D&I2601. What’s Your CQ? Building Communication That Builds Trust and Psychological Safety in the Workplace

You’ve heard of IQ. Maybe even EQ. But what about CQ — your “communication quotient”? CQ is your ability to engage effectively across different contexts and with a wide range of individuals by signaling safety, building trust, and creating space for meaningful dialogue. CQ is an essential part of a healthy workplace and helps build high-performing teams.

In this interactive session, we’ll explore communication practices that foster respectful, supportive, and psychologically safe work environments. Using real-world examples and guided discussion, we’ll examine how to demonstrate advocacy from the perspective of those striving to be effective allies and through the varied lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. This dual lens reflects the important truth that people experience workplaces — and support — differently. Participants will learn how to signal allyship and support, how to recognize those signals in others, and how everyday interactions can either strengthen or erode trust. Expect a dynamic, conversation-driven experience with audience participation, reflection, and Q&A.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify how a strong Communication Quotient builds trust, psychological safety, and stronger workplace relationships.
• Identify authentic allyship signals, understanding how allyship is both expressed and perceived across varied lived experiences.
• Recognize unconscious assumptions that influence communication and awareness-based strategies you can use to adjust interactions in real time.
• Identify practical communication tools to move from passive intention to active advocacy through everyday conversations.