by James O. Rodgers, CMC

Well, it finally happened. I hate to say I told you so. You should have seen it coming. It was predictable. What else did you expect?

What is happening?

If you are like many senior managers, you have discovered that your Diversity initiative is stalled in its tracks. The dream of Inclusion is again deferred. Your quest to Value Differences is foundering. Your enlightened focus on Managing Diversity has lost its support and its luster. Still, the problems you were trying to address remain. Differences are still a productivity-robbing element of your business. Your corporate culture does not yet appreciate diverse perspectives. Your people still feel undervalued and unempowered. Your marketing plans are unfulfilled. Your quality teams are ineffectual. And, your business is woefully unprepared to be a leader in world markets.

The training trap and other missteps
So what happened on the way to the promised land? I can offer a number of observations which may help explain this dilemma.

First, many companies immediately chose to engage in a training-based solution to the issues of difference. Training is certainly an important part of an implementation process. However, it is more effective when presented as part of a more comprehensive change process. It should be a means to an end, not the end itself as is commonly believed and practiced. Training as a part of strategy implementation is designed to create a common understanding of the new expectations and to address the skills needed to thrive in the new culture. That way, it becomes clear to people why they are participating (i.e., to equip themselves to be a part of the organization's future direction). They then have a clear context for the learning and discovery that takes place in the classroom. They are better able to hear the message.

Second, somehow people got confused about what diversity really means. Invariably, when I ask enlightened people to define diversity, they give the correct, broad, inclusive definition that has become popularized by diversity practitioners. That definition clearly applies to everyone and seeks to acknowledge everyone's uniqueness. However, in practice, there seems to be a lapse back into more traditional definitions that tend to resemble the categories of Affirmative Action. The problem, of course, is that an AA mindset evokes negative emotion and reduces the probability that diversity management will be seen as an element of the organization's strategy.

This phenomenon is most obvious when we look at the selection of Diversity Directors (or VPs) and of Diversity Action Councils. It cannot go unnoticed that when many companies fill these roles, either a Black person or a woman is the natural choice (most often it is both). The Diversity Council seems to represent at least one of each visible category of difference. These individuals may be good choices, if they are selected for the right reasons. The right reason, of course is that these persons have the credibility, the skills, and the political connections to drive a strategic initiative and/or contribute to the success of the strategy (see Getting the Best From Your Diversity Action Council - MD August 1994). Any other reason sends the wrong signal to the organization and may in fact jeopardize the effectiveness of the strategy.

Third, many organizations have not elevated Diversity Management to a strategic position. It is not being made a part of the fabric of the organization. Leaders are not attending to it as they would an important issue that affects the long term success of the enterprise. Instead, diversity management is seen as a marginal issue; one which must be given some lip service, but is clearly not one of the priority issues for the organization. An attitude creeps into the culture of those companies that says, "Let's hurry up and do this so we get on with real business."

Fourth, (and let me tread lightly), there has been some really unfortunate professional guidance coming from many diversity practitioners (referred to as diversity consultants). Just like quality consultants when quality first became the big rage, when the issue of diversity became popularized, experts were born by the minute. An unsuspecting public was naturally unsure of how to select their expert. So, many experts were selected on the basis that their particular brand of difference (race, gender, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation) made them somehow more competent to provide expert advice on managing differences. The need for skills in organizational improvement was not considered as much. (I suspect that if diversity management were really seen as a strategic issue, more care would have been taken to assess competence). Competence in this arena involves more than a personal sensitivity to the issues. It requires demonstrated skills in facilitation, strategic thinking, project planning, change management, and culture assessment.

Investment in Jeopardy
The results of these approaches are diversity initiatives which are stalled, ineffective, and losing support. Many organizations have invested heavily in diversity initiatives which rely primarily on training. That investment is in serious jeopardy unless those same organizations adopt a more strategic approach right away.

The good news is that many companies are now beginning to rekindle their diversity efforts and to learn from their earlier efforts. Almost without exception, they are adopting a more strategic, comprehensive, integrated approach. That approach recognizes that diversity management is a key element of a company=s formula for success and an essential skill for leadership. As such, diversity management must be given the same level of emphasis as all other strategic issues. The organization must commit to a level of planning, assign its best strategic thinkers to the process, commit resources, assess its culture, measure the progress, and give executive attention to developing an environment where all employees can succeed to the benefit of the organization.

Lay the Foundation First
The process these companies are now using relies more on organizational assessment and change, and less on training their people. The training that is planned is strategic training; that is, it is clearly directed at equipping people to assume a role in the new direction that the organization has mapped out. It includes management skills, marketing perspective, career management, and performance management. Most of the activity, however, is centered around the non-classroom components of culture change. For example, all teams and task forces are deliberately made more diverse to achieve better results. These teams are tracked, their results are documented and communicated throughout the organization. The Diversity Action Council is considered a key strategic committee. They have access to senior leaders; they are empowered to identify and do what is needed to promote the desired culture. Best (internal) practices are identified, highlighted and celebrated. Managers and supervisors are developed and held accountable for results that capitalize on the skills and abilities of all their people. These companies work hard to establish a foundation so that diversity management can become a way of life. Then, and only then, do they provide training that promotes a common understanding of the diversity strategy and develops the skills needed to master diversity management.

What Now
There is a lesson in the experience of the last several years. We have attempted to train people to be more aware and accepting of difference. Meanwhile, we have continued to reward the same old behavior; to manage in the same old way, and to treat diversity management as a marginal issue. Can we really expect to win in a global marketplace if we continue to discount the importance of the individual? Here are a few tips for turning your diversity initiative around:

1. Redefine diversity. It really calls for us to acknowledge and appreciate the individual. It calls for a new paradigm of management; one in which a consistent style (treat everyone the same) must be supplanted with a flexible style (ask and give each person what he/she needs to be productive).
2. Follow the research. There is growing evidence that effective diversity management really pays off. Diverse teams are getting better outcomes than less diverse teams. Companies who have invested in a long term process have significantly better financial results than those who have not. Organizations who have successfully attracted and retained a more diverse employee mix (at all levels) have better stock performance than those who have not. Use this evidence to get broader buy-in for your strategy.
3. Get serious. Be willing to change where needed. Look at the needs of your organization and see how effective people skills will help you meet those needs. Commit to the long haul. This is not a quick fix. It is a new way of life.
4. Use your Diversity Action Council effectively. Select them carefully. Give them clear guidelines and expectations. Provide the necessary resources. And be visible in your support of their efforts.

About the author
James O. Rodgers, CMC is president of The Diversity Coach™., in Lithonia, GA. The CMC designation (Certified Management Consultant) is awarded by the Institute of Management Consultants and represents evidence of the highest standards of consulting and adherence to the ethical canons of the profession. Less than 1% of all consultants have achieved this level of performance. For further information, call 770-482-9452 or visit the company's Web site at www.thediversitycoach.com.