The ART of Diversity

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Stereotypes creep into almost all aspects o our culture including music, television, stories,

and contemporary art. Ongoing diversity and inclusion eorts are necessary or maintaining

awareness, dispelling stereotypes, and building more inclusive workplaces.

By Rich Smith and

Kittie W. WatsonIntroduction

While organization leaders talk abouthow they value and understand the power

o diversity, many ail to ully realize thesignicant benets o leveraging a diverseworkorce. A March 2008 report by

Boston-based Novations Group (Hastings,2008) claims the steady growth in diversity

training within American corporations iscreating diversity atigue. Many diversity

initiatives lack clear business objectives,are U.S.-centric, ignore line managementissues, and/or are trite (Hastings, 2008).

Another reason or diversity atigue is anassumption that diversity is only about

race. Programs that appear to be directedat one group tend to alienate participants

and encourage people to hide their biases(Kerckhove, 2007). While many organi-zations have made great strides, when

atigue prevails diversity initiatives like anyinitiative ail to achieve concrete business

results.Diversity and inclusion (D&I) practi-

tioners conrm that many diversity eortsare underutilized and lack lasting impact.They understand the need or and seek

new ways to engage their various stake-

holder groups. Sustaining commitmentto D&I eorts while avoiding diversityatigue is challenging. Various popular

culture media and visual images continueto bombard and infuence individualsperceptions and mental models. Without

periodic awareness and training, new andold stereotypes may infuence behavior

and D&I eorts.For organizations to realize the

benets o D&I eorts, leaders need to bereminded through creative approaches o

the many ways diverse view points andexperiences add value in the workplace.

Merely creating a diverse talent pool is notenough (Whitney, 2007). Organizationsmust create an environment in which di-

erences are engaged and leveraged to yieldhigher perormance.

While organizational members otenthink they understand and apply inclusive

practices, without ongoing renewal andreinorcement, most organizations all backinto old patterns, assumptions, and stereo-

types especially when organizations use aprogrammatic approach (Whitney, 2005).

Progressive leaders understand the wisdomo viewing diversity and inclusion (D&I)

eorts as change initiatives rather than asa one-time event. Everyone in the business,regardless o role, is held accountable or

developing and demonstrating their diver-sity and inclusion acumen, and thereby

continually enhancing the organizationsskill-base, culture, overall perormance,

and nancial and business success (Miller& Katz, 2002).

OD practitioners are in an excellent

position to infuence the change process

by oering resh, compelling options orongoing learning and development. Thisarticle demonstrates how contemporary

art and artists provide OD and diversitypractitioners with an innovative platormto stimulate individual, team, and orga-

nizational awareness, recognition, andtransormation. It is designed to stimulate

practitioners into considering new wayso learning and expanding curiosity about

The A.R.T. o DiversityTransorming Stereotypes

25The A.R.T. o Diversity: Transorming Stereotypes


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how to use popular culture to create dia-

logue and change.The article:

Examines current stereotype research; Links stereotypes to popular culture

and art/visual images;

Highlights a presenting situation witha division o a global pharmaceutical

company; and

Describes an experimental program

with contemporary art in which wetested the impact o popular culture onincreasing awareness and recognition

o stereotypes.

Stereotypes

A stereotype is a simplied or standardizedconception or image oten held in com-

mon by one group o people about anothergroup. A stereotype can be a conventionaland oversimplied conception, opinion, or

image, based on the assumption that thereare attributes that members o the other

group hold in common. These typecastsoten ignore the intricacies o individu-

ality, resulting in trite or trivial clichs.Worse, identities based on stereotypes canbe incorrect and damaging, encouraging

prejudice and bigotry.Sociologist Charles E. Hurst states

that, One reason or stereotypes is thelack o personal, concrete amiliarity that

individuals have with persons in otherracial or ethnic groups. Lack o amiliar-ity encourages the lumping together o

unknown individuals (Hurst, 2007, p. 6).The unortunate thing about stereotypes

is that all o us are vulnerable to their gripbecause they have become such a prevalent

part o our societal thinking. This can betrue o even the most enlightened amongus. Since we all make judgments based on

stereotypes, we must all remain diligent

to continuously examining our thoughtsand perceptions about those who are insome way dierent rom ourselves to

make certain that they are not based onerroneous and uniormed mental models.Stereotypes creep into almost all aspects

o our culture including music, television,stories, and contemporary art. Ongoing

diversity and inclusion eorts are neces-sary or maintaining awareness, dispelling

stereotypes, and building more inclusive

workplaces.Especially when diversity eorts have

been in existence or many years, indi-viduals and teams oten assume and/orbelieve they have overcome the infuence o

stereotyping. One approach to urtheringdiversity eorts is to leverage internal and

external practitioners as well as diversitycommittees. Each has an excellent platorm

to illuminate the impact o popular culturein reinorcing and/or infuencing stereo-types. However, organizations oten nd

that even when internal diversity commit-tee members are trained to recognize and

overcome stereotypes, sustaining momen-tum can be challenging, because many

diversity committee team members:

Serve as volunteers and do not havediversity as their primary job unction.

Think they understand diversity issuesbetter than others.

Lack credibility as business or unc-tional leaders.

Lose their ervor and commitment tochallenge widely-held belies over time.

Need to be re-energized and retrained

periodically.

Rotate o the committee eventually.

Without constant vigilance, employees

and practitioners are likely to all backinto old patterns o behavior and ignorestereotypes that can obstruct the creation

o more inclusive environments. Sincecontemporary art infuences our percep-

tions, it also provides a venue to acilitatesae dialogue about elicited and visceral

responses. As stewards o change, internal

and external OD practitioners are in thebest position to oer new approaches to

understanding culture and stereotypes aswell as opening dialogues or new conver-sations about stereotypes. The A.R.T. o

Diversity is one new approach.

A.R.T. o Diversity Overview

Using images rom various contemporaryart orms, The A.R.T. o Diversity experi-ence, was an original design created to

challenge strongly held belies and examinethe power o stereotypes in shaping indi-

vidual behavior and organization norms/culture. Designed as a change process, the

A.R.T. o Diversity provided a unique andprovocative way to address some o therecruiting, retention and talent develop-

ment issues many organizations ace.Key components included: presentations

by provocative contemporary artists,customized digital story-telling, a unique

venue, acilitated dialogue, small groupactivities, and individual refection andjournaling.

The art selected intentionally high-

lighted the predilection to categorize peopleand objects and challenged biases both conscious and ones never considered. Guest

artists shared images to stimulate poweruldiscussion and dialogue while addressingcomplex issues such as personal values,

societal roles, age, disability, ethnic origins,religious aliation, work experience/styles

and race. The A.R.T. acronym allowed par-ticipants to rame the experience.

Since we all make judgments based on stereotypes, we must

all remain diligent to continuously examining our thoughts and

perceptions about those who are in some way dierent rom

ourselves to make certain that they are not based on erroneous

and uniormed mental models. Stereotypes creep into almost all

aspects o our culture including music, television, stories, and

contemporary art. Ongoing diversity and inclusion eorts are

necessary or maintaining awareness, dispelling stereotypes,

and building more inclusive workplaces.

OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 41 No. 4 200926


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A:Awarenessuncovering in onesel

predominant and unconsciousbelies about people based on dier-

ences (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender,age, sexual orientation, education,religion, lie style and/or socio eco-

nomic status)R: Recognitiondiscovering alterna-

tive realities to our unconsciousbelies

T: Transformationinteracting withpeople who are dierent with amore expansive mindset and greater

valuing

Case Study: Division o a global

pharmaceutical company

The A.R.T. o Diversity was selected by

the leader o a D&I initiative to help jumpstart a somewhat stagnate internal corpo-rate Diversity Action Committee (DAC)

within Pzer Animal Health. At thetime o the initiative, DAC had been

active or about two years. Overall, mem-bers were complacent, lacked momentum,

and demonstrated varying levels ocourage in addressing sensitive diversityissues directly. DAC included employees

rom various parts o the company whohad either volunteered or were nomi-

nated by their manager to participate onthe committee. The purpose o the DAC

was to:1. Advise senior management on

approaches to increase diversity

2. Create a culture o inclusion in theworkplace

3. Eect positive change in attracting,retaining, and developing diverse talent

New ideas and methods or pushing theorganization to more proactively embrace

diversity were in short supply. The eec-

tiveness o members was in large partcontingent upon their ability to becomecomortable within themselves about

issues o diversity. For individual membersa level o skill and personal passion ordiversity work are extremely important

because the majority o the work is doneby individuals outside o ormal commit-

tee meetings. It is done by strategicallyasking the right questions at the right time;

in one-on-one meetings with managers

encouraging the development o diverseslates o candidates beore hiring decisions

are made; and by challenging colleagueswho make seemingly innocent o-colorremarks. Each o these actions requires

a level o skill, tact, and personal couragewhich are practically impossible without a

personal level o comort with the subjectmatter.

Like most people, the members othe DAC wanted to do the right thing, but

wanting to do the right thing and know-

ing what to do and how to do it are verydierent things. The A.R.T. o Diversityexperience provided a way to re-enlist team

member commitment while addressing

complex issues inherent in stereotypes.Committee members discussed some otheir personal challenges with conront-

ing stereotyping, asked or training to helpknow what to say, created action plans,and made verbal commitments to be more

vigilant in their roles.The A.R.T. o Diversity allowed indi-

viduals to thoroughly examine their ownpersonal thinking in a nonthreatening

manner. To this end, the process included

ground rules or participation and learningParticipants were encouraged to:

Withhold judgment and use activelistening

Challenge ones own concepts about

diversity and stereotypes Identiy diversity issues and understand

related tensions Increase intercultural curiosity and

sensitivity Express respect and appreciation or

dierences

Demonstrate courage by leading othersto become similarly aware

Establishing a truly sae environment or

personal refection was especially impor-tant or a group o volunteers who could

opt out at any time that the work becameoreboding or uncomortable. It is impor-tant to remember that DAC participation

was in addition to committee membersull time jobthe real work that they

were being paid by the company to per-orm. Increasing the eectiveness o the

DAC required stretching them beyondtheir comort zones without pushing indi-vidual members too ar.

Program Design

Ater asking key questions, consultants

and DAC leaders agreed upon objec-tives and the learning approach:1. Provide a unique venue to re-engage

members as committed DAC members2. Use Stereotypes Exhibit mounted by

the McColl Center or Visual Art tooster resh perspectives, increase

understanding, and move the commit-tee toward systemic behavioral change

3. Challenge members to develop a D&I

Point o View by:

Challenging ones own views andthe status quo Entering with sensitivity and

curiosity Identiying diversity issues and

tensions

Respecting and appreciatingdierences

Demonstrating courage Using active listening

For individual members a

level o skill and personal

passion or diversity work are

extremely important because

the majority o the work isdone by individuals outside o

ormal committee meetings. It

is done by strategically asking

the right questions at the right

time; in one-on-one meetings

with managers encouraging

the development o diverse

slates o candidates beorehiring decisions are made; and

by challenging colleagues who

make seemingly innocent o-

color remarks.



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Program Components

The components are listed in the order o

the program design.1. Exhibit Introduction. Ce Scott, Director

o Exhibitions, McColl Center or

Visual Art, Charlotte, North Carolina,introduced the exhibit and eatured

artists. Ms. Scott made a presentationabout the mission o McColl Center

exhibitions based on the concept o theCreative Crucible: a place or situationin which concentrated orces converge

and interact to cause or infuencechange or development. Her presen-

tation set the stage or the learningexperience.

2. Guest Lecture: Artist provocateur ColinQuashie (www.quashie.com) presented

a lecture on popular stereotypes andcultural assumptions eaturing his artusing a PowerPoint presentation ormat

(Figure 1). Using the images rom hisportolio, Quashie and the program

designer acilitated a dialogue ater thepresentation. Participants asked ques-

tions, provided reactions to the images,and made connections to the workplaceon their own without prompting.

3. Exhibit Tour: Stereotypes: ConfrontingClichs

Ater the lecture, each participantreceived a written exhibit overview, a

clipboard with instructions, and a set oquestions designed to elicit their reac-tions to the images. Participants were

given one hour to experience the exhibitas well as to answer the questions. The

questions included:1. What, i any, preconceived ideas did

you have about the content o theexhibition?

2. Which specic works in the exhibit

did you nd the most challenging to

view? How so?3. What, i anything, surprised youabout the images/exhibit?

4. What were the similarities and/ordierences among the ways globalstereotypes were presented?

5. Which, i any, works changed yourthoughts, perceptions, or ideas

about a particular group o people?Some individuals elected to orm small

groups, while others viewed the exhibiton their own. Spontaneous discussions

occurred along the way. Some o theimages and the narrative descriptions

caused participants to refect/readindividually.

The exhibit was created or the McCollCenter or Visual Art as a part o an

ongoing mission to address diversityissues and to make art accessible; how-

ever, practitioners are not constrainedby current art exhibits. Other optionsinclude using images rom popular cul-

ture and local diversity ocused artists.Samples o images rom diversity

ocused artists are provided in

Figure 2.

These artists use a variety o media,expressing multiple viewpoints. Iona

Reseal Brown uses imagery about theinfuence o Hip Hop culture on Japans

youth. Anne Kesler Shields simulta-neously supports and challenges our

assumptions about the ancient symbolo the cross. Shirin Neshat uses videoand photographs to weave complex

narratives about the commonalities o

men and women in her native countryas well as the interconnectedness oreligion and politics.

Other diversity ocused artists in theexhibition included:

Roger Shimomura, who examines

Japanese-American stereotypes.

Lorna Simpson, who explores issues

o recreating photo-based works thataddress the perceptions and reali-

ties o being a black woman in theUnited States.

Loretta Lux, who constructs digitallymanipulated photographs o chil-

dren that challenge accepted ideasabout portraiture, gender, and thepresumed innocence o childhood.

Tarek Al-Ghoussein, who employssel-portraits to dismantle media

stereotypes o Palestinian asterrorist.

While their approaches vary, all o theseartists use stereotypes as a tool or

personal exploration and to stimulateawareness and tolerance in the viewer.

They are not araid to tackle the mostprovocative stereotypes, including those

surrounding ethnicity, religion, andgender. Ultimately, these seven artistsintentionally highlight our predilec-

tion to categorize people and objectsby challenging both our conscious and

unconscious biases.

Facilitated Dialogue: A.R.T.:Expanding BoundariesMoving

Past Witnessing. Ater the tour, the

acilitators led the group in a acilitated

dialogue, using their answers to thequestions to initiate the discussion. Theobjectives o this dialogue were:

1. Explore art as a vehicle to identify per-sonal stereotypes (e.g., provoke deeplyheld belies). Participants shared how

stereotypes hurt and/or embarrassedthem. In addition, they discovered

how their own biases and prejudicesimpacted others negatively.

Figure 1: From Colin Quashies PowerPoint Presentation

Reprinted with permission o Colin Quashie



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2. Increase the cultural and world viewdiversity capacity of DAC using

contemporary art. Participantsexpressed how the images used

during the session stretched theirunderstanding o global culturesand dierences that they hadnt con-

sidered even in the US. They alsostated how the session reinorced

the need to continue their eorts to

address diversity and inclusion inthe workplace.

3. Apply the witnessing model to

move from a passive to the higherlevels of active and ethical witness-ing (Ishiyama, 2000). The witness-

ing model was used to show howbystanders who are passive and/or sel-silenced, can expand their

repertoire or how to respond insituations o stereotyping, racial

discrimination, or non-inclusivetreatment. Participants learned more

about their individual responsibilityand accountability or taking a more

active role in addressing negativestereotypes. In act, participants

ound when they returned to theirjobs they had more courage toaddress non-inclusive workplace

behaviors directly.4. Address discrimination and preju-

dice expressed in art to build cul-

tural vitality and create a safer, more

inclusive workplace or community.Based on the workshop, participants

asked or more targeted training onhow to give more direct eedbackand how to engage senior leaders in

DAC eorts.

Impact and Learning

Individuals who have participated in the

A.R.T. o Diversity experiences includeDiversity Action Committees as well as

intact workgroups, and they have recom-mended the learning method to others. The

personal impact included comments suchas, The A.R.T. o Diversity experience:

Stimulated emotional, visceralresponses

Elicited responses they hadnt expected

Unconsciously encouraged creation o apersonal story to support an image

Reminded them o past events/stories Reminded them to be careul and/or

avoid certain situations Shaped uture behaviorespecially

dialogue about past/present images

Reinorced that each person has aunique perspective

Images reminded them o both positiveand negative events

The evaluations and narrative commentsreinorced the value o art to stimulateawareness, recognition, and transorma-

tion. Participants requested additionalopportunities to challenge personal

assumptions and enhance sensitivity.

For the DAC and other intact work groups,the A.R.T. o Diversity gave members aorum to re-examine their own biases

while allowing them to recommit to the

team goals. Establishing a venue outsidethe corporate boundaries and providingan opportunity or members to react to art

(by denition a media where individualperception is key and any reaction isacceptable and no reaction is wrong) was

a powerul way to allow members to bethemselves without ear o overly critical

evaluation. I one member saw somethingthat elicited one thought about bias and yet

Figure 2: From an Exhibit Created or the McColl Center or Visual Art

Iona Reseal Brown

a3 blackace #48

Anne Kesler Shields

Entanglement

Shirin NeshatProduction still

rom the flm Ferveor, 2000

Reprinted with permissiono McColl Center

Establishing a venue outside the corporate boundaries and

providing an opportunity or members to react to art (by

defnition a media where individual perception is key and any

reaction is acceptable and no reaction is wrong) was a powerul

way to allow members to be themselves without ear o overly

critical evaluation. I one member saw something that elicited

one thought about bias and yet another member saw something

entirely dierent, a spirited and non judgmental discussion

could ensue.



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another member saw something entirely

dierent, a spirited and non judgmentaldiscussion could ensue. Members grew

in their understanding o dierences andmore importantly their ability to haveeective dialogue with their colleagues

and even managers back at the workplace.The A.R.T. o Diversity was just the resh

approach that was needed to acilitate dia-logue and growth without resorting to thesame old training techniques that so oten

contribute to diversity atigue by increas-ing participants abilities to identiy and

conront stereotypes.

Conclusion

The A.R.T. o Diversity experience oered

Diversity & Inclusion and OD proession-

als a new option or stimulating dialogueabout diversity and building more inclusiveenvironments. By examining images in

popular culture, participants elt ree to talkabout their perceptions beore making per-sonal connections to their own stereotypes.

Designed as an individual change pro-cess, it provided a provocative method or

addressing stereotypes and stimulating dia-logue concerning hidden diversity issuesmany organizations ace. Rather than just

impacting the individual, however, theprocess led to change within the DAC team

as well as the overall organization.Selected artists used various

approaches and media to explore stereo-types. The visual stimulation and questionsserved as a tool or personal exploration,

awareness, and tolerance in the viewer.Since many contemporary artists are

not araid to tackle the most provocativestereotypes, including those surrounding

ethnicity, religion, and gender, art providesan excellent venue or diversity awarenessrenewal and reinorcement. The results

encourage practitioners to integrate popu-lar culture media to stimulate dialogue,

learning, and change.

References

Hastings, R.R. (2008). Diversity train-

ing might contribute to diversityatigue. Retrieved February 19, 2009

rom SHRM Web site: www.shrm.org/

Publications/HRNews/.../diversityfatigue.aspx.

Hurst, C. E. (2007). Social inequality:Forms, causes, and consequences. Boston:Pearson Education Inc.

Ishiyama, F.I. (2000, September). Toward

organizational maturation: Active wit-nessing or prejudice reduction. Paperpresented at Transcending Boundaries:

Integrating, People, Processes andSystems Conerence, Brisbane,Queensland, Australia.

Miller, F.A., & Katz, J.H. (2002). The inclu-sion breakthrough: Unleashing the real

power of diversity. San Francisco, CA:Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Stereotypes: Conronting Clichs.

Presented 2005 Exhibit o the McCollCenter or Visual Arts, Charlotte, NC.

Kerchhove, C. V. (2007, May). RetrievedJanuary 30, 2009, rom Racialicious

Web site: http://www.racialicious.com/2007/04/.

Whitney, K. (2005, June). Diversity is not

a one-time learning event. RetrievedMarch 10, 2009, rom Chie Learning

Ofcer Web site: http://www.clomedia.com/newsletters/2005/June/994/

index.php.Whitney, K. (April 2007). Training:

Where its been, Where its going.

Retrieved February 10, 2009, romChie Learning Ofcer Web site:

http://www.clomedia.com/newsletters/2007/April/1762/index.php.

Note: McColl Center or Visual Art,Charlotte, NC, provides an avenue or the

public to expand their understanding ocontemporary art through its exhibition

program by showcasing curated or nation-ally acclaimed traveling shows as well asthe work o the Artists-in-Residence and

Afliate Artists. During each residency,

the community can see new contemporarywork and meet the artists through OpenHouses or Open Studio Saturdays. In addi-tion, educational opportunities are oered

through workshops and lectures, which areheld in conjunction with curated or travel-

ing exhibitions. www.mccollcenter.org

Rich Smith, MBA, JD, is Senior

Director, HR or Pfzers Corporate

Groups. Rich has over twenty

years o progressive Human

Resources experience in corpo-

rate, division and feld environ-

ments within manuacturing,

distribution, and pharmaceuticals

industries. Throughout his career,Richs ocus has been on part-

nering with line management to

provide strategic human resources

planning. Rich holds a masters

degree in Business Administration

rom the University o Oklahoma

and a law degree rom Quinnipiac

University. He can be reached at

[email protected].

Kittie W. Watson, PhD, is Presi-

dent and ounder oInnolect Inc.

Innolect achieves global business

results using Innovative Intel-

ligence tools and methods to en-

gage, assess, develop, and retain

high impact leaders. Kittie works

with the top leaders and teams

o Fortune 500 companies such

as: Entergy, Sysco, Pfzer, Abitibi-

Bowater, and Childrens Hospi-

tal o Philadelphia. Her books,

articles, and assessment tools are

used extensively by businesses

and universities. A ormer chair

o the Department o Communica-

tion at Tulane University, she has

been eatured on ABCs 20/20

and in other publications in-

cluding:American Medical

News, Bottom-line Personal,

Money, Glamour, and Home Ofce

Computing. Her latest books

are Leadership Coaching: Path-

way to Peak Perormance and

Listen Up (endorsed by Stephen

Covey). She can be reached at

[email protected].

Copyright 2009 by the Organization Development Network, Inc. All rights reserved.


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