collective progressive agenda around change.
Roundtable 9 | 15:00 - 16:30
TOPIC: Wellbeing & Black Professionals
In this session we will explore the various elements of the workplace that affect our wellbeing and how in some cases this is specifically tied to our race/ethnicity. Since covid we now have a new understanding of the workplace which consists of both physical and virtual working patterns, and as such it's important for us to explore the nuances of how Black staff keep up with their well being in both spaces. This conversation will include topics around workplace bullying, culture and workplace politics that are specifically targeted toward the Black community as well as elements that happen across the board. The aim of this session will be to leave with a better understanding of how Black people can navigate their own wellbeing, as well as how companies and colleagues can better support Black staff.
FRIDAY 27TH JANUARY | In person
Roundtable 10 | 09:30 - 11:00
TOPIC: Systemic Racism | How do we keep the conversation going?
It's true to say that two years on from the murder of George Floyd many have turned a blind eye to commitments they made publicly and internally. It’s important that we are candid about the stark difference between the energy we applied to change directly after the murder of George Floyd versus the energy applied to change two years on. It is incumbent on all of us that we work together to see some form of change in our lifetime. The aim of this session will be to unearth thoughts, actions and examples of how we can do this effectively.
Roundtable 11 | 12:00 - 13:30
TOPIC: Allyship | What does true allyship look like?
In this session we are interested in hearing from everyone in the room, from the Black community and allies. We will be exploring any case studies and stories of allyship in action. The aim of this session is to help with our collective learning around the misconceptions and errors of how individuals and companies set out to support the Black community. At the same time we will use this as an opportunity to explore best practices that often find its route in our shared sense of humanity.
Roundtable 12 | 14:30 - 16:00
TOPIC: Accountability | How do we hold companies accountable in a way that brings about change?
In this session we will welcome thoughts from all in the room. The topic of accountability is a serious one and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. It can be true to say that many organisations across the board struggle with maintaining a good standard of accountability across many public commitments made around the murder of George Floyd. The aim of this session is not to trip anyone up or to call anyone out, but for us to discuss collectively about how we hold leadership and organisations to account in a way that supports the collective progressive agenda around change.
keep the conversation going
