Transformative Culture: Dr.Hedy Ho's Insights on Diversity and Inclusion

With over twenty years of marketing experience in the tech industry in Asia Pacific and North America, Dr. Hedy Ho shared valuable insights on building a transformative culture in business. She lives by the motto: passion, positivity, and perseverance, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a growth mindset. She joined Microsoft in 2003 and has worked with three Microsoft CEOs, weathering through three leadership changes. Throughout her journey, she has witnessed how the culture of transformation has brought a second growth curve to Microsoft.

Dr. Ho emphasized the significance of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). She highlighted that diverse groups could foster innovation by welcoming different viewpoints, resulting in better products and outcomes for customers. D&I, according to Dr. Ho, is not merely an adjective but an action requiring a growth mindset for organizations to seize economic opportunities. Reflecting on her journey at Microsoft, she discussed the shift from a fixed to a growth mindset, urging participants to view challenges as learning opportunities and embrace a 'learn-it-all' mentality over a 'know-it-all' approach.

In the second half of the talk, Dr. Ho challenged participants to generate ideas on how to use AI technology to strive for D&I in the workplace. The round-robin technique was used for group brainstorming, and participants in each group were evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate awareness, courage, and curiosity. By switching groups, the participants shared and integrated various ideas into one and provided reasons for their suggestions, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Rounding up her talk, Dr. Ho gave constructive feedback by highlighting the key takeaways from each group's performance. Her customized feedback boosted participants' confidence and abilities, leaving a lasting impact. One student shared that Dr. Ho's talk inspired her to reflect on her leadership potential and apply the lessons she learned in her personal and professional life.