Will the Real DEI Please Stand Up? Please Stand Up! Over twenty-eight years ago, when I started working professionally in the “diversity” field, I read “Beyond Race and Gender,” by Roosevelt Thomas. Dr. Thomas was very clear that real diversity in organizations was more than representation, and more than one issue. Diversity in organizations was more than looking good in…
I hated my first job. It was selling aluminum siding over the telephone. I didn’t even know what it was, how much aluminum siding actually cost. I didn’t know who owned the company or what happened once a live person showed up at the house of the perspective buyer. But I was good at it. Even with those factors,…
It’s so easy to be mentally lazy, stereotype and label people we don’t know well. We listen to what other people tell us, default to stereotypes. This takes the work out of having to interact in meaningful ways or experience discomfort with people who are different. We don’t have to make decisions for ourselves or take the time to understand…
The United States population is diverse. It’s no longer a question of when the workforce will change. It already has. There has been a huge increase in women, people of color and immigrants in the workforce in the last 25 years. Diversity is not just a good idea today. It is a business imperative if you want to stay competitive…
Stop Diversity Stress Working with people who are different than you can be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. It may be hard for many of us to admit, especially with all the conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion. Denying being uncomfortable won’t make you more comfortable. If you’ve ever experienced “Diversity Stress,” and want stop it, keep reading….
Talking about race with people who are different than you can be awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s necessary and doable. The fact is racism exists, racial conflict exists, and inequality still exists. To say that we are post-racial is nonsense. To say that everyone is the same is nonsense. And to say that we should all be color blind…
I was working with a large Fortune 500 company considered to be one of the diversity and inclusion leaders. The CEO was championing diversity. He had all the right policies and procedures in place. Senior management was more diverse. Culture at that level was starting to change. A young African-American man pulled me aside to talk. He said he was the…
Ten Ways To Foster Amazing Innovation Through Diversity Leadership In this business era of speed, competition and globalization, innovation rules all. You never know where the next great product, process or profit builder will originate. Good Diversity Management and Culturally Intelligent Leadership can make the difference between repeatedly hearing mediocre ideas from the same people, or mining the hidden…
Potential Problems With a Diverse Workforce: Problem #1 and Solution We’ve probably all have heard that a culturally diverse workforce is more creative and innovative than a homogeneous one. It’s become the “diversity meme,” so much so that there is hesitancy on the part of many people to question that statement. In over twenty years, and with at least…
We can’t leverage diversity and create inclusive workplaces if we don’t examine our own biases and learn how to filter them out. 1- Become aware that we all have biases. Some biases are unconscious.. We don’t realize we’re thinking a certain way. In other situations people are aware of their judgments of other groups and think those judgements are facts….
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