Meet Amber Payton: Helping Clients Unlock Their Cultural DNA
Amber Payton, a Senior Consultant at The Kaleidoscope Group, envisions a workplace that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by truly understanding the nuanced needs, expectations, and desires of the dynamic workforce. As the world is ever-changing, Payton’s passion is fueled by helping organizations understand their strategic priorities in shaping a culture that positively empowers employees on a personal level.
As a team member of the Assessment and Measurement Practice, Payton works with her peers to dive deep into the perceptions and expectations of employees specific to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, with the goal of driving intentional and meaningful action.
A Focus on the Workplace
After earning her Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Payton, who has always been interested in helping people gain a deeper awareness of themselves, decided to apply her knowledge and formidable skill set to help clients better understand their organizational culture through employee feedback. Payton notes, “Culture is not inherently good or bad. Organizations need to leverage their unique differences to succeed both in the marketplace and with their employees.” Organizations that not only collect employee feedback data through mechanisms – such as surveys, focus groups, and agile qual – but also take action on this feedback that meets the needs of their employees can better foster a more inclusive work environment where people are treated equitably and fairly.
Before joining Kaleidoscope Group, Payton worked for IBM’s Smarter Workforce team, where she was also responsible for employee feedback analytics. This required her to sift through reams of data to uncover organizational strengths and challenges and make recommendations that would result in positive change for her clients and their employees. But according to Payton, something was missing. “I noticed that we were missing something important; we were providing a high-level view of engagement and employee satisfaction, but we really weren’t digging into how cultural practices within the workplace can and does impact different demographic groups within the organization. That is what prompted me to move into DEI.”
The Importance of Partnership in Driving Change
Payton stressed the importance of enthusiastic collaboration to ensure a smooth assessment process. “We’re partners with our clients. They come to The Kaleidoscope Group to gain data and direction. And with the information and insights we can provide them, our clients are empowered to begin implementing meaningful action on what they have learned.”
She continued, “We are there to support our clients on their DEI journeys. Real change is never just the sole responsibility of The Kaleidoscope Group or just the sole responsibility of the client. Rather, it lands on both parties to make sure that the actions being taken are based on the right data anchored in consistency and accountability. Real change happens when there’s a true partnership from start to finish.”
If you’d like to learn more about how The Kaleidoscope Group can partner with you on your DEI journey, please get started or send an email to info@kgdiversity.com
