PANAMA CITY, Fla. –
Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) dedicated an entire day to educate and challenge its workforce on building and sustaining a diverse and innovative work environment during its INSPIRE: Igniting a Culture of Leadership and Innovation event held at Gulf Coast State College, August 9.
INSPIRE is the first Leadership in a Diverse Environment event the Navy Lab has hosted. Lisa Tindell, NSWC PCD Command Strategic advisor, noted this event serves as a catalyst for positive change.
“This event was aimed to broaden our employees’ understanding regarding inclusion and diversity, navigating difficult conversations, empowering others, and the importance of unity,” said Tindell. “As the command’s workforce becomes more diverse, it is important that everyone respects the similarities and differences among each other. If the leadership and workforce are committed to valuing each other’s differences, creating an inclusive culture, and leveraging the benefits diversity brings, it will only help to create and sustain innovative solutions for the U.S. Navy.”
This event featured four guest speakers who educated attendees and provided practical application steps to help leaders explore and expand their impact:
Dr. Steve Robbins, author, inclusion and diversity expert:
“Science Based Approach to Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging”
Mr. Brian Blackwell, principal consultant, BD Blackwell Consulting:
“Leading from Where You Are”
DeDe Halfhill, renowned leadership expert and colonel, U.S. Air Force, (ret.):
“Art of Language and Connection”
Dr. Angie Lewis, SES, NSWC Crane Division technical director:
“Unified Leadership”
Whether through the use of neuroscience, emotional intelligence training or practical application leadership strategies, the speakers provided perspective and tools to open channels of understanding in the areas of leadership, diversity and inclusion.
“We were thrilled to bring this caliber of speakers to talk at INSPIRE and encourage everyone to apply what they’ve learned here. Whether that’s having vulnerable communications or developing leaders from within the organization, valuing each employee and seeking to appreciate the diversity in the workforce creates unity within the organization’s leadership teams,” said Tindell. “…and everyone is a leader; every employee leads someone in the organization, their self, a team, or an organizational unit. You can inspire positive change right where you’re at.”
INSPIRE also aligns with one of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Warfare Center’s strategic goals—having the ‘Right Culture/Values’—by striving to be inclusive and engaged as a One Team collaborative culture.
“I’m proud NSWC PCD dedicated the time and effort to INSPIRE our workforce because it helps get us closer to our goal of Being Recognized as a Model Organization as an employer, partner and collaborator of choice,” said Dr. Peter Adair, NSWC PCD technical director. “As we continually strive to value everyone and their input and ideas, my hope is that this will result in growing a stronger organization and delivering more innovative solutions and products for the warfighter.”