Nearly 50 years ago, our late co-founder, Merlin G. Pope, Jr. came to understand something critical about workplace cultures that he later articulated this way: Diversity will
either be a tremendous source of strength or weakness, but it will never be neutral.
What he found was that organizations that understand and embrace the diverse backgrounds and experiences of their people will be far more successful in what they can achieve and in their ability to attract and retain talent. By contrast, companies that ignore or even stifle diversity will find themselves struggling with issues of miscommunication, lower productivity, and poor job satisfaction. His own research had statistically proven it.
This was the foundation around which Merlin and his wife, Patricia devoted their life’s work, creating Pope Consulting, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training and consultancy company created to develop greater awareness of bias and strengthen cultural competency in the workplace.
Today, we are a second-generation consulting firm and DEI resource of choice for organizations of all sizes in all industries, helping them create inclusive workplace cultures that allow every team member to feel seen and valued, and as a result, strengthen their bottom line in quantifiable ways.
Our approach is flexible and adaptable, allowing us to meet organizations wherever they are on their DEI journey, whether it’s Day 1 or Year 10. Led by warm, knowledgeable facilitators with decades of experience, Pope’s programs aim to help people understand their own conscious and unconscious biases so they can create authentic relationships built on trust and understanding.
When you partner with Pope Consulting, you are working with a caring, passionate team committed to guiding your organization through uncomfortable conversations and helping you come out stronger on the other side. It’s not always easy, but the value of the return is far greater than the investment, not just today, but long term. And not just in the workplace.
Because there’s no greater reward than to hear that the lessons we’ve shared reach beyond office walls into people’s personal lives and their communities.
These are the meaningful seeds of change that Merlin and Patricia Pope started planting back in the 1970s.
There is always more work to be done in bringing greater understanding among people of diverse backgrounds. At Pope Consulting, we feel privileged to do the work that gets these conversations started.