TEDxQueensU speaker John McGraw tackles workplace inclusion and cultural divides

Multicultural workplace expert brings message of human connection to Kingston stage.

TEDxQueensU returned to the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts this weekend, bringing together students, community members and speakers to explore ideas focused on connection and collective impact.

Now in its 16th year, TEDxQueensU is Canada’s second-largest student-led TEDx event and the largest of its kind in the country. Organized by students, the annual conference features speakers from business, science, arts and culture, highlighting diverse perspectives and innovative thinking.

Among this year’s speakers was John Edward McGraw, who took the TEDxQueensU stage on Saturday to challenge how workplaces approach diversity, communication and inclusion.

McGraw is a multicultural workplace expert, inclusive communication specialist and founder of Hiyaku Coaching. He helps organizations and leaders navigate cultural differences and better integrate international talent into teams where performance and belonging can thrive.

Drawing on 15 years of teaching English in Japan and Canada, along with an International Coaching Federation credential, McGraw focused his talk on the unspoken cultural expectations that often cause diverse teams to struggle. He described how skilled newcomers may stay silent in meetings, while managers may mistake cultural differences for disengagement.

McGraw said these misunderstandings can lead to frustration, lost talent and missed opportunities. He added that similar challenges can also be seen in classrooms.

McGraw was one of eight speakers at TEDxQueensU.

Story by Alyssa Brush