DIverSIty IS the WAy
We Do BuSIneSS.
Building a great career is like building great vehicles. It starts with
research, development, and experience. At Chrysler, our history of
technological innovation is matched only by our belief in the
progressive people that drive us forward. See how you can become part of a movement of the future. It’s as bright as you make it.
We are committed to building a culture that appreciates differences. Inclusion is how we embrace and enable diversity at Waste Management. We are a Fortune 200 company at the forefront of innovation and sustainability. We are looking for great people to join us.
Building Great Careers
Find out more at www.wmcareers.com
www.chryslercareers.com
the WAy
BuSIneSS. research, development, and experience. At Chrysler, our history of progressive people that drive us forward. See how you can become part of a movement of the future. It’s as bright as you make it.
Building Great Careers www.chryslercareers.com
publisher
point of view Awaken the Leader Within – We Want to Hear from YOU!
James R. Rector
PUBLISHER/CEO
John Murphy
MANAGING EDITOR
O
ne of the most exciting moments in the Olympics comes at the closing ceremonies, when the chairman of the International Olympic Committee summons the youth of the world to convene four years hence in the city that will host the next Olympic games. That moment is filled with promise, determination, hope and dreams, not only for the athletes who will compete but also for everyone watching. I feel that same excitement as we go into 2011, a year that by all signs should be far better than the two that preceded it. This year is also filled with the promise of a brighter tomorrow. Our task is to bring determination and hope to fulfill our dreams. Now is the perfect time for all of us to recommit to the values and principles we hold dear, and to proclaim those values to those among us who have yet to be convinced that diversity and inclusion are essential 21st century business constructs. You cannot lead others until you find your voice, and that is precisely how Profiles in Diversity Journal helps you. Look over our editorial calendar and you will find countless opportunities to share your company’s successes with others by contributing your ideas, opinions and success stories to our editorial features. The contributors to this month’s issue of the magazine have established themselves as authorities in the field by their actions in the boardroom. We are grateful that they have also chosen to help the next generation of leaders by sharing their wisdom so freely. And we are proud to give them – and you – the opportunity to lead in this fashion. We’re kicking off the year with some outstanding features for you. We continue to celebrate Black History Month with our Black Leaders Leading feature that has proven to be so popular with readers over the years. It is joined by our Vision of the Future feature in which we asked several individuals about the D&I work that still needs to be done. I think you’ll enjoy meeting the contributors to this feature. Of course, every month we bring you some of the best diversity writers to be found, offering you their perspectives on the issues of the day. Read, learn, enjoy! If you would like to discuss adding your name to our contributor’s list, please contact us by phone or e-mail anytime. We want to hear from you and welcome your inquiry. Best wishes for a stellar 2011! James R. Rector Publisher/CEO 2
Prof i les in D ive rsi ty J ournal
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Damian Johnson
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Paul Malanij
ART DIRECTOR
James Gorman IT DIRECTOR
Laurel L. Fumic
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Elena Rector
E x ecuti v e assistant
Alina Dunaeva
O v erseas C orrespondent C ontributing W riters
Pamela Arnold Reuben E. Slone Dr. Geetha Garib Eileen Stephan Linda Jimenez Craig Storti Julie B. Kampf Dr. Jody Agius Vallejo Mark Q. McLane Nadine Vogel Brenda J. Mullins Trevor Wilson Marie Philippe, Ph.D. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Commentaries or questions should be
addressed to: Profiles in Diversity Journal, P.O. Box 45605, Cleveland, OH 44145-0605. All correspondence should include author’s full name, address, e-mail and phone number. DISPLAY ADVERTISING
Profiles in Diversity Journal Gemini Towers #1 1991 Crocker Road, Suite 320 Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: 440.892.0444 Fax: 440.892.0737 profiles@diversityjournal.com SUBSCRIPTIONS
U.S. $49.95 one year / $89.95 two years; in Canada, add $15 per year for postage. Other foreign orders add $20 per year. U.S. funds only. Subscriptions can be ordered at: www.diversityjournal.com or call customer service at 800.573.2867 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. SUBMISSIONS
Reprints:
profiles@diversityjournal.com Editorial:
edit@diversityjournal.com Photos & Artwork:
art@diversityjournal.com
issue
table of contents [ f e a t u r e s ]
January / February 2011 Volume 13 • Number 1 www.diversityjournal.com
[special feature] 48 Black History Month Their stories are simple but elegant; each has committed to share their success with others. We believe you will find their responses to our questions most informative and educational. Where else can you learn from today’s masters!
48 [ o n
t h e c o v e r ] 20 VISION OF THE FUTURE
Thirteen of today’s leading diversity officers share their vision of the future. What is working? What still needs to happen? Here is an opportunity to gain valuable insights from some of the brightest in the business. 4
Prof i les in D ive rsity J ournal
American Express, Kerrie Peraino CDW LLC, Melissa Donaldson Ceasars Entertainment, Fred Keeton Chevron, Carole Young Chrysler Group LLC, Lisa Wicker CVS Caremark, David Casey KPMG LLP, Kathy Hopinkah Hannan
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Marriott International, Inc., Jimmie Paschall New York Life Insurance, Lance Lavergne RBC Wealth Management, Wanda Brackins Sun Life Financial, US, Tasha Kitty University of the Rockies, Amy Kahn, Ph.D. WellPoint, Linda Jimenez
[ d e p a r t m e n t s ] [ c o l u m n s ] 40 THOUGHTLEADERS With travel to seminars and conventions being curtailed, we recognize that you still may not be able to get to the seminars and conventions this year. We bring seven diversity thought leaders to you.
By By By By By By By
Brenda J. Mullins, Aflac Mark Q. McLane, Booz Allen Hamilton Eileen Stephan, Citi Julie B. Kampf, JBK Associates, Inc. Reuben E. Slone, OfficeMax Dr. Geetha Garib, Tilbug University Dr. Jody Agius Vallejo, USC
[ p e r s p e c t i v e s ]
[ r e g u l a r s ] 06 MOMENTUM Diversity Who, What, Where and When.
61 corporate index
Names and Web Sites of Participating Companies.
Storti
JIMENEZ
WILSON
ARNOLD
vogEl
philippe
10 CULTURE MATTERS
16 Viewpoint
What is culture, anyway? What we mean by culture in this space and, just as important, what we don’t mean.
In the midst of change – Lead! Executive diversity councils as part of your integrated global strategy.
By Craig Storti, Communicating Across Cultures
12 From My Perspective Leveling the playing field. Fairness with which individuals are treated and the allocation of opportunities across society.
By Linda Jimenez, WellPoint, Inc.
14 Human Equity™ The impact of leadership behaviour in these eight areas within organizations.
By Trevor Wilson, TWI Inc.
Women Worth Watching® Updates.
By Pamela Arnold, AIMD
18 My Turn The OFCCP Ramps Up Enforcement.
62 www extra
By Nadine Vogel, Springboard Consulting LLC
Beth E. Mooney, KeyCorp CEO-elect, and Henry L. Meyer III, current KeyCorp chairman and CEO.
63 CATALYST
64 LAST WORD Cross cultural mentoring – A case for inclusiveness in action. When to consider mentoring.
By Marie Philippe, Ph.D., The Lifetime Healthcare Companies
An Assessment of Talent Management Systems.
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
5
updates
momentum New York Life elects Katherine O’Brien Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
NEW YORK CITY—New York Life Insurance Company has promoted Katherine O’Brien to senior vice president and deputy general coun- O’Brien sel in the office of the general counsel, reporting to Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Sheila Davidson. O’Brien is now responsible for managing the employment, litigation, ERISA, contracts, intellectual property, corporate transactions and administrative units of the general counsel office. Previously, O’Brien was first vice president and deputy counsel after serving as the company’s chief diversity officer in the human resources department for two years.
Kimberly-Clark names Sue Dodsworth Global Diversity Officer
DALLAS, Texas— Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) has announced that Sue Dodsworth has been named as the company’s vice president, Dodsworth global diversity officer, reporting to Liz Gottung, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. In this position, Dodsworth will lead the organization that develops, drives and monitors strategies and initiatives designed to create a more diverse and inclusive global organization at Kimberly-Clark. Before being tapped to lead the talent initiative, Dodsworth was vice president, 6
Prof i les in D ive rsi ty J ournal
who…what…where…when
WellPoint's Anthony E. Santiago Honored KANSAS CITY, Missouri—Anthony E. Santiago, WellPoint’s vice president and chief procurement officer, recently received the 2010 CareerFOCUS Eagle Award celebrating a commitment to Lead What Matters in corporate and community leadership. This year’s awards were presented at the National Eagle Leadership Institute’s 18th Annual Eagle Awards Gala and Leadership Summit. Two years ago Santiago was hired to transform the supply management organization at WellPoint, Inc. Since then he and his team have implemented new technology for greater efficiency and responsiveness and increased savings from a targeted $20 million in 2008 to approximately $105 million in 2009. They also created a training curriculum for WellPoint associates to increase their competencies in procurement and supply management and increased spending with diverse suppliers from five to eight percent, with a target of 12 percent by 2012. The CareerFOCUS Eagle Award was launched by CareerFOCUS Magazine in 1993 to recognize exceptional leaders of color within corporate America who excel in both corporate and community leadership. In 1995, CareerFOCUS established the National Eagle Leadership Institute (NELI) to encourage corporate leadership development and support efforts to recognize, recruit and retain culturally diverse executives.
global strategy and mergers and acquisitions, K-C Professional. In this position, she led strategy development and deployment, sustainability and global communications for the business. Dodsworth has also held several other global senior level positions at K-C in the innovation, strategy, and human resources functions.
Philadelphia Bar Association names Naomi K. McLaurin to Head Office of Diversity
The Philadelphia Bar Association has named Naomi K. McLaurin as its new Director of Diversity. In her role, McLaurin will be responsible for leading McLaurin the 12,000-member association’s office of diversity. The office of diversity strives to ensure greater opportunities for the in-
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
clusion of diverse attorneys in the legal profession. The director of diversity has programming, management and administrative responsibilities, and reports to association Executive Director Kenneth Shear. Prior to joining the Philadelphia Bar Association, McLaurin served as a diversity consultant in Atlanta, Georgia, where she advised clients on diversity initiatives and best practices, educational programming, mentoring programs, and professional and business development. She formerly served as managing director, southeast region, and vice president and corporate secretary for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association in Atlanta. McLaurin is a graduate of North Carolina Central University (B.A., 1982) and Brooklyn Law School (J.D., 1989). A native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, McLaurin resides in Center City, Philadelphia.
Creative spark At Walmart, diversity is the doorway to creativity, opportunity, growth and excellence. Inclusion is the key that unlocks that door. Visit us at www.walmartstores.com/diversity to learn more.
The “Spark” Design (
), Walmart and Save Money. Live Better. are marks and/or registered marks of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ©2010 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR.
momentum Diversity Best Practices names Andrés Tapia new President
NEW YORK C I T Y — Di ve r s i t y Best Practices (DBP) has appointed Andrés Tapia to the new position of president, effective Jan. 10, 2011. Tapia Tapia will be responsible for the growth and direction of DBP, a membership organization for large U.S. and global companies. Diversity Best Practices is a part of Working Mother Media, a division of global media company Bonnier. Most recently, Tapia was chief diversity officer and emerging workforce solutions leader at Hewitt, one of the leading global human resources consulting and outsourcing companies. He was responsible for shaping and steering the company’s global diversity strategies with deep links to the business.
Gloria Lau named interim CEO of YWCA USA
Washington, D.C.—YWCA USA has named Gloria Lau as interim Chief Executive Officer. Lau has 30 years of experience in the nonprofit, finance lau and business sectors and is uniquely positioned to lead the 150-year organization into the future. A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Harvard Business School, Lau was CEO of Charles Schwab Tokio Marine, and one of the first women to serve as the head of a financial services business in Japan. She also was responsible for the company’s Asia business based in Hong Kong, business development in Latin America, and a brokerage business in 8
Prof i les in D ive rsi ty J ournal
New York Life Foundation Receives National Crystal Clover Award from 4-H COLUMBUS, Ohio—The New York Life Foundation was awarded 4-H’s national Crystal Clover Award, an award given to a partner selected by the National 4-H Council Board Lance LaVergne (center), vice president & chief diversity officer, New York Life Insurance Comof Trustees, recognizing the pany, who accepted the award from Trustees company for pioneering a new E. Gordon Gee (left), president, The Ohio State approach, reaching new audiences, University and National 4-H Council Board or helping create significant impact trustee; Jim Borel, (back row, left) executive for young people. vice president, DuPont Company and National The New York Life Foundation 4-H Council Board trustee; Don Floyd (back was recognized at an event at The row, right), chief executive officer, National 4-H Ohio State University in Columbus Council; and youth from the Cleveland New York Life Youth in Governance 4-H. for support of the creation of 150 new 4-H clubs in urban areas, a five-year partnership that has impacted more than 3,000 at-risk youth in Atlanta, Cleveland, Ithaca, Minneapolis, and New York City.
London. She served as senior vice president for global marketing at Citicorp in New York City. In 2009, Lau was the Interim CEO for YWCA Hawaii Island, where she led a successful turnaround of that association. In one year, she created financial stability, strengthened community relations, and improved staff morale.
Air Force Academy Announces Chief Diversity Officer
An attorney and international business executive with experience in academia, government and private law practice will become the Air Force Academy’s chief di- Vila versity officer. Dr. Adis Maria Vila will serve as the strategic leader, diversity advocate and principal adviser to Academy leaders on diversity programs and issues and the Academy’s primary voice on matters of
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
equity, diversity and inclusion. Dr. Vila’s responsibilities in the CDO role will include working with Congress on diversity issues, promoting institutional and classroom diversity and uniting diversity efforts around the Academy to increase various agencies’ effectiveness. Dr. Vila is a native of Cuba and a graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., (BA in Mathematics) , Chicago Booth (MBA), the Graduate Institute of International Studies and Development (Geneva, Switzerland, LLM equiv. International Law), and the University of Florida Levin College of Law (JD). While a scholar in residence at Rollins College, she taught international business law and ethics in business and lectured on leadership, corporate governance, ethics management, U.S.-Latin American relations, regulatory policy, infrastructure and foreign direct investment. She speaks English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. continued on page 17
OUR COMPANY
>
THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
BE WHO YOU ARE. CREATE WHO WE’LL BE. UnitedHealth Group is working to create the health care system of tomorrow. One that will work better for more people in more ways than ever. A goal of this magnitude requires transformative ideas from a collective of diverse talent. At UnitedHealth Group, our commitment to diversity is clearly visible in the high-performing people we hire, in the health care services we provide, and in our dedication to social responsibility. We support and applaud the efforts of those who work to promote fairness, equality and opportunity. Uniting our individual efforts and abilities toward our common goal, we’re making a difference. Learn more about us at unitedhealthgroup.com
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.
Culture Matters
What Is Culture, Anyway?
T
By Craig Storti
This might be a good time, as this column gets ready to celebrate its second anniversary, to define this word “culture” we’ve been throwing around, just assuming everyone understands it and its relevance to today’s workplace. Most readers have an idea of what culture is, of course, and probably deal with culture—especially cultural differences— every day. But it might be nice to define what we mean by culture in this space and, just as important, what we don’t mean. We don’t mean capital C Culture, of course: literature, painting, music, that sort of thing. We’re using the word in a much broader sense to refer to the way a particular group of people from the same background think and act. Most interculturalists (that really is what we call ourselves!) define culture using the famous iceberg metaphor, to suggest that there are both a visible (above the water line) and a larger, invisible (below the water line) dimension to culture. And then we put some words on the iceberg as follows:
Behavior
The things people say and do
Values Beliefs Assumptions Culture has a visible component, above the water line, which we call behavior: the things people say and do. When you interact with someone from another culture, it’s not their culture you are dealing with but everything that other person is saying and doing. In other words, you will encounter other people’s culture in the form of their behavior; this is what you need to try to understand, inter10
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
pret correctly, and ideally be able to anticipate. And those other people will be encountering your culture in the form of your behavior: all the things you say and do. But the whole point of culture, in a way, is that the visible dimension—the things people say and do—is neither accidental nor arbitrary. People aren’t making this up as they go along or changing it when the spirit moves them. Behavior is largely predictable, or else there would be chaos. And it is the product of the invisible and subconscious dimension of culture (below the water line), the elements we have labeled values, beliefs, and asHOW CULTURES DIFFER: sumptions. Values are Let Us Count the Ways what you have been In the main text we selected one way that raised to think of as cultures differ—in their attitude toward good or bad, right or risk—and we explained that a difference wrong; beliefs are those between cultures at the fundamental level, what we called a cultural assumption, leads things you think of as to all manner of differences at the level of true or real; and asindividual behavior. So what are some of sumptions, the deepthe other fundamentals? est level of culture, are • Attitude towards time (monochronic & those instinctive, in polychronic types) ternalized convictions • Management style (decentralized & centralized) you have about how • Locus of control (internal & external) the world works, what • Communication style (direct & indirect) is usually referred to as • Concepts of rank and status (egalitarian your mindset or your & hierarchical) worldview. Or where • Importance of face (less important & you’re coming from. more important) • Concepts of right and fairness So let’s pick a cul (universalism & particularism) tural assumption—at• Concept of limits (unlimited possibilities titude toward risk— & limited possibilities) and see how this all • Concept of self/identity (individualist & works. The chart (on collectivist) page 11) presents the • View of human nature (benign & skeptical) • Task vs. relationship orientation polar opposite ex• Attitude toward uncertainty tremes you’re going to (high tolerance & low tolerance) find around the world • Attitude toward power and authority (low in terms of how differ power distance & high power distance) ent people in different For each of these concepts, there is a cultures instinctively range between the two polar opposites, leading to all kinds of behavioral differences. “feel” about risk, based on their cultural con-
USA
Nigeria
HIGH TOLERANCE
LOW TOLERANCE
Risk is a fact of life, built into almost any situation; it’s not possible to factor all risk out of most decisions/actions; you can’t know anything for sure until you try it; trial and error/experimenting are essential for learning, improving; nothing is ever perfect the first time (and we can always fix it later); making mistakes is how we learn; new is often better/is not threatening; there is always a better way of doing things; tradition should not be valued for its own sake; “the way we have always done it” can be improved; being creative and “thinking outside the box” are rewarded.
Taking risks and failing have strong negative consequences; you should not have to take risks if you do your homework; most risks (and their consequences) can be avoided if we do enough analysis/gather enough data; risk-taking is for those who are impatient or just lazy; mistakes can be avoided with careful planning; there is no need to “fix” things if we take enough time to get it right in the first place; tradition should not be lightly cast aside; there are good reasons for “the way we have always done things”; what is new is unproven/should be approached with healthy skepticism.
ditioning. If you come from the United States, chances are you have been socialized the way people are in highrisk-tolerant cultures; if you come from Nigeria, you have probably been socialized the way people are in low-risktolerant cultures, all other things being equal. Remember that this socialization has been an ongoing process since the time you were born, and the effects are almost entirely subconscious and instinctive. You don’t realize you are risk tolerant/risk averse; you just naturally act that way. And voila: the crucial link between assumptions and behavior! And here’s where it gets interesting: In many instances, individuals who are the products of risk-tolerant cultures are going to behave very differently from individuals who are the products of risk-averse cultures, and yet each type of individual is going to consider his/her behavior normal and logical and the behavior of the other type to be abnormal and illogical. Or just plain wrong.
Impact in the Workplace In today’s workplace, you’re bound to have individuals of all different types, that is, some highly or moderately risk-tolerant types, and some moderately and highly riskaverse types. Needless to say, they’re not going to see eyeto-eye on a lot of matters. And attitude toward risk is just one of many cultural assumptions that people have different ways of dealing with (see How Cultures Differ box). Fine, you say. I get it. People from different cultural backgrounds are going to think and act differently. My problem is I’m trying to run a business here, and I need everybody to be more or less on the same wavelength.
If some of my staff are highly risk-averse and don’t like to try new things, and some are highly risk-tolerant and like to shake things up—what am I supposed to do when it comes to implementing that new reporting system? Am I supposed to give the risk-averse types six months before they have to start using it and let the other group start after two weeks? Sorry, but that’s not an option in the real world. Everyone has to start at the same time or this isn’t going to work. We could go on, but you get the point. So what are we supposed to do about cultural differences in today’s multicultural workplace? Actually, you don’t have to do very much at all except try to be more aware of cultural differences, educate yourself about what forms they take so you’re not caught off guard when you encounter them on the job. They’re real and they can pose challenges, but they can also bring great benefits to your workforce: multiple perspectives, novel approaches, creative solutions to problems. “So how do you answer my question about the riskaverse guy and the risk-friendly woman, both of whom have to start using the new reporting system?” Easy: you acknowledge that some of your staff are going to be happy and good at this, and some are going to be nervous and ham-fisted. And then you try to provide resources and support for the latter. It’s really no different than dealing with any other difference among the various employees in your group, no two of whom are identical. You already treat all your staff as individuals, accommodating and capitalizing on their various personal qualities, allowing for their idiosyncracies. And culture is just one more variable, one more factor, that figures in the mix. PDJ
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 No. Americans and western Europeans. He can be contacted at: craig@craigstorti.com or learn more at his website: craigstorti.com.
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
11
FROM My perspective
Leveling the Playing Field By Linda Jimenez Chief Diversity Officer and Staff Vice President – Diversity & Inclusion WellPoint, Inc.
W
We’ve started a new year and as we said goodbye to 2010, we had an opportunity to review where we stood in terms of our personal goals as well as our organizational metrics. For corporate diversity practitioners, this review inevitably covers the perspective of how well the company performed in terms of leveling the playing field. Leveling the playing field refers to the fairness with which individuals are treated and the allocation of opportunities within not only organizations, but across society. For example, the handicap in Wii’s Tetris game levels the playing field in the competition between me and my kids, in much the same way that computers, the Internet and social media have leveled the playing field in business, enabling small and minorityand women-owned businesses to compete with larger, more well-established businesses. A level playing field typically means that all people have a fair chance, based on their ability and initiative, to realize their potential. I am a “high-hope” diversity practitioner, one who has the determination or mental energy used to initiate and sustain goal-directed action that includes routes around or beyond obstacles to goal attainment. In today’s woeful economic times, amidst budget cuts, reductions in force and restructuring, it is individuals with resilient personalities who are survivors and who are prepared to be successful diversity and inclusion change leaders. Leaders in business organizations are expected to take actions that help their companies succeed. Leaders often become high-hope individuals because achieving success requires the development and encouragement of corporate cultures that motivate associates to realize
their full potential. In the context of increasingly diverse workforce demographics, the success of cultural diversity and inclusion initiatives is directly related to the extent to which they infuse hope into organizational cultures, which means supporting the dignity and encouraging the hopefulness of all associates. In setting goals, it is important to harness that magnificent and creative quality of imagination. Take a few moments and review what your intention is when you set goals. Use your imagination in whatever way feels appropriate for you – visualize, sense or know – and feel yourself in the place where your goal is accomplished and working well. For example, your workforce demographics at all levels in the organization match the demographics locally, regionally or nationally, or your employee resource groups are clearly integrated into the business operations of your company and support the company’s growth strategies. As you imagine this accomplishment, what emotions are present? Is it power, safety, contentment, peace? The emotion present will provide the creative energy necessary to keep yourself inspired. These emotions and understanding will provide the perseverance required to overcome the challenges that may arise and address setbacks that occur, or to develop new relationships that may be necessary to achieve your goals. My high-hope attitude comes from one of my favorite quotes: “Goals: There is no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There is no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There is no telling what will happen when you act upon them.” —Jim Rohn, Author and Speaker. PDJ
“Leaders in business organizations are expected to take actions that help their companies succeed.”
12
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Linda Jimenez is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received her B.A. with honors. She is also a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and has spent 20 years specializing in labor and employment law.
Thanks to You,
A generation of stories is just another part of growing up.
It’s just one more place we see the benefits of improving the lives of the people we serve. WellPoint is proud of our dedication to diversity. Still, with all that we’ve achieved, we will always strive to better attract, retain and develop top diverse talent. As we celebrate Black History Month, we are very proud to see WellPoint’s own Sherwin Robinson, regional vice president, underwriting, featured in this month’s “Black Leaders Leading” article. At WellPoint, diversity is more than just the ‘right thing to do.’ It’s the way we approach business, how we interact within our communities, how we mobilize our employees and, more than anything, why we appreciate moments like this. For more information, visit: www.wellpoint.com/careers ® Registered Trademark, WellPoint, Inc. © 2011 WellPoint, Inc. All Rights Reserved. EOE. ® Profiles in Diversity Journal. ® Registered Trademark, Diversity Inc Media LLC.
HUMAN equity ™
Actions Speak Louder than Words “What you do speaks so loud I can’t hear what you say.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
By Trevor Wilson Author and Global Human Equity Strategist TWI Inc.
R
Recently a senior executive asked me if there was one thing we could do to make inclusion and human equity happen, what would it be? I referred him to the 2005 documentary film about Enron called The Smartest Guys in the Room. I asked him to watch for the scene where Ken Lay, the CEO and Baptist preacher’s son, was explaining the ethics and integrity of Enron to a group of new Enron employees. It was an impressive presentation, full of commitment and apparent conviction. We can now look back on that presentation and know that what we were watching was a leader who could talk about an important corporate value but certainly was not walking that talk. It has been said that a value in action is a virtue. To make diversity, inclusion and human equity a reality, organizations must bridge the disconnect between leadership virtues and frequently espoused corporate values such as dignity, respect, equity and inclusion. People will not believe any of these corporate values if they do not see them demonstrated in the organization. If leadership virtues are out of step with the public corporate values, then a diversity, inclusion or human equity program is doomed to fail. Years ago in the book Diversity at Work, I speculated that the core competencies of a leader who treats people equally (the same) would be different than the competencies of a leader who treated people equitably (fairly). At the time I had no idea what the competencies of an equitable leader actually were. I simply knew they would be different. In the late nineties a group of academic researchers set out to help identify the core competencies of an equitable leader. They looked at hundreds of leadership competencies and put them through a template that distinguished between equitable and equal behaviour. Surprisingly, only eight showed up as equitable but not equal. These eight, 14
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
now known as The Equitable Leader Competencies, serves as a strong list of the leadership and management behaviours that translate into the creation of inclusive work environments that are conducive to human equity. The eight Equitable Leader competencies are: • Openness to Difference • Equitable Opportunity • Accommodation • Dignity and Respect • Commitment to Diversity • Knowledge of Diversity • Change Management • Ethics and Integrity Over the past decade we have measured the impact of leadership behavior using a unique tool known as the Equitable Leader Assessment. This effective, on-line tool allows leaders and managers to measure their own behavior related to inclusive and equitable leadership and compare it to their colleagues’ perception using an automated 360 design. The ELA also allow the leader to compare their behavior to an extensive, global normative database of leadership scores. Properly measuring these eight competencies can allow an organization to identify leaders who are not walking the talk and calculate the costs of this behavior. I am firmly convinced that everything else you do to create more diverse, equitable and inclusive work environments can be nullified if leadership behaviour is inconsistent with these eight areas. As the opening quote from Emerson implies, when it comes to human equity, people will judge their leaders by their actions not merely by their words. PDJ In 1996 Trevor started TWI Inc. to specialize in the area of equity and diversity as a business issue. In the same year, Trevor published a highly acclaimed book titled Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity. The firm’s clients include some of the most progressive global employers. TWI’s Human Equity™ approach was instrumental in catapulting Coca-Cola’s South African division to the top performing division worldwide. Visit www.twiinc.com for more information.
FRESH
PERSPECTIVES, CREATED
DAILY. © 2011 Lockheed Martin Corporation
THIS IS HOW Diversity is more than a goal. It’s a necessity. When facing down the most important projects in the world, every idea counts. Every viewpoint matters. That’s why, at Lockheed Martin, we not only believe in diversity. We embrace it. Because diversity is the “how” that delivers the most innovative solutions to some of the most complex problems imaginable.
lockheedmartin.com/how
viewpoint
In the Midst of Change – Lead! Executive Diversity Councils as part of your Integrated Global Strategy By Pamela Arnold President American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.
S
Several years ago I was involved in a large corporate acquisition (we were acquired) with a company that was three times larger. As we worked through the merger, we recognized the differences and challenges in the diversity strategies, programs and structures. With the acquisition, the company moved from a national to global geographic presence, corporate office locations shifted from around the corner to across the country, and the primary languages grew from two languages in three countries to multiple languages across the world. These changes created opportunities to bring innovation and creativity into the new company at the all levels. Now the question became: how do we digest all of the changes, integrate the diversity strategies, create an inclusive environment and keep the company moving forward as a new entity? A few questions to think about: • Are you involved in building and implementing the diversity strategy? • Are you expanding or updating the diversity program(s) to include a global perspective? • Do you have diverse thoughts, ideas, voices involved from the business leaders within your organization? • Does your organization seek to maintain a culture with diverse communities that maximize each individual’s contributions to the company? • Are you looking for a model that can help you connect and accomplish the organization’s business and diversity goals with innovation and creativity? 16
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
The Opportunity – Council Integration According to “The Diversity Councils Best Practices Study” (GIlDeane Group, Inc., 2005), there are six types of commonly used diversity councils: executive, global, regional, supplier, external and business units. To drive sustainable change and build an inclusive environment, a broad range of councils should be used throughout the organization. The diversity council model has been successful in helping organizations implement diversity strategies. Most, if not all of us, have been involved in a merger or acquisition in our careers. It is imperative that a company quickly establish a model to deal with the new levels of diversity that impact performance and productivity. A leadership team connected to the CEO and CDO with a diversity focus can be an effective model. The executive diversity council (EDC) model can work to align the diversity goals with the company’s global strategy.
Executive Diversity Councils – Leadership in Action The EDC addresses diversity issues and is empowered to provide leadership on the integration of the diversity strategy. Characteristics include accountability for strategy integration, representation of the employee’s voice, goal attainment, measurement and reporting of progress/challenges and the ongoing connection to the company’s vision, goals and mission. In addition to adding to the profit of the company, these elements must be sustainable for the longer term. An EDC should be supported by other diversity councils that vary in membership as part of the infrastructure. EDC members are internal or external leaders that are identified by the organizations’ board, CEO and Chief Diversity Officer and accountable to
“It is imperative that a company quickly establish a model to deal with the new levels of diversity that impact performance and productivity.” the CEO. Members would also include other “C” suite officers that represent all the business units. EDC members should be rotated on a 18-24 month basis and be responsible for ensuring measurement and evaluation processes are in place. The EDC can be an effective model for all organizations. But remember – the EDC is part of the integrated strategy that requires everyone to be involved and an investment of time. Utilizing the EDC model will help to shift your “No” responses to “Yes” answers to the questions at the beginning of this article. The
momentum Walmart Names new Global Chief Diversity Officer
Walmart has named Sharon Orlopp Global Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate People. Sharon is responsible for advanc- Orlopp ing a diverse workforce with 2.1 million associates worldwide. Her current responsibilities include overseeing and leveraging global diversity and inclusion efforts, associate relations, and HR policy for the world’s largest retailer. Sharon joined Walmart in 2003 as Vice President, People. In 2004, she was promoted to her current role as Senior Vice President, People – Sam’s Club. Prior to joining Walmart, Sharon worked at Foot Locker and Sports Authority in senior human resource leadership roles. Sharon earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University
EDC can be the leadership driver and part of a broader diversity council infrastructure. The other council models and their integration points will be discussed in future articles. PDJ
Pamela W. Arnold is President of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. The organization is a 501 (c) (3) public interest nonprofit 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.
continued from page 8
of Denver, graduating magna cum laude. Sharon is an experienced human resource professional with a passion for diversity and deep knowledge of people. She has made it her mission to advance diversity initiatives, sponsor learning trips for associates, roll out new programs and lead by example.
DiversityPlus Magazine Honors National Diversity Leaders for Championing Supplier Diversity
National Grid Director of Supplier Diversity Carla Hunter Ramsey has been named a national Champion of Diversity by D i v e r s i t y P l u s Ramsey Magazine for demonstrating great leadership and skill in driving supplier diversity within the company. The 2010 DiversityPlus awards represent the fourth year that the magazine
has named Champions of Diversity. The awards are a unique effort to reach out to minority suppliers of all sizes, products and service backgrounds to determine which executive individuals are perceived as doing the most to promote the benefits of diversity within their organizations. Hunter Ramsey is one of only 25 individuals honored this year. Hunter Ramsey helped facilitate $277 million in diverse spend at National Grid in 2009. In addition to large wins by women and minorityowned businesses, she also linked primary contractors to subcontractors, providing more opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. In addition, Hunter Ramsey coordinated “The Power of Connections,” a one-day business matchmaker opportunity event to provide training, opportunities and information on the tools necessary for minority and women-owned business to secure contracts in the energy industry. PDJ
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
17
My turn
The OFCCP Ramps Up Enforcement By Nadine Vogel President Springboard Consulting LLC
I
Is your company or organization a Federal contractor? If so, please take note that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor, has become more aggressive when it comes to compliance enforcement. In fact, the agency is increasing compliance evaluations and complaint investigations by approximately 20 percent. Recent enforcement enhancements include: • Elimination of the cap on compliance reviews, which, up until now, was 25 facilities of a business per year • Hiring over 200 additional compliance officers and other enforcement personnel. This increase in enforcement is related to the outreach and recruitment of individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended), as well as covered veterans, including vets with service-related disabilities which falls under the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). While the agency will consider good faith efforts, if the contractor is not successful in recruiting people with disabilities, they will want to know why, making it clear that this is not just about “checking the box.” They are looking for evidence of the outreach along with measurable results as a result of the outreach. Acceptable outreach may include: • Formal communication with college placement offices and direct communication with the college’s office of disability student services • Appropriate depiction of individuals with disabilities in contractor marketing materials. The OFCCP may also want to review a company’s processes to increase self-identification, such as review18
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
ing the invitation itself, how they are extended and what efforts are made to increase the likelihood that applicants would complete the invitation. The OFCCP may also investigate internal mechanisms for informing applicants and employees of their contractors’ OFCCP-related obligations. At any time, applicants and employees with disabilities may be interviewed and asked if they are aware of their rights under the contractors’ Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) and, if so, if they have ever exercised their rights. The agency may request other information, such as: • Position descriptions to check whether physical or mental job requirements are included • Copies of all disability-related grievances • List of all known employees who have a disability • Copies of information provided to applicants concerning reasonable accommodations • A contractor’s website accessibility and compatibility with the most common assistive technology software • Avenues for applicants and employees to request accommodations. Who is subject to OFCCP standards? Generally speaking, a company is a contractor and is covered by EEO laws enforced by the OFCCP if it enters into a non-exempt contract or subcontract with any department, agency, establishment or instrumentality of the executive branch of the Federal government for the purchase, sale or use of supplies or services. To learn about best practices relative to OFCCP compliance, visit Springboard Consulting LLC online at www.consultspringboard.com. PDJ
Nadine Vogel is President of Springboard Consulting LLC. Springboard (www.consultspringboard.com) is considered a global expert; working with corporations, governments and organizations on issues pertaining to supporting the disability community in the workforce, workplace and marketplace. She is also the author of DIVE IN, Springboard into the Profitability, Productivity and Potential of the Special Needs Workforce.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Honors
February
Black History Month
Courage “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free.” Ralph Ellison 1953: Ralph Ellison wins the National Book Award for his novel, Invisible Man, which addresses social and intellectual issues facing African-Americans in the early twentieth century. In 1985, he receives the National Medal of Arts. No endorsement or sponsorship is implied by the use of the above quote. BrainyQuote.com: Ralph Ellison. www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ralph_ellison.html (Accessed Jan. 5, 2011). Wikipedia: Ralph Ellison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Ellison (Accessed Jan. 5, 2011). An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. U4882b, 1/11
 Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
VISION
of the
Future From Chief Diversity Leaders
As 2011 begins to unfold, we can all look back and see that tremendous strides have been made in the field of diversity and inclusion. We all have much to be proud of. But diversity practitioners know that there is still much work to be done. We asked some of today’s leading diversity officers to share their vision of the future. What is working? What still needs to happen? Here is an opportunity to gain valuable insights from some of the brightest in the business as they share their vision of the future. 20
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
‘‘
It is critical for us to work together, both across companies and industries.”
What diversity and inclusion challenges remain today?
ployees; and aggressive efforts to communicate that program throughout the organization. The work is never One of the initiatives complete. Challenges that we have underchange and evolve over taken that has been time and may even especially successful, reoccur in different and can be helpful for markets within your other organizations, Company. The comis “Women in the petition for top talent Pipeline and at The is extremely fierce, and Top.” To capitalize on our ability to create a the depth of female culture that is of ditalent at American verse minds and backgrounds, and keep those Express and to position top performers will con- our women to reach tinue to be a challenge. the top levels within the organization, What programs/initiatives our Global Diversity & Inclusion team work best for American Express that other compa- launched the program to create an atmosphere nies can benchmark? of opportunity for There are four key women by creating a elements to which we more gender-intelligent attribute the success of organization. the diversity initiatives As a result of this at American Express: initiative, our overall engagement from the talent management top and an executive process has evolved to team willing to lead by example; clear, measure- identify high potential/ high performing female able goals that align with business objectives talent and established to imbed the program in proactive pathways to advancement. all aspects of the company; a program that is What is your advice for dicompelling to all em-
versity officers/managers who are just starting out in their positions? My advice is to understand your company’s landscape; understand the talent mix as well as the market demographics and let that data drive your strategy. The second piece of advice I would offer is to always be thinking about the many meanings of diversity, which can
include age, gender, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientation, along with many others. I think it is especially important to understand generational needs and what the changing workforce will need in order to be successful. For example, I am focused on understanding what millennials are looking for as they enter the workforce as well as how to retain the knowledge and expertise the baby boomers have as they exit the job market. It is critical for us to work together, both across companies and industries. We can’t address these issues alone; we must lean on each other and share best practices. There is room for everyone in this conversation in order to advance the work collectively. PDJ
Kerrie
Peraino
Chief Diversity Officer, American Express
Company name: American Express corporate headquarters: New York City website: www.americanexpress.com Primary business: Financial services & insurance/banking/ credit services. 2010 Revenues: $27.8 billion Employees: 60,000
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
21
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders work best in your organization that other companies can benchmark?
Melissa
Donaldson Senior Manager of Inclusion Practices, CDW LLC
What diversity and inclusion challenges remain today?
can help companies alized. We need to help understand the benefits organizations underof building a workstand that inclusion is Diversity practitioners force reflective of a the glue that helps all will be well-served to global economy and a other corporate initiabetter understand and workplace designed to tives stick that much lead organizations in provide opportunity, better. Diversity is embracing the concept development and suptantamount to building that only focusing on port for all employees, great leadership. the “Xs and Os” or the D&I as a discipline will scorekeeping is shortcontinue to be margin- What programs/initiatives sighted and ill-fated. It is no secret that obCompany name: CDW LLC taining a clear ROI for corporate headquarters: Vernon Hills, Illinois diversity management website: www.cdw.com initiatives is elusive to Primary business: Technology solutions, including hardware, say the least. That begs software and services. the question, “Then 2009 Revenues: $7.2 billion why bother trying?” Until practitioners Employees: 6,200 and industry leaders
22
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
At CDW, we have been very successful at building a structure and governance model for our coworker resource networks. The model has had a consistently positive impact on bi-annual coworker engagement surveys. Diversity and Inclusion was the highest-rated engagement category, which is highly attributable to the fact that the Connections Nodes are open to ALL coworkers regardless of background, geographical location, tenure, or level. Few events hosted by any of the nine currently active nodes are closed to anyone who falls outside of the core targeted group. Additionally, each node has an executive sponsor, an operating budget, and is charged with producing annual strategic plans outlining initiatives and programming that underscores their core mission and objectives. Node group chairs attend quarterly meetings of the executive inclusion advisory council that includes the CEO to review accomplishments, challenges, and successes which increases visibility and accountability.
What is your advice for diversity officers/ managers who are just starting out in their positions? Remain a student of diversity and inclusion and remember to model the desired behavior you want leaders to emulate, whether one has been practicing for seven months, seven years, or seventeen years. Practitioners should remain abreast of economic developments, workforce trends and market opportunities that should be shared with business leaders. Initially, there will likely be more pressure put on measurement and outcomes that need to be addressed. Just be careful of getting trapped there. Diversity and inclusion practices require critical thinking, strategic planning, project management, learning and development, and internal and external communications. These skills provide the makings for desirable and capable leaders that the world could use more of these days. PDJ
CAREERS AT SHELL The most successful problem solvers look at things differently and see solutions no one else can. Who would have thought to use fish protein to stop gas freezing in subsea pipes? One of our people did. And right now we’re looking for more people who can bring a fresh perspective to the energy challenge. We’ll provide training, support and career choices to develop your potential. We’ll get you working with some of our most accomplished problem solvers. And together we can help build a responsible energy future. Think further. For more information and to apply online, please visit www.shell.com/careers. Shell is an equal opportunity employer.
“Shell provided me with the opportunity to handle challenges and manage issues in a dynamic refinery environment. I count it a privilege to be part of this globalized entity and I was convinced that my journey in Shell will be filled with continual learnings, growth and never-ending opportunities to contribute.”
“With the open career progression opportunity, every employee of Shell can choose his/her own field as per their interests.”
“The best thing about working in Shell is the balance between life and work; between exposure and depth of experience offered to employees, and between making profits and caring for its employees and the community.”
Gloria Wang Environment Officer – HSSEQ Department
Jasmine Tiwari Senior Associate Researcher
Kishoore Jehan Marketing Executive
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
Fred
Keeton Vice President, Finance and External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer, Caesars Entertainment Corporation
For many years, the challenge of increasing and optimizing diversity in corporate America has been a difficult one. Typically we do not hear diversity and inclusion talked about in terms of solving the company’s hardest problems, or taking advantage of its most complex opportunities. Nor do we hear diversity and inclusion (D&I) talked about in terms of its universal application to driving business outcomes – no matter where in the organization. It is this paradigm shift that must occur. At Caesar Entertainment Corporation, we have created a formal approach and make a direct, solid-line connection between our stated position that diversity is great for better business outcomes, and great for generating innovation. D&I has many real business applications that companies and individuals often overlook because they view diversity solely through the traditional diversity lens of representation. In actuality D&I must be viewed as parallel paths including both representative diversity and yield-managed cognitive diversity. Yield managing cognitive diversity can be defined as, “leveraging cognitive abilities and predispositions based on individual backgrounds, experiences and genetic wiring to generate / obtain specifically desired business outcomes.” This approach significantly enhances Caesars overall success as a global company and is a central element of the company’s strategic business plans. Based on employees’ cognitive preferences and predispositions, along with other relevant dimensions of diversity, Diverse-by-Design (DbyD) teams are formed at Caesars and assigned specific projects. While the fundamental team objective is clear, the team’s instrumental 24
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
‘‘
Understanding and executing this approach leads to continuous innovation and real bottom-line results.”
approach to driving enhanced outcomes is produced through the team’s overall diversity. Diversity and inclusion are most potent When channeled toward a company’s hardest problems, or most complex opportunities. If managed appropriately, they can drive profoundly enhanced outcomes. The DbyD approach is universal and can be applied across all business functions. Caesars also has five currently chartered Business Resource Groups (BRG) which contribute to innovative business solutions,
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
and help make Caesars the casino entertainment industry leader. The proverbial key to leading diversity and inclusion efforts within a company is positioning D&I as a legitimate business imperative. The key message is that the real power of workplace diversity and inclusion lies in formally
identifying, mining, and structured channeling of diverse, untapped cognitive abilities. It must be explicitly demonstrated, constantly reinforced and recognized throughout your organization. Understanding and executing this approach leads to continuous innovation and real bottom-line results. PDJ
Company name: Caesars Entertainment Corporation corporate headquarters: Las Vegas, Nevada website: www.caesars.com Primary business: Casino entertainment. 2009 Revenues: $8.9 billion Employees: 70,000
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
‘‘
Organizations reach their potential when everyone, individually and collectively, shares the best chance to succeed.”
As globalization continues to shrink boundaries, workforce diversity and the strength it brings to organizations is increasingly recognized as a powerful force shaping long-term business growth and sustainability. At Chevron, we have long recognized the importance of diversity and have officially established it as a company core value. The Chevron Way is a formal statement of our organizational principles—an ethical
compass that governs the way we work. With operations around the globe, we are a far stronger, far more capable organization when we are able to tap into the unique skills, talents and perspectives of all our employees. However, there are still continuing challenges facing the diversity and inclusion industry. Some of these areas are listed below: • Cultural differences can frustrate the need to create an environ-
ment in which diversity and inclusion flourish. • Managing a multigenerational workforce where there are different perspectives and expectations. • Young managers who don’t fully understand and embrace the business case for diversity and inclusion. • The lack of quantifiable measurements and accountability to track diversity progress. • Managing diversity globally where there is a different legislative framework locally.
Carole
Young
General Manager, Global Offices of Diversity & Ombuds, Chevron
At Chevron, we see employees as our greatest resource and to that end, one of the company’s enterprise strategies is to “invest in people”. This effort is designed to strengthen our organizational capability and develop a talented global workforce that gets results. To reach that goal, diversity and inclusion are integrated and aligned into our business objectives and processes, and we are driving and delivering a global diversity and inclusion strategy with measurable results and accountability. Some of these initiatives include engagement with senior management to provide resources and insights as well as regular reviews with senior leaders to discuss diversity initiatives and progress. We support and sustain workforce diversity and inclusion through training and cultural orientations and by leveraging our employee resource groups and diversity councils. The role of a new diversity officer is to help the organization navigate through the complexity of globalization. To be effective, the diversity officer must assess the effectiveness of their infrastructure, develop a collaborative diversity vision, and communicate a compelling business case. They must be able to build consensus and create partnerships as well as balance competing interests. That longstanding respect for diversity and inclusion puts Chevron in an excellent position to deliver a future of high performance. Understanding is the root of success. Organizations reach their potential when everyone, individually and collectively, shares the best chance to succeed. PDJ
Company name: Chevron corporate headquarters: Houston, Texas website: www.chevron.com Primary business: Energy. 2009 Revenues: $167.4 billion Employees: More than 58,000
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
25
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
‘‘
In the future, challenges will remain, even as technology continues to advance.”
Lisa
Wicker
Chief Diversity Officer and Director, Talent Acquisition, Chrysler Group LLC
Even as substantial progress is apparent, we should caution against becoming complacent. The future focus of diversity must build upon the foundation of the progress made and migrate toward more fully integrating business approaches that are aligned to support company goals. The pace and breadth of change is not where it could be. It’s important to keep the momentum moving forward. We can’t lose sight of the broader landscape of opportunity to expand the values of inclusion today in our educational systems, in corporate hallways and boardrooms, in academia and in many areas of government. I believe diversity and being competitive go hand-in-hand. Yet, not everyone sees the connection. Over the past several 26
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
decades, considerable attention has been given to the changing demographics of our nation and world. Minority populations were projected to grow at faster rates than the non-minority population to become the largest population group in many major cities in the United States, and coming to represent nearly half of the population by 2050. The opportunity to create work environ-
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
ments that are truly inclusive and optimize both individual and organizational performance is the next level of diversity’s future. Getting there will require moving beyond the demographics. In the United States, we haven’t leveraged the opportunities diversity offers to the degree that other countries have, particularly in the field of education. There is an opportunity to close the skill gap in math and science and languages. An educated, diverse workforce in math, languages and the sciences can propel diversity and inclusion to the next level. Here in the United States, higher education is not a ‘right’, but a ‘privilege,’ unlike in Europe where education is embedded into the social and economic framework. Nevertheless, I am optimistic and view advancing diversity as a grand opportunity. In the future, challenges
will remain, even as technology continues to advance. We should continue to understand the implications and importance of workforce demographics and the impact ethnic and generational diversity have on business success. Technology will transform when, where and how work is performed, and bringing aging or new entrants into modern work environments will be complex. The diversity challenge will become even greater. I believe corporations will win in the global marketplace when there is emphasis placed on people, process, technology and systems. The integration of these components will require establishing effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to collectively create and sustain more inclusive work environments in which human potential and business performance are optimized. PDJ
Company name: Chrysler Group LLC corporate headquarters: Auburn Hills, Michigan website: www.chryslergroupllc.com Primary business: Automotive. Annual Revenues: $40 billion Employees: 52,000
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
‘‘
One thing is certain: Companies that are still not there in 10 years will be competing less effectively.”
In an earlier life as a recruiter for a staffing firm, I remember frantically scurrying around the office to make sure all of our files were checklistcompliant as we strove to meet the requirements of the latest certification. Our company’s leadership made it sound as if we would never again bring on a new client if we failed to achieve certification. Today, I think of that certificate as living in a drawer along with the other business trends that have come and gone. So what will be the legacy of diversity management? Will we look back 10 years from now and say, “Remember when diversity was the hot thing?” Or will diversity management go on to become as institutionalized a part of business as sales and marketing? I believe we are well
on our way to the latter. Early in my career as a diversity management practitioner, I thought we would get so good at managing diversity that I would eventually work myself right out of a job. I don’t say that anymore. For one thing, I have a growing teenage son who spends half of his waking hours with his head buried in the refrigerator—I need my job! Secondly, now that the strategic opportunities that can be created through good diversity management are more widely understood, I am confident that successful companies will have a diversity management practitioner dedicated to taking that competitive advantage to the next level. So, I think this may be what people 10 years from now will say about diversity management today: this is the period when
supported by effective leadership will have two key attributes: • diversity practitioners leading the work with a high degree of responsibility for developing and executing big picture diversity management strategies • a company culture where every employee plays a role in and has a high degree of accountability to diversity management. One thing is certain: Companies that are still not there in 10 years will be competing less effectively. Come to think of it, they may even be saying, “Remember when diversity was a hot thing? Whatever happened to that?” PDJ
it became recognized as a business process that can drive success in every department, but only with the help and full-time leadership of skilled practitioners. Looking forward 10 years, I anticipate that the organizations that have institutionalized diversity management as a business process
David
Casey
Vice President, Workforce Initiatives and Diversity Officer, CVS Caremark
Company name: CVS Caremark corporate headquarters: Woonsocket, Rhode Island website: www.cvscaremark.com, www.cvs.com Primary business: Health care, retail. 2009 Revenues: Nearly $100 billion Employees: More than 200,000
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
27
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
Kathy Hopinkah
Hannan
National Managing Partner, Diversity and Corporate Responsibility, KPMG LLP
What diversity and inclusion challenges remain today? One of the challenges facing diversity and inclusion will continue to be workforce readiness. That’s one of the reasons why KPMG believes diversity and corporate responsibility are intertwined, and, in establishing my role, brought together four pillars of corporate responsibility— citizenship, ethics, diversity, and environmental sustainability—creating a cohesive, integrated strategy that ultimately enables us to sustain our business. The gaps in workforce readiness are most evident among youth growing up in low-income homes. If companies are going to have long-term access to a strong and diverse talent pool, we need to be part of the solution. That means engaging our people in, and focusing our philanthropic efforts on, programs and initiatives to help ensure that every young person has the skills and opportunities he or she needs to be a valued and successful employee in the future.
What programs/initiatives work best for KPMG that other companies can benchmark? We believe that a diverse pipeline strengthens our firm, so KPMG is very focused on the development of our leadership pipeline, beginning with the recruiting process and continuing through every level of an employee’s career. Programs like Future Diversity Leaders, for example, help us identify and mentor high-poten-
‘‘ 28
tial college freshman and sophomores, while our Key Accounts Rotation program targets our ethnically diverse associates to ensure that they receive the client exposure and experience they need to succeed. Our Managing Career Life Choices program helps our senior associate women keep their careers on track, while our Leaders Engaging Leaders program establishes one-to-one mentoring relationships between our firm’s most senior leaders and our highperforming female and ethnically diverse partners, with the goal to prepare each mentee for a Top 200 leadership position in the firm. When it comes to corporate responsibility, we focus our energies on issues that include childhood illiteracy. As an example, through KPMG’s Family for Literacy program, our
employees, partners, interns, alumni, and their respective families have helped to put more than 1.5 million new books into the hands of children from lowincome families.
What is your advice for diversity officers/managers who are just starting out in their positions? My advice to new diversity officers is to
remember that diversity is not only the right thing to do, but also a strategic business imperative. It provides very tangible benefits to your organization, including a deeper and more diverse talent pool; the ability to leverage broader perspectives, ideas, and experiences; and better alignment with the needs of your clients. PDJ
Company name: KPMG LLP corporate headquarters: New York City website: www.us.kpmg.com
If companies are going to have long-term access to a strong and diverse talent pool, we need to be part of the solution.” Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Primary business: Audit, tax and advisory services. Employees: Number of employees in the U.S. is 21,000
Bring It!
Your Talents. Your Ideas. Your Passion. Thu, Verizon, Marketing
At Verizon, we want you to bring your diverse talents, experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints to work. It’s your smarter leadership, bolder innovations, and faster results that will move our business forward at the speed of FiOS! So, bring it in and bring it on – bring your diversity to work at Verizon!
Verizon Diversity Leadership. Innovation. Results.
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
‘‘
Jimmie
Paschall
Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Global Diversity Officer, Marriott International, Inc.
The concept of corporate diversity and inclusion (D&I) continues to evolve. Leveraging D&I is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage. At Marriott, D&I allow for global transformation. They provide a foundation for cultivating global leadership, support our business strategy and competitiveness in the marketplace and represent the next generation of diversity practice in the United States. Over the past 18 30
months, we have implemented a new global operating structure that will position Marriott for continued growth and success. Our D&I efforts support this new operating model by building awareness and ownership at all levels
of the organization. We are broadening how we think about global D&I, reaching across cultural borders to compete for customers and talent worldwide. We continue to embrace the talents of our employees who speak
Company name: Marriott International, Inc. corporate headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland website: www.marriott.com Primary business: Global hospitality company. 2009 Revenues: $10.91 billion Employees: 300,000, including franchised properties
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Developing cross cultural competence is the foundation of our strategy.”
more than 50 languages and work in over 70 countries and territories to help us meet the changing needs of our customers. Developing cross cultural competence is the foundation of our strategy. Our vision is to embed global diversity and inclusion so deeply into our organization that it is integral to how we do business. This is led by the company’s Executive Global Diversity and Inclusion Council, chaired by President and Chief Operating Officer Arne Sorenson. The Council will complement the efforts of the Marriott Board of Directors’ Committee for Excellence (CFE), chaired by Debra Lee, chairman and chief executive of BET Networks. The Council is charged with creating organizational ownership where leaders and managers “own” the achievement of diversity and inclusion outcomes and understand the importance of cultural competence in doing business globally. Marriott has several other integral pieces to our D&I efforts, including our regional D&I councils that ensure our diversity strategy is implemented in the local markets. And, last year, Marriott introduced a new learning curriculum focused on cultural competence and global leadership effectiveness targeting top leadership with the goal of helping them better relate and do business in the global marketplace. In early 2011, a new program will be introduced for all associates companywide. This evolution builds on a sustained commitment and history of performance. In 2005, Marriott set two major diversity goals, both of which it has surpassed: to spend $1 billion with diverse suppliers and have 500 hotels owned or operated by diverse groups by 2010. To date, Marriott has spent $2.3 billion with diverse-owned businesses and has more than 570 diverse-owned hotels that are open for business. PDJ
VISION OF THE FUTURE DIVERSITY LEADERS
‘‘
A persistent challenge still exists around the notion that the emphasis is on providing opportunities for one group at the expense of another.”
In scanning the diversity and inclusion landscape, it is evident that many companies have made great strides in advancing beyond the old affirmative action and compliance paradigm to a place where they are able to articulate an appreciation for the value of diversity in terms of talent management practices and business operations. We still seem to have a vista of opportunity in terms of moving to truly inclusive environ-
ments that realize the full potential of diversity by giving voice to that difference. A persistent challenge still exists around the notion that the emphasis is on providing opportunities for one group at the expense of another. As diversity practitioners, it is vitally important that we continually reinforce the notion that the work we do is designed to ensure fairness and equality for everyone, irrespective of their
Lance
difference or representation in a particular group. To that end, programs that are most effective in advancing the construct of diversity and inclusion within an organization are ones that are based on verifiable data or tangible employee perspectives. Successful diversity and inclusion initiatives must be aligned with overall corporate objectives—enhanced leadership capability, greater employee engagement,
Lavergne
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, New York Life Insurance Company
top line revenue growth in new markets—and they must have built-in measures of accountability that hold managers to the same level of standards that they have for any other business imperative for which they are responsible. That’s why my first piece of advice to any new diversity officer or manager is to make sure you are well acquainted with how your organization makes money, and what it requires of its people to be successful. Diversity professionals are infinitely more credible when they are able to demonstrate that the work they’re doing supports and enhances the overall business of the company. One of the best ways to gain that knowledge is by developing good relationships with the individuals who manage those businesses, because ultimately you will rely on those relationships to affect meaningful and sustainable progress in moving a diversity and inclusion paradigm forward within your organization. PDJ
Who We Are
New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings from all four of the major credit rating agencies. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. Please visit New York Life’s Web site at www.newyorklife.com for more information.
*New York Life is the largest mutual life insurance company based on the Fortune 500, ranked within industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual), Fortune magazine, May 3, 2010.
COMPANY NAME: New York Life Insurance Company CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS: New York City WEBSITE: www.newyorklife.com PRIMARY BUSINESS: The largest mutual life insurance company in the United States. OPERATING REVENUE IN 2009: $14.38 billion U.S. EMPLOYEES: 9,098 (as of 12/31/10)
31
PRO F ILES IN DIV ERSI T Y J OURNA L
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 11
w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 11
31
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders What diversity and inclusion challenges remain today?
are realizing positive results. At RBC Wealth Management, women In spite of the incred- represent 36 percent ible strides that have of the directors group been made in the area which is comprised of diversity and incluof the 40 most-senior sion over the last 20 leaders in the firm, and years, the challenge of 67 percent of the firm’s getting minorities into top executives. Yet, opcorporate leadership portunities still exist for positions still exists. organizations to design Increasing the repreprograms to remove sentation of people obstacles and barriers, of color in leadership real or perceived, that positions is by far the impede the progression greatest and longestof people of color. standing challenge that most organizations face What programs/initiatives today. work best for RBC Wealth Employment laws Management that other have been enacted to companies can benchmark? promote equal opporTo seize the opportutunity in the workplace nity to increase the repand affirmative action resentation of people of policies and initiatives color in senior leaderhave been implemented ship positions, RBC to ensure that positive Wealth Management – steps are taken relative U.S. has launched sevto women and minori- eral initiatives, one of ties in areas of employ- which is the Diversity ment where they have Dialogues Reciprocal been underrepresented Mentoring Program. or excluded. Within The purpose of the the last 20 years, corprogram is to aid in the porations have begun professional developto successfully implement of high potential ment and drive strateor promising people of gies for women and color and to provide
senior leaders with increased diversity awareness. The program is designed to help the organization build an internal pipeline of individuals who are prepared to move into leadership roles. The objective is to: • better position senior leaders to identify issues and lead and drive change efforts by deepening their understanding of bar-
Wanda
corporate headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota website: www.rbcwm-usa.com Primary business: Financial services. 2010 Revenues: $1.3 billion Employees: 5,000
Pro f iles in D iv ersi t y J ourna l
Brackins
Head, Global Diversity, RBC Wealth Management
Company name: RBC Wealth Management
32
riers experienced or perceived by minority employees • accelerate the development of high potential or promising people of color • aid in the retention of people of color. This 12-month program provides facilitated employee and senior leader mentor matching, discussion guidelines, resource material and support as needed. There also are coaching resources available to the mentor pairs as well as periodic assessments throughout the program. Although this program is still emerging, since the pilot was launched in 2008, over 13 percent of the firm’s employees of color have gone through the program and nearly 12 percent have been promoted to management positions. PDJ
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Diversity is Our Competitive Advantage. We, at ITT, are committed to building a workforce that mirrors the world in which we do business. With operations in over 60 countries and customers on seven continents, ITT is well positioned and making a difference on a global scale. As we continue to grow, we look first to create an environment where our talented employees can succeed and make the world a better place through their unique contributions. We embrace diversity, which includes but is not limited to race, religion, gender, disability, nationality, age, sexual orientation, and ethnic background. Our culture, work practices and programs enable an inclusive and innovative workforce and workplace resulting in premier performance in the global marketplace.
www.itt.com/careers We are an equal opportunity employer m/f/d/v.
The “ITT Engineered Blocks” symbol and “Engineered for life” are registered trademarks of the ITT Corporation. © 2006
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
Tasha
Kitty
Senior HR Program Consultant, Talent Acquisition, Management, and Diversity, Sun Life Financial, US
Over the past several years, the financial industry has established more diverse corporate cultures, but there is still much more that can be accomplished, particularly with regard to hiring for executive leadership positions. Currently, there are many programs to assist human resource departments that ensure a diverse workplace, but we will only recognize the benefits of multiculturalism when companies realize that diversity makes good 34
business sense. At Sun Life Financial, we operate in a global environment and understand that it is critical to employ individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultures that bring different perspectives to
how we approach our business. Many of our diversity and inclusion programs have found great success and can be adapted to other businesses and industries. Of particular note are our Employee Resource Groups, which
Company name: Sun Life Financial, US corporate headquarters: Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts website: www.sunlife.com/us Primary business: Financial services. 2009 Revenues: $10.3 billion Employees: 2,845 (14,260 worldwide)
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
are open to all employees and support Sun Life’s business strategy by organizing opportunities for professional development, establishing partnerships with professional organizations, supporting community relations and enhancing diversity awareness. Groups include the Asian American Heritage Association; Black Leadership Awareness Council; Gays, Lesbians and Others Building Equality; Hispanic Organization for Leaders and Achievers; and Women’s Leadership Network. The Employee Resource Groups, along with the company, share a vision on diversity and inclusion while each group has its own mission statement, goals, and plan of action, and each has had significant impact on the Sun Life community. The Black Leadership Awareness Council, for instance, supports Boston’s Museum of African-American History; works with human resources to have a presence at college recruiting fairs; and runs networking events for employees. Sun Life’s Speaker Series can also serve as a model for diversity and inclusion. We look for speakers who can have an immediate impact by offering tangible, practical tips that can be utilized as soon as our employees return to their desks. For those just starting careers in the diversity and inclusion field, it’s important to understand how crucial it is to think beyond your company’s walls and work with the community, and not just by writing a check or sponsoring an event. At Sun Life, we work to develop relationships with nonprofit organizations and other institutions in our community by volunteering, providing work and event space, and getting our employees involved. Working with these organizations isn’t merely a marketing and branding opportunity for Sun Life; it’s truly of value to our company. Those new to the field should also make it a point to understand exactly what impact diversity has on their particular business; to always continue learning; to be flexible; and to build allies for diversity and inclusion within all corporate levels and teams. PDJ
Your potential will
peak.
At Freddie Mac, you’ll have a rewarding career as you play a role in helping the nation recover from the housing and economic crisis, and implementing the President’s Making Home Affordable program. A vital component in the secondary mortgage market, Freddie Mac has made homeownership and rental housing more accessible and more affordable for one in six homebuyers and more than five million renters.
Audit | Compliance | Single-Family Portfolio Management | IT When you join the Freddie Mac team, you’ll discover an inclusive, empowering culture with an equal opportunity employer who recognizes the value of diversity. You’ll also find a total rewards package that supports your success both at work and in your personal life. We encourage you to visit us at upcoming diversity conferences, which are listed on our career site. Visit us online at:
FreddieMacDiversity.jobs careers with impact
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders What diversity and inclusion challenges remain today?
discourse and business confusion. Industry leaders and practitioThe industry contin- ners mix their passion ues to be challenged by for social responsibility the meaning and nature and for meeting orgaof the work. A quick nizational requirements glance at current pubwith a focus on the lications shows many organizational system definitions, functions and/or on the individuand opportunities for als in the system. the industry. Is diversity Diversity & Inclusion work about building is about three comorganizational capacity ponents: (a) raising and business opportuni- consciousness about ties? Is it about offering the impact that difopportunity to emergference can have on a ing and underserved system; (b) teaching populations? I would people the skills to argue that the reality in- respond to differences; tersects both objectives. and (c) shaping systems The conduct of to align with differdiversity work is deences. The challenge to scribed in the literature the industry is clarity with four components: on the definition and meeting organizational scope of diversity work requirements, honoring and strategic alignment a sense of social respon- of efforts to business sibility, focusing on objectives. systemic change, and focusing on individual What programs/initiatives transformation. There work best in your organiis, however, a clear ten- zation that other compasion between the mornies can benchmark? alists’ and the pragmaThe secret to effectists’ view of the work; tive diversity work is this intersection of a focus on the details. philosophy provides a What is it that people platform of intellectual see when they are at
your organization? Are pictures, posters, color schemes, magazines, people and other visual indicators representative of your definition of diversity? How are people treating each other? Practices, policies and procedures can and will speak volumes about the organization’s commitment to the work. The secret is to focus on the entire organization, its people and systems.
Kahn, Ph.D.
Director of Diversity, University of the Rockies
corporate headquarters: Colorado Springs, Colorado website: www.rockies.edu Primary business: Graduate school. Revenues: $190.9 million Employees: More than 5,500
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
My advice for diversity officers is to enjoy the rich engagement afforded to individuals in diversity work, stay the course, forge relationships, listen closely to colleagues, and recognize that change requires continual assessment, learning, and realignment. When all of these things come together, there is a perfect storm for exceptional practice. Remember that it is okay to take chances. Change is not always fun. So, when we remember to take the time to focus on our ultimate mission and vision, the job is invigorating, rewarding and worthwhile. Have fun, focus on details, define the work, align the practice and measure results. PDJ
Amy
Company name: University of the Rockies (a Bridgepoint Education academic institution)
36
What is your advice for diversity officers/managers who are just starting out in their positions?
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
At Bank of the West, we value the individual.
Different perspectives generate fresh ideas. That’s why at Bank of the West, we value diversity and equal opportunity for all our employees. We’ve grown stronger thanks to our unique blend of people. After all, in today’s competitive banking environment, it is our employees that keep us a step ahead of the rest. For career opportunities, visit us online at bankofthewest.com.
© 2011 Bank of the West. Bank of the West and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers. M/F/D/V
Vision of the Future DIVERSItY leaders
‘‘
We must work to address an imbalance in American medicine that has been growing for a quarter century.”
Linda
Jimenez
Chief Diversity Officer & Staff VP – Diversity & Inclusion, WellPoint, Inc.
I often tell my colleagues that as diversity practitioners we are standing on the precipice, leading our respective organizations through profound change. Everywhere we turn there are great unknowns: political, economic, regulatory and stakeholder uncertainty. But it is also a time of opportunity as we have the chance to shape the future of diversity and inclusion for millions of Americans. WellPoint recognizes the need to go in the direction that improves the quality and cost of health care for the greatest number of Americans. The health care industry is going to see a huge influx of newly insured non-English speaking patients once the health care reform law takes full effect in 2014. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 38
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
one out of four jobs created in the United States through 2018 is expected to be in the health care industry. A recent article in the Washington Post noted that demand for such positions as registered nurses is anticipated to grow by some 23 percent, or 581,000 new jobs, through 2016, with an additional 276,000 openings expected for nursing aides, orderlies and related positions. Much of this change
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
can be attributed to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed last March. Analysts predict that one of the most significant changes from health care reform will be an increase of some 44 million newly insured Americans, more than half of them from immigrant communities where English is not the primary language. A study by the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine reported that racial and ethnic minorities receive lower-quality health care than Caucasians even when insurance status, income, age and severity of conditions are comparable. Culture and language can affect the way that patients view illness and disease, as well as their attitudes toward
health care providers. We must work to address an imbalance in American medicine that has been growing for a quarter century. Health care reform has brought to light a rare convergence of forces: a growing population; the aging of the health-conscious baby boomer generation; the impending retirement of as many as a third of current doctors; and the expectation that changes in health care policy will eventually bring a tide of newly insured patients into the American health care system. Thus, the vision for diversity and inclusion within the health care industry will be focused on enhancing crosscultural competency in language, customs, and religion to create and shape the best health, care, and value for our members. PDJ
Company name: WellPoint, Inc. corporate headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana website: www.wellpoint.com Primary business: Health benefits. 2010 Revenues: Approximately 58.8 billion Employees: Approximately 38,000
thought thoughtleaders leaders
A continuing series designed to bring you perspectives and ideas from leading diversity professionals. Do you have a question for our thoughtleaders? Send your suggestions to damianjohnson@diversityjournal.com
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders
Defining the Expanding Boundaries of Corporate Diversity By Brenda J. Mullins 2nd Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer Aflac
Q
Quick, define corporate diversity. Is it an occasional press release about the ethnic composition of the company’s workforce? Is it a tabulation of key demographics – how many women, African Americans or Hispanics work for the company? Sadly, for too many American corporations, diversity breaks down to numbers, when what it really is, is a business strategy. These benchmarks are important. Over my 24 years at Aflac, I have learned that it is impossible to achieve functional diversity without prioritizing varied backgrounds and experiences. A company that ignores the demographics of the marketplace denies itself the chance to be everything it can be. But diversity can’t end there. Young people coming into the field or those who want to refresh their thinking should consider that diversity is part of the overall equation to maximize business success. It wears many hats, one of which that is often under-considered: generational diversity. In a 2008 study conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the U.K. think tank discusses the business case for prioritizing generational diversity, suggesting that it will lead to broader talent pools from which to recruit while increasing creativity and innovation fostered from generational interaction. Further, the risk of not managing this type of diversity can be misunderstandings between members of the workforce, leading to conflict and disengagement. At my company, we view diversity not only by how 40
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
our workforce reflects the community but also by how we relate to the way consumers of all backgrounds and generations think. We’ve made a conscious effort to expand our platforms to prioritize issues beyond traditional diversity toward diversity of thought. Whether scouring top universities for candidates of eclectic skill sets or participating in Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a college recruitment program that provides high-potential students with assorted backgrounds to companies interested in expanding their talent pool, our recruiters focus not only on seasoned job-seekers, but also young people, who today bring more immediate relevance to the table than ever before. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, the face of America is changing with the new millennial generation. They are more ethnically and racially diverse, more educated than previous generations and much more likely to engage in various social media as forms of expression than any previous age group. So what does this mean for diversity officers? It means ignore generational diversity and you risk being ignorant of what matters to a large market segment that is more powerful than in previous decades. Certainly the importance of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity maintains its significance in corporate America, but the ultimate goal of diversity – how it should be defined – is not only by the numbers but in how diversity expands the range of thought, which requires more than just conventional thinking. PDJ Brenda J. Mullins is 2nd Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer at Aflac, the nation’s number one provider of voluntary health care benefits.
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders Building a Strong Foundation: Networking and Mentorship across Generations By Mark Q. McLane Director, Diversity & Inclusion Booz Allen Hamilton
M
Much research has been conducted and many articles written about generational differences shaping diversity leaders’ thinking and strategies. A recent body of work by Sylvia Ann Hewlett (Center for WorkLife Policy) called Bookend Generations: Leveraging Talent and Finding Common Ground, focuses on similarities across the Baby Boomer and GenY generations. Leveraging these similarities provides a powerful engine to drive change, and will positively position this next generation of leaders. It is important that we understand these similarities and how each generation perceives them; this knowledge should underscore our thinking about diversity and inclusion for the future. For example, with networking, both generations realize the value in networking and building a professional network. However, each approaches the activity of building their respective network in very different ways.
▲
rent leaders to connect to the next generation. This virtual community also provides an opportunity and platform to align professional associations with our employee resource groups, making traditional organizational membership more visible to a new audience. The innovation of hello does not stop with networking— it has expanded our traditional view on mentoring. By using hello in tandem with traditional mentoring programs such as one-on-one and group mentoring opportunities, we have opened a universe of less structured, but no less effective, mentoring opportunities. But, don’t misunderstand my zeal about social media. I do not advocate that virtual networking and mentor“Sharing intellectual capital across generations requires ing would or should replace the value of a personalized mentoring relationship. Rather, it is an innovation, including finding ways to align technology expanded opportunity through today’s new techand personal interaction in new ways.” nology to mentor and transfer intellectual capital. Addressing the needs of an ever more diverse A boomer may define networking as belonging to a tradi- workforce requires attention to many facets. Generational tional professional association while a gen Y’er may network differences and similarities is one facet on a long conby subscribing to a virtual professional or social networking tinuum. However, it demonstrates the value of connecting site. A boomer may network by attending an association and engaging today’s more dispersed, and more generationmeeting at a physical location or conducting face-to-face ally diverse, workforce. Sharing intellectual capital across meetings with colleagues, while a Y’er may blog, text, or generations requires innovation, including finding ways tweet their network. to align technology and personal interaction in new ways. Both approaches are effective for networking; how- Organizations that invest in creating critical balance will not ever, neither bridges the generational divide. Organizations only enhance employee engagement but also provide develthat recognize the differences in approach, yet simultane- opment opportunities to staff at all levels. PDJ ously acknowledge the importance of networking, must inevitably look for innovative ways to bridge the divide. At Mark Q. McLane is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz Allen, we developed an internal virtual community, Mr. McLane developed and implemented a firm-wide diversity strategy including hello.bah.com, that does exactly that. Hello embraces the de- initiatives that leverage the inherent differences within Booz Allen’s current and future sire of Gen Y’s to network virtually, enabling our associates workforce and align with the organization’s vision of assuring continued growth in an who work remotely to remain connected to our culture in increasingly competitive and global market. Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy and technology consulting for nearly a century. Providing a broad range of real time, and has driven our senior leaders to expand their services in strategy and organization, technology, operations, and analytics, Booz Allen networking skills to include social media. Hello allows cur- is committed to delivering results that endure. To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
41
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders Tapping Diversity Talent on Campus By Eileen Stephan
L
Managing Director, Citi Graduate Recruitment and Program Management Citigroup
Campus programs are efficient because they focus on scale (partner with ten campuses and develop a pipeline of multiple students for entry level roles), but a successful diversity recruiting effort is, in practice, just the opposite. It is individual to the candidate. In fact, we know that experienced diverse candidates evaluate a firm and role based on personal interactions with employees and recruiters, and choose a firm because those interactions provide a level of comfort that the candidate will be valued. It is no different for the diverse campus candidate and often far more significant when it is the student’s first true job search experience. So the challenge comes in layering a tailored, personalized recruiting experience on top of one built for scale. In my view, there is no “one size fits all” diversity recruiting strategy. Rather, it “University graduates provide an excellent source of requires an approach and philosophy that new talent for today’s corporations, and tapping into must be flexible, nimble, and constantly the diverse campus candidate pool is a logical, reviewed and updated. At Citi, we recognecessary component of any recruiting program.” nize that a diverse recruiting strategy is a corporate value that must be owned by A challenge facing all organizations in the United the business and senior management, yet be managed States is the relatively small pool of diverse talent at the and approached creatively by an experienced recruiting university and graduate school level. While the overall team. Outreach and recruiting programs on one campus number of students enrolled in college continues to may not translate to another, and what works for undertrend up, the combined number of Native American, graduates may not work for MBAs. black and Hispanic students is estimated at only 16 perRecognizing that a personalized approach is necescent of the total undergraduate population, and only 8 sary to attract and hire diverse campus candidates, with percent of top business school populations. Graduation a focus on the long-term rather than one recruiting statistics are also telling. While 60 percent of white cycle, is critical to successfully advancing campus diverstudents graduate within six years, only 40 percent of sity recruiting. PDJ black students and 48 percent of Hispanic students obtain degrees. As a result, the competition for diverse campus talent is fierce. As an executive who has specialized in talent development and recruiting for more than 20 years, I strongly believe that it is in a firm’s strategic best interest to support efforts to increase the pipeline (as Citi’s Eileen Stephan joined Citi in July 2008 to support campus recruiting programs. Foundation is committed to doing) and to have a more She has spent over 20 years working in university career services roles as well as with corporations on campus recruiting efforts. tailored approach in its campus recruiting strategy. Long recognized as a critical source of new talent to an organization, campus recruiting programs are an essential component of a firm’s overall staffing strategy and, by extension, a means to advance diversity recruiting. University graduates provide an excellent source of new talent for today’s corporations, and tapping into the diverse campus candidate pool is a logical, necessary component of any recruiting program. Yet, to be successful, first you have to understand the diverse campus talent market.
▲ 42
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
SEE IN US WHO YOU ARE
At New York Life we believe that people’s differences can be their greatest attributes. We recognize that employees’ unique qualities often lead to innovation, positive change, and a more productive and dynamic workplace.
For more information about a career with New York Life visit us at www.newyorklife.com/diversity NEW YORK LIFE. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP.® © 2010 New York Life Insuranace Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 EOE/M/F/D/V
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders Seven Steps to More Effective Diversity Management By Julie B. Kampf CEO and President JBK Associates, Inc.
O
Once upon a time, diversity was regarded as a matter of employment equity or affirmative action…an idea now as outmoded as cassette tapes. In today’s world, a diverse workforce is widely regarded as a key business imperative and should be incorporated into every organization’s strategy. A diverse workforce can deliver better decision-making, better products and services, happier customers, increased productivity and a better bottom line. According to FORTUNE magazine, companies that enjoy a diverse and inclusive culture outperformed the S&P 500. In 1996, there were fewer than 10 executives nationwide responsible for diversity. Today, almost every Fortune 100 company has one. However, surveys consistently report that diversity management is not well understood. Successful diversity management is about unleashing the rich and diverse potential of an entire workforce.
▲
“Successful diversity management is about unleashing the rich and diverse potential of an entire workforce.”
Here are seven steps to build a better diversity strategy: Define your terms. Everyone has a different idea about what diversity means. Beyond race and gender, it can also include but is not limited to considerations of age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, mental and physical capabilities, gender identity, family status, language, opinions and working style. Define diversity for your organization as there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Be realistic. When setting goals, involve everyone who has a responsibility for diversity, from the CEO on down, as buy-in is critical. But also manage their expectations. Diversity management is complex and not every company will advance at the same pace. 44
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Build in metrics. Diversity management should measure progress toward specific, quantifiable long- and short-term goals.
Assemble your resources. You can’t achieve your goals as a company if you don’t have the right human or fiscal resources in place. Just by saying you want to become a diverse organization doesn’t guarantee that you will get there.
Set up a system. Talent acquisition is about attracting the best talent from a pool of outstanding individuals of diverse backgrounds. Once you’ve attracted the talent, you must enable them to become part of the established culture of your organization.
Educate. Everyone needs to be trained. Managers must be educated about the benefits of diversity and the processes necessary to achieve it. Employees must be given the coaching, mentoring and skills they need. Without training, you risk losing your best talent to your competitors.
Demonstrate CEO support. Employees take their cues from the top, so your most senior executive must be able to articulate the business case for diversity. Diversity is the creation of an organizational culture where the best people want to work, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, where people are promoted on their merits and where opportunities for success are available to all. Embedding the principles of diversity management in everything helps in achieving your company’s most ambitious business goals. PDJ
Julie B. Kampf is CEO and President of JBK Associates, Inc. (www.jbkassociates. net), an award-winning executive talent solutions firm that focuses on bringing diverse senior executives to companies across a wide spectrum of disciplines and industries. JBK Associates has been recognized by Forbes, The American Business Awards, and Working Mother Magazine, among others, is a certified Woman Owned Business (WBENC) and member of the UN Global Compact.
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders Components of Executive Intelligence can Enhance Development By Reuben E. Slone
About a year ago, the co-leaders of our Associate Resource Group, Council of Pan Asian Americans (COPAA), asked me, as the executive sponsor of this group, to talk to the members about a problem. While COPAA had a calendar full of very successful events, the same four or five people championed all these events each time. Burn-out was on the horizon along with the potential dissolution of COPAA. I opened my talk with a Ralph Nader quote, that “the function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers” and that creating leaders is one of the developmental aims of COPAA. Further, I painted the picture of how COPAA could collapse by burning out the few who carried the weight of the many for the organization. To address this issue, the co-leads of COPAA would be tapping and drafting people across COPAA to step up to different event leadership and committee roles. Each event or committee chair would be an opportunity for someone new to exercise new skills often distinct from their daily jobs. The more experienced COPAA leaders and I would provide support, coaching and guidance to the new leaders in this safe environment. The calendar of events was developed by group consensus so all members were vested in each event. My role as coach is to live and teach my approach to leadership development. I also believe in the philosophy of leader as teacher. I subscribe to the work done by Justin Menkes on executive intelligence. It is the basis for the coaching I give to any leader on my team. In my words, there are three components to executive intelligence: analytical, information filtering, prioritization, and problem solving skills (analytical); understanding personal agendas and working with and through people (people); and understanding your own biases and seeking out counter view points (self-awareness). I teach each component through examples from my own development. For the analytical bucket, I share how I work to segregate the urgent from the important by mak-
ing sure I can express the political, emotional and financial impact of the problem. A problem with a large negative financial impact on the business is important, whereas a problem given to you by your boss has great political and emotional urgency but may not be as important to the firm. For the people bucket, I always work to decipher what motivates the people who I work for, with, and who work for me and play that back to them for confirmation as it is appropriate.
▲
A
Executive Vice President, Supply Chain OfficeMax
“Each event or committee chair would be an opportunity for someone new to exercise new skills often distinct from their daily jobs.”
For the self-awareness bucket, I seek push-back, especially from the people who work for me. For example, I am biased to always wanting things done yesterday. I strive to create an environment such that when my timeframe is unreasonable, my team pushes back, explains why my timeframe is unreasonable, and then proposes an alternative schedule. I encourage any professional who wishes to enhance their development to embrace the three components of executive intelligence. PDJ Reuben E. Slone joined OfficeMax in November 2004 as executive vice president, supply chain. He is responsible for inventory management, transportation and warehousing, real estate, store development, loss prevention, safety, and facilities for the company. Prior to joining OfficeMax, Reuben held various executive positions with Whirlpool, General Motors, Federal-Mogul, EDS, and Ernst & Young. Reuben has authored two articles published by Harvard Business Review: Leading a Supply Chain Turnaround in October 2004 and Are You the Weakest Link in your Supply Chain? in September 2007. In May 2010, Harvard Business Press published Reuben’s first book, The New Supply Chain Agenda: The 5 Steps that Drive Real Value. Reuben graduated cum laude with a B.S. in engineering from the University of Michigan in 1984 and is a board member of Aspire of Illinois, a non-profit serving children and adults with developmental disabilities. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
45
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders Four T’s to Deal with DiversiTy By Dr. Geetha Garib
T
Assistant Professor in Organization and Management Tilburg University School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
The main effect of organisational diversity remains an unresolved issue for many academics. In academic research, we find positive outcomes of diversity like innovation, creativity, quick problem resolutions and others. Other researchers find that diversity brings about negative outcomes like conflicts, miscommunication, slow resolutions to problems and bad teamwork. Managers also have divided opinions about whether they want to have diversity in their organisation or not, because there are many signals that diversity of human resources can lead to negative effects. It is harder to cope and deal with employees who have different ways of communication and need different ways of handling. However, this is exactly what managers should be able to do, but often still fail to do. As a management professor at Tilburg University (in the Netherlands), a researcher in the field of diversity and a former financial consultant operating in a trans-Atlantic global team, I have been faced with diversity issues in many different ways from different perceptions. Diversity can be turned into a competitive advantage, but one needs to know how to make this happen. I propose a four-T model consisting of four elements that managers need to take into account when dealing with diversity. These elements are training, transparency, time, and togetherness.
Training. Training is important for employees who are not familiar with diversity. Managers should be very careful choosing a training program because the training needs to fit their employees. Managers, for example, need to take into consideration the amount of flexibility, the extent of openness towards diversity issues, and the diversity experience of employees. 46
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Transparency. Transparency is related to the way communication takes place in an organisation. Managers need to make sure that communication and information distribution is transparent when dealing with diversity issues. Management should make employees understand the benefits of diversity, e.g. diversity delivers a competitive advantage to the organization. Employees should also be able to freely express their thoughts about diversity so that conflicts or protests can be dealt with immediately. Time. Diverse employees cannot immediately work perfectly together after diversity training. In time, heterogeneous groups are much more adept solving problems than homogeneous groups. However, it still takes time and patience. Employees need to get used to diversity and they need exposure in order to understand each other better. The latter requires a certain degree of patience from managers who would like to see competitive advantages as soon as possible.
Togetherness. Togetherness implies the feeling that all employees are working in the same organization and they share the higher goal of improving effectiveness. This higher goal is given priority to other goals that might lead to negative outcomes, like the threat that can be perceived from minority groups. Therefore, togetherness helps employees cooperate more effectively, thereby diminishing negative effects. These four T’s should solve the problems many managers face with diversity—how to achieve positive effects and diminish the negative effects of working with diverse employees. These elements are useful guidelines for dealing with organizational diversity. PDJ Dr. Geetha Garib is assistant professor in management and organization at Tilburg University, The Netherlands. Her research interests vary from psychology to management. At the moment she is doing research in the field of organizational diversity and functional identity. Visit http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/webwijs/ show/?uid=y.r.garib for more up-to-date information.
thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders thoughtleaders Citizenship-Stripping Will Hurt the Nation’s Economic Future By Dr. Jody Agius Vallejo
A
Assistant Professor of Sociology USC
According to an August 2010 report by the Pew Hispanic Center, eight percent of newborns in the United States have parents who are undocumented immigrants. Most of these babies are of Latino origin, the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the nation, and a movement is afoot to strip these babies of American citizenship, a move that will prove disastrous for the nation’s future economic prosperity. GOP leaders in both the House and the Senate have supported modifying the 14th Amendment, which automatically grants citizenship rights to persons born in the United States. But if legislators are truly concerned about the future of America, they need to understand that America is becoming racially and ethnically diverse and will soon be a minority-majority country. According to the census, non-Hispanic whites comprise 65 percent of the population, but their proportion will decline to less than 50 percent by 2050. Latinos now make up 16 percent of the populace; their share will double to 30 percent before 2050. Pew Hispanic Center research indicates that Latino population growth is not fueled by illegal immigration from Mexico but by the growth of second and third generation Americans, some of whom will have descended from undocumented immigrants.
▲
More needs to be done to ensure that the children of unauthorized migrants are able to take advantage of educational opportunities. President Obama should keep his campaign promise of enacting immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million unauthorized migrants in the country. Nothing could help promote the educational attainment of America’s newest citizens more than providing their parents the opportunity to become citizens themselves. Legal status lets immigrant parents obtain less exploitative and better paying jobs. Legal migrants’ incomes rise by a third in only a decade whereas the incomes of undocumented immigrants largely remain stagnant. Income gains and other advantages associated with legalization, such as higher rates of home ownership, trickle down to children. Research from UC Irvine demonstrates that the adult children of immigrant fathers who naturalized under Reagan’s 1986 amnesty are 70 percent more likely to graduate college—attributes which make them more prepared to fill jobs at the upper echelons of the labor market. Indeed, my own research on the “Nothing could help promote the educational attainment growing Latino middle class population of America’s newest citizens more than providing their shows that legalized parents are able to invest more financial and social resources parents the opportunity to become citizen themselves.” in their children’s education. Isn’t it in our best interest to adopt policies that inteIf we want to secure the future of this country, revisgrate, rather than economically paralyze, those who will ing the 14th Amendment to invalidate the citizenship disproportionately comprise America’s future population? of children born to undocumented parents is not the Consider that U.S.-born Latinos will make up a answer. Understanding that minorities are the future of quarter of labor-force growth in the next two decades. this nation is. PDJ Their education will prove crucial to the future economic success of the nation, especially as baby boomers, the most educated generation in history, retire in droves Dr. Jody Agius Vallejo is assistant professor of sociology at USC. She studies immigration, race/ethnicity, the Latino middle class and Latino entrepreneurs. from highly skilled jobs. We need educated workers to Her book manuscript, Brown Picket Fences, examines the Mexican-American fill these jobs, and Latinos are the future. middle class in California. She can be reached at vallejoj@usc.edu. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
47
Black Leaders Leading
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
School children all over America know about Black History Month. They look back at the contributions made by bold African-Americans who both pioneered the civil rights movement and shaped the world we live in. But as adults, we know that history is as much about the present and the future as it is about the past. Tomorrow’s world is being shaped this very day by today’s leaders. History is dynamic, not static. That is why we are proud to recognize today’s black leaders who are guiding us all into the future. We have asked several prominent thought leaders to share their perspectives on leadership, diversity and a host of other topics.
Sanford E. Garner, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP ND Founding Partner/President
Company: A2SO4 HEADQUARTERS: Indianapolis, Indiana WEB SITE: www.a2so4.com Primary BUSINESS: Architecture, Interior Design, Strategic Communication, and Urban Design Annual Revenues: $4.5 million EMPLOYEES: 23
What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being leader? You will be a role model whether you want to be or not. People will watch you and hold you to a higher standard than others. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? The planning and realization of Fall Creek Place in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the restructuring of my company. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Not admitting their mistakes and saying they’re sorry.
How do you define leadership? I define leadership as servant leadership. Leaders can’t truly lead till they’ve served and know how to follow.
What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? When I challenged my partner about what he wanted to do with his life and what he was passionate about.
What risks should a leader take? Be willing to take a stand and make mistakes. Be willing to learn from your mistakes as well.
Given the chance, would you do anything differently? Philosophically yes, but in reality no, as it helped me to learn.
48
Pro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Lynette Johnson
Vice President – H&W Solutions Leader Company: Aon Hewitt HEADQUARTERS: Chicago, Illinois WEB SITE: www.aon.com Primary BUSINESS: Benefits Administration EMPLOYEES: 34,000
What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? I was one of the leaders of my track team in college. I didn’t really understand what that meant until my senior year. With four weeks remaining in the season and the conference championship at stake, I came down with pneumonia, which badly affected my training.
Otha T. “Skip” Spriggs Senior Vice President, Human Resources Company: Boston Scientific HEADQUARTERS: Natick, Massachusetts WEB SITE: www.bostonscientific.com Primary BUSINESS: Medical Devices/ Manufacturing Annual Revenues: More than $8 billion EMPLOYEES: 26,000
I knew my team would be counting on me returning for the conference meet so that I could contribute my share of the points in what was sure to be a battle for the title. In my mind, being a leader meant returning to the top of my game and winning my events. Despite my best effort, I did not win the events that I was expected to win. What I later discovered was that it didn’t matter whether I won or lost. It was my willingness and determination to be there for my team that gave them the motivation they needed to win without me. How do you define leadership? A leader must have integrity. A leader must also possess vision and insight, and focus on results. True leadership does not come from having the best skills but from being able to draw the best from those around you. What was the best advice you ever received? I had a manager once who told me people don’t care what you know until they know that you care. You have to invest the time to get to know those who are responsible for making you successful.
to do your very best and remain humble. This advice guides me every day in my life, both personally and professionally, and it has yet to fail me. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Being selected as the Corporate Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for an $8 billion publicly traded company. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Not leading by example or understanding that all people are different. Education: Bachelor of Science
How do you define leadership? Leadership is the process for setting clear direction and providing opportunity for individuals to operate at their highest potential. What was the best advice you ever received? It was from my grandmother, many years ago. She told me
What I’m Reading: HR Transformation by David Ulrich My Philosophy: If you do the best that you can and remain humble, you will be successful. Interests: Family, sports (especially golf ) and work. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
49
Ronald Harris
Sales Operations Manager Company: CDW HEADQUARTERS: Vernon Hills, Illinois WEB SITE: www.cdw.com Primary BUSINESS: IT Solutions Provider Annual Revenues: $7.2 billion in 2009 EMPLOYEES: 6,150
What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Achieving Coworker of the Month in 2007. As a Manager there is no better way to know you’re moving in the right direction than for the people you support to nominate you for one of the company’s highest honors. I was nominated by my team for this award and that’s why it was my most rewarding career accomplish-
Lauren McCadney Senior Segment Manager
Company: CDW HEADQUARTERS: Vernon Hills, Illinois WEB SITE: www.cdw.com Primary BUSINESS: IT Solutions Provider Annual Revenues: $7.2 billion in 2009 EMPLOYEES: 6,150
What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? While teaching at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, a female student approached me after class to say how delighted she was to see an African-American female professor because I broke the mold. Oftentimes if we haven’t seen it, we think it can’t be done. I realized that by doing something I loved, I encouraged some 50
Pro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
ment. The comments from my team were so compelling that my fellow Coworkers of the Month voted me “2007 Coworker of the Year,” which gave me executivelevel recognition and companywide exposure. How do you define leadership? Leadership is establishing direction by developing and clearly communicating your vision of the future. Leadership is also motivating and inspiring people to overcome challenges. Great leaders are usually great servants. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? I believe the greatest mistake a leader can make is not taking responsibility for their team’s failure. Managers are quick to take credit for the success of their team, but leaders are willing to take responsibility for their team’s failure. Given the chance, would you do anything differently? I would forego early independence from my parents and focus more on opportunities to further my education, meaning college and graduate studies. No matter what anyone may feel, a child is not ready for the world at 18.
people while shattering misperceptions held by others. What could be more rewarding than changing how people view the world around them? What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Underestimating the need to inspire people. Working for a paycheck will only get people to go through the motions. Working for a cause will make people want to do extraordinary things. What was the best advice you ever received? “You’re different. Accept it.” These words were spoken by my mentor, an amazing woman who encouraged me to accept without apologies those things that make me unique. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? I inherited a rather large team that wasn’t operating up to its potential. I realized that to be successful, the team would need to trust my vision and know that I believed in them and would be loyal to them as we did this fight together. At that moment I realized that leadership includes loyalty to your people.
Olabisi Boyle
Dir., Engineering Planning & Tech. Cost Reduction Company: Chrysler Group LLC HEADQUARTERS: Auburn Hills, Michigan WEB SITE: www.chryslergroupllc.com Primary BUSINESS: Automotive. Annual Revenues: $40 billion EMPLOYEES: 52,000
What was the best advice you ever received? Work hard to prevent events from stealing your joy. Events don’t have to break you, they ultimately can make you! What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Leading an excellent engineering team to develop the
Larry Satterfield
Area Vice President, Telepresence Sales Company: Cisco HEADQUARTERS: San Jose, California WEB SITE: www.cisco.com Primary BUSINESS: Technology Annual Revenues: About $40 billion EMPLOYEES: 72,600
What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Not listening to his or her team and not winning and losing with the team. How do you define leadership? I define leadership as the ability to inspire teams to chase a common goal or objective. If you are a great leader, your teams trust that
2011 MY Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. We were able to maintain sales leadership of the 2010 carryover vehicle in a year where major competitors, Honda and Toyota, released all new models into the segment. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Failing to recover and get back on your feet after you fall. We must be people of good character, not just when everything goes well, but also when we pick our heads up after things go poorly. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? When I was 14, growing up in New York City, I found myself caught up in a shoe store robbery, an innocent victim of a gunshot wound in one shoulder and both hands. It was traumatic and it took some time to recover and eliminate the fear of going through normal, everyday activities. Over time, I learned these events don’t break you; ultimately, they make you and you have to make sure you get up and face the day one more time.
you will always do what you believe is the right thing. A leader should be out front, demonstrating and practicing the behavior you are promoting. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? I’d say leading my sales team over the last 12 months. We achieved outstanding results in a period where we could have been easily distracted by being acquired. My sales leaders did a terrific job of keeping their teams motivated, and I felt a strong sense of accomplishment. What risks should a leader take? I believe as a leader you should only take risk where the reward is substantial compared to the negative consequence of failure. I tend to take risks when I can quickly and easily measure the result. This allows you to change course quickly and limit damages of a bad decision. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? Probably the first time I was not successful at leading a team to the desired result. It helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses better. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
51
Lloyd W. Brown II Managing Director
Company: Citi HEADQUARTERS: New York City WEB SITE: www.citigroup.com Primary BUSINESS: Financial Services Annual Revenues: Approximately 80 billion in 2009 EMPLOYEES: Approximately 250,000
What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Being promoted to executive vice president at the Bank of New York. I was the first African-American to attain that position, one of the youngest in the company and the first member of my management training class to do so. Another rewarding accomplishment is my coordination of significant enhancements to Citi’s regulato-
Denise King
Company: Harris Corporation HEADQUARTERS: Melbourne, Florida WEB SITE: www.harris.com Primary BUSINESS: International Communications and Information Technology Annual Revenues: Approximately $5 billion EMPLOYEES: More than 16,000
What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? To be gifted with a position where I am encouraged and supported in exercising my true passion: to provide a voice, inspiration and engagement opportunities to others. I am continually afforded opportunities to influence the enthusiasm and capabilities of team members, the competencies of leaders, and to affect the implementaPro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Devoting insufficient time to talent development and failing to embrace the responsibilities of being a teacher and coach are the worst mistakes a leader can make. I believe that two of the most important elements of leadership are providing constructive feedback so team members can assess and improve their performance, and delegating among the entire team to draw on existing skills and assist with the development of new ones. What risks should a leader take? A leader should be willing to take risks, learn from failure, and not be afraid to search for answers outside their comfort zone. At Citi, I enjoy the support of an outstanding and innovative team that regularly devises new, out-of-the-box solutions. Implementing these alternative pathways represents a form of risk-taking for me and, I am glad to say, results most often in success. Whether a project succeeds or not, you must always strive to learn from the endeavor.
tion of enterprise-wide change management strategies.
Director, Business Conduct
52
ry and reporting processes, in my new role as corporate director for CRA and fair lending.
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
What was the best advice you ever received? “Be all that you are and all you can be.” Live your purpose. Engage people in true conversation, set high expectations and provide meaningful work and growth. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? When I realized success is not an assumption, it’s an assertion. You have to commit the energy and equity to get it all done plus some. Your leadership has to inspire like behavior. As a leader I have to motivate others to proactively engage in stretch assignments. I must ignite their interest and sufficiently leverage their ability to perform their best work. Given the chance, would you do anything differently? I would have lived my worth with fierce tenacity every day. I would have flourished in the endorsement of my Mom and used her real confidence to accelerate my momentum rather than debating its relevancy and in effect stifling who I am intended to be.
Burt M. Fealing
Vice President and Corporate Secretary Company: ITT Corporation HEADQUARTERS: White Plains, New York WEB SITE: www.itt.com Primary BUSINESS: High Technology Engineering & Manufacturing Annual Revenues: $10.9 billion EMPLOYEES: 40,000
What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being leader? Being an effective leader requires a commitment of time and energy. That commitment to an organization or to a function naturally entails some level of sacrifice. Whether it means that we are connected at all hours to our BlackBerries or we have to put family events well in advance into our calendars to
Cornett L. Lewers
VP, Corp. Responsibility – Fluid & Motion Control Company: ITT Corporation HEADQUARTERS: White Plains, New York WEB SITE: www.itt.com Primary BUSINESS: High Technology Engineering & Manufacturing Annual Revenues: $10.9 billion EMPLOYEES: 40,000
What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? One of the most rewarding has been my involvement in the development of the company’s ethics and compliance program. It has been a challenge to roll out a robust global program, but I am pleased that employees all over the world are embracing the program and see it as positive for them and our customers.
avoid other conflicts, every activity that a leader engages in has to be balanced against the activities that he wants to do and the many requests that are presented to him. How do you define leadership? Leadership is motivating people to act not only when they want to act but also when they do not want to act. Newton’s first law of motion states that every object will remain at rest or in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force. It is a great leader who serves as an external force and enables people to achieve greater success than they would achieve on their own. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? A leader who fails to listen is destined to make many mistakes. However, a leader who fails to act can cause the destruction of not only himself but also of everyone else around him. What was the best advice you ever received? You have to determine your own destiny. You cannot wait for someone else to plan it for you.
How do you define leadership? Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate individuals by communicating a vision and strategy that they believe in and fully support. Leaders must be able to establish a clear sense of direction and purpose in order to achieve common goals. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? A critical mistake a leader can make is failing to be consistent in what they say and what they do. Individuals who observe leaders behave in this manner see them as hypocritical or inherently dishonest. Either can be a serious impediment to successful leadership. What are some of the personal and/or professional sacrifices to being a leader? Time is certainly one. Early morning and late evening strategy meetings combined with a heavy travel schedule often conflict with family activities, especially when there are young children involved. The key is to manage one’s schedule to insure you are able to spend time on non-work activities. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
53
Joe Mbogo Audit Partner
Company: KPMG LLP HEADQUARTERS: New York City WEB SITE: www.us.kpmg.com Primary BUSINESS: Audit, Tax, and Advisory Services EMPLOYEES: 21,000 in the United States
How do you define leadership? The ability to motivate and inspire people to rally around a cause or activity in pursuit of a certain goal, and, more importantly, to translate aspirations into actions. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? My admission to the partnership at KPMG. Being born and
Sylvia Pat Phillips
Senior Manager, Federal Advisory Company: KPMG LLP HEADQUARTERS: New York City WEB SITE: www.us.kpmg.com Primary BUSINESS: Audit, Tax, and Advisory Services EMPLOYEES: 21,000 in the United States
What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Trying to be liked by all. Someone once told me, “Being well liked is not a measurement of an effective leader,” and that has stayed with me throughout my career. I believe that if you are an honest and trustworthy leader who is clear about the objectives to be achieved, you will be liked by most, and respected by all. 54
Pro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
raised in Kenya, coming to the United States 12 years ago and joining KPMG, and then being admitted to the partnership, is a story that’s not that common in our profession. Of course, this would not have been possible without the investment and mentorship of other KPMG partners and professionals who either I have worked for, or who have believed in me over the years. They have made an enormous contribution to my success. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? About five years ago, I was asked by my office managing partner to lead our diversity strategy and initiatives in the KPMG Philadelphia office. This was a defining moment for me, not only because our initiatives have been so successful, but also because of the visibility the role gave me as a senior manager. Similar initiatives in other offices were being led by partners at that time. My role was to develop a strategy for recruiting and retaining diverse employees, and to establish several chapters of the firm’s national diversity networks in our Philadelphia office. The role gave me an outstanding opportunity to work with several of the firm’s senior leaders.
How do you define leadership? Leadership is the art of setting the direction to achieve a goal, and influencing people, with integrity, to follow that direction. To do this, you must know yourself, build trust, clearly communicate the vision, help others realize their potential, and lead by example. What was the best advice you ever received? Be open to constructive feedback. Be honest about what you do well and what you don’t do as well; play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? It was when several members of my team asked me for advice. They asked me how I got to where I am today, to offer feedback on those areas in which I felt they needed to improve to be promoted to the next level. They asked how I balance my personal and professional life and how I stay motivated. At that point I realized that people were looking at me as their leader and trusted advisor, and as someone they respected.
Inclusion.
Empowerment.
Community Development at Citi is dedicated
to
expanding
financial
inclusion and economic empowerment for families and communities. Across our global organization, in partnership with
community
support
organizations,
neighborhood
we
revitalization,
small business success, asset building and college access.
Š 2011 Citigroup Inc. All rights reserved. Arc Design, Citi and Arc Design are trademarks and service marks of Citigroup Inc., used and registered throughout the world.
Shan Cooper
VP and General Manager, Aeronautics - Marietta Company: Lockheed Martin Corporation HEADQUARTERS: Bethesda, Maryland WEB SITE: www.lockheedmartin.com Primary BUSINESS: Aerospace and Defense Annual Revenues: $44 billion in 2009 EMPLOYEES: 133,000
How do you define leadership? For me, ethics and integrity are the foundation for leadership. I also believe leaders must have courage and conviction – courage to always do what’s right and the conviction to do so even if it means standing alone. Leaders must be decisive, but at the same time understand the short and longterm implication of their decisions.
Stephanie C. Hill
Vice President, Corporate Internal Audit Company: Lockheed Martin Corporation HEADQUARTERS: Bethesda, Maryland WEB SITE: www.lockheedmartin.com Primary BUSINESS: Aerospace and Defense Annual Revenues: $44 billion in 2009 EMPLOYEES: 133,000
How do you define leadership? Leadership is the process of inspiring people to move from where they are to where they need to be. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? A leader should never breach trust. Never get amnesia about why decisions were made or allow the team to take a 56
Pro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Leadership is not easy. It’s not about the title or position. It’s all about living it, believing that people matter, and honoring the impact a leader has on the life of someone else. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Assisting fellow teammates and colleagues in their growth and development and watching them achieve their career aspiration. This is my life’s work! There is nothing more rewarding than helping people believe in themselves. I know how important this is because I’ve had so many people take the time to help me. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? The worst mistake a leader can make is thinking that he or she has all of the answers. With this mindset, we quickly shut down new ideas and perspectives and continue to operate with a limited view of the world. This is what makes diversity and an environment of inclusion so critical for success.
hit when you can stand in front. A leader is responsible and should act that way. What was the best advice you ever received? Be authentic. There are so many things that we bring to the office – some are directly linkable to the job and some are intangibles that make a difference in the total organization. What risks should a leader take? A great leader takes risks on people. The best way to help people grow is to give them a tough challenge, have confidence in them to rise to the occasion and support them as they do. Assume the best and you will get it! What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? When I understood that I could really make a positive difference that mattered by the choices I made and the influence that I chose to exert. Education: B.S., double major in computer science and economics
Margaret Gordon
Manager, Training and Communications Company: National Grid HEADQUARTERS: London, UK; US Headquarters: Waltham, Massachusetts WEB SITE: www.nationalgrid.com Primary BUSINESS: International electricity and gas company. Annual Revenues: $22 billion EMPLOYEES: 28,000 (about 63% work in the US)
What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Some leaders withhold information from their teams with the hope that this will result in job security. The outcome is quite the opposite. It creates an environment of distrust and hampers productivity. In an environment where information sharing is encouraged, results are usually favorable. The team’s ability to function due
Kenya Jackson
Vice President, Marketing Operations Company: Target HEADQUARTERS: Minneapolis, Minnesota WEB SITE: www.target.com Primary BUSINESS: Retail Annual Revenues: $65.4 billion EMPLOYEES: 351,000
What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Last week, I received an email from a mentee who worked on my team three years ago. They updated me on their most recent promotion. During the interview process they were asked, “Who’s the most influential leader you’ve had in your Target career?” This individual said I was, and shared how I engaged them at a high level
to the leader’s absence is a sign of great leadership. An empowered team translates to effective leadership. What was the best advice you ever received? Approximately three years ago, my mentor advised me to create a five-year plan. Since then, I consistently update a self-development plan (every year). The dual purpose makes it more rewarding. It serves as a roadmap for my goals as well as satisfies an important component of my performance appraisal. What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being leader? One of my philosophies is “God first, family second and career third,” but occasionally I have had to place my career ahead of my family. Though this did not happen very often, it caused my daughter and me discomfort. On the other hand, I have passed up opportunities that could have propelled my career because they would have taken me away from home for long hours. I have no regrets about those choices. Being a mother is my first leadership assignment.
by relating to them and helping them understand the importance of their work. By far, helping people grow and achieve is the most rewarding aspect of my career. How do you define leadership? Leadership starts with really knowing yourself and being authentic. When others see who you are as a person and what you stand for, it allows for understanding. It also opens doors for a leader to connect and learn the values and motivations of their team members. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? This past October I lost a friend/brother-in-law to cancer. He is survived by his wife and two boys, ages five and 16. Before Chris passed, we had lots of conversations about the role that he wanted me to play in his boys’ lives. I partnered with my wife to ensure that our priorities and calendar reflected that. Today his family is truly a natural part of our family and a blessing. Stepping up to assist in the continuance of his legacy is a challenge that I graciously accept. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
57
Michael A. Mason Chief Security Officer
Company: Verizon HEADQUARTERS: Basking Ridge, New Jersey WEB SITE: www.verizon.com Primary BUSINESS: Telecommunications Annual Revenues: $105 billion EMPLOYEES: 195,000
How do you define leadership? Leadership is the ability to get people excited about the mission. It is the ability to draw more from people than they thought themselves capable of delivering. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? When I retired from the FBI in December 2007, there
Jerome L. Davis
Vice President, Food and Retail Company: Waste Management HEADQUARTERS: Houston, Texas WEB SITE: www.wm.com and www.thinkgreen.com Primary BUSINESS: Environmental Services Annual Revenues: $11.79 billion EMPLOYEES: 43,000
How do you define leadership? Leadership is the art of influencing and directing people to achieve a common set of goals and objectives. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? Serving in executive positions in Fortune 500 companies such as Waste Management, Electronic Data 58
Pro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
were mechanics, custodians, painters, secretaries and a host of other colleagues and friends present, representative of every level of employee within the FBI. So there is no single event for which I am most proud, rather it is my focus on people first for which I am most proud. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Allowing perfect to be the enemy of good. I’d rather have someone make a timely good decision, than a perfect decision too late. What risks should a leader take? A leader must be willing to accept responsibility for what his/her people do or fail to do. A leader must own the accountability for his organization. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? As a young lieutenant in the U.S. Marines, the very first time I had to stand in front of 45 marines and get them to embrace a mission which was 180 degrees different from what they expected. That moment defined what leadership was all about.
Systems (EDS), Maytag Corporation and Procter & Gamble. The positions in these diverse companies have provided me incredible opportunities and insight in business and life. What was the best advice you ever received? From my mother: Don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t do! What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being leader? Extensive travel (time from home), relocation and tough people decisions. I have relocated 12 times in corporate. It is fun and rewarding, but also challenging. What was the defining moment in your life in which you understood your leadership? When I was first awarded a full athletic football scholarship to Ohio State University. The recruiters spent more time talking about my past high school leadership in the classroom, leadership in the community and being a role model versus just being a good athlete. Since that moment, I have always felt I could serve as a good leader and make a difference.
Cole Brown
Human Resources Vice President, West BU Company: Walmart Stores, Inc. HEADQUARTERS: Bentonville, Arkansas WEB SITE: www.walmartstores.com Primary BUSINESS: Retail EMPLOYEES: More than 2 million worldwide
How do you define leadership? A leader is a visionary committed to bringing people together as a team and raising their aspirations to reach for the stars—the highest level of accomplishments. Having a vision and bringing it to life is the essence of leadership. A leader’s vision inspires, and her conviction removes barriers for the team in achieving much more than
Jeff Davis
Senior Vice President and Treasurer Company: Walmart Stores, Inc. HEADQUARTERS: Bentonville, Arkansas WEB SITE: www.walmartstores.com Primary BUSINESS: Retail EMPLOYEES: More than 2 million worldwide
What is the worst mistake that a leader can make? To assume that his or her role is to have all of the answers. Leadership is about using combined efforts to bring results that are greater than the sum of individual contributions. How do you define leadership? Leadership provides clear vision and direction while instilling a sense of collabo-
they would have ever imagined. Leadership is about trust, believing in your team and empowering them to grow and prosper. In addition, a leader must have integrity, authenticity and the capacity for stimulating collaboration. What risks should a leader take? Believing in your talent and providing people chances to succeed are risks worth taking. Have the utmost faith in your people and play it like you have nothing to lose but everything to gain. You will never be disappointed by trusting your people; I speak from my own experience. A good leader must be willing to take well-calculated risks by thinking independently and by challenging the status quo. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Violating the trust that your team has given you, implicitly or explicitly. Be honest, fair, transparent and authentic at all times. Integrity shapes character.
ration. The challenge is to provide a balance, so that each person on the team feels a sense of ownership and empowerment to make a difference. What is your most rewarding career accomplishment? When our team received the Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2007 for delivering the $4 Generic Prescription Program to our customers. It was the first time the award had been presented to a team rather than to an individual within the company. What was the best advice you ever received? To focus on my current assignment and perform it well, rather than spend my time focusing on future potential opportunities; and to keep an open mind and not limit myself by what I know today. What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being leader? We are often defined and remembered by how we respond and lead at our weakest moment, so it is critical to lead with honor. In choosing to lead with honor, we also choose to make sacrifices for the greatest good. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
59
Ben Hasan
than what is possible. Finally, you must have accountability and delivery. You can’t lead if you don’t deliver.
Vice President, People Systems Company: Walmart Stores, Inc. HEADQUARTERS: Bentonville, Arkansas WEB SITE: www.walmartstores.com Primary BUSINESS: Retail EMPLOYEES: More than 2 million worldwide
How do you define leadership? First, know who you are. You can’t truly lead if you’re not authentic—believe me, people know the difference. Secondly, envision the future that you can aspire to. Leadership is about developing a vision that can take you beyond where you are today— it’s easier to confine yourself to the present than to aspire to a greater future, but that would be settling for less
Sherwin Robinson
Regional Vice President, Underwriting Company: WellPoint, Inc. HEADQUARTERS: Indianapolis, Indiana WEB SITE: www.wellpoint.com Primary BUSINESS: Health Benefits EMPLOYEES: 39,000
What was the best advice you ever received? The best advice I’ve received was to always be humble and never sacrifice my integrity. How do you define leadership? A leader is someone who creates an atmosphere where employees are influenced and motivated to accomplish their goals, both personal 60
Pro f iles in Div ersi t y J ourna l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
What is the worst mistake that a leader can make? I see leadership as having four equal parts—humility, courage, the ability to remain calm in a crisis, and the ability to be consistently real. Mess up one, and you could lessen your credibility. What was the best advice you ever received? Have an inspection process for the work going on in my area. Many times the best information about the real health of the project, program, or organization lies in the hands of the people on the front lines. So ask yourself: what is your early warning system for getting information fast, and how does that information compare to what is coming through the more formal channels? What risks should a leader take? Leave your ego at the door. Understand that there is a collective genius in the many different ways that people believe, think and behave. When you tap into that genius, you open untold possibilities.
and those of the organization for which they work. Employees should feel encouraged to provide suggestions, ask questions, and not be afraid to make mistakes, as long as they learn from them. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Not listening to their employees. This often conveys to employees that their opinions do not matter, and can lead to employees not feeling valued at all. There is no way employees can be motivated to reach their goals operating in an environment where they have no input. What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being a leader? One of the personal sacrifices I’ve had to make was being away from my family more than I would have liked. There are times when it is beneficial to my career to participate in activities outside of the workday; and when those situations arise, I have to make the most appropriate decision. Integrating work and home responsibilities is something I’m aware of, and while I do not want to sacrifice my career, I will not deprive myself or my family of my time either.
Sandra Taylor
Vice President of Global Accounts Company: W.W. Grainger, Inc. HEADQUARTERS: Lake Forest, Illinois WEB SITE: www.grainger.com Primary BUSINESS: Distributor, Facilities Maintenance Products Annual Revenues: $6.2 billion EMPLOYEES: 18,000
How do you define leadership? A leader establishes a vision, gets out of the way to let others execute, and gives credit to the team when the job is completed successfully. What’s the worst mistake a leader can make? Forgetting that everything begins and ends with people, treating them with dignity and respect, and rewarding them
for their accomplishments. By ignoring this, a leader will become mechanical and robotic in their approach, assuming that process can replace people. What are some personal and/or professional sacrifices to being leader? Leadership means flexibility. During the course of my career, I’ve relocated six times and filled assignments in Spain and South America. I felt that I needed to make these personal sacrifices in order to have experiences that others have not had, which have benefited me in the long run. Also, work/life balance is a challenge for many professionals, and you need to apply discipline to find quality time for yourself and your family. What risks should a leader take? A leader must take calculated risks in order to provide positive change. You can’t be cavalier about it—you have to weigh the intended and unintended consequences, and then make a decision. I have a new role at Grainger in building a new, international organization. While there is also risk associated with new investments having a strong business case allows me to embrace my role with confidence.
advantage
corporate index
BOLD denotes Advertiser
A2SO4 ... www.a2so4.com....................48 Aflac ... www.aflac.com..........................40 American Express www.americanexpress.com...................21 American Institute for Managing Diversity www.aimd.org..................................16, 17 Aon Hewitt www.aonhewitt.com...............................49
Chrysler Group LLC www.chryslergroupllc.com Inside Cover, 1, 26, 51 Cisco ... www.cisco.com........................51 Citigroup ... www.citi.com.......42, 52, 55 Communicating Across Cultures www.craigstorti.com......................... 10, 11
CVS Caremark ... www.cvs.com............27
Bank of the West www.bankofthewest.com....................37
Diversity Best Practices www.diversitybestpractices.com..............8
Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina www.bcbsnc.com................................19
DiversityPlus Magazine www.diversityplus.com..........................17
Booz Allen Hamilton www.boozallen.com...............................41
Freddie Mac www.freddiemac.com..........................35
Boston Scientific www.bostonscientific.com......................49
Harris Corporation www.harris.com.....................................52
Caesars Entertainment Corporation www.caesars.com..................................24 Catalyst ... www.catalyst.org..................63
ITT Corporation ... www.itt.com....33, 53 JBK Associates, Inc. www.jbkassociates.net..........................44
CDW LLC ... www.cdw.com.............22, 50
KeyCorp ... www.key.com......................62
Chevron www.chevron.com......... 25, Back Cover
KPMG LLP ... www.kpmg.com........28, 54
Kimberly-Clark Corp. ... www.kcc.com....6
Lockheed Martin Corporation www.lockheedmartin.com............15, 56
Tilburg University www.tilburguniversity.edu......................46
Marriott International, Inc. www.marriott.com..................................30
TWI, Inc. ... www.twiinc.com..................14
National Grid www.nationalgrid.com............................57 New York Life Insurance Company www.newyorklife.com...........6, 8, 31, 43
United State Air Force Academy www.usafa.af.mil......................................8 UnitedHealth Group www.unitedhealthgroup.com...............9
OfficeMax, ... www.officemax.com.........45
University of Southern California www.usc.edu.........................................47
Philadelphia Bar Association www.philadelphiabar.org..........................6
University of the Rockies www.rockies.edu....................................36
RBC Wealth Management www.rbcwm-usa.com.............................32 Royal Dutch Shell www.shell.com.....................................23 Sodexo ... www.sodexousa.com..........3 Springboard Consulting LLC www.consultspringboard.com................18 Sun Life Financial www.sunlife.com....................................34 Target ... www.target.com......................57 The Lifetime Healthcare Companies www.lifethc.com.....................................64 w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
Vanguard ... www.vanguard.com.......39 Verizon ... www.verizon.com........29, 58 W.W. Grainger ... www.grainger.com.....61 Walmart www.walmart.com...............7, 17, 59, 60 Waste Management www.wm.com and www.thinkgreen.com 58, Inside Back Cover WellPoint, Inc. www.wellpoint.com...........12, 13, 38, 60 YWCA USA ... www.ywca.org..................8 J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
61
extra ®
2007 Women Worth Watching® Beth E. Mooney to Become Chairman and CEO of KeyCorp
K
eyCorp announced that Chairman of the Board and CEO Henry L. Meyer III, 60, will retire effective May 1, 2011, and will be succeeded by Beth E. Mooney, currently Vice Chair of KeyCorp and leader of Key’s Community Banking business. In the interim, the Board elected Mooney as President and COO and a member of the KeyCorp Board of Directors. Alexander “Sandy” Cutler, KeyCorp’s Lead Director, said, “The Board extends its appreciation to Henry for his years of outstanding leadership and wishes him all the best in his retirement. This announcement is consistent with our ongoing succession planning process for senior leadership, and we are confident that Henry will leave an organization with a well designed growth strategy and strong leadership in place. Henry is widely acknowledged for creating a culture with strong values, a dedication to community service and a commitment to diversity, all of which comprise his permanent legacy at Key.” “Beth Mooney has demonstrated the personal leadership, strategic acumen and operational accomplishments which uniquely qualify her to lead KeyCorp during the coming years. Beth’s knowledge of the industry and more specifically KeyCorp, will ensure that we have a seamless transition next spring,” Cutler concluded. Henry Meyer said, “I simply believe it’s time for new leadership to take the organization to the next level. I have been fortunate to be part of the Key team for 38 years. During that time I’ve seen the bank grow from a small, $1.5 billionCleveland bank to one of the largest banks in the country with $95 billion in assets today. That success was built on strong community and client relationships. The economic crisis over the past few years created an urgent need for major changes, and those changes have been accomplished. Now, as Key returns to profitability, the bank has a robust strategic plan, a disciplined risk management program and an excellent management team in place, so I can step aside with confidence and satisfaction.” “As a result,” she said, “Key is uniquely positioned as a relationship focused bank – delivering award-winning service using client insights, industry expertise and product specialization. We have a very strong team in both Community 62
Pro f il es in D iversity Jou rnal
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
Beth E. Mooney, KeyCorp CEO-elect, and Henry L. Meyer III, current KeyCorp chairman and CEO.
and National banking and together – as ‘One Key’ – we’re committed to growth and solid returns for our investors.” Key noted that with her appointment next May, Ms. Mooney will become the first woman CEO of a top 20 U.S. bank. Prior to joining Key in April 2006, Mooney was CFO of AmSouth Bancorporation (now Regions Financial Corporation). She held line management positions at major financial services companies including Citicorp Real Estate, Inc., Hall Financial Group, Republic Bank in Texas, AmSouth Bancorporation and Bank One Corporation where she eventually became President of the firm’s Ohio operations. Key Community Banking, Key National Banking and Corporate Strategy will report to Ms. Mooney in her transitional role as President and Chief Operating Officer, the Company said. The appointment of a new leader of Key Community Banking will be forthcoming and filled from within the organization. Risk Management, Finance and Administrative Services will continue to report directly to Meyer until his retirement.
catalyst
www.catalyst.org The Catalyst Canada Honours 2010 By Catalyst
T
he Catalyst Canada Honours held its inaugural celebration this year to mark the tenth anniversary of Catalyst Canada and to recognize advocates for women's advancement in three categories: Company/Firm Leader, Business Leader, and Human Resources/Diversity Leader. Bill Downe, president and CEO, BMO Financial Group, served as dinner chair and introduced the 2010 champions: Ed Clark - 2010 Company/Firm Leader Champion In his eight years as president and chief executive officer of TD Bank Financial Group, Ed Clark has successfully created a cultural shift within the bank to make it a more inclusive employer of choice. Having established diversity as a strategic business priority, Clark seeks to understand the barriers Clark to advancement for women and diverse groups at TD Bank Financial Group. His drive to engage TD employees to ensure they feel included regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, abilities or disabilities, through focus groups, interviews, and surveys of employees, has made it possible to maintain an ongoing dialogue while producing lasting change. “Creating an inclusive workplace for women and helping all employees reach their full potential is more than just the right thing to do…it’s essential to our success,” he says. “By ensuring inclusiveness and fostering diversity, we’ve been able to unleash huge amounts of energy and talent at TD.” Clark’s personal initiation of the CEO’s Assistant Program allows participants, half of whom have been women, to shadow him, so that they gain both experience and visibility. Clark has influenced TD Bank Financial Group to champion inclusiveness and diversity, and as a powerful role model, he inspires others to become diversity champions. Colleen Sidford - 2010 Business Leader Champion During her five years as vice president, treasurer, Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG), Colleen Sidford has been a champion for women’s advancement both within OPG and in the community. She meets with the managers and directors at OPG to discuss gender biases and how supervisors can encourage women sidford in their business sectors. Her results speak for themselves: Sidford’s direct reports have become extremely diverse within the last five years and include 28
percent visible minority women, 28 percent white women, and 16 percent visible minority men. “Gender diversity is not a Human Resources initiative. It needs to be embraced and woven into the culture of an organization so that we all become ‘Champions for the Advancement of Women in Business,’” she says. “At OPG, we launched the emPOWERed Women program, a comprehensive leadership and career development initiative [whose] objective is to provide formalized mentoring opportunities for women to help each other grow their professional capabilities and leadership skills.” Through her efforts, a large number of women inside and outside of OPG have had opportunities to develop, advance, and become diversity champions themselves. Sylvia Chrominska - 2010 Human Resources/ Diversity Leader Champion As group head, global human resources and communications, at Scotiabank, Sylvia Chrominska has been instrumental in championing a diversity and inclusion strategy that has shaped Scotiabank’s ability to attract and retain employees with varied skills, abilities, experiences, and backgrounds. The result is Chrominska an organization that draws on the skills of all employees, generating more innovative thinking and stronger business results. “I am hopeful for the day when we no longer need champions to advance the interests of women in business or in broader society,” she says. “I believe very strongly in the need for continued vigilance in order to make progress. And, I also believe strongly in the benefits of achieving progress.” An avid mentor, champion, and founder of Scotiabank’s Advancement of Women (AoW) strategy, Chrominska has overseen significant progress in this area. Her innovation and dedication have led to managerial accountability for hiring and promoting women at senior levels. The bank documented its progress in Unlocking Potential, Delivering Results: The Advancement of Women (AoW) Initiative, a demonstration of its commitment and actions. This initiative to advance women was a 2007 winner of 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. With offices in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and more than 400 preeminent corporations as members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. w w w.d ive rs ity jo u r n a l.c o m
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
63
last word
Cross Cultural Mentoring – A Case for Inclusiveness in Action By Marie Y. Philippe, Ph.D. Corporate Vice President, Culture and Organizational Effectiveness The Lifetime Healthcare Companies
M
Mentoring is a method of knowledge transfer that incites development in both the mentor and the mentee. Workplaces all over the world have embraced mentoring. However, it is not always clear when to consider mentoring. Further, the impact of mentoring cross-culturally in the workplace is not frequently analyzed or pursued. Generally, a mentoring program is considered when the company seeks to develop its talent pool as part of succession planning, wishes to help employees acquire specific skills, or aims to develop its minority employees. Mentoring can also capture for future generations the expertise and experience baby boomer employees have and create more trust and collaboration among employees who face generational or cultural adaptive challenges. Mentoring implies a transfer that can only take place when a genuine meeting of the minds occurs. During the transfer of content, the state of mental connection is an absolute necessity. Therefore, if we throw into the mix cultural differences, the inference is that the mental connection would embed reciprocal cultural awareness. Once difference awareness comes alive, it is followed by either rejection or acceptance. The mental course the mentor’s and mentee’s minds take influences the mentoring outcome. Mentoring is relationship oriented and intends to create a safe environment. In order for participants to openly share professional and personal issues, there must be safety. A safe place exists only where there is trust. As the relationship evolves, it takes a mental shift to believe that this particular person who differs from me in many ways will not judge me or try to hurt me. Mentoring also requires a long-term commitment 64
Pro f iles in D iversit y Journa l
J A N U A R Y / F e b ruary 2 0 11
for shared development. To be successful, both partners must commit and be willing to learn from each other. The transformation of the mentee is accompanied by a renewed mentor when the engagement is mutual. At each encounter, the mentor must maintain an open perspective and self awareness which, over time, allows for greater self discovery as she/he imparts knowledge. The mentee’s tendency to open up personally and culturally will grow within that committed time, nine months to a year or more. Mentoring must involve indirectly the immediate manager if corporate barriers for progress are to be successfully removed. The distinction between the role of a mentor and that of a functional manager is strategic. Although the approval of a manager is not necessary for a mentoring relationship to exist, consulting one’s manager provides benefits that often far outweigh the negative. When the manager is culturally different from the mentee, understanding the desire for a mentor can be critical. The same holds true when the suggestion for a mentor is initiated by the manager. Workplace barriers cannot be removed without a cadre of “door busters.” In most corporate cultures, it is powerful to have the open endorsement of one’s supervisor for the achievement of a goal through a third party mentoring. As many organizations pursue inclusiveness, cross cultural mentoring is at times underestimated or often altogether overlooked. What better way to build cultural appreciation than to allow two different people to put into practice the meeting of minds through mentoring? Why not try it in 2011? PDJ
Marie Y. Philippe, Ph.D. is well known for her leadership contribution in corporate culture transformation through strategic diversity initiatives and organizational change management. She can be reached at marie.philippe@lifethc.com.
DIverSIty IS the WAy
We Do BuSIneSS.
Building a great career is like building great vehicles. It starts with
research, development, and experience. At Chrysler, our history of
technological innovation is matched only by our belief in the
progressive people that drive us forward. See how you can become part of a movement of the future. It’s as bright as you make it.
We are committed to building a culture that appreciates differences. Inclusion is how we embrace and enable diversity at Waste Management. We are a Fortune 200 company at the forefront of innovation and sustainability. We are looking for great people to join us.
Building Great Careers
Find out more at www.wmcareers.com
www.chryslercareers.com
Our people are as diverse as their ideas.
PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL
12.95 U.S.
$
VISION
of the
Future
VOLUME 13 • NUMBER 1
tplace, rldwide marke To work in a wo represents workforce that Chevron has a siness, we rever we do bu the world. Whe r our y is essential fo believe diversit . Because d partners alike employees an human ts of view, our with more poin . er es even strong energy becom om. visit chevron.c To learn more,
Kudos Not Critism
January / February 2011
CHEVRON, the CHEVRON HALLMARK and HUMAN ENERGY are registered trademarks of Chevron Intellectual Property LLC. © 2009 Chevron Corporation. All rights reserved.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
www.diversityjournal.com
plus
From Chief Diversity Leaders
Perspectives ThoughtLeaders African-American Heritage
www. d i v e r si ty j o u r n a l . co m