The "Diversity: In Red, White And Black" series will consist of conversations with business leaders and social influencers representing various industries, segments and sectors who are inspired by and committed to sharing information and thoughts on the subject of diversity and inclusion. Each article is designed to engage and encourage respectful conversation around the topic of workplace diversity.
"Red" questions will relate to a current workplace deficiency, "white” questions will pertain to the status quo and "black” questions will reflect on a positive gain in the workplace. Now let's start the conversation ...
Last month, we packed up our radio show on diversity, employment and more, and headed over to The Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia to do a live remote broadcast from The NBMBAA Conference. According to the organization's website, "The National Black MBA Association was conceived in 1970 to help Blacks coming into the corporate sector share experiences and insights to help make the journey easier." As a diversity recruiter, I was impressed by its mission and wanted to learn more.
Through some savvy networking and assistance from the conference's public relations lead, LaTonya Story, I was able to connect with Mr. Jesse Tyson, president and CEO of the NBMBAA, for a conversation on diversity and inclusion.
My goal was to hear his views on the current American workplace at it pertains to diversity and inclusion and to get some answers on how corporate America can position itself for successful achievement of workplace diversity benchmarks.
Red Question: We receive a constant stream of information from all areas and sectors of Corporate America reporting unsuccessful efforts to increase workplace diversity numbers. Why is this still an issue?
"The dilemma is that we often try to use the traditional metric of ROI to put a value on diversity and ignore the other key benefits that come with having a diverse workforce. When ROI is the only component of valuing diversity, the real value is missed. Companies set themselves up for failure with the expectation that diversity only has a quantifiable payback. This implies they are only looking to diversify for the numbers, rather than the enhancement of their team."
White Question: Why are some companies successful with their diversity strategy? Is there a defining moment that triggers a company to walk the talk and move past its diversity strategy just being a concept on the website?
"The organizations that have success with implementing a diversity strategy have a strong commitment to driving this initiative at the highest leadership level: the president and CEO. When this is part of the CEO’s core mission, priority is normally placed on ensuring that qualified and diverse candidates are vetted for key leadership positions. In some organizations, there are developmental programs and/or mentors in place to ensure the success of those candidates.
"Most companies understand that business results and/or the evolving competitive landscape require a diverse team with different views and opinions and that these differences drive better performance and team dynamics. Organizations typically serve a diverse mix of customers, which means they must assemble a team that is reflective of the voice of their customer base. There is a greater awareness that diversity is a key lever to an organizations ability to not only exceed in today’s environment but also excel."
Black Question: For the company that reaches the benchmark, what can it do to ensure it continues to attract and retain diverse talent moving forward?
"Attracting and retaining diverse talent is only part of the equation. All employees must have an opportunity to reinforce and strengthen key competencies on the path to enhanced career opportunities. Developing talent is as critical as attracting and retaining it. Thus, it becomes the component that separates the winners from the rest.
"It is important that employees have documented responsibilities, measures of success and structured coaching. When any employee shows promising signs of career progression, [they] should be given stretch assignments in addition to having a mentor/leader who is aiding them in developing a career strategy/roadmap. Also, an organization that is committed to retention and development of all talent will have the appropriate infrastructure in place to award stellar performance and embrace diversity as the solution rather than an issue to be managed."
What I took from my conversation with Mr. Tyson is that we all are accountable for a diverse workplace. The directives and leadership may come from the top, but the vision and desire have to be systematically embedded within the workforce as a whole. The focus will get distorted if we only look at financial ROI as a key metric. Financial increases will undoubtedly come, but they can not be the sole measure in determining intent, implementation, failure or success.
In Philly, the popular term is "trust the process." I believe that if organizations remain true to their D&I mission and consistent in their multi-tiered approach to achieving benchmarked diversity numbers, we will all win. Over time, the future minority-majority will begin to trust the process. The future of the American workplace depends on it.
Let's go to work!
