Managing Diversity : Change Agent or Change Captive?

Dr. Christopher Metzler, JD, Mst., LLM, MA. Ph.D

SEMINAR OUTLINE•What is Diversity and how does it differ from traditional compliance(EEO/AAP) ?

•What is the business case or rationale for implementing a Diversity Initiative in an organization ?

•What are the key components and performance measures of a successful Diversity Initiative?

•What is the role of senior leadership in implementing a successful organizational diversity initiative?

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This Diversity Seminar….

IS… • A beginning • Introspective • Thought Provoking • An opportunity critical to

Memorial`s long term success

IS NOT… • A quick fix • Confrontational • About changing you • A problem • Just a fad

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Diversity Seminar- Ground Rules

•Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and these opinions should be expressed in an atmosphere of trust, candor and mutual respect. •Listen with the head and speak from the heart. • It`s okay not to know, and to admit to others that you don`t know. •As we try and value Diversity, lets also Celebrate Diversity

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What is Diversity?•Diversity is the sum total of the differences which make individuals who they are, and their collective ability to contribute to the goals of an organization.

•Managing Diversity is a conscious choice and commitment by an organization to VALUE these differences by using diversity as a source of strength to achieve organizational goals.

• Please refer to the material in your training packet for some suggested definitions on Diversity

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COMING TO TERMS WITH DIVERSITY “We are deeply committed to building a diverse workforce and are confident that we can and must effectively manage diversity. We must think more broadly than race and gender. We must harness the diverse talents & perspectives of all our employees, in our efforts to meet our business goals. This includes changing the way we manage and interact s team members with people who have different styles of learning and working, and managing diversity as a key business advantage in our increasingly multicultural markets. In an evermore diverse and competitive marketplace, we cannot afford to exclude any perspectives.

BankBoston Corp.

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Changes in Family Composition

•The number of married couples without children at home exceeds the number of couples with children at home by 3 million. •60% of all U.S. households will have no children at home by 2010. •Dual career couples comprise 58% of all married couples, representing 30.3 million couples. •Single parent households make up 27% of all families, with women heading most of these households.

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California-The First State in the U.S.with No Ethnic Majority

•California`s non-Hispanic white population is 46.7% of the state`s residents. •The State`s Hispanic population is 32.4% •Other races count for 20.9% of California`s population. •California has the nation`s largest proportion of people in any large state who said they were of more than one race, 4.7%

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Affirmative Action vs. Diversity-Where Should An Organization Want to Be?

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION • Driven by legal mandates-A Compliance Model • Goal-Specific •May achieve statistical goals without addressing attitudinal barriers. • Compliance approach-May achieve short-term results, but no lasting culture change.

DIVERSITY • Voluntary effort to incorporate a Diversity commitment in Strategic & Annual Operating Plans. • Organization-specific • Behavior Change Driven-Model • Commitment to Diversity in response to changing labor market can lead to sustained culture change and long-term success.

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Organizational Baseline Check for Understanding Diversity:

• In order to be perceived as being more committed and sensitive to DIVERSITY, we should: • STOP……… • START…….. • And CONTINUE DOING………

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GO FORTH AND DIVERSIFY•According to a new study by SHRM(Society for Human Resource Management) and Fortune Magazine, 52% of employers say a good diversity initiative improves relationships with clients. •79% of the respondents said it improves their corporate culture •Another 77% said it improves recruitment of new employees •More than half said it decreases interpersonal conflict among employees(58%), increases creativity(59%) and productivity(52%)

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Mastering Diversity Competencies Takes a Lifetime• Be well informed about external pressure points • Anticipate and manage stakeholders e.g. advocacy, community, non-government organizations • Influence media and marketplace via communication and community outreach to position the organization competitively • Change management

• Diversity, inclusion and global perspective • Business acumen • Integrity • Visionary and strategic leadership • HR disciplines • Recognize and address human rights issues through policy and practice

Creating a Competency Model for Diversity, The Conference Board,

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How Diversity Initiatives Help an Organization Keep a Competitive Human Resources Advantage

• Improves corporate culture • Improves employee morale • Higher retention of employees • Easier recruitment of employees • Decreases complaints & litigation • Enables the organization to move into emerging markets

• Decreased interpersonal conflict among employees • Improves client relations • Increases productivity • Improves the organization`s bottom line •Maximizes brand identity • Increases creativity

Source: SHRM/Fortune Diversity Survey 13

What are your thoughts on Diversity?

•What is the diversity profile of your organization? •Does your management team reflect the cultural make up of your workforce? •Does your workforce reflect the cultural makeup of your customer base? •Who should be responsible for monitoring and driving diversity issues in your organization? •What is the goal(s) of diversity training?

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What are your thoughts on Diversity?

• Is diversity training a passing fad created by a societal move towards “political correctness”, or does it have a legitimate place in your business? •Can you eliminate workplace discrimination or cultural insensitivity simply by changing policies to ensure fair treatment? • Is an organizational commitment to valuing diversity compatible with a commitment to merit and organizational excellence? •Should diversity training attempt to change attitudes or behavior?

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Diversity-Myths vs. Realities

• Diversity is about exclusivity, No its about inclusivity and maximizing everyone`s talents and contributions for organizations to gain a competitive human resource advantage.

• Diversity is just another fad, No, because the national and demographic workplace trends prove its here to stay. The real question is whether you can manage it as a positive rather than a negative force for change in your organization.

• Diversity is just another form of EEO/AAP, No, because Diversity goes beyond compliance as an organizational commitment to excellence, by using diversity as a source of strength.

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Diversity-Myths vs. Realities

• Diversity is not a problem, Its an opportunity

• Diversity is the HR Departments responsibility , no its our responsibility

• Diversity is about just race and gender, No, because managing diversity is much broader and pervasive than just race and gender.

• Diversity is only about minorities and women in the workplace, No its about recognizing the diversity of your internal(employees)and external customers to compete in a diverse market, both nationally and globally.

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Top Ten Reasons Why Organizations Need To MANAGE Diversity

•When I look at a person of color,I don`t see color, I just see the person •Other employees may need diversity training, but I don`t, because I don`t have any prejudices • I think employing a handicapped or challenged person is fine for our organization, as long as we can find something for them to do • I`m not insensitive to differences of diversity, because I treat everyone the same • I treat female employees with respect and dignity, because that`s what a gentleman should do

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Top Ten Reasons Why Organizations Need To MANAGE Diversity

•Women make good managers,because they are more sensitive to the needs of their employees • I think recruiting minority employees to achieve diversity goals is a good thing for our company, as long as they are qualified to perform the job • I think it is more difficult to get superior performance out of older workers,because they tend to be less productive with age • I think class/caste differences in our organization have little, if anything to do with managing diversity. • I believe that in order to lead a diverse workforce, we must first value diversity within our own leadership group

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Diversity vs. MeritWhat managers fear is a lowering of standards. But in a

diverse workforce, competence counts more than ever.

R. Thomas,Jr.,"From Affirmative Action to Afirming Diversity" 20

The Right Question The wrong question: “ How are we doing on race relations?”

The right question: “Is this a workplace where `we` is everyone?”

-R. Thomas, Jr."From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity" 21

Diversity Initiative:Intervention Options

Intervention Options:

External Consultant

Consultant, HR, & Diversity Council

Human Resource Driven Model (internal)

Consulting Component:

Consultant drives program

Hybrid team drives program design & installation.

HR serves as an internal consultant

Benefits or Risks of this Option:

Less use of internal staff, but also less ownership when consultant leaves.

Shared effort & ownership of diversity program.

Requires some tradeoffs in priorities & workload to install program.

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Key Components of a Successful Diversity Initiative•Executive level commitment to partner with HR and champion this kind of change initiative is critical to its credibility and long-term success •Training is a wake up call, not a panacea for institutionalizing diversity in your organization •A Diversity Council can be an effective culture change agent, if structured and staffed appropriately •Accountability for managing diversity is a shared responsibility, with expectations to be met •Measure and celebrate the measures of your success

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Suggested Strategies to Strengthen a Diverse Workforce•Gain senior leadership commitment •Engage employees in the process •Support local/community diversity groups •Provide diversity training , not as the destination but as part of the journey •Promote open communication and dialogue to overcome behavioral resistance, improve understanding and gain acceptance of diversity as a cultural norm

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Diversity Performance Measures: Then and Now• TRADITIONAL • EEO & AAP metrics • Employee attitude surveys • Cultural audits • Focus groups • Customer surveys • Management & Employee

evaluations

• CONTEMPORARY • Demographics • Organizational culture • Accountability • Productivity/ profitability • Benchmarking • Programmatic measures

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Suggested Performance Criteria for Measuring Diversity

•Employees perceptions of the work environment on Diversity issues as measured through EOS(Employee Opinion Survey), focus groups, exit interviews, etc. •Turnover, retention and upward mobility patterns by the demographics of your workforce compared to diversity goals. •Market perceptions of job applicants •Customer Satisfaction Norms on Diversity issues •Performance/Productivity measures

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Managing Diversity-Suggested Resources

•Workforce 2020;Work & Workers in the 21st Century. The sequel to the Hudson Institute`s Landmark Study, Workforce 2000 • Thomas,Jr. Roosevelt, “From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity” • Thomas,Jr. Roosevelt, “Differences Do Make a Difference” • Thiederman, Sondra, PHD.,Bridging Cultural Barriers for Corporate Success;How to Manage the Multicultural Workforce • Corporate Practices in Diversity Measurement, A research report by The Conference Board • Baytos, Lawrence M. “Designing & Implementing Successful Diversity Programs”

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Managing Diversity, Suggested Resources, contd.•“Managing Diversity in Healthcare”, by Lee Gardenswartz & Anita Rowe. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998 “Race in the Workplace” HR Magazine, March 2000 • “Where Diversity Really Works;America`s Best

Companies for Minorities”Fortune, July, 1999 • Digh, Patricia, “The Next Challenge: Holding People

Accountable. HR Magazine, October, 1998 • Diversity, Building a Rainbow, One Stripe at a Time. HR

Magazine, August, 1998 • “Prepared for the Future. Training Women for Corporate

Leadership” HR Magazine, April, 1997

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Managing Diversity, Suggested Resources, contd.• “Its Time to take a Strategic Approach to Diversity

Management” Mosaics, Oct. 1996 • “Creating a New Balance Sheet: The Need for Better

Diversity Metrics”, Mosaics, Sept./Oct. 1999 • “If Your Organization Values Diversity, Why Are They

Leaving? Mosaics, May/June 1999 • “Diversity Resisters: When No is Too Much and Yes Isn`t

Enough” Mosaics, Sept./Oct. 2000 • “Diversity Goes Global”Mosaics, Jan./Feb. 2000 • “Dealing Effectively with Disability Accommodations”

Mosaics, Nov./Dec. 2000 • “Tapping Into an Older Workforce” Mosaics, Mar./April

2000

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