Diversity Corner A Blueprint for Successful Diversity Initiatives By Tasnim McCormick Benhalim and Kim Malcolm

American companies are increasingly aware of the link between diversity initiatives and prosperity. Over 68,000 companies in the United States are spending over $10 billion annually in their efforts to build more cohesive and productive workforces to compete in our global marketplace.

That said, just envisioning how diversity could work in your company may seem daunting. Perhaps some team members are afraid of not being politically correct, or perhaps confusion over what diversity actually means is holding your organization back. It doesn't have to - although successful diversity initiatives are customized to meet the unique needs of each organization, they all contain key elements that form a blueprint for success.

Before beginning, it's important to grasp that working with diversity now includes not only race and gender but also differences in religion, age, sexual orientation, education, culture, work title/status, family relationships, geographical location and personal style. In short, diversity has evolved to a simple, but profound premise: "All the ways in which we are different." This larger picture of diversity includes everyone and matters to everyone. It also serves to draw lines of relationship between people who may be outwardly different but share common values, skills, styles or backgrounds - a ready reminder of our common humanity. The most important decision you'll make is this: will diversity continue to be seen as a problem that bogs your systems down, or will you leverage your organization's diversity to your advantage?

Diversity affects every aspect of your organization, and addressing diversity as an integral part of business in today's global marketplace. Whether you're working to improve emerging markets, recruitment and retention, customer service, or employee morale and productivity, diversity is a critical element for success. Obviously, achieving diversity takes time and sustained effort. It's a journey, not a destination. But it can be attained with small, incremental steps that focus on creating an inclusive and respectful workplace for everyone, to everyone's benefit, and the company's advantage.

So, what are the essential elements for the blueprint of success? There are four: full support from senior leadership, a dedicated diversity manager, a diversity action team, and employee resource groups.

Senior Leadership:

Corporate support is critical. The first key is to acknowledge that successful diversity initiatives are envisioned, endorsed, and supported from the very top levels of the organization. The diversity process, however well-intentioned, simply cannot work unless it is embraced and modeled by senior management. The tone and message of any organization are set at the top, and a company directive to which leaders only give lip service fools no one. Leadership provides verbal, behavioral and financial support to the diversity process in order to ensure its viability. So it is critical for leaders to communicate across the organization why diversity is so important for their business, and their future success.

In a large corporation, a second critical component is the diversity manager, a full-time employee who is dedicated full-time to the diversity process. Small organizations may not be able to afford a full-time diversity manager, but ensuring an employee has been charged with managing the diversity process and has consistently scheduled time to do so can also be effective. The diversity manager is endorsed by and works closely with the organization's senior leadership, the diversity council, and the employee resource groups.

A diversity action team, or a diversity council, is another critical piece of the puzzle. So how are effective diversity action teams assembled? The mix is important: representing a wide range of diversity, they're drawn from every level of the company, from the loading dock to the board of directors' suite. The diversity manager and one or more members of senior leadership must be fully engaged participants of the diversity action team. Each member needs to be committed to the organization and support its goals, has a commitment to diversity, and each needs to be respected as valued team members in their work area.

It's important to note what diversity action teams are, and are not. They are not policy makers, or spies for management. They do not represent a quick fix, or only represent the agenda of their particular group. So what are they? Effective diversity action teams are the eyes and ears of the organization. They are guided and endorsed by senior leadership, and the diversity manager. The diversity action team serves an advisory function, and most critically, is charged with dealing with current issues and business opportunities, as well as identifying future ones.

Employee resource groups are the final component, and also play an important role. They are the voices of the diverse groups they represent, and perform a variety of roles, including being an educational resource or mentor or supporting professional development in the organization. Each employee resources group also provides a representative to the diversity action team. They are involved in connecting the organization to the larger community, and can effectively serve as business resources for the organization's goals to access emerging markets and client groups, and improve recruitment and retention.

Examples may include women, African-Americans, Latinos, the disabled, religious groups, single parents, GLBT, retired management, veterans, working parents, native Americans, and the list goes on. Examine your organization carefully to be sure you are tapping into all your available resources.

So what exactly are these four elements tasked to do? Essentially, they're there to help the organization answer the following questions:

What? As in, what is diversity, and why a diversity initiative will make your organization stronger and more profitable. This process links your organization's business vision, strategies, and objectives to diversity, and establishes a clear business case.

So what? Education is the primary focus of this next level, where everyone in the company goes through some form of diversity awareness and skills training. The overriding goal of this training is to engage each person in the organization in such a way that they see the work of diversity is about them and for them, and is of benefit to themselves and the organization. The effects will include managers who have the skills and tools to work with today's diverse work teams, and employees who are better able to work within diverse workplaces, and to attract and serve diverse clients, customers, and guests.

Now what? At this stage, the role of diversity is well defined, and policies and practices are in place to support the ongoing effort. With attention and careful planning, environments develop where people can flourish, where people are respected, valued, and heard, and that show increases in employee and customer satisfaction, market share, productivity, and organizational success.

The Right Approach

Successful diversity initiatives avoid blame and shame. They focus on behaviors - civility, respect, and inclusion - not belief systems. They emphasize that understanding and respect for others in no way imply agreement. One size never fits all - how diversity will work for your organization is unique to your organization's workforce, customers, and organizational goals.

What isn't unique is how a substantive diversity program that's supported by all levels feels. Organizations that effectively work with diversity have higher employee satisfaction and retention rates, and overall outperform their closest competitors.* The diversity voyage is not about a major culture shift, but a planned strategy that leverages diversity to reach short and long-term goals. As we said earlier, it takes time, and a concerted effort. But the payoffs are tremendous. Organizations working effectively with diversity can discover a wealth of talents and strengths in their organization that they never knew they had.

Tasnim McCormick Benhalim is the principal of DiversityWealth, a firm dedicated to bringing the benefits of diversity and improved productivity to organizations large and small. Kim Malcolm is lead writer at DiversityWealth, and has a deep interest in diversity issues. A Katy Award winning journalist, she has worked in public broadcasting for ten years, with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, NPR, and KERA 90.1 in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

* For more information: The National Urban League - www.nul.org - click on "Publications," and then "Diversity Study".

Return to October Horizon