The Anatomy of An Effective Diversity Initiative

Articles | The Anatomy of An Effective Diversity Initiative

An Effective Diversity Initiative...

Is designed as a systemic, organization-wide, culture–modification initiative aimed at...

Supporting all employees to become fully engaged, productive, and satisfied regardless of differences of ethnicity, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, rank, job duties, personality, ideas, opinions, beliefs, or other differences that do not directly impact performance.
Eliminating the productivity lost when employees are hampered by inclusion difficulties from any of the differences listed above.
Embedding diversity awareness and the ability to work with and learn from differences into the daily work of the organization.
Enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of teams and meetings through increased ability to work with and learn from differences.
Enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the human systems that often mitigate the productivity and quality of the operational systems of the organization.

Shifts the prevailing win/lose power paradigm in which differences are used to determine who wins and who loses to one in which differences are used as a source of learning and synergy.
Has a fundamental strategy of making it OK to be curious about differences and to learn from differences rather than be politically correct by pretending that differences do not exist and/or implicitly insisting on conformance to the model portrayed at the top of the organization. Being OK with being uncomfortable and being with the discomfort of others is a corollary requisite.
Is proactively supported and modeled from the very top of the organization.
Has created a Diversity Council which is diverse among 10 to 15 members. It purposes include...

Learning to learn from the differences extant in the Council so that it understands the dynamics of differences in human systems.
Developing strategies and implementation tactics to achieve the goals of the initiative based on its understanding of the dynamics of differences in human systems.
Developing metrics that monitor the progress of the strategies, tactics, and overall goals.
Loosely coordinating diversity activities throughout the organization.

Creates affinity networks which have the purpose of supporting the empowerment of their constituencies toward there fullest engagement, productivity, and satisfaction in order to counter the effects of internalized oppression.
Creates a group of respected white males supporting diversity to define the value of being a white male and the value that the diversity initiative can have to white males.
Is best carried out virally through recruiting groups of diversity-doers and diversity champions throughout the enterprise to stimulate conversation about diversity and expressed curiosity about differences and otherwise implement the strategies and tactics developed by the Council. This is in lieu of building a large staff of diversity employees within the HR department.
Has a small (2 to 4) diversity staff deeply skilled in and focused on being catalysts for systemic thinking, conscious use of self, conflict management, and learning from differences that reports to the CEO. They support the CEO, the diversity council, the affinity groups, and other diversity-related structures in gaining the needed skill sets. This staff is supported by external consultants to support their own learning.