Trailblazers E-Book

Redia Anderson

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 358

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Make diversity your competitive advantage To reap the full benefits of diversity and inclusion, today's forward thinking companies look past "diversity" training towards a more comprehensive, holistic business approach. These leaders incorporate diversity and inclusion into every aspect of business culture, employee engagement, talent management and market penetration. Trailblazers reveals the practices, metrics and research, as well as the anecdotal evidence, for building and sustaining workplace cultures that make strategic diversity and inclusion a business necessity. Focusing on concrete actions you can implement immediately, this insider guide profiles the best practices award-winning companies have used on a sustained basis to transform their organizations. * Captures insights and best practices from the most effective Chief Diversity Officers, several of which are determined by the Diversity Inc Top 50 Companies for Diversity * Companies profiled include IBM, Dell, Verizon, Merck and Co, Sodexo, Verizon, Andrews Kurth, The Coca-Cola Company, American Airlines, Citi, Ford, Shell and Pitney Bowes * Covers everything from how to use employee resource groups to help target consumers and forge tighter client relationships; from talent optimization, leadership development and retention, to increasing middle management engagement and the skill-sets required for effective Chief Diversity Officers as true business partners and more Trailblazers gives you an in-depth view from the inside out of which practical solutions make diversity and inclusion efforts a systemic and winning way of doing business for today's top-performing companies.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Redia Acknowledges . . .

Lenora Acknowledges . . .

We Acknowledge . . .

Preface

Chapter 1 - Meet the Trailblazers

Michael Collins - Managing Director of Diversity Strategies, American Airlines

Elizabeth A. Campbell - Partner and Chief Diversity Officer, Andrews Kurth, LLP

Ana Duarte McCarthy - Chief Diversity Officer, Citi

Steve Bucherati - Chief Diversity Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

Gilbert “Gil” F. Casellas - Vice President—Corporate Responsibility and Chief ...

Kiersten Robinson - (Former) Director HR Strategy, Leadership Development and ...

Ron Glover - Vice President of Diversity and Workforce Programs, IBM

Deborah “Deb” Dagit - Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Merck & Company

Susan Johnson - Vice President Strategic Talent Management and Diversity ...

Francene Young - Vice President for Diversity Inclusion and Talent, Shell

Rohini Anand, PhD - Senior Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo

Magda Yrizarry - Vice President of Workplace, Cultural Diversity and ...

Chapter 2 - The CEO’s Role in Success

CEO Commitment Is Four-Fold

Commitment Signals Importance

Walking the Walk

Chapter 3 - Trailblazers

Building, Collaborating, Leading, and Leaving a Legacy

7.5 Critical Competencies of Effective CDOs

Chapter 4 - Communicating the Vision

A Variety of Communications Vehicles Are Required

Chapter 5 - Accountability for Results

Hard Impact from the “Soft” Stuff

It Takes a Village

Embracing Resistance

Why Resistance Occurs

Chapter 6 - Middle Managers

Focus

Road Maps and Milestones

The “Numbas”: Numbers and Metrics

Performance Management and Recognition

Chapter 7 - Changing the Culture Through Education

The Myth about Inclusion and Diversity Training

Training as a Tool to Reduce the Threat of Lawsuits

Many Leaders Want to Follow the Path of Least Resistance

How to Make Inclusion and Diversity Education Worth the Investment

Including Education and Training Measures in the Audit

One Size Does Not Fit All

Develop Processes Your Leaders Will Use to Reinforce the Learning Immediately ...

Develop an Effective Evaluation Process

Identify the Facilitators for Delivery of Inclusion and Diversity Efforts

Evaluate All Company Training and Education from a Diversity Perspective

Develop Scorecards for Diversity and Inclusion Training

What Trailblazers Are Saying and Doing . . .

Chapter 8 - Sticky Strategies™ to Keep Your Pipeline Filled

Finding the Right First Step

Sticky Strategies™ That Work

Mentoring, Sponsoring, and Coaching

Chapter 9 - Community Involvement and Social Responsibility

Community Involvement: A Responsibility and Good Business

Linking Diversity Efforts and Community Involvement

Leading the Way through Supporting Professional Associations

Building Bridges through Learning and Trust

Engaging Employees for Increased Commitment

Connecting to Global Communities

Chapter 10 - Global Diversity and Inclusion

Adopting a Global Mindset

Technology and Global Diversity

Differences Matter

Inequality Is Global

Generalize; Don’t Stereotype

Journey from Equal Employment Opportunity to Inclusion and Diversity

Customers Exercise Their Choices

Global Diversity and Talent Management

Accelerating Results

Chapter 11 - Marketplace/Brand Eminence

Relationship of Inclusion and Diversity to the Marketplace

Evaluations and Recognitions: Double-Edged Swords?

Making the Words and the Music Match

Chapter 12 - And the Research Says. . .

Introduction

Are Leaders of Color the Best Leaders of Diversity Initiatives?

Deep-Level Diversity versus Surface-Level Diversity Perspectives

Universities Employing Professionals of Color: What Are Their Results?

Strategic Priorities of Diversity and Inclusion

Type and Extent of Diversity Activities

Is It All about the Money for Employees of Color?

Are All Employees Sensitive to Diversity Climate Issues?

The Impact of Diversity on Climate for Employees of Color and the Outcomes

Research Setting: U.S. Business Schools

Research Summary

Chapter 13 - Diversity and Inclusion Councils

Strengthening Connectivity inside the Organization

External Diversity Councils: Inviting the Outside In

Fast-Forward

Chapter 14 - Employee Resource Groups or Networks

Networks for Business Advancement

ERGs

Types of Employee Resource Groups

Chaired by Senior Management

A Deeper Look at ERGs/Networks and D & I

Rewards and Recognition

A Question of Faith

Tracking Employee Resource Groups

More Than One Way to Achieve Results

Budgets for ERGs

A Word about Social Networking

Chapter 15 - Supplier Diversity

First Tier, Second Tier—Where to Focus?

Supplier Diversity at Its Core

Does Supplier Diversity Translate into Results for the Business?

Opportunity Is the Key Word

Reaching Out to Diverse Suppliers

Defining Goals within a Company

Measures of Success

Appendix - Study Methodology and Samples

Notes

Index

Praise for Trailblazers

“As a former CEO of Southwest Airlines, I think Trailblazers presents a comprehensive and compelling framework for what it really takes for organizations and leaders to be successful in a multicultural world. Trailblazers provides an in depth and well organized look at all the components and requirements of strategic diversity and inclusion, as well as a discerning look at the motivation and leadership skills of twelve highly respected chief diversity officers.”

—Howard Putnam Former CEO Southwest Airlines Author of The Winds of Turbulence

“If someone in leadership does not intellectually understand and fully internalize the business case of a changing workforce, global marketplace and community, they disqualify themselves from leadership. Lenora and Redia go beyond the business case for diversity and inclusion in this book. Trailblazers provides compelling evidence and best practices that clearly integrate diversity and inclusion into successful leadership and business success.”

—Frank J. McCloskey Vice President Diversity Georgia Power

“This book is truly a ‘keeper’ for business leaders who want their organizations to be on the cutting edge of diversity and inclusion strategies—and most importantly, achieve meaningful results. The authors do a great job of providing compelling insights, practical approaches and wisdom as told through the hands-on experiences of diversity gurus.”

—Claudette J. Whiting President of CJW Consulting and Former head of Diversity and Inclusion for Microsoft and The DuPont Company

“Trailblazers provides an insightful look into the practical strategies implemented by some of the most respected leaders in diversity and inclusion. Their results-producing approaches in top corporations give clear and compelling guidance to all those who are working to leverage diversity’s potential and create environments where talent thrives for the good of all.”

—Anita Rowe, PhD Partner, Gardenswartz & Rowe Co-author, Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference and Planning Guide, Revised Edition

“This insightful work explores the multicultural dynamic from a meaningful business and social perspective. It guides us all in the right directions for a more productive and meaningful approach to organizational success. As the world becomes a smaller or more tightly knit place, this book highlights how best to use an organization’s strongest asset: its people.”

—Dr. Nido Qubein President, High Point University Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Co.

“Trailblazers is an impressive compilation of diversity and inclusion advice from some of the most admired companies in the world. Using real time business examples, Trailblazers does an outstanding job of defining diversity and inclusion as a business imperative. Many companies still believe that diversity and inclusion is just a strategy to avoid litigation and protect revenue. For those organizations that are still confused about the business case for leading with a diversity and inclusion mindset, this book sets the record straight and is a book those organization’s leaders should read.”

—H. Joseph Machicote VP, Talent Management & HR Services Lance, Inc.

“Trailblazers is an important contribution to the diversity literature. It focuses more on results than on rhetoric, and takes us past diversity training to effective diversity strategies. So many myths are tackled in this book that it is a must-read for diversity practitioners and those they report to. If just one-tenth of the suggestions in this book were implemented, the workplace would be far more inclusive, and, equally importantly, more productive.”

—Dr. Julianne Malveaux President, Bennett College for Women Economist and regular guest columnist for USA Today

“Trailblazers presents a comprehensive and compelling framework for what it really takes for organizations and accountable leaders to be successful in a multicultural world. Whether your organization is global or regional, the insightful best practices [that] award winning companies have provided will help you make diversity a competitive advantage.”

—Sam Silverstein Author: No More Excuses Past President of The National Speakers Association

“This book provides an insightful and much needed look into the life stories, motivations, and challenges of leaders in diversity work. It illuminates how they navigated their roles as agents for those traditionally excluded and the business imperatives of the organisations in which they are employed. There are many lessons and practical strategies for all who wish to do diversity work, no matter what part of the world you live in.”

—Professor Stella M. Nkomo University of Pretoria, South Africa Co-author, Our Separate Ways: Black and White Women and the Struggle for Professional Identity

“Like the Chief Diversity Officers who inspired the title, the authors of Trailblazers have provided the reader with fresh and innovative practices that will help drive forward any company’s diversity/inclusion efforts. By laying out the wisdom of CDO’s who have on the ground, in the trenches experience, the book serves as a practical resource for anyone with a commitment to achieving the business success that only a truly inclusive workplace can provide.”

—Sondra Thiederman, PhD Author of Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace

Copyright © 2010 Redia Anderson and Lenora Billings-Harris. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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ISBN 978-0-470-59347-9 (cloth); ISBN 978-0-470-88108-8 (ebk); 978-0-470-88109-5 (ebk); 978-0-470-88110-1 (ebk)

To all the Trailblazers, known and unknown, who have made the present possible, and the future one of great possibilities.

Foreword

I entered the workforce after graduating from Harvard Business School in 1980. It was a time when there were not many women in business and almost none in line operating roles or roles with responsibility for managing a bottom line, particularly in my industry, the energy industry.

I remember routinely being asked by colleagues to answer the phone and take messages after normal business hours when the administrative assistants had left for the day, or to make copies, or to take notes in the meetings. I don’t recall my male colleagues who were also new hires being asked to do these things. I learned to either pitch in and do it or turn down these “opportunities” with grace, lest I be labeled forever with the dreaded “B” word. Getting the balance right between acquiescence (to fit in and be a team player) and defiance (to establish appropriate boundaries and prevent being discounted) was a carefully honed skill that could mean the difference between derailment and progression.

Workplaces all over the United States have changed dramatically for the better in the last 30 years as it pertains to respect and opportunities for women. Women have risen to the top of companies, sitting in the C suite and on boards. This is even occurring in previously male dominated fields such as energy, mining, and chemicals.

While the progress has been significant for Caucasian women, there is still a long way to go and even a longer way to go for men and women of color. According to the White House Project Report—Benchmarking Women’s Leadership, women now make up over half of managers and professionals in the U.S. workforce but in 2008 were only 3% of CEOs, 15% of board seats, and 6% of the top paying positions of Fortune 500 companies. Pay disparities between men and women persist, and a survey of media stories suggests that women in power are largely disliked. Catalyst published a report in 2007 called The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Dammed if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t. They conclude that women are perceived as competent or likable but rarely both. If women behave consistently with gender stereotypes they are viewed as less competent, and if they act in-consistently they are considered unfeminine.

The women who have made it to the C suite and on boards are trailblazers and pioneers themselves. If they were lucky, as I was, they may have had the good fortune to work for a company that was also a trailblazer. I like the term because it conjures up the image of a journey. Yes, it has been a journey where progress has been made, but there is much progress yet to be had. I am looking forward to the time when it is not considered news to have a woman CEO or a woman board member.

I am deeply honored to be asked to write the foreword for this book. In my personal journey as a leader trying to achieve diversity objectives that positively impact the bottom line, I have had the benefit of learning many lessons from trailblazers. One lesson that vividly comes to mind was taught by the CEO of Shell Oil Company in the mid-1990s. He and I were having a conversation about workforce representation targets and selecting talent. My position was that leaders should always select the best candidate for the job regardless of gender or ethnicity. He taught me that as long as there are underrepresented groups relative to availability in the talent pool, you should hire qualified candidates and you should set representation targets to ensure you are getting at least your fair share of all the available talent. Otherwise you are not likely to reach representation that meets availability because “best” is largely defined by a selector who has biases they are not even aware they have. It is a powerful concept that I still use and teach to others.

Trailblazers will provide important insights to leaders grappling with the challenges of attracting and retaining talent from an increasingly diverse talent pool, in every way. The trailblazers portrayed in this book have already experienced the benefits of learning that creating an environment that is positive for less represented segments of the population, like women and people of color and persons with disabilities, creates a more inclusive environment for everyone, which optimizes the skills and capabilities of the entire organization.

The journey continues . . .

—Lynn Laverty Elsenhans Chairman, CEO, and President of Sunoco Inc.

Acknowledgments

It is only fitting that a book of this nature be developed through collaboration. In the true spirit of inclusion and diversity this book is an outcome not only of the authors’ experiences and knowledge but of the many others who provided their wisdom and insights as well. To everyone who made this book possible, we say a heartfelt “thank you.”

This book has been in the making for several years. In fact, we can fondly recall the exact diversity conference that Lenora and I attended where this idea was born. During a hallway conversation at a break, both Lenora and I agreed that we should write a book. We were certain that a book of this nature did not exist, and that we had a contribution to make to this field and to this body of knowledge. Over the years and through our individual work we’ve demonstrated that we are strong believers in our obligation to help others navigate and succeed at being successful leaders. We hold a special affinity in particular for Chief Diversity Officers who lead and drive organizational change. It was on that day that a seed was planted.

Little did we know that it would be several years before we would actually begin to take action on that seminal idea. We believe that like fine wine, some ideas get better with time and that there is a time for everything. This book was born of a sincere desire to share our personal expertise and the considerable body of knowledge residing within the brains of experienced, successful Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs), those individuals whom we call Trailblazers in this book: leaders who don’t have the time themselves—after all they do have day jobs—to open up their brains and make their knowledge available to others in a written form such as this book. That’s where Lenora and I come in. We appreciate what it takes to successfully engage organizations and people in change management, and implement robust and successful inclusion and diversity efforts that make a difference.

Redia Acknowledges . . .

My awesome young adult children, Jarred and Taylor Payne, have long been a strong sense of purpose and support for me and the work I do. Both millennials, they have taught me much about connecting, engaging, and being inclusive far beyond what I felt I already knew. Their patience, willingness to eat take-out food, and chip in more around the house without complaining—which is significant—is appreciated more than they know. They’ve never failed to support me in whatever I do. They are reminders to me of the promise of the future and the beauty of what life today is really all about. My 85-year-old father, Tommie J. Anderson, and my sister, Regina C. Anderson, have been absolute bedrocks of support and encouragement for me as well. For all of this, I am truly grateful to be blessed with such wonderful people who are my family.

I thank my National Speakers Association CPR Mastermind group, who offered encouragement and subtle advice along the way. Many thanks to my virtual assistant, Diane Muniz Chong, whose organizational skills kept me straight and sane on many occasions when the administrative aspects of book writing and publishing could seem daunting.

Lenora Acknowledges . . .

I am blessed to be surrounded by people who are as excited about this book as I am. To my husband, Charles, I am so grateful for your quiet support, patience, and understanding that allowed me to write freely. I thank Chris Clarke-Epstein and Marilynn Semonick, who are my true writing muses. I thank all of my National Speakers Association colleagues and friends who so willingly shared their points of view and suggestions for various aspects of this book. A special thanks to members and authors Francine Ward, Ron Karr, Sam Silverstein, Philip Van Hooser, and Leslie Charles. Thanks to Dr. Holly Buttner and Dr. Kevin Lowe who invited me to partner with them—our research work together adds validity to the anecdotal evidence gathered for this important work. Thanks also to Robert Tutsky for providing the interior graphics, and Gerald Hedlund for providing editing and formatting.

To my office guru, Cynthia Jones, I could not have done this without you. And be advised, I will be calling on you again.

We Acknowledge . . .

We wish to thank our John Wiley & Sons partners who helped us every step of the way and were our constant companions throughout this process. Christine Moore, the assistant development editor who read every chapter, and did her best to keep us from being too wordy when more simple and straightforward language would do. Lauren Lynch, our associate editor, who was with us from the beginning and who kept the big picture before us and helped us manage those forever fast-approaching deadlines. We’d like also to thank our senior production editor, Deborah Schindlar, who with her keen eyes and sense of clarity spurred us on to make this book resonate as one of the best cutting-edge books of its kind that we could make it.

Finally, there would be no book without the unselfish participation of the Trailblazers. Each of the Trailblazer CDOs profiled in this book is recognized among our peers for the robust and effective inclusion and diversity work they lead in their respective organizations. As each person learned what Lenora and I were planning to do, we were met with such support that it was truly rewarding and heart-warming. Each graciously agreed to participate and willingly shared their considerable insights and knowledge with the intent of helping other leaders learn and gain greater traction with implementing and sustaining inclusion and diversity in their organizations. We believe that the many people who take the time to read this book will receive the benefit of great insights and knowledge and will have an opportunity to peer through the windows and into the mindsets and efforts of the Trailblazers, leaders and human beings who lead enterprise-wide organizational change. To our Trailblazers, we are forever indebted and we say, “Thank you.”

Our journey continues . . .

Preface

Be honest with us. Could your inclusion and diversity efforts use a little help?

If so, you’re not alone. Many books have been written about inclusion and diversity over the years—some of them very good books that focus almost exclusively on the extremely important and complex work itself. There are a lot of components associated with how effective these efforts are; elements that must be leveraged to realize maximum results. However, we believe that one key factor associated with effective inclusion and diversity efforts has been consistently overlooked.

Until now, few—if any—books have specifically explored the significance of the role of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) with regard to an organization’s ability to optimize talent and performance through inclusion and diversity. These leaders have been the engine of change within many successful organizations. CDOs provide a clear voice of what’s needed both now and in the future for business success. They emphasize the importance of recognizing the value, engagement, and utilization of all talent with respect to marketplace advantage.

CDOs are at the helm of driving focus, fueling commitment, and collaborating with other key leaders inside and outside their organizations, as well as addressing the concept of an inclusive and engaged workforce. They see how vital inclusion and diversity are to strengthening the fabric of their organizations through a robust pipeline of talent, while also striving to enhance their marketplace presence. They have a clear vision of the advantages and impact of an inclusive and engaged workforce. They “see around corners” with respect to trends and challenges that will impact their organizations’ ability to stay relevant in service of a very diverse workplace and marketplace—both in the United States and abroad.

CDOs demonstrate a great deal of ownership for making progress with the inclusion of all talent a reality. They feel compelled to share their knowledge and experiences. Planting seeds, building organizational champions, developing sponsors, enhancing their organizations’ presence in the marketplace, and bridging the gap to the communities they serve all allow the CDOs to extend their reach far beyond what they might otherwise provide. And these actions are just a few of the approaches that effective CDOs utilize when they tell us that “it takes a village” to move the dial and advance inclusion and diversity in their organizations and the overall marketplace. Seeing far into the future (horizontally) and deeply into their own organizations (vertically), they identify gaps, create and/or enhance existing solutions to people processes, and tailor interventions that will help their firms grow more profitable by managing the human capital side of the equation. CDOs amplify the points of connectivity and surface area contact between the organization and its people; and, in so doing, increase the impact that diverse talent has on solutions for their customers. This is the work of the Trailblazers we speak of here.

Very little has been revealed about what makes these Trailblazer CDOs so effective. The people we interviewed for this book are compelled to make a difference. While many of them have held other roles in their organizations—finance, operations, HR, legal—working as a CDO is something to which they are each intensely committed. They feel that it provides a tight alignment between their values and their belief in equity. The energy and passion with which the Trailblazers speak and the examples of challenges they have overcome—some of which we’ll discuss later in this book—are testaments to their commitment. They believe that their work provides their organizations with a competitive advantage and makes a difference to their people. Each of the Trailblazers has shared unique and very personal stories regarding why they accepted such a role and why they choose to continue in this capacity. We believe you’ll see—just as we did—why fostering an inclusive workplace is more than a simple role assignment for these Trailblazers.

Every one of our Trailblazers has a role classified as a senior leadership position. And yet these positions are often the least understood in terms of their impact and influence upon the organization, except to other members of the senior leadership team. In these positions— which have no parallel role in the organization—the Trailblazers often stand out and stand alone as catalysts for educating people, igniting change, and maintaining a certain level of constructive tension for achieving inclusion results. One of the Trailblazers likened it to driving a car and trying to change the tires at the same time; in other words, it’s no small feat.

The Trailblazers—due to their very nature and personal values—have defined their own roles based on business strategy, acumen, and their own sense of fairness and equality. They meld these attributes with thought leadership, passion, and a strong focus on results to steer entire organizations to states of greater consciousness regarding the importance of inclusion and diversity.

What Trailblazers understand better than most is that inclusion and diversity deliver results. They are not merely buzzwords but are real-time factors that influence behavior and can make the difference between a successful organization where there are “scratch marks on the door from where people are trying to get into the company”—as one oil and gas CEO would fondly say when speaking about talent acquisition and retention strategies—and an organization where people simply can’t wait to get out. These Trailblazers provide a strong commitment to talent utilization, which makes their efforts toward inclusion and diversity highly relevant to everyone in their businesses. They understand the powerful interaction between leveraging talent, inclusion, and diversity, and positioning their organizations more firmly for sustainable growth and success. Magda Yrizarry—Verizon’s Vice President of Workplace Culture, Diversity and Compliance—had the following to say about business relevance: “Whether it’s a wireless service, the latest in broadband technology, or the best in entertainment, Verizon depends on the unique talents, perspectives, and experiences of our diverse pool of employees to maintain its premier network and better serve our customers.”

We call these CDOs Trailblazers because they fully comprehend inclusion and diversity’s competitive advantage in the marketplace; and we believe they’re doing a lot of things right. Throughout this book, we’ll bring you examples of the significant work that Trailblazers from companies such as Verizon, IBM, Merck, Shell, The Coca-Cola Company, Citi, Dell, Ford, Andrews Kurth, Sodexo, American Airlines, and Pitney Bowes are doing, and the outcomes they are achieving as a result of this work. Together, these 12 Trailblazers have over 160 years of experiences to share. Most are benchmarked by other organizations for their commitment to outstanding long-term results. Several of them have received numerous awards and external recognitions for their accomplishments within their firms. The Trailblazers cited in this book came into their roles from a variety of industries: financial services, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, technology, oil and gas, consumer products, automotive, and more. It seems quite fitting that, in the field of diversity and inclusion, the range of backgrounds among CDOs would be a testament to the belief that diverse perspectives can yield more effective results.

Successful leaders build and influence strategy that propels change. It is our intent to provide you with an unbiased perspective of what it takes to be a Trailblazer. You’ll also learn that, while leadership skills and credibility are vitally important in this role, they are only table stakes for what it takes to successfully leverage inclusion and diversity. We noticed in many of our interviews that these Trailblazers go a step further. They recognize and speak directly to the emotional intelligence within their organizations’ cultures and boldly state that the “feel” of an organization—with a successful inclusion and diversity effort—encourages an environment of mutual respect, fairness, and reciprocal trust. They strongly believe that organizations that aggressively address and eliminate barriers—real or perceived—encourage collaborative, trust-based relationships, and are better equipped to fully engage their workforce and deliver greater value to their customers.

Whether you’re a CDO who is responsible for driving inclusion and diversity efforts deeper into your organization and want to become more effective, or you aspire to become a CDO—this book is for you. If you’re an employee who wants to become more engaged in these efforts but aren’t sure how or where to plug in, you’ll learn more about how to align with this work and identify where you might more fully engage to become part of the solution. Or perhaps you are a manager who already recognizes the worth of inclusion and diversity to your business; you will learn more about how you can step up your contribution and collaboration to drive greater results. Students who hope to join forwarding-thinking organizations and are wondering what to look for amongst the many companies that claim to have robust and inclusive cultures will find that this book enables you to develop an informed point of view by which to screen your top choices.

Whatever the reason for your interest—and we understand there are many to ponder—you’ll find insights to provide you with knowledge and insertion points to more fully engage and hold yourself and others accountable for the outcomes of an inclusive and diverse workplace. In all these circumstances, we believe this book will be a helpful guide for understanding the business drivers for helping organizations galvanize resources and implement strategies and best practices to make a sustainable difference.

The organizations presented in the following pages understand that the term diversity is not “code” or camouflage for affirmative action. Said differently: It is insufficient to simply discuss and track how many women, people of color, or other kinds of minorities are represented in an organization. What about other conventional and nonconventional forms of diversity? This antiquated view doesn’t do justice to the reality of how inclusion and diversity uniquely support the business strategy.

According to a recent survey by Robert Half Management of top executives from the nation’s 1,000 largest companies, 61 percent of companies are doing more global business today than they were five years ago. In today’s global economy—where it is more common than not for businesses to operate across borders and multiple countries—diversity represents a host of meanings, depending on the countries in which you operate. Diversity in its broadest and simplest form refers to all the ways in which we are different, seen and unseen; inclusion refers to how we utilize those differences in service of our people, and growth and profitability for our businesses.

The prevailing view of the companies cited within these pages focuses on diversity of thoughts, ideas, and perspectives, particularly as it relates to the development of better solutions for clients and customers. These concepts are woven into the ways that these firms and their leaders engage their employees, in the ways employees engage their coworkers, and in the ways these companies connect with and satisfy their customers every day.

Trailblazers and their companies have made significant progress by approaching diversity and inclusion as a business imperative with bottom-line, quantifiable financial impact. Internally, they have made many human resource practices more overtly inclusive. They have connected these practices to business growth by addressing talent management issues and focusing on hiring, advancement, retention, and development. Externally, they’ve concentrated on enhancing their brand in the marketplace as an inclusive, inviting, and progressive employer where people want to come and grow their careers. The Trailblazers’ goals are to increase the odds of their organizations in winning the war for talent, enhancing a culture of inclusion to retain their top performers, and differentiate their organizations in the marketplace.

The Internet has allowed savvy prospective employees to aggressively research and target companies that overtly announce how vital diversity and inclusion are for their staff and clients. Numerous web sites, such as vault.com, help prospective and current employees alike share information about various firms’ culture, challenges, and unique celebrations. Information regarding perceptions of how these companies provide challenging assignments for growth and development, compensation, and rewarding employees (or not) is widely available. In addition, one has only to view their friend’s Facebook pages or follow Twitter and other social networking sites to learn more than you might want to know regarding individuals’—“and even their peers”—experiences and impressions of XYZ Company. Want to get another perspective of what your employees think of your organization? Visit some of these sites and social media pages for yourself. Grab a cup of coffee, search under the groups tab—and plan to be engrossed with reading others’ personal accounts for some time.

What makes our Trailblazer companies so different? Commitment. They’re committed to the long view that inclusive practices help promote a culture of fairness, retain top performers, and encourage the broader minority- and women-owned supplier participation (MWBE) that have robust development programs for all their people. In many cases, it’s the proven track record of identifying and providing innovative talent solutions that deliver customer problem resolution well in advance of when they are actually needed. Trailblazers anticipate issues and work to constantly update and apply their understanding of global employees’ and customers’ unique needs to increase relevancy in the ever-changing marketplace.

This book will help leaders, managers, diversity practitioners, academicians, and others refresh and expand their approach to diversity and inclusion. Trailblazers provide insights that will help readers tap into some of the most effective best practices utilized by top-performing companies and their CDOs. This book may be used as a resource guide to prompt any inclusion and diversity efforts that may have plateaued to gain new momentum, reenergize, and set new objectives. This book can become a resource for effective, practical, proven knowledge of bottom-line impact of strategies and accomplishments.

We recognize that individuals who are asked to lead inclusion and diversity efforts have very few books from which to choose—at least, those that also provide first-person perspectives on how to articulate and implement these strategies from the inside out. Because we bring a set of skills that represent strategist, practitioner, organizational change leader, and training consultant, we have been able to target and collect some of the best insights from the Trailblazers who successfully drive inclusion results in their companies and industries. We believe that this book can help the many managers and employees who want to know more about accelerating their progress and driving results by laying bare some of the essential processes, approaches, challenges, and dilemmas the Trailblazers have encountered—and the solutions they’ve utilized to overcome them.

Vision, strategy, and metrics—plus a passion for driving outcomes—yield progress. One of the most effective means to reducing the huge learning curve associated with less mature inclusion and diversity efforts is to expose successful CDOs and their shared experiences around key learnings that can accelerate progress. This book will provide practical examples of where specifically these Trailblazers have contributed to the body of knowledge regarding successful implementation strategies of inclusion and diversity practices that may be helpful to the reader as well. We’ll share Inclusion Insights in most chapters to use as a thumbnail guide to simplify and condense key points from that chapter.

We know that there is—as with any other business strategy—a defined process for implementing inclusion and diversity. To that end, we share a five-step strategic method for embedding and advancing inclusion and diversity. We feel that this will be helpful to any organization, no matter what industry or in what stage of the inclusion process they may be engaged. Following a defined plan of action helps to ensure that key levers are addressed and that the effort is on track to deliver results. Such a guide confirms that key practices are not overlooked and actually become incorporated. It makes certain that the inclusion and diversity process is systemically embedded in existing processes that regularly drive accountability and monitor change management progress.

The companies that are cited in the following pages of this book clearly “get it.” They can demonstrate and articulate the ROI of inclusion and diversity and explain exactly how it benefits their organizations on multiple levels. We believe these insights will help the reader to jump-start, rev up, and fine-tune existing diversity and inclusion efforts—so that their organizations can yield greater results.

Finally, it is our desire in writing this book to explore and make transparent the strategies, tactics, and processes required to implement, advance, and sustain an effective inclusion and diversity effort. This book will help organizations better position themselves to reap the benefits that the promise of diversity and the power of inclusion bestow.

1

Meet the Trailblazers

“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

—William Faulkner

Industry leaders—especially those determined to build a culture of inclusion and diversity within their organizations—are becoming more abundant. You don’t have to look far to see the effects of the efforts that so many visionary people have made in industry as well as in society. They are often unsung heroes that step up, face the unknown, and move forth in sometimes the darkest hours, clutching the belief that what they do now will have a lasting impact on others for years, and generations, to come.

These Trailblazers, as we will refer to them in this book, each have a story to go along with their incredible efforts and accomplishments. Each was carefully chosen to exemplify the true spirit of not only diversity and inclusion, but also of holding true to one’s own and the organization’s values.

As we conducted our interviews, what became apparent was that each person had unique experiences and stories, which shaped their views and behaviors regarding inclusion at a relatively young age. Each individual we’ve spotlighted has faced many challenges along their journey. Rather than accept what was good enough and handing down the idea of a system that wasn’t effective to the next generation, they instead focused on actions to create a better tomorrow for everyone.

All of these incredible people, both men and women, are pioneers in their fields. Many of them have worked for and led diversity and inclusion initiatives in more than one organization, moving forward to continue paving—and trailblazing—the way for others who will ultimately follow. These Trailblazers deserve more than they would accept, and ultimately, this qualifies them as true leaders of our age.

It’s important that you get the chance to know each of these individuals from the outset. We want you to understand where they come from, what helped to guide them to their true calling, and what continues to inspire them to this day. Strangers are easily dismissed, but those with whom we become familiar can often inspire and instill hope in others to move toward the dreams and paths they have begun to lay out.

Take a moment to meet these 12 inspiring individuals we interviewed. Meet the 12 Trailblazers who have accomplished incredible objectives and continue to instill the benefits of inclusion and diversity within their organizations.

“The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.”’

—Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper, U.S. Navy

Michael Collins

Managing Director of Diversity Strategies, American Airlines

The passion that inspires Michael Collins in the field of diversity and inclusion was sown at an early age. The son of a Baptist minister, Michael came into his faith when he was around 9 or 10. His faith puts forth the basic premise that all people matter, that everyone makes a difference. The color of your skin or where you come from doesn’t matter; everyone is valuable.

Growing up in an environment of inclusion certainly had its impact on Michael’s professional life. The concepts to which a person is introduced and with which he is surrounded can have a lasting impact on the rest of his life. Michael certainly captured that essence and carried it with him through his professional career.

In 1989, Michael Collins started his diversity work with true passion and desire. American Express was beginning to consider the concepts of diversity and inclusion within their business model. The company opened a new operations center in Greensboro, North Carolina, that was facing a much different workforce than any of its others. A large portion of the staff included highly educated African Americans; and the need to retain these employees for the long term meant that American Express would have to provide broader opportunities for advancement. Another issue that faced the company also had to do with maintaining satisfaction among all the employees as well as the community.

Michael Collins was only one of two African American managers at his level or higher at the time, and the company had already noticed his potential. While excelling in a leadership role that included managing two large groups, he developed a quality reputation within the organization. It was at this time that he began to research the idea and concept of diversity and inclusion.