WORKFORCEDIVERSITY (Inclusion)

WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition

October 29, 2015

Don C. Locke, DistinguishedProfessor Emeritus, NCSU

Co-Author,Increasing Multicultural

Understanding, Third Edition

Recollection, Reminiscence, Retrospection

Now, let me say a word to those of you who say that when it comes to race in the United States, we should steer clear of the past, and focus on the future, lest we be turned into pillars of salt.

I remain certain that we still have not learned the history of persons of color in the United States, and most certainly we have not learned from that history. The same holds true for other dimensions of diversity.

Furthermore, the inheritance of privilege (in addition to implicit economic advantages) suggests that perhaps most have not learned this history.

A Common Language

SocialJustice

Multiculturalism

Diversity & Inclusion

 

  

DiversityDiversity includes all characteristics and

experiences that define each of us as individuals." Al Gore’s National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR) Diversity Task Force

• Diversity is not just about culture or race. It’s really about the fact that people think differently.

 Diversity of training, thinking and experience really brings the best minds together

Diversity meansDifference

Narrowly means different race/ethnicity

More broadly means any difference between people (sex, sexual orientation, ability, religion, geography, social class, etc.)

Diversity: Broad or NarrowFrequently, diversity is viewed in a limited

fashion, primarily addressing issues of race, ethnic or gender differences, and linked to the laws providing protected status to certain groups. I have used a very broad definition of diversity, to encompass most characteristics that individuals possess that affect the way they think and do things. This is critical.

This is diversity at the macro level.

Diversity at the MICRO level

Until we “operationalize” diversity, we are unable to develop specific strategies to address goals.

Stated differently, we must focus on one dimension at a time, somewhat in isolation, so that we may develop MEASURABLE goals.

Race remains the “canary in the coal mine” for our workplace diversity challenges

A not so provincial view of multicultural counseling, Counselor Education and Supervision, 1990

“An inclusive culture certainly contributes to the company’s scientific success. Diversity is a noble concept, but inclusion is active and behavioral. Without inclusion there can be no meaningful scientific breakthroughs – because collaboration is critical to fostering innovation and employee engagement is necessary for driving performance.”

Vijay Bhargava, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

New Your Times/CBS News Poll, July, 2015

Fifty-seven percent of Americans believe race relations are bad, versus 37 percent who disagree. (Among whites, 56 percent think relations are bad; among African Americans, it’s 68 percent.) Four in 10 Americans, among both African American and white respondents, believe things are getting worse.

A poll measures whether people feel race relations are getting worse, not whether race relations are actually getting worse. It’s possible that what this poll actually shows is less a material change in race relations, than greater awareness among white Americans of racial divisions that were previously invisible to them. This poll offers some strong evidence for this theory.

Diversity (Inclusion) in one IndustryA study published in August, 2015“

Inequality in 700 Popular Films: Examining Portrayals of Character Gender, Race and LGBT Status,” exposed that women only have 30.2 percent of the 30,835 speaking characters in top-grossing films in the U.S. from 2007 to 2014. In 2014, no female actors over 45 years of age performed a lead or co-lead role.

Of those characters coded for race/ethnicity across 100 top films of 2014, 73.1% were White, 4.9% were Hispanic/Latino, 12.5% were Black, 5.3% were Asian, 2.9% were Middle Eastern, <1% were American Indian/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and 1.2% were from “other” racial and/or ethnic groupings. This represents no change in the portrayal of apparent race/ethnicity from 2007‐2014.

Message is most often:If you talk like us; walk like us; dress and groom like us;

act like us; and think like us, then you can be one of us.

This is NOT diversity, and certainly NOT inclusion.

Diversity requires the sharing of power, resources, and opportunities.

Inclusion includes both ACCESS (getting into organization) and SUCCESS (surviving and thriving inside organization)

Who Am I and What do I Bring?

What does the organization offer that allows me to grow my skills

and talents?

InnovationIn his recent book, A More Beautiful Question: The

Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, Warren Berger poses a simple formula:

Q (questioning) + A (action) = I (innovation).

“Why” is the innovator’s obvious first question. “Why Not,” her next, followed by “What If”, and finally, “How?”

Critics will ask, just what do they think they are doing? We have never done it that way before.

There were never in the world two opinions alike; anymore than two hairs or two grains. The most universal quality is diversity. Michel de Montaigne, French Essayist

Building a Diverse Workforce

Start with an objective, accurate analysis of the status quo.

Treat each other with respect and dignity.

Make decisions genuinely based on equity and fairness.

Promote awareness of workplace diversity within organization.

Develop and maintain a highly skilled, diverse and effective workforce, where all employees and members are valued, encouraged and provided with opportunities to develop their potential.

Building (con’t)Develop a supportive workplace culture which

allows employees and members to balance their work and personal life.

Provide a safe, secure and healthy workplace, free of discrimination and harassment.

Embrace workplace diversity principles in recruitment and selection processes.

Incorporate the principles of equity and diversity in all business activities.

A diverse organization -- Reflects the contributions and interests of diverse cultures in its

mission, operations, and instructional services;

Is committed to eradicating institutional racism and social oppression of all forms;

Includes members of diverse cultures in decisions that affect them;

Values diversity and views the differences between people as a strength;

Uses management practices and policies that emphasize participation and empowerment of all people in the organization;

Creates a working environment where all people are valued; and,

Follows through on broader external social responsibilities by educating employees and students in multicultural perspectives

Diversity/Inclusion processes to achieve organization’s diversity goals and

objectives Define diversity broadly

Commitment must come from the top

Align diversity goals and objectives with organizational mission and goals.

Recruitment

Training

Family Life

Work Life

Management Involvement

Empowerment

Affirmative employment programs

Regular inclusion of diversity topics at meetings

Recognition of diversity champions

Community involvement and outreach

Diversity/Inclusion benefits organizations ---

By creating a larger talent pool, helping organizations to attract and retain the best available talent, which makes firms more competitive.

By enhancing marketing efforts. A diverse workforce better serves a diverse customer base, offers better insights into customer needs, and markets can be segmented along diversity group lines. 

By increasing creativity in organizational processes. A diverse workforce possesses more innovative ideas, creative approaches and diverse strategies for dealing with organizational issues. 

By improving problem solving. A diverse workforce offers new solutions, expanded critical analysis and higher quality decisions. 

By creating organizational flexibility, with less tradition-bound and more divergent thinking. Accommodating diversity makes the organization more adaptable to other organizational issues.

Things to doMake the distinction between diversity, Affirmative

Action/EEO and inclusion.

Present your business case for diversity/inclusion.

Create a diversity plan and hold leaders and managers responsible for diversity/inclusion.

Increase the numbers of underrepresented populations at all levels of the organization.

Manage inclusion.

Establish an internal diversity committee.

Provide a safe place for dialogue on diversity issues.

Ideas for embracing inclusion in the workplace

Learn about the cultural backgrounds, lives and interests of employees outside of the workplace.

Include opportunities for staff to interact in settings outside of work so that employees feel more comfortable.

Be creative, flexible and look for new ways of doing things

Ensure all employees have the opportunity to take part in decision-making and planning for social activities

Organize collective meals where employees can learn about one another's cultures by sharing food

Ideas for embracing inclusion in the

workplace Be aware of, and provide time off for, culturally significant

events and holy days. Consider offering a float day for employees to use at their discretion.

Recognize and acknowledge special days and events such as International Day of Persons with Disabilities (Dec 3), International Day to End Racism, Gay Pride celebrations, etc.

Avoid scheduling important meetings on major cultural holidays

Permit flexible schedules so that employees who observe religious practices can arrange their schedules around their beliefs

Acknowledge all faiths present in your workplace

Forbes Identified 2015 Diversity Trends

More CEOs Are Piping Up

Semantics Aren’t So Subtle Anymore (tying inclusion efforts to innovation)

Diversity’s Definition Has Changed (many include “diversity of thought”)

It’s Less About Being a Good Corporate Citizen and more about the bottom line

Technology Will Move From Burden to Benefit – when we explore the intersection of diversity and technology.

Where do we go from here?

Employees deserve an organization that represents opportunity for all and favoritism for none.

How can you rewrite the narrative of your organization so that you create a different path toward the future?

What are the next steps in the organizational conversation that leads to action?

The Giraffe and the Elephant, Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.

Tecumseh, Shawnee

1795

Hear me! A single twig breaks, but the

bundle of twigs is strong.