Diversity Journal - Mar/Apr 2009

Also Featuring … 2008 Diversity Leaders • Perspectives • 2009 Catalyst Awards • MicroTriggers

Volume 11, Number 2 March / April 2009

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Navy Leadership

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Making History

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March / April 2009 • VOLUME 11 NUMBER 2

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Thought Leaders

Expert Thoughts on Diversity 4O LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET UP TO A MONTH WHILE MAJORING IN ENGINEERING OR ARCHITECTURE IN THE #IVIL %NGINEER #OLLEGIATE 0ROGRAM #%# GO TO MYNAVYMYFUTURE COM © 2008. Paid for by the U.S. Navy. All rights reserved.

Special Features Global Diversity and Inclusion Surviving the Economy

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notebook editor’s notebook editors notebook

It’s

James R. Rector

THE ECONOMY

PUBLISHER

Cheri Morabito

EDITOR / CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Damian Johnson

W

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Laurel L. Fumic

Well, the first quarter of 2009 is behind us. Depending upon which expert is currently giving an opinion, our economy is either still in a downward spiral, or has already hit bottom and will be starting to recover. Soon.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Alina Dunaeva

O verseas C orrespondent

Jason Bice

Whatever the real picture, THE ECONOMY (literally writ large) looms over us, and we all have our own reality of how we are affected. Budgets are being cut; employees are being furloughed, and everyone is cautious about spending money.

We have heard from many of our readers who are unable to travel to seminars or conventions this year because of the economy. Because it’s important to keep up with the latest trends and best practices, we have started a new feature called Thought Leaders. Here you will find brief articles written by diversity experts that will keep you informed on what is current in the field, even if you are confined to your desk for the near future.

We’ve also heard the concern that Diversity and Inclusion programs will be cut back, due to the economy. We all know how important a diverse workforce is to the bottom line, and we believe that D&I continues to be a justifiable business strategy. Learn what others are doing as they grapple with the economy, starting on page 56.

The economy is not just a national issue—it is affecting businesses around the world, and is especially important to those companies who have a global presence. Starting on page 28, read what Cisco and Royal Dutch Shell have learned by their experiences with diversity in the global market.

On a less gloomy note, our own Damian Johnson had the privilege to exclusively interview the four Vice Admirals who grace our cover. Their personal stories are a testament to the Navy’s commitment to diversity.

We also want you to see the leaders of the 35 companies that have shared their insight and stories in the pages of this magazine in the past year. The details behind the Diversity Leaders of 2008 start on page 31. Finally, don’t miss the Perspectives from our regular columnists and departments.

So, put on a nametag, sit back, and read this issue—and pretend you are not stuck at your desk!

Cheri Morabito Editor

WEB MASTER C ontributing W riters

David Casey Shirley A. Davis, Ph.D. Melanie Harrington Craig Storti Carlton Yearwood

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Commentaries or questions should be

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Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal

March/April 2009

contents

table of contents

Volume 11 • Number 2 March / April 2009

features 18 On the Cover

Navy Leadership 2009 is a unique year in the history of the United States Navy.

For the first time in its history, there are four black Vice Admirals (VADMs) and we have their exclusive interviews.

Special Reports 28 Global Diversity & Inclusion

G lobal Diversity & Inclusion is critically important in today’s business operations and practices.

31

Diversity Leaders 2008 W ho’s Who behind the companies and businesses that shared their stories and advice in 2008.

46

Thought Leaders W ith travel to seminars and conventions being curtailed, Profiles in Diversity Journal is bringing the diversity thought leaders to you.

56

Surviving the Economy M any organizations are grappling with the challenges of our troubled economy. That said, we believe that Diversity and Inclusion continues to be a justifiable business strategy.

18 28 G l o b a l 31 46

DEPARTMENTS 6 Momentum

by Craig Storti

12 From My Perspective 14 My Turn

by David Casey, WellPoint, Inc.

16 Thoughts Through the Office Door …

62

4

by Melanie Harrington, AIMD

Casey

Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal

Davis

March/April 2009

Yearwood

The 2009 Catalyst Award

MicroTriggers More Triggers from Janet Crenshaw Smith

by Carlton Yearwood, The Yearwood Group

Storti

Diversity Who, What, Where and When

8 Catalyst

by Shirley A. Davis, PhD, SHRM

64 Viewpoint

thoughtleaders

56 E C ONOM Y

perspectives 10 Culture Matters

DiversityLeader Award2008

Harrington

At Vanguard, diversity is about more than color.

At Vanguard, we know diversity is more than just labels or gender or the color of someone’s skin.

We believe in an unwavering commitment to inclusiveness that resonates through every level of our team.

Diversity at Vanguard means: • Respecting the variety and differences among people across all communities and creeds.

• Putting programs in place to foster connection in the workplace—including monthly awareness activities, diversity councils, and training activities for everyone from senior management to new hires.

• Partnering with national professional organizations representing minorities and women.

• Actively recruiting and promoting a diverse workforce.

Most importantly, we value our employees for being themselves and for what they contribute.

Because in an environment that champions the unique value of each individual, diversity represents unlimited potential.

To learn more

Connect with Vanguard > www.vanguard.com/careers ®

Vanguard is an Equal Opportunity Employer. iles in Div it y Jou r na l Vanguard, Connect with Vanguard, and the ship logo are trademarks of The Vanguard Group, Inc. © 2009 The Prof Vanguard Group, Inc. er All srights reserved.

March/April 2009

5

momentum momentum who…what…where…when

Stryker Appoints McDonald VP, Corporate Social Responsibility KALAMAZOO, Michigan—Stryker has announced the appointment of Mary Anne McDonald to the role of McDonald Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility. In this role, McDonald will serve as the focal point for the Company’s efforts related to social responsibility, environmental sustainability and corporate citizenship.

McDonald joined Stryker in July 2005 as Chief Legal Counsel for the Stryker Orthopaedics division. Prior to joining Stryker, McDonald was the Vice President and General Counsel for Henry Kessler Foundation and the Kessler Rehabilitation Corporation (a provider of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services), where her duties included strategic planning, compliance, risk management and legal matters. Before working for Kessler, McDonald was a corporate and business partner at the Gibbons Del Deo law firm in Newark, where her practice focused on healthcare law matters.

American Red Cross Appoints Lowe as SVP, Communications WASHINGTON—The American Red Cross has announced that Roger K. Lowe, who has nearly 30 years of experience as a reporter and public affairs consultant, is joining the organization as its Senior Vice President of Communications.

Lowe comes to Red Cross from the public affairs firm of APCO Worldwide, where he provided strategic communications counsel to cor6

Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal

porate and non-profit clients. Prior to APCO, Lowe directed public affairs for the D.C. office of Porter Novelli, where his clients included the Business Roundtable. Before entering the PR world, he spent 21 years as a bureau chief and reporter for Ohio newspapers, including nearly 15 years with The Columbus Dispatch covering federal and state government affairs, legal issues and politics, and writing a weekly column.

Lowe will focus on telling the Red Cross story in a clear and compelling manner and getting that story into the 24/7 news cycle. He will continue to expand their presence on the web and social networking channels, and will work to revitalize the brand with the public and Red Cross employees and volunteers.

New York Life’s Davenport Elected President of Agents Advisory Council NEW ORLEANS —New York Life Insurance Company announced that Kathy Davenport has been elected Davenport president of the company’s Agents Advisory Council (AAC), the group of New York Life agents that present agent viewpoints and issues to the company’s executive management.

Davenport, a New York Life agent serving the New Orleans area for more than 20 years, is the first woman president of the AAC. The AAC meets twice yearly to discuss issues of concern to agents with New York Life’s Chairman and senior executives.

March/April 2009

“As president of the AAC, Kathy is the voice of the agents putting forth their ideas to the company’s top decision makers. New York Life agents value this organized council and it is a testament to Kathy’s talent and skill to be elected to such a position,” said Mary Dean, VP of New York Life Insurance Company’s Women’s Market Division.

Winston & Strawn Names New Diversity Committee Co-Chair NEW YORK— Winston & Strawn LLP has named New York partner David Mollón co-chair of the firm’s Diversity Mollón Committee. He focuses his practice in complex commercial litigation with a particular emphasis in financial services litigation.

“Winston & Strawn has a longstanding commitment to diversity, and David has demonstrated his initiative to furthering our firm’s Diversity Charter,” said Thomas Fitzgerald, managing partner for the firm.

Winston & Strawn’s Diversity Committee is comprised of 27 attorneys, including Fitzgerald and other members of the Executive Committee, as well as attorneys in charge of recruiting, hiring, professional development and business development. The Committee drafted a Diversity Charter, formally adopted in 2002, outlining its mission, commitment and responsibility in achieving greater diversity. Amanda Groves, a litigation partner in the firm’s San Francisco office, is the committee’s other co-chair. PDJ

Thanks to you,

Matthew is enjoying the benefits of coverage from a company that supports him and his life partner.

At WellPoint, we are addressing tomorrow’s health care issues today. In providing domestic partner benefits to our associates, we are strengthening our commitment to bridge the gap between the insured and uninsured in the LGBT community.

In partnership with our LGBT Associate Resource Group, ANGLE (Associate Network for Gay and Lesbian Equality), we are creating an inclusive work environment that supports diversity of all kinds, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Working to better people’s lives is not something you do every day.

But it can be – at WellPoint.

Better health care, thanks to you.

Visit us online at wellpoint.com/careers and

wellpoint.com/diversity

Contact us at diversityrecruiting@wellpoint.com EOE

® Registered Trademark, WellPoint, Inc. © 2009 WellPoint, Inc. All Rights Reserved ® Registered Trademark, DiversityInc Media LLC

www.catalyst.org

The 2009 Catalyst Award Honoring Exceptional Initiatives from Companies and Firms that Support and Advance Women in Business

T

By Catalyst

The Catalyst Award annually honors innovative approaches with proven results taken by organizations to address the recruitment, development, and advancement of all managerial women, including women of color. Catalyst’s rigorous, year-long examination of initiatives and their measurable results culminates in intensive on-site reviews at finalist organizations. By celebrating successful initiatives, Catalyst provides organizations with replicable models to help them create initiatives that are good for women and good for business.

According to Ilene H. Lang, President & Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst, “The Catalyst Award serves as a call to action and illustrates the strong business case supporting women’s advancement to leadership regionally and globally. During challenging economic times, these initiatives demonstrate that business can benefit from fresh thinking and commitment to making women in the workplace a top priority.”

On March 31, 2009, we presented the Catalyst Award to four very different initiatives at the Catalyst Awards Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York. More than 1,600 business leaders attended the celebration of women in business, which was chaired by Irene B. Rosenfeld, Chairman & CEO of Kraft Foods Inc.

Baxter International Inc.: Building Talent Edge Baxter’s Asia Pacific operations developed Building Talent Edge as a talent management initiative to cultivate a more effective, diverse, and sustainable organization built for growth and maximized opportunities. The initiative strives to develop a 50/50 gender balance across management-level and critical positions throughout 14 countries in the region. Although Baxter aimed to reach its target by 2010, its goal was achieved two years ahead of plan through robust recruitment and development strategies together with strong communication and accountability. Women in management and executive positions increased from 31 percent in 2004 to 50 percent in 2008, and four out of 16 general managers are women. Approximately 30 to 70 percent of management and executive positions in each of the 14 respective countries are held by women.

CH2M HILL: Constructing Pathways for Women Through Inclusion CH2M HILL’s initiative, Constructing Pathways for Women Through Inclusion, utilizes the company’s long-standing inclusive workplace to accelerate women’s advancement. In the traditionally male-dominated industry of engineering and construction, CH2M HILL provides a model for leveraging women employees to achieve business success. Since the initiative’s launch in 2003, women’s representation in senior leadership positions—as business unit heads,

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March/April 2009

geographic region leaders, and top managers—has increased from 2.9 percent to 18.0 percent, and women of color lead two of the company’s 13 geographic regions. The percentage of women project managers has also increased from 20.5 percent in 2005 to 30.3 percent in 2008.

Gibbons P.C.: The Women’s Initiative: Driving Success Through Diversity Investment Gibbons’ initiative, The Women’s Initiative: Driving Success Through Diversity Investment, has contributed to, and continues to support, a workplace culture that is flexible, innovative, engaging, and inclusive. It is embedded in the firm’s business development strategy and has become critical to its branding in the marketplace.

In 2007, The Women’s Initiative generated more than 6 percent of the firm’s annual revenue. Women currently hold 21.1 percent of equity director positions, and the number of women directors overall increased from 13 percent in 1997 to 19 percent in 2008. Women of color directors increased from zero to 4.1 percent in the same timeframe. Women also chair three of the firm’s nine practice groups.

KPMG LLP: Great Place to Build a Career KPMG’s initiative, Great Place to Build a Career, is a comprehensive set of programs, resources, and benefits that has transformed the firm into an inclusive employer of choice which partners and employees, including women and people of color, consider a great place to work. In 2008, women comprised 18.2 percent of partners, up from 12.9 percent in 2003. Also, women of color represented 10.2 percent of managing directors, directors, senior managers, and managers, up from 5.7 percent in 2003. Turnover among both women and men has decreased over the course of the initiative, dropping 36.3 percent for women and 24.5 percent for men between 2003 and 2008.

Organizations around the world self-nominate for the annual Catalyst Award. To download the application, visit http://www.catalyst.org/page/71/apply-for-the-catalyst-award.

PDJ

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. Visit www.catalyst.org to learn more about our work and download Catalyst reports. Visit www.catalyst. org/page/82/catalyst-e-newsletters to begin receiving Catalyst C-News, our monthly e-newsletter.

When we’re all equals, things really start to add up.

The power of equality and partnership is the power of human energy. It’s what drives our company, and it’s the reason we promote fairness in the workplace.

Through partnerships with minority- and women-owned businesses around the world, we’re helping create opportunities for everyone. To learn more, visit us at chevron.com.

9.75"

CHEVRON, the CHEVRON HALLMARK and HUMAN ENERGY are registered trademarks of Chevron Intellectual Property LLC. ©2009 Chevron Corporation. All rights reserved.

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JOB#: CVX-ARC-M76212 DESCRIPTION: When we're all equals...

March/April 2009

9

culture matters

I Assume You Understand…

By Craig Storti

W

Welcome to the inaugural column of “Culture Matters,” your bi-monthly source of updates on, information about, and analyses of all things cultural. Whether you travel around the world or never leave your cubicle, in today’s workplace chances are your clients, your customers, your colleagues, your suppliers, your vendors, your partners, or some of your virtual team members are people from, or living in, another country.

“Not really,” you say? “We’re a domestic company, and everybody I work with sits right down the hall.”

Fine. Mind if we take a look? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1 in every 8 of those folks down the hall comes from outside the U.S. According to the Labor Department, 1 in every 6 Americans in the workforce is from outside the U.S. And 1 in every 5 Americans comes from a bi-cultural home (where at least one parent is not from the U.S.). It’s a multi-cultural world out there, more so every day, and to succeed in it it’s not enough to understand just your own culture and only people like you.

This is the first of a three-part look at India, which is in turn the beginning of a series of columns on the so-called BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India, and China. What’s so important about the BRIC quartet? Because for a number of reasons, these four countries are in almost everyone’s future.

Whether it’s to tap into their potential market (India and China contain one-third of the people on the planet), buy their natural resources (Brazil’s minerals, Russia’s natural gas), or make use of their skilled and affordable labor, the world is going to be paying more and more attention to BRIC in the years just ahead, and if you’re going to play in this arena, you need to understand these cultures.

So take a minute to study the following exchange between the American Carl and the Indian Radha: CARL: Well, I think that’s everything, Radha.

Thanks for staying late over there.

RADHA: You’re welcome. I was just wondering, before you go, about the completion date on that accounting test.

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Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal

March/April 2009

CARL: Sure. I think that was in an email I sent you.

Let me check my sent mail.

RADHA: I believe you mentioned the end of May. CARL: Here it is. Right: the end of May. RADHA: I see. That’s still good for you, I guess?

CARL: Yes. It’s fine.

RADHA: Anyway, we’ll have updates every week, right?

CARL: If you’d like.

RADHA: That might be a good idea.

Now you may be one of those savvy Americans who’s familiar with Indian culture and sees immediately what’s going on here, but a lot of Americans, with limited experience of India, will not have understood this exchange, although they will think they have. And therein lies trouble.

Many of the Carls of the world would leave this conversation assuming that Radha is on schedule and that everything is going to be ready at the end of May. In fact, Radha has been saying throughout this exchange that she’s running behind and needs more time. And she assumes, of course, that Carl understands this and will be giving her an extension. So just to recap: Carl assumes he’s understood Radha, but he has not, and Radha assumes Carl has understood her. Come the end of May, there’s going to be some serious unpleasantness when Carl is very surprised (at best) that Radha is behind schedule, and Radha is amazed that Carl didn’t know this.

We’ll decode this exchange in a moment, but just imagine an innocent misunderstanding like this occurring several times a day between Americans and Indians who work together. It would not be long before trust broke down, recriminations started flying, and coworkers wanted nothing more to do with each other. This is in fact the price a lot of American companies and their Indian partners pay every day because of a mutual lack of cultural understanding.

So where did Carl go wrong? Carl’s basic mistake (and it’s not his fault) is that he interpreted Radha’s words from an American point of view, but Radha, of course, is not an American, and her words reflect and need to be interpreted from an Indian point of view. In Indian culture, “I was just wondering” can often mean “We’ve got a problem,” and another Indian would know this. To Carl, “I was just

“

Imagine an innocent misunderstanding…

occurring several times a day between

”

Americans and Indians who work together.

wondering” means something like “Remind me again of what we agreed to.” So we’re already off to a bad start.

Things get worse when Carl starts scrolling through his emails for the completion date and before he finds what he’s looking for, Radha says “I believe you mentioned the end of May.” In other words, Radha knows very well what the completion date is and what she’s really “wondering” is how she can possibly meet the date. And she assumes when she makes this clear (by her lights), now Carl will understand and offer her more time. Carl doesn’t, of course (because this isn’t how an American says he/she needs more time), and he simply repeats “Here it is. Right: the end of May.” Now Radha tries a new approach—That’s still good for you, I guess?—a rhetorical question which in Indian culture is often a polite way of saying “It’s not good for me.” Once again Radha assumes Carl understands what she’s saying, and Carl likewise assumes he understands (that this is a question, not a polite statement) and he simply answers it: “It’s fine”.

There’s more trouble at the end of the exchange, but we’ve seen enough to make our point: When people from two different cultures work together and do not know much about each other’s culture, they are bound to make the kind of innocent, honest misinterpretations—legitimate mistakes—like those illustrated here. The culprit in this instance was differences in communication style between generally more indirect, “polite” Indians and generally more direct, “to the point” North Americans. If each speaker had been a little more clued in to differences like these, they might have avoided this misunderstanding and the unfortunate consequences it can sometimes lead to.

We’ll look at a number of other common flashpoints in the U.S./India cultural divide in our next two columns and offer some suggestions for how people on both sides can avoid them and work more effectively together. PDJ

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE Indians and Americans both speak English, but some Indians may not be familiar with some typical American colloquialisms. When you use these expressions, many Indians will not understand you and, more to the point, may not ask you what you mean; they may just guess. If you don’t want Indians guessing, do yourself a favor and don’t talk like this: They threw us a curve.

We’re bending over backwards.

That’ll never fly.

He doesn’t have a prayer.

Give me a ballpark figure.

There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

They’re getting cold feet.

That’s a real can of worms.

Give me a break!

Craig Storti, a consultant and trainer in the field of intercultural communications, is the author of seven books. His latest, Speaking of India, describes the common cultural flashpoints when Indians work together with North Americans and western Europeans. He can be contacted at: craig@craigstorti.com Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l

March/April 2009

11

from my perspective…

How Do We Think About Thinking?

By David Casey

W

Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President, Workplace Culture WellPoint, Inc.

What do a young White woman with pigtails and overalls and a 6'7" Black man have in common? Both have made me stop to think about how and why I assumed things about them that turned out to be untrue—what many would refer to as stereotyping. Did I just admit that I, a diversity practitioner, stereotype? Absolutely. But I know I am not the kind of person who consciously buys into rote societal stereotypes.

Instead, I believe I was doing what Malcolm Gladwell (author of Blink—The Power of Thinking Without Thinking) refers to as “thin-slicing” or what has been defined by a Harvard study as “implicit association.” I am not qualified in psychology, but I will share two true and very real experiences, and the thoughts I had about two distinctly different individuals.

The first involves a recent plane trip, during which a young White female, in overalls and pig-tails, sat next to me. I immediately assumed she would be uneasy sitting next to a Black man, because her appearance led me to believe she was probably from a small rural town and had not come in direct contact with too many people of color in her relatively short lifetime. Now she had to share an armrest with me for two hours! I actually expected her to request a different seat once we took to the air.

Well, that didn’t happen. Instead, we had a very rich and insightful conversation that made me look at this young woman differently. She was indeed from a small town in which there are no people of color. However, this fact sparked an interest in broadening her perspective, rather than serving as a barrier to her developing a culturally inclusive worldview. She had just returned from a missions trip to Africa and had developed a romantic interest in a fellow missionary, who happened to be African American. We had an interesting conversation on the challenges she faced as a result of that relationship—with her family, friends, and a community who did not share her same appreciation for different cultures and ethnicities. I was saddened as I thought about my potential loss of getting to meet such a profound intellectual due to no other reason than the assumptions I made about who she might be based on how she looked.

So, what about the 6'7" Black man? He and I were talking about college life and experiences. When he told me the name of his alma mater I asked, without delay, “So what was it like to play basketball there?” From the look on his face, I may as well have asked how many children he had out of wedlock or what brand of fried chicken he liked the best. To him, my assumption 12

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March/April 2009

that he played basketball was just as offensive, especially coming from a fellow African American. Of course I know better than to think every 6'7" Black man who goes to college plays basketball, but why did my mind go there in the first place? At 6'3" myself, I get asked that question frequently—and I did not play basketball in college!

What I realized had happened was that in the absence of information, I made up details to fill in the blanks. This tendency is a natural human instinct steeped in the need for survival and self-preservation. Upon seeing both of these human beings, my mind took only a fraction of a second to draw upon the unconscious and prepare me to react to each in ways that I deemed appropriate. For example, in the case of the White female, I was prepared for the inevitable discomfort that our proximity would cause her, based on several negative experiences I had in the past with people who looked like her and did not readily embrace diversity (I’m putting that mildly!). In the case of the Black man, I prepared to explore what I assumed would be an automatic connection we would have as athletes, influenced by his physical stature alone.

One of the critical mistakes we make in trying to understand the multitude of diversity dynamics in our lives is to jump too quickly to “fixing” the problem without understanding the root cause or asking ourselves, why? We’re quick to beat ourselves (or others) up for stereotyping without acknowledging the human instincts that cause us to associate characteristics with people before we know all of the details. This is in no way an endorsement for rampant excuses of discriminatory behavior; in fact it’s just the opposite—it’s a call to awareness.

Attorney General Eric Holder recently said that we are a nation of cowards for not talking enough about racial tensions; I agree. However, I don’t believe it’s because we don’t want to.

I think it’s because we are not well-equipped to have meaningful and productive dialogue. I can (and just did!) openly admit that even though I do this work for a living, there are still “things” deep in my psyche that sometimes cause me to make incorrect assumptions about others. I may never get rid of those “things,” but if I am aware that they are there, I will continue to have more opportunities to have insightful conversations with White missionaries in pig-tails and 6'7" Black men with PDJ two left feet.

David Casey is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana having graduated with honors from Indiana Wesleyan University with a BS in Business Administration. He brings over 20 years of experience in talent management and strategic diversity management to his role at WellPoint.

HAVE IT YOUR WAY速 www.bk.com

my turn

What Keeps Diversity Professionals Up at Night?

(part 6)

By Shirley A. Davis, PhD

A

Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives Society for Human Resource Management

As the old saying goes, “all good things come to an end.” In this, the last installment of the series “What Keeps Diversity Professionals Up at Night,” I focus on the subject of legal risks and reputational damage. Over the past year, I’ve outlined a total of ten things that keep diversity professionals up at night. I deliberately positioned this article to conclude my series because of the obvious…if all of the other challenges mentioned in previous articles are addressed and effectively implemented, it minimizes the exposure to litigation and, thus, the reputational damage that follows is decreased.

Until a few years ago, diversity in the workplace was primarily defined by race and gender. However, today diversity is recognized as the collective mixture of differences and similarities, such as individual and organizational characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, preferences, and behaviors.

This includes the obvious: race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, religion and ethnicity. But it also includes the less obvious characteristics such as family status, military experience, disabilities, socio-economic status, language, thinking styles, education, and much more. This is important, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that women, immigrants, and people of color now make up 70 percent of new entrants to the workforce.

However, with this shift in talent pool demographics, far too many companies still don’t fully embrace diversity and inclusion in their sourcing, recruitment, development, engagement, and retention strategies, policies, and most importantly, their practices. Often, there’s a disconnect between the company’s policy statements and their actual practices. Take, for example, the number of organizations that continue to appear on ‘best practice’ lists—for diversity, for working women, for Hispanics, for African Americans, etc.—that still experience a tremendous amount of employee disengagement, attrition, dissatisfaction, and complaints. It becomes more obvious why this issue keeps diversity professionals up at night when we look at the number of lawsuits, settlements, and complaints filed and/or settled each year by the EEOC.

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As recently as March 2008, the EEOC released a report that revealed that, over the previous 10 years (1997-2007), major race and gender discrimination lawsuits cost U.S. corporations $2.3 billion in settlements alone. According to that same EEOC annual report, in FY2007, there were almost 83,000 claims filed, with: • Over 40,000 race-, gender-, and retaliation-related; • 19,103 age discrimination claims; • 17,734 disability discrimination charge filings; • 2,880 religion-based discrimination charge filings.

Lawsuits are time consuming, embarrassing, and a huge distraction to executive/senior leadership. They can be expensive in settlement costs, inside- and outside-counsel fees, and can bring a decline in stock price. They also have other impacts: reputational damage; employee morale; employee productivity; turnover; customer acquisition and retention; and other monetary liabilities. Additionally, settlements in the form of a Consent Decree may also be intrusive. Plaintiffs’ attorneys may request company files, document reviews, routine site visits, and interviews with complainants—sometimes this goes on for years. They involve required training and improvements to job posting processes, recruiting, selection, performance management, compensation, mentoring, career development, and succession planning.

The good news is that, while no one is immune to such lawsuits, there is a lot that can be done to reduce the likelihood of being a target and of having to make a major settlement. It all boils down to creating a strategic diversity and inclusion management plan that is integrated into the business strategy, embraced by senior and middle management, properly communicated and effectively implemented across the organization.

For additional strategies and tips on how to minimize legal risks and reputational damage, and how to build an effective diversity strategy, refer to the previous articles in this series “What Keeps Diversity Professionals Up at Night” or reach out to me at sadavis@shrm.org. PDJ

Shirley A. Davis, PhD, is Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives for the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Virginia. She can be reached at sadavis@shrm.org.

Some call it diversity.

To us, it’s a business plan.

When you serve over 200 million weekly customers, including 15 markets outside the U.S., diversity isn’t an option. It’s not only the right thing to do - it’s the right way to build your business.

Our 2 million associates need leadership in merchandising, marketing, information services, finances, and logistics. So we actively recruit leaders with diverse backgrounds, individual skills, and lots of enthusiasm. If that sounds like you, please visit us at walmartstores.com.

thoughts through the office door…

A Defining Time

By Carlton Yearwood

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Principal, The Yearwood Group

This is a time for clarity.

And for responsibly defining issues and solutions, isn’t it? We’ve now watched an economic debacle grind out daily doses of impossibly bad news, unintelligible political rhetoric, and diminishing expectations. It’s easy to be transfixed by it all much of the time, stunned and immobile as the next set of pronouncements washes overhead like a roller at the beach. But do remember that real, hard events are happening at home and right next door. Aunt Millie’s in a mortgage mess. Friend Jake and family are counting pennies as never before. Neighbor Joe is scurrying to locate educational options for the family’s highschool graduates.

Across business, too, many curious things are loose. For decades we’ve lived only on one side of a work equation, the side where people are employed and talent is scarce in the market.

Well, now the equation’s flipped, and we’re solidly immersed on the other side. People aren’t employed and we’re awash in a rich resource of a diverse population with great abilities. What to do?

This is a once-in-a-generation enrichment of the market, like suddenly finding the gold mother lode at your feet.

Let’s be clear and unambiguous. There are concrete actions to take, and they are distinctly different for individuals and for business people. This is how we’re advising individuals and our business clients right now.

If you’re an individual whose emotions and thoughts are all rubbed raw by the current environment, shake it off, and be sure to: • Keep your head up, not down. Your personal contribution to your company’s success is needed more today than ever before. Come up with good ideas. Build a case for them. Be identified and rewarded, and become an integral part of the diverse team leading your organization to better days.

• Stay plugged in. Pay more attention to building solid, meaningful relationships that enhance your personal and work networks. If you are participating in a women’s or minority network at your company, stay engaged. If you aren’t, by all means get involved. And develop a personal strategy that uses the right Internet sites to advance you visibly to the right people.

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• Refine your personal brand. Now is an excellent time to soulfully reassess your attributes, goals and work behavior. What traits make you stand out among others?

How can you develop these in ways that leverage opportunity for you in today’s job market? Consider ways to accentuate the positive things you know about yourself. On the other hand, if you’re one of the challenged people leading your company at this turbulent time in our social history.

• Advance, don’t retrench. Be intellectually honest with yourself about what it takes for tomorrow’s successful enterprise. Not hiding in the sand, for sure. Only companies with the determination to move forward across a business battleground now littered with defunct and ailing organizations will earn tomorrow’s profits and respect. A key asset is unleashing the diverse latent talent in your organization.

Visibly identify, focus and reward these people already at your company as new role models for a new time.

• Build up during the downturn. Now is the time to access the great resource of human capital, before the equation changes again to scarcity. You can never have too many good people, and good people indeed are available. But even as there is an abundance of talented, diverse people in the job marketplace, the trick will be, first, finding exactly the right ones, and then convincing them of your commitment and care.

• Cast a wide net. Look outside your usual boundaries for the kind of diverse, resourceful people you’ll need to clear tomorrow’s hurdles. Plug into the networks that take you outside your industry or profession to find people with new insights, perspectives and approaches. Welcome more expansive parameters in your recruiting searches, not those that tightly limit your exposure to new sources of talent.

Now’s a time like no other to do those things that will truly make a difference—personally and corporately—for you in the coming decade. It’s advice we’re giving to others, and advice we’re taking to heart ourselves. That it’s the right thing to do should be as clear to you as it is clear to me. PDJ With this column, we are welcoming Carlton Yearwood’s views from his new perspective as principal of The Yearwood Group, a management consultancy focused on leveraging market advantage from people, diversity and inclusion. For more information on their approach to changing behaviors and elevating expectations, contact Carlton at theyearwoodgroup@yahoo.com.

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Bank of the West and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers. M/F/D/V

© 2007 Bank of the West. Member FDIC.

Navy Leadership

Emphasizes Diversity 2009 is a unique year in the history of the United States Navy.

For the first time in their history, there are four black Vice Admirals (VADMs).

They are Commander, Naval Surface Forces/Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet VADM Derwood C. Curtis; Naval Surgeon General VADM Adam M. Robinson, Jr.; U.S. Second Fleet Commander VADM Mel Williams, Jr.; and Naval Inspector General VADM Anthony L. Winns.

Profiles in Diversity Journal is privileged to have had the opportunity to interview each VADM individually, and discuss the history and opportunities that the Navy has provided them. We are honored to present to you our exclusive interviews with these four amazing officers.

But first, an overview of the Navy in general, and its commitment to diversity in particular…

GLOBAL / MARKET ISSUES The United States Navy has approximately 350,000 active duty and 125,000 reserve, operating 283 ships in active service and more than 3,700 aircraft.

It is the largest navy in the world with a battle fleet tonnage greater than that of the next 13 largest combined. The U.S. Navy also possesses the world’s largest carrier fleet, with 11 in service and one under construction.

Organization Name: United States Navy

How does the Navy define diversity?

Headquarters: Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC Web site: www.navy.mil Primary Business or Industry: Global Maritime/National Defense

Diversity is the inclusion of all the different characteristics and attributes of individual Sailors and civilians that enhance the mission readiness and warfighting capability of the Navy.

Are there unique opportunities in the Navy for implementing diversity programs?

Today, the number of citizens who are eligible for military service is smaller due to numerous factors, including disqualifying physical, medical, and educational factors.

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As America’s demographic make-up shifts, the Navy, other services, and corporate America are directly competing with each other for the top talent of our nation. Competition for talent will be fierce and the winners will be organizations that fully embrace diversity. Embracing diversity creates an environment of excellence and continuous improvement. This leads to continued mission success and readiness by leveraging the differing perspectives of our talented workforce.

LEADERSHIP What mentoring programs does the Navy implement?

Organizations establish mentoring programs for a variety of reasons, but ultimately the goal is to help an individual achieve the maximum potential they can within the organization. The Surface Navy must develop, implement, and instill a mentoring culture within each Command where every Sailor has the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential.

Effective mentoring programs must be living programs where the mentor and protégé establish clear goals and evaluate those goals on a regular basis.

In addition to Command-level mentoring programs,

Interviews conducted By Damian P. Johnson and were made possible by Lt. Karen E. Eifert (karen.eiert@navy.mil) and the staff of the U.S. Navy Diversity Directorate.

Navy Seeks Diverse Talent Across Nation; Aims to Retain Brightest

By Lt. Karen E. Eifert Chief of Naval Personnel - Diversity Directorate

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The Navy’s Strategic Diversity Working Group (SDWG) recently held its third biannual conference to discuss an aggressive plan to meet challenges facing the Navy in assessing, retaining and developing Sailors from diverse backgrounds.

said. “We know we need to build an influencer base with teachers, parents, government officials, business leaders and Navy-friendly groups, and that’s what we’re doing. In return, we believe they will help us by referring applicants our way.”

“Working together as a group to pursue diversity across the total force is much more effective than individual enterprises or communities pursuing their own initiatives,” said Captain Ken Barrett, head of the diversity directorate and host of the conference. “I’m pleased at the progress we’ve made, and this conference multiplies our effectiveness.”

Involvement in community and educational outreach events helps promote Navy retention, recruiting and awareness.

Meeting presenters and discussion offered fresh thinking and alternative perspectives with respect to how to further Navy diversity and reach a sustainable force structure.

The working group detailed a plan to more aggressively promote awareness about the Navy in communities throughout the nation to create earlier positive awareness.

“We’re actively moving from episodic to sustained engagement,” Barrett

Also discussed was the Navy’s current demographics and how these numbers affect recruiting efforts since 55 percent of the Navy is from Generation X members, and 43 percent are Millennials.

Only 2 percent of the Navy is made up of Baby Boomers. Barrett acknowledged generational differences during the conference, and stated that the number-one priority of Millennials continues to be the desire to maintain a balance between personal and professional lives.

“N1 and Navy’s Task Force Life/Work have listened and continue to listen to what our Sailors are saying is important to them. Supporting healthy Navy families with Life/Work incentives continues to be a top Navy priority,” he said.

the Surface Navy must leverage a mentoring culture to groom our future leaders by guiding them into appropriate education programs and challenging career assignments to develop the executive skills required for the future.

How is the Navy increasing the participation of talented diverse officers and senior enlisted personnel in high-visibility billets and executive ranks?

Developing the future flag-pool must begin today with new accession Ensigns. Commanders must take the time to identify and prepare these future leaders with the right skill sets as they progress up the “career ladder.” Offering key billets to an officer provides unique insight into executive decision-making. Nominating the best and most qualified personnel to serve these key career development billets is critical to the success of these programs. Examples of these key billets include advanced/joint education opportunities, nominative billets such as Chiefs of Staff, Executive Assistants, Flag Secretaries/Lieutenants, and key OPNAV/JCS/COCOM/Fleet/TYCOM billets.

Alongside incentives and benefits, the presenters stressed that, while recruiting is important to a diverse force, an equally important part is mentorship. Participants commented on the rising popularity of affinity groups like the National Naval Officers Association, the Association of Naval Services Officers and other sea service leadership associations that offer mentorship and professional development opportunities. They expressed the need to support and expand mentoring opportunities across the Navy.

At the conference conclusion, general agreement existed among enterprise communities, recruiting and outreach coordinators on efforts designed to showcase the Navy and emphasize the role it plays in defending the nation.

“The (Chief of Naval Operations) has challenged us all to lead diversity initiatives through leadership, mentorship, service and example. This working group has aligned all our Navy efforts to do just that,” said Barrett.

EMPLOYEE INCLUSIVENESS How does the Navy bring women officers into the fabric of the organization? What programs are in place or on the drawing board to help them advance?

Retention of female Surface Warfare Officers is critical to the health of the SWO community. Today, females make up 15.6% of the Navy’s Surface Force. However, women make up approximately 54% of all college students. This percentage is expected to grow steadily in the coming years. The Surface community must implement effective programs that retain this valuable segment of our workforce if we are to succeed in the future. Retention starts with command programs that foster a work environment where every Sailor’s contribution is welcomed. These commands must understand the unique role women play in our society, and adapt the work processes to allow this population of Americans to serve the Navy.

Task Force Life/ Work Balance (TFLW) is addressing some of these issues, but Commands must lead this effort. PDJ

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Commander, Naval Surface Forces/ Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet VADM Derwood C. Curtis

Can you give us an idea of what it was like for you growing up and who had the biggest impact on you?

My mother was a really hard worker with a strong work ethic and I think I was taught that you have to work hard to get want you want in life. We lived on the south side of Chicago and we belonged to a small store-front church on the corner, and my pastor took a lot of interest in the young people. When we did well in school or in the community he’d make sure to recognize us. I think that gave all the kids a great sense of accomplishment.

I went to a vocational school for high school because they were the football champions three of the last four years.

My goals early in life were to play professional football and the coach was a Notre Dame grad who also had played at Notre Dame. I learned a lot from him as far as dedication, sacrifice, and taking pride in the things I did. I also joined the Junior ROTC in high school. My father had been in the military and I really loved the uniform.

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But in those days there was a combination of a lot of bad things going in Chicago.

So there were choices one could make—good or bad. And the folks who had the biggest impact on me were my parents, my pastor, and my football coach. They set great examples and made me understand what I could really achieve.

Did you play football in the Academy?

Yes. I was recruited for quite a few schools and Ivy League schools, but my coach knew that I was interested in the military and that I loved ROTC. He talked to the Naval Academy and said, “You may want to look into this.” So I did. And when I had the opportunity to visit the campus I was really impressed.

I was also impressed with the mentality of the coaches and the quality of people I met there. That’s what really convinced me to attend.

What was the first year in the Academy like for you?

It was challenging. It was also a culture shock because there were not many African Americans in the Academy then.

Some of my classmates had never even been around black people before.

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But I went into the Academy knowing that I was going to do the best I could, and I quickly understood that I was competing against the best of the best. So I came to the realization that I wasn’t in Chicago anymore and that it was going to be a challenge and that I really needed to work hard.

And one of the great things about the Academy is that if you’re not passing your academics, you don’t play sports, you don’t play football. If you found yourself falling behind you needed to do something about it, and you needed to get some help. And part of the instructors’ job is to help ensure your success and make themselves available to the students.

Did you have any mentors in the Academy?

In those days, we didn’t call it mentoring. We called it looking out for each other. But there were a few juniors and seniors who mentored and looked out for underclassmen. A few helped me with my study habits and helped put the right emphasis on the right class work.

What made you become a Surface Warfare Officer?

Most folks who go to the Academy want to be pilots. I had the opportunity to fly jets out of Pensacola but it just wasn’t for me. But when I went onboard a ship for the first time I fell in love with the challenge of being out to sea. I was planning to join the Marine Corps in the Academy because I really liked the kind

Vice Admiral D.C. Curtis debarks the guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83) after a visit to speak with the ship’s officers and chief petty officers.

Curtis addressed his plan to enhance surface forces readiness through all aspects of warfighting including training, maintenance, damage control, military bearing, uniforms, and the personal and professional development of every Sailor.

(U.S. Navy photo by Electronics Technician 1st Class Maurice Valcourt)

of pride I saw in the Marines, but then I saw what a Surface Warfare Officer does and the kind of leadership skills they must have in order to do their job. I was immediately hooked and wanted the challenge, knowing I could instill a lot of pride in that role.

Who are mentors today?

My wife is probably my most important mentor and confidante! She has really helped with our decisions and with my career with her support and advice. But I also talk with Admiral Harry Ulrich, who is now retired. He is one of the guys I worked for and I think that we have many common leadership traits.

What is your mission—for yourself and for the Navy?

My mission is to be the best I can be and support our Sailors. My priority to my staff is to show up every day wanting to make a positive impact on them and the Navy. My leadership priorities are for the Chief of Naval Operations and for developing our future leaders.

Briefly, why do you think the Academy continues to produce such top-notch performers?

The Academy instills pride and loyalty so that our Sailors can perform in leadership positions in the Navy and have rewarding careers afterward. The Academy

“

The Academy instills pride and loyalty so that our Sailors can perform in leadership positions in the Navy and have rewarding careers afterward.”

gives the students the tools, the background and the education, and exposes them to the best leadership throughout the organization. It also tries to ensure that its students have the right moral compass and ethics to succeed anywhere and anytime. And taking all that into consideration, it continually challenges people to be better than they thought they could be.

What is your mission within the Navy’s affinity groups?

The affinity groups are a great vehicle of information and professional development. We all relate differently, especially with the different generations of folks in the workforce. So the affinity groups’

mission is to provide professional development and camaraderie, and to give Sailors a sense of ownership. When I talk to the different affinity groups, the number one point I make is professional development. Just because they’re a member of an affinity group doesn’t guarantee them anything. The Navy looks at performance and leadership and how our Sailors sustain that performance and leadership.

What are your plans after you take off the uniform?

I’ve always wanted to work with kids and coach football, but I’m really interested in education.

I am where I am today because of the great officers and the great enlisted people who I worked for throughout the years. I used no magic wand to get to this point in my career. It was simply from the help and support of all the Sailors and knowing when to ask for it.

I recently attended the Sailor-of-the-Year celebration in San Diego and it just sent chills down my spine being able to talk with and recognize the talented people we have in the Navy. I’d like to continue to be able to give that back, whether I’m in or out of uniform. PDJ

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Naval Surgeon General VADM Adam M. Robinson, Jr.

schools were the white schools in the east end of the city. They were positioned in such a way that they were well-financed, and she knew her children needed a college-prep school.

What was it like for you growing up?

I was born in Kentucky in 1950, which means I hit elementary school in Louisville at the time when the schools were being desegregated. Omar Carmichael, the superintendent of the schools at the time, was very progressive and he felt that the public schools in Louisville—after the Brown vs. Education ruling in 1954—should take the lead and desegregate.

I went to school in Louisville at 5 years of age at integrated schools. My mother was a great influence during those years.

My father was too, but my mother was very active with the parent/teachers association and usually ended up being the president of the PTAs and other parent organizations.

Was there tension from the white families or the white kids at school when they started to integrate?

Not that I remember, but I was only 5 at the time. I do remember that my mother wanted her children to go to the best schools in Louisville and the best 22

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Did you decide in high school that you wanted to become a doctor?

My father was a physician and I had always thought that I was going to do medicine and probably be a surgeon. The thing that was most vivid in my mind was that I was going to college. Any time anyone would even suggest to me anything else I would absolutely dismiss it as being ridiculous. For me that was solid. I was going to college, no way around that.

Did you play any sports in school?

In high school I played JV football. I was very interested in it but I broke my wrist. The coaches were real interested in having me stay but I decided that I needed to move on to something a little less destructive. So I got involved in singing. I did a lot of work with choral groups in the area, and did a lot of solo work with all sorts of oratorical and opera type music. I also played French horn in the Louisville and Jefferson County Youth Orchestra for 5 or 6 years. When I got to University of Louisville I realized I wasn’t

March/April 2009

going to devote my life to music, which is a very demanding profession.

In college I was the Supreme Court Justice for the residence halls association. I knew all the rules and regulations for the dormitories. After I finished that position I was a student representative and defended fellow students who were sent to the disciplinary board. I never lost a case and everyone though I was on my way to law school. But I went to medical school instead.

What was your first job?

The first paid job I had was delivering the American Defender, the AfricanAmerican paper in Louisville. It came out every Thursday afternoon and was delivered to us late Wednesday. So I spent all after school on Thursday delivering papers to my customers. That was an experience because it was the first time in my life where I witnessed people who always wanted something but didn’t want to pay for it! So I had to work on keeping the books straight for it.

What did you do for fun growing up?

I used to have a bike and my brother and I would go 8 or 10 blocks away from home and it was as if I had crossed the Sahara Desert. It felt like I was so far from home. That’s the thing I remember the best while growing up—going on those rides. I had the kind of childhood where both my parents allowed us to be children.

As I got a little older I became interested in music. It wasn’t like studying for me,

Vice Admiral Adam Robinson (center), the 36th Surgeon General of the Navy and Chief of the Navy Bureau of Medicine, talks to U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen during the Benjamin Banneker Awards Gala.

(U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Karen Eifert/Released)

because I always enjoyed music. I enjoyed it immensely.

While I was growing up all five children were very musically inclined. So when we were growing up we had the Robinson quintet play all sort of different musical events. And when people would visit we would get our instruments and play our favorite music.

What was your biggest hurdle in life?

“

All the experiences that we have with our families and friends are the things that shape us into who we are.”

Is there anyone who had a big influence on you while growing up?

Yes, my grandfather George. He was a college graduate back around 1898-1899, and he was a huge influence on my life.

How you are raised and what people are telling you when you are little makes a huge difference when you are growing up. And I was told I was going to college when I was very little. I also remember one high school teacher, Mr. Abrams.

He used to say, “The sky is your limit.

You can do whatever you want to do.

There is no one stopping you but your mind and your willingness to accept less than you desire.” That was his theme.

What makes you so committed to retaining minority officers in the Navy?

Several reasons: I’m African American.

I understand what racial prejudice is. I understand what being different is. I understand what being treated differently is.

I understand what being an American is.

And I understand what service is about.

Because I’ve been a member of the military for 32 years, I also understand that

as the country changes and as the demographics of the nation change, the armed forces have to mirror what the nation is.

So I think that it’s a strategic imperative of the Navy—and a strategic imperative of any company—to have a workforce that mirrors our nation.

You are now at the highest rank of surgeon general that the Navy allows. Where do you see yourself once you take the uniform off?

Howard Thurman, a 20th century theologian, described leadership as three things: 1. Know yourself and be comfortable with who you are.

2. Be responsible for your actions.

3. Be responsible for your reactions.

The thing that has helped me the most, out of all the things that have happened, is to come to terms with and be comfortable with who I am. Also, to understand what my responsibilities are to the people around me. That’s what I’ve learned through my parents, through my elementary and high school teachers, and I really learned that in the Navy because of the leadership. The chain of command is such a big part of the fabric of the military. But I just didn’t wake up one day and realize I’d learned that. It’s a process and one that all of us have to work at.

Like tending a garden; you have to work at it in order to get what you need. All the experiences that we have with our families and friends are the things that shape us into who we are. PDJ

My wife and I talk often about this now because I’m getting close to getting to that moment. First, we’re going to look for a place we want to live, but I’m looking to continue contributing to a university or higher education setting. I would really like to continue to do work with people with service in some fashion or another.

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U.S. Second Fleet Commander VADM Mel Williams, Jr.

Who had the most influence on you growing up?

My father and mother were my biggest influencers. I am a son of parents who raised us very well. They inculcated the values that I currently have and helped provide that foundation.

My father was in the Navy, and he entered in 1951 having graduated from a technical high school. He was very talented and intelligent, but when he entered the Navy, because of the times, he really didn’t have the opportunity to pursue the things he really wanted to. So he was offered the job of a cook, which was typical for minorities at that time. He had lots of talents but was restricted to the areas he could pursue. But he armed himself with a positive attitude, and he rose through the ranks eventually making Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO), the highest enlisted rank in the Navy.

And one of the interesting things my father initiated was a merger of two enlisted ratings. One was predominately

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populated by minorities called the Steward rating, and another, the Commissaryman, was primarily populated by majority enlisted people. It was his idea to merge those two ratings together and call it the Mess Management Specialist rating. He was able to get it approved through the proper channels and it had the effect of almost instantaneously providing equal opportunity for all people who served within that new rating.

Was your dad gone a lot during his enlistment?

He went on many deployments. His first 17 years were on sea duty, and he spent a lot of time away, so my mother spent a lot of time with us. But when my father returned he would participate in our events and was very influential.

What was the transition like between high school and the Naval Academy? Was there something in the academic work load in the Academy that you had to adjust to?

I think everyone has a natural ability.

For me, I got through high school on my natural ability. When I transitioned from high school to the Naval Academy I re-

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ally had to produce and perform above my natural ability. A turning point for me came when I was accepted into the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. Having been accepted at the end of my junior year, Admiral Hymen G. Rickover, head of the program, challenged me to study more and raise my academic standing. I had to study so many hours per week based on his request, and that really caused me to go to the next level. What I found then was true focus and I was able look past obstacles and distractions. It was then that I was able to retain information easier and grasp data and translate it to knowledge.

What was it like for you to be heading for a career as an officer while your dad was enlisted?

My father went on to become a Command Master Chief for a destroyer tender as his final assignment until 1978.

After that, he came to the Naval Academy and attended my graduation. We saluted one another, and, as tradition, I provided him with a dollar coin as the first salute from a new officer to an enlisted person.

I entered as an officer and after that he retired. So it was sort of a “passing of the baton� in our service.

Did the Navy encourage you to set goals and standards right from the start?

Yes it did. I believe in a commitment to excellence, which is a common theme

Vice Admiral Mel Williams, Jr., Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, shakes hands with Retired Rear Admiral Lillian Fishburne, the Navy’s first female African American flag officer, after receiving an award honoring his military achievements during the Flag Officer Reception in recognition of the annual Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.

The Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, created with the support of Justice Marshall in 1993, provides assistance in the form of merit-based scholarships to students attending historically Black public colleges or universities.

(U.S. Marine Corps photo

by Lance Cpl. Andres Lugo/Released)

that I’ve tried to maintain throughout my career. What I mean by that is that it’s an acronym, ACE—A Commitment to Excellence. The “A” is maintaining a positive attitude, and I really got that from listening to my father and his friends. They were faced with many challenges, but I never once heard them complain. So I decided to take on maintaining that positive attitude regardless of the circumstances that were presented before me.

The commitment aspect is a commitment to something bigger than self, and my personal commitment has been service to others through leadership with excellence as my standard. Regardless of what I do in life I always feel a need to serve others in some leadership capacity, and to do my very best in that regard.

I established goals and those goals included becoming an officer and pursuing the submarine force, primarily because they were the most challenging. My father used to tell me, “If you’re going to do something, don’t limit yourself based on fear of failure, but try to do something that you think you’ll enjoy and something that is challenging and exciting.”

What is your affiliation with the Centennial 7?

The year 2000 was the centennial of the U.S. Submarine Force. Working with the other six members, we talked about it and said, “Basically, in the first 100 years

“

I believe in a commitment to excellence, which is a common theme that I’ve tried to maintain throughout my career. …

My personal commitment has been service to others through leadership with excellence as my standard”

.of the U.S. Submarine Force there have been seven African Americans who have had command of submarines.” I suggested we call ourselves the Centennial 7, and it stuck. And each year we attend an event called the Black Engineer of the Year Awards, and we invite lieutenants and midshipmen interested in the submarine force and the Nuclear Propulsion Program to sit in while we share our experiences.

We have the opportunity to be open and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly, with the idea of providing them with insights that might help them as they pursue their careers in the Navy.

You were recently awarded the Thurgood Marshall Award. Can you explain what this award is and what it means to you?

The Thurgood Marshall Award is presented to flag and general officers who are selected each year. It’s associated with a program that focused on reserve officer training (ROTC) for young people who are considering entering the armed services through college programs. The awards honor officers based on their careers, to provide inspiration to the young people who are considering military service. I was very honored to be among the flag and general officers who received the awards. To receive an award named after Thurgood Marshall, with his background and history, and the impact that he has had on our nation, is truly meaningful.

What are your plans when you take off the uniform? Will you still be involved in networking with the affinity groups in the Navy?

It’s my passion serving and I’ll continue to do that and help out were I can.

I’ll continue to remain tied to the Navy and to help young people. With respect to employment, I will certainly consider anything that aligns with my passion: Service to others through leadership. PDJ

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Navy Leadership Emphasizes Diversity

Naval Inspector General VADM Anthony L. Winns

Can you give a little history of your background—where you grew up and what life was like then?

I grew up in Jacksonville (Florida) and I attended segregated schools until high school. In those days, I remembered using what we called “hand-me-down” books.

We didn’t have new textbooks. Sometimes we had books with pages torn out. I didn’t realize what I was truly missing until I got to high school and started receiving brand new textbooks. Until then, I thought that was the way it was.

In my early childhood I remember signs on restaurants and bathrooms that read “colored-only” or “whites-only.” I remember going downtown with my mom and water fountains were for colored only or whites only. So I grew up with that.

That was my early childhood experience.

The first time I really had significant integration with whites was when I was selected to go to the National Boy Scouts Jamboree in Idaho. Three African American boys from my scout troop were selected to interview with the Northern 26

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Florida Council of Boy Scouts.

We were interviewed by an all white council of scout masters and I remember that distinctly in my mind. On the bus it was just the three from Troop 193 and the rest were white boy scouts, and we got along fine.

The next significant experience with whites was in ninth grade, my last year of junior high school. Duval County integrated their teachers. Fifty percent white teachers came to my junior high school and taught us. That was the first time I had had a white teacher and they took about 20 of us out of the classroom and taught us pre-algebra. I was good in math, but in ninth grade only a select few were taught it.

When do you think you first started developing your leadership traits?

It was a combination of several things but it probably started in high school. I was in the band for 3 years, played varsity basketball for 3 years, and was captain of the team. Academically, I was never really in harm’s way. I excelled in all subjects, but math was my favorite. In 10th grade, when I got to high school, I didn’t have a math class because of the scheduling. So when I started my 11th grade year I real-

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ized I was behind my white counterparts.

Because I’d already taken pre-algebra in junior high, I doubled up with geometry and skipped Algebra 1, and got back on the college-prep program.

Were your parents major influencers in your life?

My mother was mostly. She was a school teacher. She worked hard during the day and she taught adult education at night. So she gave back to the community.

In those days the teachers didn’t make a whole lot of money. My mom and dad worked full time and I saw them struggle to make ends meet. So I thought if she can do what she’s doing to provide for me and my brother, surely I can do my part.

I distinctly remember her going to Florida A&M University between my 5th and 6th grade years to get her master’s degree. One summer she took me with her, and that experience stands out as a highlight as to how hard she worked and how motivated she was to be successful in life.

Did your mom have a philosophy or words of wisdom which really stand out in your mind?

She didn’t say these words exactly, but I heard this at a retirement ceremony and it reminded me of her. She showed me and conveyed to me on a daily basis: “Do as much as you can for as many people as you can for as long as you can.”

And that’s how she lived her life.

Vice Admiral Anthony Winns takes time to congratulate high school student Alexandra L. Lyday for being recognized as the Pre-College Initiative Female Student of the Year while at the National Society of Black Engineers held in Las Vegas from March 25-29.

Winns is a strong proponent of mentorship and mentors African American youth and service members whenever possible.

(Photo by Lt. Karen E. Eifert)

Can you describe your transition between high school and the Naval Academy?

In high school I was an All-American basketball player. In my neighborhood growing up everyone thought they were going to be the next Earl-the-Pearl (Earl Monroe) or Walt Frazier. And since I had excellent grades I had lots of offers.

In 1973, someone from the Naval Academy came to my high school and spoke to the students. When I heard him I thought, “Wow! The Academy sounds great. Great academics, physical training and basically a well rounded education.”

In my mind it would be different than going to Harvard or Princeton, which would be purely academic. So I applied to my congressman and got the principal nomination to the Naval Academy.

What was the first year at the Naval Academy like?

That’s an interesting question, because I didn’t have good study habits in junior high and high school, because that part was fairly easy for me. The first semester at the Naval Academy I realized the professors didn’t tell us everything we needed to know, and I had to get the other information on my own. It was a rather rude awakening. I also wasn’t quite prepared for the military nature of what I was getting into. There is more that you are required to do at the Academy than time you have to do it. So I had to learn how to prioritize.

“

Do as much as you can for as many people as you can for as long as you can. …My success lies in the success of those I’ve worked for, and I’m most proud of those that I’ve created an opportunity for.”

What does your job of Naval Inspector General entail?

My mission is to inspect and investigate any matters of importance to the Department of the Navy. We do inspections on commands and we look to make sure they are in compliance with the Navy.

We also inspect the quality of life for navy personnel and their families, and we do special focus studies. For example, with the financial crisis we find ourselves in now we might want to know the financial health of our Sailors. Can they sell their homes when we order them to go from one duty station to another? What about the Sailors that are renting homes and the landlord goes into foreclosure? How are we taking care of our Sailors when they come back from the war?

What is your role in the Navy’s affinity groups and how does that role impact you?

I think it’s very important that I give back to the community and create a path for others who come behind me. I have made it a point in my career to help others. I was speaking on African American History in Japan and got asked a question about my success. My success lies in the success of those I’ve worked for, and I’m most proud of those that I’ve created an opportunity for.

I’m also a lifetime officer of National Naval Officers Association, and I founded the Black Studies Club to enhance and take a look at the proud African History.

I routinely mentor minorities on what it takes to make sure they get to the next level and continue to focus on what it takes to get there.

How did you feel when you first became a Flag Officer? Your mother was such a proponent of education, but she never got to see you make this accomplishment.

My mother passed when I was a lieutenant junior grade in 1978. She was very young, only 48 years old. As I progressed through the ranks I thought my mom would be proud of me. When I put on my first star, that one was hard. Once I put on that uniform I looked straight up to the sky and thought—If mom could see me now. PDJ

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G l ob al

Diversity & Inclusion:

G

Global Diversity & Inclusion is critically important in today’s business operations and practices. As companies expand globally, they must understand the different paradigms, programs, values, and ways of life that exist around the world.

Leading companies will create diversity strategies that reflect these unique factors present in all countries and cultures. We asked diversity leaders from Cisco and Royal Dutch Shell what they have learned.

Cisco Marilyn Nagel Director, Global Inclusion and Diversity

What diversity efforts and adjustments are (or were) necessary for your organization to take its people and/ or products overseas?

Cisco established a global Inclusion and Diversity Council with executives that represent all geographies.

This council sets the vision and strategy for Cisco globally. We also put in place an I&D lead in each theater who is part of the senior leadership team for the region and is part of the global I&D extended team. The I&D leads participate in program development and ensure that programs, processes, and policies are relevant in their theater. While our vision and strategy are the same regardless of location, we localize programs and develop activities to meet local needs. Our metrics also reflect regional differences. For example, Cisco measures ethnicity in the U.S. but not outside the U.S. with the exception of Canada where we use their classification (people of color).

What challenges do you (or did you) have while implementing this change?

When Cisco began our diversity journey the programs and policies were driven by a U.S. based team and we received a lot a feedback that they were not relevant.

Some of the changes we have made include: • Encouraging program development from other geographies, • U.S. based development teams always include diversity leads for other geographies,

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• A cross-cultural team approach is utilized at every stage from planning through execution, so that we take local cultural differences into account throughout the program life cycle.

By placing local diversity leaders in geography, we eliminated earlier challenges.

What do you (or did you) have to do to obtain buy-in from senior management in order to make your global diversity program a success?

Since our theater diversity leaders report to the senior leader and sit on the leadership team in their geography, they ensure the global program is a success. They keep I&D top-of-mind, provide input on key local decisions that may have a diversity pivot, and are the voice of I&D in the theater.

What is or was the most interesting experience or development that your organization encountered during this global transition?

As the I&D community, it is critical that we “model” inclusiveness in our work. That has to include cultural differences and local relevance and focus. So, while our vision and strategy can be universal across our enterprise, we have to consider every aspect of what we deliver from other cultures. One example of learning came from our using actors with U.S. accents in a diversity training program. We learned that takes away from the value of the program when used by employees overseas. PDJ

Global What We Have Learned…

When shifting from a U.S. to a global context on the issue of Diversity & Inclusion, three elements are extremely important: Your focus needs to remain on how D&I is an enabler to the business. The activities you initiate, the processes and systems you look to influence, must have a link to the ultimate success of the enterprise.

It’s important to have a set of definitions and tools that can easily translate across borders. For us, it was important to have definitions that provided a clear picture of what was meant by these terms that would resonate with employees across the organisation. At Shell, the iceberg has been a universal way of describing diversity as “all the ways we’re different” and acknowledges that these differences impact who we are as employees as well as whom our customer base and other external stakeholders are.

An important issue for effective global implementation is a shift in mindset. It cannot be about exporting a U.S. mindset around D&I, with its unique history and sets of laws that govern the area of equal opportunity. Instead it must look from the lens of a business that is structured globally and operates across regions, nationalities, and generations with various histories, societies, and cultural differences that must be melded together for the organisation to thrive. If organisational leaders and employees see D&I efforts as nothing more than an exporting of U.S. equal opportunity, they will incur significant resistance.

Over the last decade, some of the greatest challenges have been the continuing need for leadership to communicate the fact that D&I is not just a nice thing to do but essential for the long-term health of the business. Shell’s senior leadership firmly believes this, and they are committed to sharing and embedding D&I values across the whole business. Key challenges to this commitment occur when a business goes through a difficult patch, or when leadership changes occur. Over the last decade, Shell has experienced both of these and will again later this year when we will once again see a passing of the baton at the CEO level. Fortunately, we know the handoff will be seamless with respect to D&I, which allows us to stay the course and sustain our activities with minimal adjustments to our priorities and plans.

One development I would like to highlight is the transition from having D&I as a separate and distinct set of objectives and

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activities to one that is fully integrated and embedded as a part of Shell’s overall Human Resources Functional Plan and People Standards. This connection has led to numerous opportunities to influence system and process changes in attraction, recruitment, development and advancement of under-represented groups on a global scale. Another development is a move to having D&I linked in with strategic inter- Josefine van Zanten vention projects. The most recent example is associated with Global Head of our Gas & Power business in Diversity and Inclusion Qatar. Construction of the world’s largest Gas To Liquids (GTL) plant is a major step towards meeting the world’s growing demand for cleaner energy. More than 40,000 workers from more than 50 nations currently work on a building site almost the size of New York’s Central Park. The leadership recognised the teamwork and communication challenges across cultures in this project and asked the D&I Practice for assistance. Through a collaboration between D&I and Learning and Organizational Effectiveness, a workshop was designed to meet the particular challenges associated with this enormous undertaking. We continue to seek strategic intervention opportunities where the value of D&I as a business enabler is clearly present.

This is a long journey and to reach our goals we need to constantly review progress and work to drive D&I values.

Given the dedicated resources we have committed to D&I around the world, and the strong support of our senior leaders, Shell is well placed to meet the challenge.

As we are in turbulent economic times, I encourage all D&I professionals to seek reinforcement from their senior leaders to stay the course and view this period as an opportunity to use D&I in response to the current business challenges. As effective change agents, we must adapt to the current conditions, support our leaders through these times, and adapt our programs and activities to meet today’s reality, while staying true to the core principles that underpin our work. PDJ

Shell

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Diversity &Inclusion drives innovation and success Kodak’s commitment to diversity and inclusion touches customers, consumers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and more. While our vision is global, we focus upon the distinctive cultures and communities in which we live and work.

We champion diversity as a business imperative to help drive innovation.

Working together, we create technologies and services that unleash the power of pictures and printing. Become part of our picture—and join us on our journey to enrich people’s lives.

www.kodak.com/go/diversity © Eastman Kodak Company, 2008

DiversityLeaderAward2008 We are proud to present the Profiles in Diversity Journal 2008 Diversity Leader Award to the following companies and businesses who have taken the time in 2008 to share their voices and stories with our readers. We recognize and celebrate these leaders who have a lot to say about diversity, and have said it in three or more issues in 2008! Their experiences in the world of Diversity and Inclusion serve as a beacon to others, and this award serves as a proclamation of their own commitment to diversity. Congratulations!

Aflac AIMD Allstate ArvinMeritor, Inc. AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. Bank of America Bank of the West Bausch & Lomb The Boeing Company

Burger King Corporation Catalyst Chevron Comcast Deloitte LLP Eastman Kodak Company Ford Motor Company Hallmark Cards, Inc. Ivy Planning Group, LLC

KPMG LLP Lockheed Martin MGM MIRAGE New Jersey DEP New York Life Insurance Co. PepsiCo Pfizer Inc Pitney Bowes Inc. Reliant Energy Inc.

Rohm and Haas Company Royal Dutch Shell SHRM Sodexo UnitedHealth Group Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Waste Management, Inc. WellPoint, Inc.

Aflac Incorporated Headquarters: Columbus, Georgia Web site: www.aflac.com Primary Business: Voluntary benefits sold at the worksite (i.e. Accident, Short-Term Disability, Cancer, Life, etc.).

Year Established: 1955 Daniel P. Amos

Employees: 4,400

Brenda Mullins Second V.P., HR, Diversity Officer

Chairman & CEO

American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia Web site: www.aimd.org Primary Business: Diversity management research, public outreach programs, education, tools, and resources.

Melanie Harrington President

Year Established: 1984 Employees: 6 (over 30 diversity expert partners including an Alliance with the Diversity Collegium )

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l

Beth Cole Program Manager for the Diversity Leadership Academy速

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 Allstate Insurance Company Headquarters: Northbrook, Illinois Web site: www.allstate.com Primary Business: The nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer.

Year Established: 1931 Employees: Approximately 38,000 Thomas J. Wilson

Anise Wiley-Little

Chairman, President & CEO

Chief Diversity Officer

ArvinMeritor, Inc. Headquarters: Troy, Michigan Web site: www.arvinmeritor.com Primary Business: Premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry.

Year Established: 1909 Employees: 19,000

Charles G. “Chip” McClure

Vernon G. Baker, III Senior Vice President & General Counsel

Chairman, CEO & President

AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. Headquarters: New York City Web site: www.axa-equitable.com Primary Business: Life insurance, annuities and investment products and services.

Year Established: 1859 Christopher M. “Kip” Condron

Employees: Over 11,000 employees and sales personnel

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Tracey Gray-Walker Senior Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer

Chairman & CEO

March/April 2009

DiversityLeaderAward2008 Bank of America Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina Web site: www.bankofamerica.com Primary Business: Financial institution, full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and riskmanagement products and services.

Kenneth D. Lewis Chairman, CEO & President

Year Established: 1784 (as Massachusetts Bank) Employees: More than 240,000

Geri Thomas SVP, Human Resources, and Global Diversity and Inclusion Executive

Bank of the West Headquarters: San Francisco, California Web site: www.bankofthewest.com Primary Business: Banking (personal and commercial checking, savings, loans, investment and trust services).

Year Established: 1874 Employees: 10,438 Angie Perez

Michael Shepherd

EEO and Corporate Diversity Manager

President & CEO

Bausch & Lomb Headquarters: Rochester, New York Web site: www.bausch.com Primary Business: Contact lenses, medical devices, lens care, pharmaceuticals and cataract and vitreoretinal surgery.

Year Established: 1853 Gerry Ostrov Chairman & CEO

Employees: Approximately 10,000 employees worldwide

Clay Osborne Vice President, responsible for corporate staff and talent management, including executive staffing diversity and B&L University

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 The Boeing Company Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois Web site: www.boeing.com Primary Business: Commercial jetliners, military aircraft, rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites.

Year Established: 1916 W. James McNerney

Employees: Approximately 160,000

Joyce E. Tucker Vice President, Global Diversity & Employee Rights

Chairman, President & CEO

Burger King Corporation Headquarters: Miami, Florida Web site: www.bk.com Primary Business: Fast food hamburger restaurant.

Year Established: 1954 Employees: 27,000 employees in the U.S. Robert Perkins

John W. Chidsey

Vice President, Inclusion & Talent Management

Chairman & CEO

Catalyst Headquarters: New York City Web site: www.catalyst.org Primary Business: Research, advisory services, benchmarking.

Year Established: 1962 Employees: 70+ Ilene H. Lang

Jennifer Daniel-Davidson

President & CEO

Chief Financial Officer & Vice President, Finance, HR & Administration

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YOUR INDIVIDUALITY

>

YOU KNOW

UNLEASH YOUR IDEAS, AND MAKE YOUR MARK. At UnitedHealth Group, diversity isn’t just a corporate buzzword. It’s the way we work, and it comes through in everything we do. From the high-performing people we hire, to the health care services we provide, we advocate the possibilities of unique thinking.

We’ve become a Fortune 25 company by creating an inclusive environment fueled by innovative ideas. Our employees have diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, perspectives, and lifestyles. But they all have one thing in common – their ability to excel.

Right now, we’re working to build the health care system of tomorrow. One that will work better for more people in more ways than ever.

A goal with this kind of magnitude requires the brightest, most forward-thinking minds around. We have them here. And they’re making a difference.

Make your mark of distinction at unitedhealthgroup.com/careers

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V. UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. © 2009 UnitedHealth Group. All rights reserved.

DiversityLeaderAward2008 Chevron Corporation Headquarters: San Ramon, California Web site: www.chevron.com Primary Business: Energy.

Year Established: 1879 Employees: 60,000 Carole A. Young

David O’Reilly

General Manager, Global Offices of Diversity and Ombuds

Chairman & CEO

Comcast Corporation Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Web site: www.comcast.com Primary Business: Cable, internet and phone communications.

Year Established: 1963 Employees: 100,000 David L. Cohen

Brian L. Roberts

Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Chairman & CEO

Deloitte LLP Headquarters: New York City Web site: www.deloitte.com/us Primary Business: Professional services organization, providing audit, risk management, tax, consulting and financial advisory services.

Barry Salzberg

Employees: 44,375 (as of the fiscal year ending May 31, 2008)

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Allen Thomas Chief Diversity Officer and National Managing Partner, Partner Services

CEO

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 Eastman Kodak Company Headquarters: Rochester, New York Web site: www.kodak.com Primary Business: Digital imaging, photography, and printing technologies.

Year Established: 1880 Employees: 24,400 employees worldwide Essie L. Calhoun

Antonio M. Perez

Chief Diversity Officer, Director of Community Affairs, and Vice President

Chairman & CEO

Ford Motor Company Headquarters: Dearborn, Michigan Web site: www.ford.com Primary Business: Global automotive industry leader.

Year Established: 1903 Employees: 213,000 Kiersten Robinson

Alan Mulally

Director, HR Strategy, Leadership Development and Inclusion

President & CEO

Hallmark Cards, Inc. Headquarters: Kansas City, Missouri Web site: www.hallmark.com Primary Business: Greeting cards and related products.

Year Established: 1910 Employees: 16,000 full time) Vickie Harris

Donald J. Hall, Jr

Director of Corporate Diversity

President & CEO

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 Ivy Planning Group, LLC Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland Web site: www.ivygroupllc.com Primary Business: Diversity strategy, consulting and training services and products.

Year Established: 1990 Employees: 20+ Gary A. Smith

Janet Crenshaw Smith

Co-founder & Senior Partner

President & Co-Founder

KPMG LLP Headquarters: New York City Web site: www.us.kpmg.com Primary Business: Big Four Accounting firm providing audit, tax, and advisory services.

Employees: 21,000 U.S. John Veihmeyer, CEO Angela L. Avant

Timothy P. Flynn

Partner in Charge, Diversity

Chairman

Lockheed Martin Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland Web site: www.lockheedmartin.com Primary Business: Global security.

Year Established: 1995 Employees: 146,000 Robert J. Stevens

Geeth Chettiar

Chairman, President & CEO

Vice President, Diversity and EEO

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Bring It

Monica, Verizon Telecom

At Verizon, we want you to bring your diverse talents, experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints to work. It’s your smarter, bolder, and faster ideas that will move our business forward at the speed of FiOS! Bring it in and bring it on – bring your diversity to work at Verizon.

At Verizon, we’re changing the way the world lives, works and plays. We open doors to opportunities and rewards that rival your ambition. From having the most reliable network, to the outstanding service we provide our customers, to our unparalleled FiOS technology, we’re dedicated to being the best at what we do. Whether your interests lie in sales, marketing, finance, IT, HR, customer service, engineering, or operations, we offer careers as ready as you are.

Careers For Everything You Are www.verizon.com/telecomjobs Verizon is an equal opportunity employer, m/f/d/v.

DiversityLeaderAward2008 MGM MIRAGE Headquarters: Las Vegas, Nevada Web site: www.mgmmirage.com www.mgmmiragediversity.com Primary Business: Entertainment.

Year Established: 2000 Employees: 60,000 Punam Mathur

James Murren

Senior Vice President of Corporate Diversity and Community Relations

Chairman & CEO

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Headquarters: Trenton, New Jersey Web site: www.NewJersey.gov/dep/ Primary Business: Environmental protection.

Year Established: April 22, 1970—on America’s first official Earth Day Employees: 3,000 Ved P. Chaudhary, Ph.D.

Mark N. Mauriello

Assistant Commissioner

Commissioner

New York Life Insurance Company Headquarters: New York City Web site: www.newyorklife.com Primary Business: The largest mutual life insurance company in the United States.

Year Established: 1845 Ted Mathas

Employees: 8,830 (domestic) as of January 1, 2009

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Lance A. LaVergne Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer

President & CEO

March/April 2009

DiversityLeaderAward2008 PepsiCo, Inc. Headquarters: Purchase, New York Web site: www.pepsico.com Primary Business: Food and beverage.

Year Established: 1919 Employees: 198,000 associates worldwide

Ron Parker

Indra Nooyi

SVP and Chief Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo

Pfizer Inc Headquarters: New York City Web site: www.pfizer.com Primary Business: Pharmaceutical.

Year Established: 1849 Employees: Approximately 81,900 Karen Boykin Towns

Jeff Kindler

Chief Diversity Officer

CEO & Chairman of the Board

Pitney Bowes Inc. Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut Web site: www.pb.com Primary Business: Mailstream technology.

Year Established: 1920 Employees: 35,000 Susan Johnson

Murray Martin Chairman, President & CEO

Vice President, Strategic Talent Management and Diversity Leadership Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 Rohm and Haas Company Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Web site: www.rohmhaas.com Primary Business: Specialty materials.

Year Established: 1909 Employees: 16,500 (Worldwide) Raj Gupta

Stacey Adams

Chairman & CEO

Chief Diversity Officer

Royal Dutch Shell Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands Web site: www.shell.com Primary Business: Energy.

Year Established: 1907 Employees: 102, 000 Josefine van Zanten

Jeroen van der Veer

Global Head, Diversity & Inclusion

Chief Executive

The Society For Human Resource Management Headquarters: Alexandria, Virginia Web site: www.shrm.org Primary Business: Human resource management.

Year Established: 1948 Employees: 349 Shirley A. Davis, Ph.D.

Laurence (Lon) G. O’Neil

Director of Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

President & CEO

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 Sodexo Headquarters: Gaithersburg, Maryland Web site: www.sodexo.com Primary Business: Integrated food and facilities management.

Year Established: 1966 Employees: 125,000 in North America, 355,000 Globally Dr. Rohini Anand

George Chavel

Senior Vice President & Global Chief Diversity Officer

President & CEO

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas Web site: www.walmartstores.com Primary Business: Retail.

Year Established: 1962 Employees: 2.1 million worldwide (including1.4 million in the U.S.) Charlyn Jarrells Porter

Mike Duke

SVP & Chief Diversity Officer

President & CEO

Waste Management, Inc. Headquarters: Houston, Texas Web site: www.wm.com Primary Business: Comprehensive waste and environmental services provider.

Year Established: 1968 Employees: Approximately 45,000 Jay Roman

David Steiner

SVP of Human Resources, Chief People Officer

CEO

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DiversityLeaderAward2008 WellPoint, Inc. Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana Web site: www.wellpoint.com Primary Business: Health benefits.

Year Established: 2004 Employees: 42,000 David Casey

Angela Braly

Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer

President & CEO

UnitedHealth Group Headquarters: Minnetonka, Minnesota Web site: www.unitedhealthgroup.com Primary Business: Diversified health and well-being.

Year Established: 1977 Employees: 75,000 Stephen J. Hemsley, President & CEO Lori Sweere, EVP Human Capital

If you would like to be a Diversity Leader in 2009, you just need to take the time to share your voice and stories with our readers.

Contact Damian Johnson for editorial opportunities in 2009 (damianjohnson@diversityjournal.com). PDJ

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© 2008 Lockheed Martin Corporation

BETWEEN THE CHALLENGE AND THE SOLUTION, T H E R E I S O N E I M P O R TA N T W O R D : H O W.

Diversity. It’s not a goal. It’s a necessity. When facing down the most important projects in the world, you need fresh ideas. And unique perspectives. Delivering the most complete answers to solve complex problems is all a question of how. And it is the how that makes all the difference. lockheedmartin.com/how

thought th leaders thoughtleaders

Profiles in Diversity Journal has been bringing you the ideas, opinions and profiles of leaders in the field of Diversity & Inclusion for 11 years. As we enter our second decade of publishing, we are met with an economy that is causing more and more travel budgets to be cut and we believe conference attendance will be down substantially. In response, we invited prominent diversity thought leaders to share the latest thinking regarding the workforce diversity and inclusion topics with which they are most active.

Consider this our way of bringing the conferences to you, even if you are confined to your cubicle for the near future.

houghtleaders

thoughtleaders

thoughtleaders

thoughtleaders

thoughtleaders

Embracing Multiple Generations in the Work Force

By Dr. Rohini Anand Senior Vice President & Global Chief Diversity Officer Sodexo

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In the workplace, generational differences in values, ideas, and communication methods can affect everything from recruiting and team building to productivity, morale, and retention. Developing strategies for effective cross-generational communication can ultimately eliminate confusion and misunderstandings and help create an environment where employees of all generations feel engaged, challenged, and fulfilled.

For the first time in our country’s history there are four distinct generations working side by side: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. Each generation relies on unique attitudes, behaviors, expectations, and motivational factors.

At Sodexo this means acknowledging differences and recognizing that education and awareness are important tools in creating a cohesive and mutually satisfactory work environment.

With this in mind Sodexo created the Generations in the Workplace learning lab. This interactive and informative learning lab provides participants with guidelines to better understand each generation’s values, beliefs, and behaviors in the workplace.

Participants also practice skills to bridge generational differences in communication style for more effective communication across generations. By the end of the session, participants are able to identify key traits of each generation, describe how generational differences can shape workplace behavior and interactions, and identify ways to adapt communication styles.

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Sodexo also developed a Work/Life Effectiveness Steering Committee responsible for examining and making recommendations regarding the quality of work life for Sodexo employees.

A subcommittee focused on the mature workforce as well as intergenerational issues. In addition, this subcommittee created an online toolkit to celebrate May as “Older Americans Month.” The Steering Committee successfully recommended several initiatives for implementation.

Mentoring is also a strong component to influence generational understanding and appreciation. Through its Spirit of Mentoring initiative, Sodexo encourages employees to learn from each other by sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices.

In addition, Sodexo recently announced the formation of a new Intergenerational Employee Network Group, i-Gen. The i-Gen Network Group will create an environment in which generational differences are understood, appreciated, and leveraged. It will also enhance understanding of employee and organizational needs based on the different generations, as well as provide an opportunity for the reciprocal transfer of knowledge between employees of different generations. Employees of all generations will have the opportunity to create a dialogue and discuss their differences and similarities and then focus on team cohesiveness.

The most successful companies continually seek opportunities to let every generation be heard. By focusing on and encouraging the professional contributions of all employees, we can help close the generational gap by offering ways for each generation to recognize their strengths and value to all colleagues. PDJ

hought diversity o f thought What’s Important

What Works (and What Doesn’t)

diversity What’s Going On

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It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It That Really Matters

By Sharon Barnes

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Principal and Head of Corporate Diversity Vanguard

We all were raised with the understanding that “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” or “it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.” Never has this concept been more important than it is now as we all strive to hire and retain the best and the brightest. The little things we say and do—and how we say and do them—will make all the difference.

Microinequities—the subtle messages we send to people that can make them feel valued or devalued—were a new concept for me when I learned about them just a few years ago. I have experienced microinequities in my personal and professional life, but I never had a name for them or words for how they made me feel. Microinequities reveal themselves in gestures, headshakes, facial expressions, and body language. They also manifest themselves in the tone of voice or patterns of speech we use in conversation, possibly leaving others questioning themselves. Microinequities occur when the speaker’s countenance does not match the words he or she is speaking.

In today’s business environment, it is more critical than ever to be “in relationship” with the people we manage or interact with. We know the data shows that people don’t leave companies; they leave managers. Having this knowledge requires that we accept greater personal accountability as leaders in our interactions with staff to ensure they feel valued, respected, and motivated. We must be sure that what we say and do matches the way we say and do things.

The times in which we live will no longer allow us to be oblivious to our impact on others. Leadership in the 21st century requires new competencies. Along with our basic requirements to implement strategy, bring projects to conclusion, and get the job done, we must now be concerned with how we make the people working with and for us feel. We must engage in new ways, be authentic, find common ground with those who are often very different from ourselves, and use engagement as a tool to influence and motivate.

In his book Micromessaging, author Stephen Young tells us that “unaddressed microinequities accumulate, wear down, and infect an otherwise healthy self-esteem.” The use of supportive micromessaging “positively improves work performance and morale and fosters organizational success.”

Let’s all commit to becoming aware of who we are, what we do, and how we communicate to ensure that each employee maximizes his or her gifts and talents for the common good and for company success. PDJ

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thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleader Collaborating Across Cultures to Break Down Barriers for Women in Business

By Tisa Jackson Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion Union Bank, N.A.

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At the end of her which we are partnering is by collaborating on exchange programs campaign for the nation’s aimed at supporting the advancement of women, both in the U.S. highest office, Senator and in Japan.

To understand just how different these two cultures are, conHillary Clinton focused attention on the importance sider the World Economic Forum’s overall 2008 Global Gender of elevating more women to Gap Index, which ranked the U.S. number 27 and Japan number leadership roles in our society: “Although we weren’t able to shatter 98 among a total of 130 nations. The index examines how counthis highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you it’s got tries are dividing resources and opportunities between their male about 18 million cracks in it, and the light is shining through like and female populations.

Tatebe says Japan is at a crossroads today; companies are recnever before,” she told her supporters.

We have, indeed, come a long way. Yet few would deny we ognizing the importance of initiatives to promote gender diversity, still have a long way to go—not only in the U.S., but in many but they are just beginning to develop strategies to bring about other countries where companies are realizing that their ability change. And they need role models to help women see that they to compete globally depends upon their success in recruiting and can succeed in their own way, adapting rather than adopting the prevailing, male-dominated business model. promoting exceptional leaders from a diverse talent pool.

As a longtime diversity leader, Union Bank provides a number My colleague, Hiroko Tatebe, has taken on the challenge of increasing gender diversity in her native Japan. The former bank- of role models who can help motivate women in Japan to aim for ing executive is executive director of the Los Angeles-based Global senior positions. For six consecutive years, Union Bank topped Organization for Leadership Diversity (GOLD), which she found- all other banks in Fortune magazine’s annual list of “America’s ed to promote global gender diversity and to foster mentoring relaJapan is at a crossroads today; companies are recognizing the tionships among female leaders internationally—starting with Japan importance of initiatives to promote gender diversity, but they are and the U.S. She is also a founding just beginning to develop strategies to bring about change. member of Global Enhancement Hiroko Tatebe of Women’s Executive Leadership Executive Director of GOLD (GEWEL), the sister organization

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of GOLD in Tokyo that helps Japanese businesswomen develop their leadership abilities.

“A larger pool of well-trained and -supported women leaders is essential to meet the challenges of the 21st century global economy,” Tatebe says, noting that there is a direct link between profitability and diversity. “Despite gains in leadership diversity, women remain perhaps the world’s most under-utilized resource.”

In my role as vice president of diversity and inclusion at Union Bank, and as an advisor to GOLD, I have seen the benefits that can come from sharing knowledge and experiences across cultures as we work to increase leadership opportunities for women in business.

Union Bank, one of the largest regional banks in the U.S., is now wholly owned by Japan’s largest commercial bank, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU). The two companies completed a privatization last November, and one of the ways in 48

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50 Best Companies for Diversity.” Women currently comprise 63 percent of the bank’s workforce and are very visible in senior leadership roles. It is exciting to note that BTMU is moving in this direction. Women currently comprise 40 percent of its workforce, and in 2006 the bank established an Equal Partnership Office that is working to further increase the number of women employees and managers.

Networking Opportunities for Women Leaders

Both Union Bank and BTMU are committed to continuous improvement in this arena, and they are combining forces in ways that demonstrate how partnering across cultures can advance efforts to increase diversity and inclusion.

One example of how we are working together is a Women’s Leadership Group luncheon that Union Bank held on June 6,

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2008, to recognize our senior women executives for their contributions to the company’s success. Nearly 100 leaders gathered in Los Angeles to meet their peers, make personal connections and receive thanks from CEO Masaaki Tanaka. Tanaka’s presence made an important statement about how much the bank values the individual and collective contributions of women to the bank’s success.

A speaker at the event was Hatsue Suzuki, general manager of BTMU’s Equal Partnership Office. “In Japan, there is a history of men being responsible for generating income while women stay home to raise their family,” she told the luncheon attendees.

“Many women graduated and started working in their twenties, but typically stopped working to marry and raise children.”

She added that today, fewer Japanese women are leaving the workforce during their child-rearing years and more of those who do are returning to their jobs. She stressed that BTMU is committed to increasing the number of women in leadership positions as well as implementing work-life balance policies that encourage women with families to continue their careers.

The response to this event was overwhelmingly positive, and we plan to continue organizing initiatives and events that bring our women leaders in the U.S. and Japan together so they can support and learn from each other to help achieve business goals.

Executive Visits

Union Bank has a number of high-level women leaders— more than 100 at the senior vice president level or higher— whose business decisions have a significant impact on the bank’s earnings. For example, as senior executive vice president for Commercial Deposits and Treasury Management, JoAnn Bourne oversees a major revenue-generating division of the bank.

She is also a member of the bank’s policy-making Executive Management Committee.

She recently traveled to Tokyo to meet with women managers at BTMU. The main purpose of the visit was to provide inspiration and mentoring, and the response was very positive. These exchanges, in both directions, will continue. I have also met with BTMU’s Equal Partnership Office in Tokyo, and we are sharing ideas and exploring opportunities to collaborate as both Union Bank and BTMU work to increase the number of women in leadership positions.

Forming Strategic Alliances

Exchanges across cultures are also taking place through involvement with external organizations such as GOLD. Union Bank was among the sponsors of GOLD’s 2007 symposium in Los Angeles and will also sponsor the organization’s 2010 event, where speakers will share success stories on global gender diversity.

Last year, I travelled to Tokyo to speak at the GOLD/GEWEL symposium that focused on how women can become successful 21st century global leaders. The business leaders I met in Tokyo

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were thrilled about offering a platform for women business leaders to empower each other.

The types of events organized by GOLD and GEWEL offer a valuable combination of information, inspiration and support for companies in the U.S. and Japan that are committed to transforming their corporate culture.

Key Diversity and Inclusion Elements

It’s an exciting time to work in this field, particularly within a company that is developing systems, processes and programs to ensure that diversity and inclusion strategies will be implemented at all levels of the organization to improve business results. Following are a few of the elements that I believe are essential to the business of successful diversity and inclusion: • Integrate into business. Make diversity and inclusion an intrinsic part of your corporate culture and practices. Diversity is one of Union Bank’s most closely held values. It’s a top priority in everything we do, from recruiting employees and managers to selecting vendors and reaching out to customers.

• Engagement at all levels. Union Bank has a corporate diversity council of the top senior executives from all business units that partners with Diversity and Inclusion in creating the goals to increase and leverage diversity among employees, customers, and service providers.

• Create a two-pronged approach. Develop specific strategies for meeting the goals through initiatives, processes and programs that can be implemented across the organization, as well as create plans for each specific business unit.

• Share knowledge and lessons learned. The U.S. is ahead of many other countries in closing the gender gap, and business partners in other nations can benefit from what we have learned. At the same time, we can learn from other cultures.

What all this adds up to is a commitment to the challenge and the craft of creating and sustaining equitable systems and practices in which both employees and businesses can grow and prosper. We are on this journey together. PDJ Tisa Jackson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Union Bank, N.A., has more than 13 years of experience in this field, as well as strategic human resources management, community development and organizational development. She is founder of the Professional & Technical Diversity Network (PTDN) of Greater Los Angeles, a diversity consortium comprised of companies committed to diversity and inclusion. Headquartered in San Francisco, UnionBanCal Corporation is a financial holding company with assets of $70.1 billion at December 31, 2008. Its primary subsidiary, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. Union Bank is California’s fifth largest bank by deposits. The bank has 335 banking offices in California, Oregon and Washington, and two international offices. UnionBanCal Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: MTU). Visit www.unionbank.com <http://www.unionbank.com/> for more information.

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thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleader The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Compensation Strategies

By David Lamoreaux and Matthew Thompson Vice Presidents, Labor and Employment Practice CRA International

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President Barack Obama’s signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act on January 29, 2009 brings notable changes to the Equal Pay Act and reverses the 2007 Supreme Court ruling that individual pay checks did not restart the period in which an individual could file a discrimination claim. Instead, the Act provides for a statute of limitations for pay discrimination which resets with each new paycheck. This provides an opportunity for allegations of ongoing pay discrimination to be filed even if they are discovered years after the discrimination began.

In the days leading up to and immediately following the signing of the Act, there has been ample commentary on the legal consequences of the legislation to employers. Many attorneys have suggested that now, more than ever, may be the appropriate time for employers to conduct a privileged review of their current compensation relationships. A compensation review for the purposes of obtaining legal advice may enable employers to limit their ongoing risks related to past employment decisions.

As employers consider undertaking such reviews, there are a number of considerations that will impact the effectiveness of the review, as well as any remediation strategies and on-going management of future risks.

Conducting Analyses Of Current Compensation Relationships

Prior to undertaking a compensation audit, the employer should understand its overall philosophy towards compensation.

Answering a few simple questions can provide a good baseline of information from which to start the review process. First, what is the relevant measure of compensation to be studied? It is important to determine whether the audit should focus on base salary, incentive compensation, total compensation or some other measure. Second, what employee and employment related factors affect compensation decisions at your organization? The employer 50

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should understand whether it follows, for example, a strict wage schedule similar to the Federal GS scale or allows more flexible manager discretion and individual variation in its compensation structure. Third, at what level are compensation decisions made?

There should be a common understanding of whether compensation decisions are made by the immediate supervisor or by a higher level of management. Finally, which employees are expected to have similar compensation levels?

How companies compensate employees varies substantially depending on the type and level of work performed by the employee. For example, employers may compensate employees through a base salary, bonuses, incentive payments, or commissions. However, the decisions with respect to bonuses, incentive payments and commissions for most companies are specific to discrete time periods and generally do not have recurring or ongoing impacts on pay checks. The Ledbetter legislation squarely addresses allegations of discrimination associated with the reoccurring nature of base salary, and thus companies may benefit from undertaking a privileged comprehensive review of these particular compensation decisions.

Before undertaking a comprehensive audit of current employee salaries, an employer must review how salaries are determined within their establishment. Few employers have a pay system similar to that found in the Federal government, where all employees in the same salary grade and step are paid the same base salary.

More likely, individual salaries are based on a variety of employee and job related characteristics specific to the company. Prior to conducting a salary analysis, the employer should review the employee and job related characteristics that are likely to impact base salary, and determine what, if any, information is recorded and maintained by the company.

For most companies, employees are paid different salaries for a variety of reasons. As such, it is important that any analysis of relative employee compensation include the job and employee characteristics that impact employee compensation. Some of the job and employee related characteristics that typically affect base salary include: • Level of responsibility • Market for particular type of work • Work experience • Local labor market conditions • Level and type of education • Organizational-specific business processes.

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Counsel should consider the legal defensibility of particular characteristics included in a compensation audit in light of the Ledbetter Act (and, prospectively, the Paycheck Fairness Act).

In determining which compensation-related characteristics should be included in the review, it may be necessary to examine other employment outcomes, such as promotion decisions and performance evaluations, to evaluate the defensibility of these characteristics.

In addition to identifying the job and employee characteristics that are likely to impact an individual’s salary, it is also important to determine for which employees the company will provide similar compensation for these characteristics. For example, an employee’s level of education may be valued differently in a research and development department compared to a production department. Therefore, when designing a compensation audit, it is necessary to determine the appropriate grouping of employees who should be studied together. Improper groupings of employees can result in misleading statistical models.

There are a number of factors that should be considered when determining which employees should be grouped for comparison purposes. For example, the employee comparisons should consider the organizational structure (e.g., business units, lines of business, Affirmative Action Plans), the market structure (e.g., occupation, function, job families), the requirements of particular positions, and the level at which salary decisions are made. The groups should be structured so that the populations are sufficiently large to provide meaningful statistical analyses, but so as to not group together dissimilar employees whose characteristics are likely to be valued differently within the market or the company.

It is important to keep in mind that statistical analyses are only the start of the compensation review process. Statistically significant differences indicate that the protected group salary difference is not likely to have occurred by chance. It may be that protected group members were, in fact, paid less than their nonprotected counterparts, or it may be the case that the analysis has omitted factors that explain differences in compensation. As such, groups showing statistically significant salary differences should be researched to determine whether the analysis has omitted factors related to compensation or whether there are individual employee salaries that do not “fit” with other employees in the comparison group (“outliers”). When feasible, omitted compensation-related characteristics should be collected and included in the salary comparison, and individual “outliers” should be documented.

Remediation Strategies

When undertaking a compensation review, the employer should be prepared to take any follow-up action deemed necessary by legal counsel. When statistically significant differences between

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protected and non-protected group members are found, counsel can provide guidance on alternative remediation strategies, which may include no action. Each remediation strategy will have consequences in terms of cost, manageability, effectiveness, and risk.

The compensation analyses and individual outlier review can assist in evaluating each alternative action. Each of these consequences should be considered and explored with counsel before engaging in a remediation strategy.

Going Forward Into the Future

Assuming that an employer achieves the desired level of risk through a properly structured compensation review, the question becomes how to manage and minimize the risk going forward.

The pay differences that may have been addressed as a part of the review are likely the result of many isolated decisions over an extended period of time. The cost of addressing the cumulative effect of those differences can be significant and, presumably, the employer will not want to outlay such expenditures in the future if avoidable.

There are three primary employment decisions that routinely impact the relative salary relationships of employees and account for the majority of employee salary adjustments—Starting Salary, Merit Increases and Promotional Increases. Employers can minimize the risk of new salary differences entering into the compensation process by monitoring these particular decision-making processes.

Starting Salary. Employers can develop tools for monitoring starting salary decisions and providing guidance to managers as to salary ranges. Employers may want to document exceptions to the starting salary guidance so that this information can be used to explain starting salary decisions. Insufficient data often exists on the factors that determined starting salary decisions (e.g., relevant prior work experience, education, prior compensation). To the extent that these data can be systematically collected and maintained, this information can be useful in explaining individual differences in starting salaries.

Merit Increases. As with starting salaries, employers can develop tools to monitor and review merit increases during annual salary planning processes. These monitoring tools can be relatively simple, yet effective, in monitoring whether the merit increase process Ledbetter, continued on page 53

David Lamoreaux and Matthew Thompson head the labor and employment practice at financial and economic consulting firm CRA International (www.crai.com). They specialize in the application of statistical techniques to analyses of employment practices, such as compensation, hiring, promotion, and termination, and how those employment practices relate to gender, race, age, and ethnic origin discrimination.

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thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleader Diversity Goals / Diversity Development

By Charlyn Jarrells Porter Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

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Here at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., diversity and inclusion are enduring values embedded into our culture. These values are fundamental to both our business and our mission. We have enjoyed some great success, but we remain committed to our journey of being a true leader in all aspects of diversity and inclusion.

While our formal journey started in 2003 with the creation of our Office of Diversity, corporate diversity and inclusion efforts were already flowing throughout the company. Our new Office of Diversity gave us the ability to streamline these efforts, reach a broader audience, and gain synergies to further our efforts toward diversity excellence.

With an associate base of more than 257,000 African Americans, 41,000 Asians, 5,900 Pacific Islanders, 171,000 Hispanics, 16,000 American Indian and Alaska Natives, 869,000 women, and more than 431,000 mature associates who are 50 and older, we work hard to make sure the message of diversity and inclusion is carried throughout our company.

Through that hard work and dedication, several programs and initiatives have advanced with great success and progression.

A great example is our Diversity Goals program, which helps the company achieve its diversity goals by attracting, hiring and retaining qualified associates. The program has two main goals: Placement Diversity Goals: Field Management: Establishes objective target/goal of placing women, African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Pacific Islanders and American Indian and Alaskan Native associates at a rate consistent with the qualified, interested and available applicant pool in field management positions.

Home Office Management: Captures the candidate slate for Officer- and Director-level positions.

Good Faith Efforts Diversity Goals: Requires managers to demonstrate their diversity leadership by participating or sponsoring diversity events, as well as mentoring at least three associates, including persons of diverse race, gender or background.

Of the more than 50,000 members of management who have a Diversity Goals requirement, 99% of them achieved their goals last year. What makes this program a best practice 52

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in the industry is that this program is tied to officer and key field senior manager incentive bonuses. If requirements are not met, up to 15% of their bonus can be deducted.

Many of our officers are on diverse boards at the national and regional levels.

We continue to make great progress in Diversity and Inclusion training. Each year newly-hired and promoted associates complete this valuable and strengthening program that teaches practical ways to recognize and appreciate different backgrounds, cultures, talents, skills, and life experiences.

On the business front, we continue to look for ways to integrate diversity back into the business. We implemented our supplier diversity program many years ago. Our companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s combined spending with minority- and women-owned businesses, including 2nd Tier suppliers, will be over $8 billion in 2008.

Our Associate Resource Groups also work collaboratively on complex business initiatives that drive results, increase awareness, and provide cultural competence across the organization.

We have groups dedicated to Asian and Pacific Islander associates; Hispanic and Latino associates; associates with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender associates; American Indian and Alaskan Native associates; African American Associates; and female associates.

Our Diversity Development Series allows us to reach associates across the U.S. on diversity leadership best practices.

This dynamic internal resource delivers cutting-edge content regarding current diversity trends and challenges such as MicroInequites and Generational Diversity.

As part of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity and equal employment opportunities, we also established an Employment Practices Advisory Panel (EPAP). This group works with our senior management to develop and implement progressive enhancements to equal employment opportunity and diversity initiatives for the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest private workforce.

We are proud of the strides we have made over the past several years, yet our journey is not over. We remain fully committed, and will continue to seek new and creative ways to integrate diversity and inclusion into our business. With the help of our associates, customers, suppliers, and the communities we serve, we look forward to continuing our journey in being a true leader in all aspects of diversity and inclusion. PDJ

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By Alfred J. Torres

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Executive Director, Talent Acquisition & Diversity Verizon

Recently, I was reading a white paper addressing the state of the diversity and inclusion field. One of the observations stated was that as a field, we have made tremendous strides in promoting the business case for diversity and inclusion, while creating greater awareness about the importance of diversity as essential for success in the marketplace. The paper also presented perspectives on the underlying issues that we need to continue to address—developing a universal definition of diversity; establishing a skills / competency model for diversity practitioners; and, what I’ll characterize as more effort in the diversity management field.

What most caught my attention was the sense that there was less optimism about our progress, and the continuing evolution of our body of work. There is still significant concern about what diversity and inclusion really mean. Diversity practitioners are looking for that next big breakthrough in the field that will lend greater clarity and focus to the work that we do. I’m a proponent of the notion that the glass is always half full; and I believe the field is ripe with opportunity. It begins with the “and.”

One immediate opportunity is to let go of trying to define what diversity means and recognize what it is. Diversity and inclusion is about gender, race, and other representation in the workforce. And it’s about having the right set of skills and leadership competencies to manage and lead diverse and complex organizations. And our global economy requires that we embrace

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a broader perspective about the knowledge and tools needed to drive success on that larger stage. And yes, diversity is about the bottom line, measuring impact.

Demonstrating performance and result linkages is what every good business discipline does. And we should be held to the same standard.

To take a step back, how we define our work has some importance. Consider the view offered by Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. He promotes the view that diversity (and inclusion) is about mixtures. As he observes, our opportunity is to understand what those mixtures represent, and recognize and appreciate the complexity inherent in those mixtures, and figure out the most effective ways to help our organizations manage the mix, while creating and driving value—for employees, shareholders and potentially for society at large.

I like to believe that diversity and inclusion is about how we attract, develop and retain the best talent regardless of the “package” it’s in. And it’s about how we effectively engage and leverage inclusion of that talent to drive high performance; and translate that performance into outstanding customer service and results for our business. Our opportunity is in the “and.” PDJ

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adversely impacts a protected group. In developing tools to monitor merit increases, it is important to understand the underlying guidelines used in determining merit increases and develop tools that account for those underlying processes (e.g., performance reviews, compensation ratios). It is also important to ensure that the impacts of adjustments made as a part of a comprehensive salary review are not undone in subsequent merit review cycles.

Promotional Increases. Monitoring promotional increases is more difficult than monitoring starting salary or merit increases because the events are typically more complex and occur less frequently. Promotions generally occur when there is a change in position and/or level of responsibility. The promotional pay increase employees receive often depends on both the position to which they are promoted and their most recent prior position.

While monitoring may be more difficult, employers can and

should develop guidance with respect to promotional increases.

Employers may want to document exceptions to the promotional increase guidance so that this information can be used in the future to explain differences that may evolve and become magnified over time.

For most employers, the workplace is a dynamic environment in which new employees are hired, promoted and terminated regularly. Establishing and maintaining employee salary relationships, which are determined at a particular point in time, may present particular challenges in the current economic environment given the increase in employers’ downsizing activities. Therefore, it is especially important to be vigilant about managing risks by monitoring these other employment activities and their impact on salary relationships given The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. PDJ

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thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleader Filtering Passion to Drive Business Results

By Gwen Migita Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Harrah’s Entertainment

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The growth around a Best Practice LGBT network group has been invaluable to Harrah’s Entertainment.

Articles, conferences, handbooks, and sharing with other entities, albeit helpful, have little comparison to the vast knowledge and learning we have developed in forming and leading EQUAL—Harrah’s Entertainment’s Business Resource Group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Employees and Allies—the first of its kind in the company and the gaming entertainment industry.

From EQUAL’s formation in 2007, the biggest lesson has been that passion, when managed and navigated, can be filtered to drive substantive business results.

The story of EQUAL’s beginnings can be described as a convergence of three events: Paris Las Vegas, one of the company’s eight properties along the Strip, was in its second year of marketing to gay and lesbian travelers; Harrah’s Entertainment received its first perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index; and former Las Vegas mayor and company senior vice president Jan Jones delivered her acceptance speech as the “Equality Pioneer” at an HRC Gala.

By the end of that evening, a group of 10 employees involved in hosting the gala were inspired to grow the work of the company.

They eventually formed EQUAL, which has become a rallying point proven to be the impetus driving continued passion around the organization.

EQUAL started recruiting more members and began communicating to employees. Forming a clear purpose and brand from the beginning has been a catalyst for EQUAL’s many early successes and long-term sustainability.

EQUAL’s established vision and mission is to become a key business resource for LGBT employees and their allies by encouraging networking, promoting inclusion and providing opportunities for continued education and exposure within the company.

The group strives to advocate the company’s vision of growing through superior performance, elevating our status as “Employer of Choice,” as well as “Operator of Choice,” as we pursue new domestic/global business opportunities.

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EQUAL’s Connection to Diversity and Overall Company Strategy Harrah’s Entertainment works with employees at all levels, from executive and corporate officers to our front line team members, promoting diversity and a better understanding of various issues arising from an inherently diverse workforce of more than 80,000. The company promotes stringent nondiscrimination policies covering all employees regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, national origin, age, disability and religion. But the company’s commitment goes beyond the “nice thing to do.”

That’s where organizations within the company, such as EQUAL, play an important role. The group offers the opportunity to pilot LGBT programs and environments which drive employee retention and talent development. EQUAL works to educate employees and the various communities in which it operates on LGBT issues, challenges and misconceptions. Promoting awareness of the company’s successes in moving toward an inclusive community and furthering the inclusiveness of the corporate culture is core to EQUAL’s mission.

The group’s visibility and importance continue to build, as its strategy is directly linked to the company’s overall objectives in operational excellence and industry leadership.

Its members have been designated as formal representatives of the company with national and local diversity partners. They represent the company at corporate-sponsored engagements and support volunteer and staffing needs at marketing and diversity relations events.

The group helps establish company relationships with strategic business and community organizations supporting and promoting LGBT causes, such as HRC, Lesbian & Gay Center of Southern Nevada, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association and others.

Within eight months of inception, EQUAL was identified

by Harrah’s corporate diversity and the human resource leaders to be the model employee Business Resource Group, by which to drive the diversity & inclusion strategy to the employee grassroots level.

EQUAL has organized and participated in strategic planning sessions to develop a blueprint to serve as mentor and model for other diverse groups throughout Harrah’s 40 casino resorts nationwide, and continues to ensure the company remains a place where LGBT employees can achieve personal and professional success. PDJ

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thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtlead When LGBT Is Both Employee and Client

By Gil Gerald

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Behavioral healthcare workplace settings largely encompass mental health, alcohol and other drug prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. These settings are part of a vast system of privately and publicly funded programs and services which employ, among others, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) professionals, and serve very vulnerable LGBT individuals in need of these services.

The importance of updating workplace policies to recognize and support LGBT employees in these settings, and of developing organizational capacity to provide services that are culturally responsive to LGBT clients, is increasingly being recognized, and justifiably so. Standards of care in the provision of healthcare and behavioral healthcare services are beginning to emerge, such as those that have been produced in Massachusetts. Much work to develop and disseminate similar standards and best practices is underway among professional associations that impact provider practices.

Without the changes envisioned by the emerging standards, providers will be increasingly more vulnerable to lawsuits based on such issues as workplace discrimination, hostile workplace environments, harassment and other problems. As importantly, without these changes, organizations will experience unnecessarily low retention of qualified, experienced and talented staff, and will also fall short of achieving the best possible treatment outcomes and other service objectives that are highly dependent on providing services that respond to the specific needs of LGBT clients. Ultimately these shortcomings will make organizations less competitive whether they are privately or publicly funded.

An area that represents a basic level of interventionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a starting point to help develop an LGBT-welcoming workplace and service environmentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is to assist employees to expand and improve the vocabulary and language they use in communicating with each other and with clients. Very incomplete and distorted information about LGBT people is commonplace, and the language commonly in use often conveys stereotypes and assumptions that the speaker is often unaware of, but the listener picks up on if they happen to be an LGBT employee or

President Gil Gerald & Associates, Inc.

client. The language often conveys the assumption that the intended audience is heterosexual, or worse yet, conveys clear hostility to those who may not be.

More often than not, we communicate our lack of knowledge about diversity in the LGBT community and also put on display our world view, based on stereotypes. A client will quickly grasp the evident ignorance and will probably conclude that the benefits of the services, however badly needed, will be less than optimal.

A good introduction of staff to the use and practice of inclusive and appropriate language will invariably develop their knowledge and awareness about such concepts as sexual identity, gender identity, and gender expression. A full understanding of these concepts is necessary before policies and procedures can be updated. Only then can the training and technical assistance needed to develop provider competencies (in such areas as conducting a good intake, taking a good sexual history, or developing an appropriate treatment plan based on individualized needs) be considered. These and other service-related tasks are facilitated by the level of trust and rapport that develops between the provider and the client.

It is not uncommon for organizations to assume that the issue of developing cultural responsiveness in serving LGBT people applies mostly in large urban centers rather than in smaller and rural communities. The truth is that LGBT people live in very rural areas as well as in large urban communities. They need and deserve culturally responsive and effective behavioral healthcare services regardless of the legal framework that allows them to be more or less visible or more or less likely to risk disclosure about information that is crucial to their care and treatment. PDJ

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su rvivi ng T Many organizations are grappling with the challenges of our troubled economy. That said, we believe that Diversity and Inclusion continues to be a justifiable business strategy.

We’ve asked experts in the field to share their expertise and experiences, their unique views on how to thrive and survive in this economy, and to answer the question:

How are you keeping your Diversity and Inclusion programs relevant during these dire economic times?

David Casey Vice President, Workplace Culture, and Chief Diversity Officer WellPoint

Tighten Goal Alignment In these times of mass budget and staff reductions, there are few, if any, parts of organizations that are not being asked to do their part.

Diversity teams, programs, and initiatives are no exception. However, any company that would disproportionately cut its focus on diversity needs to re-evaluate any stated commitments to diversity. I say this because diversity should be seen and treated as any other business function because that is what it is—a business function.

I do not hear the question being asked of how finance, information technology or sales/marketing remain relevant in tough economic times—why should diversity be an outlier?

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Many companies will say that diversity is integrated into the way they do business. The best way to assess this is to review the goals of the diversity function.

Now is not the time to espouse a broad-brushed business case for diversity. It’s time to really tighten the connection between your and your company’s bottom line business results. Ask yourself whether the diversity function sends out goals for the rest of the company to incorporate into its plans or does the diversity function incorporate goals from various components of the company into its plans? I believe doing both will optimize true alignment with and integration into the core mission of the organization. And you can’t get any more relevant than the mission. PDJ

HE E C ONOMY Jay Romans Senior Vice President, Human Resources, and Chief People Officer Waste Management, Inc.

As a result, we have made diverAt Waste Management, one of our key growth strategies is to employ a diverse range of sity recruiting a priority. This year talented people so we can achieve our business goals. we will continue to uncover areas of Our plans call for significant business growth, which opportunity and create a strong disimply cannot be achieved without the right mix versity recruiting strategy aligned with our business needs. Specifically, we are of talent.

As I talk with groups of Waste Management em- focusing on adding women to our ployees, everyone it seems is consumed with the state frontline roles, such as drivers. We of the economy. Apprehension looms over 401(k) have met with many of our female losses, layoffs, wage freezes, mortgage issues and job employees in these roles to undersecurity. Employees have also expressed concern about stand the challenges and rewards of the how our company will sustain our people-focused ini- job. We also plan to continue our partnership with National Black MBA, National Hispanic MBA and tiatives, including diversity and inclusion.

For certain, these economic times are unlike any- other diversity recruiting partners. thing we’ve experienced, and they are forcing our organization to make tough decisions. Companies that succeed today “Either you are growing or you are decaying. understand that their talent needs to be There is no middle ground. If you are diverse and strategic. However, as difficult as these times may be, we will move for- standing still, you are decaying.”

—Alan Arkin ward with a steadfast commitment to our diversity and inclusion initiatives.

At Waste Management, we don’t look at We understand that there will always be a strong diversity as only race, religion, national origin, age, sex, etc., but also diversity of thought. We know we cannot need for critical skills and that we must continue to insurvive, let alone grow, as a company by doing things corporate diversity into our organization. Companies the way we always have. The history of the Fortune that rise to the top tomorrow will be insightful, in500 list is littered with companies who refused to novative and offer unique appeals to the market. change and do things differently. Diversity in thought Those ideas will come from diverse intellects working means challenging the status quo. This is difficult for together to address the complex issues of the present many companies to embrace. But embrace it we must and the future.

Holding a steady course on people issues, on diveras we move toward the future.

Our current economy gives us a fantastic opportu- sity and inclusion, may not be the simplest task. But nity to build our bench with diverse employees. Many there’s demanding evidence that doing so will launch a strong diversity candidates are in the job market today company full-speed on its next journey. PDJ because of layoffs. While we are making our own adjustments, we need to also take advantage of this new available talent. All of our internal and third-party recruiters understand the importance of delivering diverse slates of candidates to our hiring managers.

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Lois Cooper Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion Adecco USA

During this time of intense scrutiny of all corporate expenses and examination of an organization’s activities, many are concerned that diversity and inclusion initiatives may not fare well under this review. Unfortunately, many are right. Organizations that truly did not have a commitment to diversity may not see the added value of continued or new initiatives today.

How should Diversity and Inclusion leaders recession-proof themselves? Hopefully, they have well-established programs with metrics that show a positive bottom-line impact. These are the initiatives that will continue to be integrated into organizations in both the short- and long-term.

Adecco’s Diversity Business Leadership Team, which consists of the CEO, CFO, the presidents and COOs of each business line and other C-Suite members, has seen the efforts of their diversity profit generation strategy pay off. As a result, Adecco continues to build on its D&I initiatives, even amidst

current economic challenges. Adecco currently tracks and reports the positive movement of new-business development based on the combined efforts of the organization’s sales team and its Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

“Companies today want to align themselves with strategic business partners that share their values. As they are making business decisions regarding the allocation of financial resources, they need to be able to validate their decisions to their leadership,” says Lois Cooper, vice president of Diversity and Inclusion for Adecco. “While pricing and customer service are important factors to be considered during the vendor selection process, smart companies can differentiate themselves as strategic business partners who are able to add value to a customer’s business strategy.”

For Adecco, these strategies can include the development of a diverse pipeline of talent to customers.

“Diversity has been a strategic sales differentiator for Adecco and we look forward to a continued focus on our initiatives in the future,” says Cooper. PDJ

Denise Lynn Vice President, Global Human Resources Services American Airlines

As a global airline serving a quarter of a million customers daily from around the world, we take pride in the important role American Airlines plays in bringing people together from many different cultures and communities. American is more than an airline. In today’s competitive environment, it is imperative that we embrace the ever-increasing diversity of our own team and the world around us. We work hard to create an environment where employees feel empowered to contribute their unique talents, perspectives and ideas to the business every day so American can provide the best travel experience possible for our customers.

American Airlines has a long-term commitment to Diversity and Inclusion, so this is not a one-time

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program or initiative tied to funding that could disappear during tough times. We have the infrastructure in place to support Diversity and Inclusion over the long term, including a Diversity Advisory Council, hiring targets, executive and management-level commitment, Board involvement and support for our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). The 16 ERGs contribute invaluable expertise to business initiatives. Even in difficult economic times, American will continue to support Diversity and Inclusion.

American recognizes that we must operate inclusively so our employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities we serve all benefit. As a company that bears the name “American,” we know much is expected of us. We will only be successful if the experience we deliver, and the environment we create, is welcoming and respectful for everyone. For us, diversity isn’t an aspirational goal. It’s the way we do business. PDJ

Susan M. LaChance Vice President, Employee Development and Diversity United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is the second largest employer in the country, employing over 650,000 people. Our workplace is one of the most diverse in America. We service every home and business in the United States. The current economic downturn has affected almost every business in the country, and the Postal Service is no exception.

We are impacted by fuel costs, technology, and the economy overall. When America’s businesses do not have discretionary resources for advertising spending, we feel it. We rely on the success of America’s small business owners.

By 2050, 52.3% of the U.S. population will be made up of people of color. In order to thrive, we must understand how to communicate with those groups.

That communication is vital for an inclusive workplace, and it’s necessary to capture external markets and better serve our customers.

We’ve developed both internal and external diversity initiatives. These initiatives are strategically connected to business performance and the company’s bottom line. For example, we created solutions to meet the

domestic and international shipping and mailing needs of a wide range of customers, including households and businesses, both large and small.

We offer global shipping products, as well as on-line full-service access for individuals and small businesses.

Internally, we are leveraging the unique talents, skills, and innovative thinking of our multicultural workforce. During this financial crisis, the Postal Service is not hiring. We are focusing on retaining the highly effective, knowledgeable workforce that we have invested in as our most valuable asset. Moreover, we continue to build and maintain our talent pipeline to ensure ongoing leadership in the organization remains strong. Future business success depends on our ability to retain the most talented employees. We have an unwavering commitment to diversity. PDJ

Angie Perez Vice President, EEO, and Corporate Diversity Manager Bank of the West

In these challenging economic times, Bank of the West believes it’s more important than ever to recruit and retain top talent, and to foster an inclusive environment where every employee and customer feels valued. We’ve always believed in fairness and inclusiveness, and feel that as employees witness our commitment to those values first-hand, they’ll remain committed and engaged. Attracting and retaining qualified, valued, and productive employees is a part of our culture.

At Bank of the West, diversity is achieved by maximizing our individual potentials and valuing our uniqueness while combining our collective talents and experiences for the growth and success of

our organization. At a time when others are scaling back on diversityfocused endeavors, Bank of the West is continuing its summer internship programs, its mentoring program, and its “Celebrate Diversity” brownbag panel discussions throughout our footprint. We’re launching a Women’s Connection Group to enable women to exchange ideas and network for career enhancement. We’re promoting activities as well as communication, ensuring that our commitment to diversity remains visible and valued by everyone who works here. PDJ

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Burger King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

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Chevron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Eastman Kodak Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

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Ford Motor Company . . . . . . . . Inside Front,

United States Navy. .. .. .. .. .. .Back Cover

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Ivy Planning Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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viewpoint Generations, continued from page 64 that older generations may learn or master, but never understand in the way that the Digital Native generation will. Prensky notes that “Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast…like to parallel process and multi-task…prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite...prefer random access (like hypertext)…function best when networked… thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards…(and) prefer games to ‘serious’ work.” 1 Bridging the Generational Divide Many organizations have already begun to provide their management teams with a diversity management capability to bridge the generational divide. The bridge building, however, begins with an acknowledgement of the cost of not adapting the organization’s culture, values, systems, and practices to an environment where Millennials and Digital Natives can contribute their full potential. Here are some practical adaption steps:

• Draw on the diversity of experiences, talents and interests of employees to foster innovative work teams that challenge assumptions and reward new ideas; • Create opportunities for more collaborative or teamworking groups; • Support work/life balance pursuits; • Foster professional development and mentoring opportunities, perhaps developing cross-generational reverse mentoring initiatives; • Share knowledge and lessons learned in “real time” through mentoring and employee networks (real or online).

In these difficult economic times, all employees will need to reach across the generational gap to access the new ideas and technological savvy of the younger generations— and the wisdom, experience, and professional acumen of the older generations. PDJ

• Engage Millennials in a variety of assignments that develop their skills and broaden their career opportunities; • Offer flexible work schedules and be open to alternative locations (like working from home, job sharing, etc.); 1 Marc

Prensky, “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”, On the Horizon (MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001)

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microtrigger stories editors notebook

Have You Experienced These Kinds of Triggers?

By Janet Crenshaw Smith

MicroTriggers are those subtle behaviors, phrases and inequities that trigger an instantaneous negative response. Here are some samples for you to consider.

Professional Pet Peeve A Lesson in Rhetoric I work in the human resources department, and Nearly two decades ago, while working with a one of my biggest MicroTriggers is when I am in a major manufacturer, I used the term ‘you people’ at a roomful of professionals who do meeting attended by a vice president not trust my judgment. I think of the organization (who was the only African American in a high position I am in my position it may be attributed to my title, but I constantly feel as though at this company). It was around the because I am wellI have to prove myself to the time Ross Perot had also used the expression at an NAACP meeting educated and have a professionals of the organization I serve. When I give a presentation, and was widely criticized. Although strong work ethic. during meetings, or simply when neither Mr. Perot nor I meant anything I send an email to the company negative, I quickly learned (after a listserv, I feel as though people are closed door session with the VP) that constantly asking ‘if I’m sure’ about the information many African Americans are offended by its use. This I am disseminating, or are completely dismissive. I experience actually led me to broaden my career in think it may be time to change industries or jobs.”

HR and develop a strong interest in Diversity. Words -Anonymous ARE important. Intent does not equal Impact.”

-R. Trigg, SPHR Age of Innocence Office Etiquette I am the youngest person on my 5-person team.

A few months ago I was in a meeting with my I am well aware of this fact, but my co-workers are constantly bringing this up. They say things like, ‘you supervisor (in his office), when a colleague knocked on are so brilliant to be so young’ or ‘I’ve been doing this the door. Though she realized we were in the middle of since I was your age’ as if to suggest that being older a discussion, she proceeded to interrupt our meeting to means something of greater value in the workplace. discuss minute office details. I was annoyed, but didn’t I am in my position because I am well-educated and get truly upset until it began happening frequently. have a strong work ethic. I truly feel that being young The kicker was when I interrupted a meeting she in the workplace can be both a blessing and a curse.” was having with our boss to discuss time-sensitive information. She got irate and called a team meeting.

-N. Benjamin, M.A. Not only did I lose respect for her, but I lost respect for PDJ our boss who appeared to have lost all authority.”

-Anonymous

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Janet Crenshaw Smith is president of Ivy Planning Group, LLC, a consulting and training firm that specializes in diversity strategy and leadership. Her book is titled, MicroTriggers: 58 Little Things That Have a BIG Impact. Have a MicroTrigger story to share? Send it to: JSmith@ivygroupllc.com.

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viewpoint

Tackling Generational Diversity

By Melanie Harrington President American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.

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There have always been multiple generations in the workforce, so why are we now preoccupied with Generational Diversity? Because the urgency is real and the magnitude of the differences among the generations in today’s workplace is significant.

Four Generations in the Workplace

Traditionals or Veterans, those born before 1946, make up approximately 6% of today’s workforce. Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, make up the largest percentage of workers at 41.5%. Generation X, born between 1965 and 1977, are 29% of the workforce. Millennials (or Generation Y), born between 1978 and 1994, are almost 24% of the workforce. Researchers differ as to the time frames for the generational groups. However, it is not the dates, but the common life experiences of the members of a generation that are the greater predictors of generational behavior and workplace expectations.

These four generations have had vastly different life experiences that affect what they expect and need in the workplace. For this article, I will focus on the largest generation in the workforce and the latest generation to enter the workforce: Baby Boomers and Millennials.

The experiences of Baby Boomers were shaped by the Vietnam War, the space program, civil rights, and the prominence of television. “Workaholic” was coined to describe Boomers because of their commitment to the work, and the desire to stand out among a large group of peers. Also, they tend to find reward in titles, salary, and seniority.

Millennials (at the other end of the generation spectrum) were shaped by the Internet, increased off-shoring and outsourcing of their parents’ jobs, parents sourcing their services back to companies after massive lay-offs, the Columbine shootings, and the war on terror. Millennials see changing jobs as routine, and they want—and expect—work to be meaningful, flexible, and rewarding. They desire immediate access to information and tend to be “cyber-literate” and media savvy.

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The Generation Gap Working through generational differences is often difficult.

Conversations with a Baby Boomer managing a Millennial reveal comments such as, “They have no respect for seniority and my position,” “They have no commitment to the organization,” “Why do they question or challenge every single assignment I dole out…why can’t they just do it?” or “They are not willing to pay their dues.”

The Millennials are wondering, “Why is management so concerned about where I do my work as long as I get it done?” and, “Why am I working on these menial tasks? When will I get to present my ideas in the management meeting?” These comments are only a sample of the different perspectives held by these two groups. Their concerns often fester as each group misreads the intentions of the other, tension builds and more energy, time, and thought get siphoned away from the organization’s critical needs. The Boomer manager continues to be more frustrated, and the Millennial is online, searching websites for the next job opportunity.

Leaders attempting to manage this ever-widening generation gap cannot afford to throw up their hands in defeat. As Baby Boomers begin to retire (at the projected rate of 10,000 a day for the next 10 years), organizations will have no choice but to adapt the organizational culture to a generation with different life experiences and expectations.

Moreover, not only will organizations need to adapt their environments to the needs of the Millennial worker, they will also need to prepare for the generation to follow—the “Digital Native” generation, a term coined by Marc Prensky to describe those whose experiences represent a technological way of life Generations, continued on page 60

Melanie Harrington is president of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. AIMD celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2009. The organization is a 501(c)(3) public interest non-profit dedicated to advancing diversity thought leadership through research, education, and public outreach. AIMD works to strengthen our communities and institutions through effective diversity management. For more information, please visit www.aimd.org.

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