Diversity is more than "paint by numbers"
I'm surprised at how many times organizations focus primarily on the numbers. It's like there is the approach to have one of everything and magically, you're an inclusive organization. "Just look at the numbers". Diversity and Inclusion is more than just the numbers. It's the enviroment, approach/interface with customers, etc. In my mind, metrics reflect the outcome of the work to create a more diverse and inclusive organization.
Are you experiencing conversations that still focus primarily on the numbers? More importantly, how do you balance the quantitative with the qualitative?
Are you experiencing conversations that still focus primarily on the numbers? More importantly, how do you balance the quantitative with the qualitative?
Tags: environment, inclusion, metrics, numbers
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bernard J. McGovern on -
Our organization is truely global, with partners, vendors and employees from all over the world, and representative of all functions and levels. While a US company, our business partners are increasingly non-US. The number of non-native, non english-as-a-first culture & language is dramatic. The numbers do not tell us anything about the levels and capacity to effectively communicate across borders and across cubicle walls when backgrounds are vastly different. EEO-1 data doesn't give me a sense of "are we communicating well" or is there a clear operating respect and understanding when persons of other backgrounds communicate. We all know too well that there are the nay-sayers and xenophobic staffers that make cruel and biased comments about not understanding the speaker because of the language or idiom - instead of finding ways to connect. And how often does manaagement ask HR or their managers about the abilities of a variety of people to be "working together well" and what can be done to be more accommodating. I agree with Jeanetta that it is the outcomes that matter - but what are the right things to measure?
What comes to mind are numbers and types of people and groups that interact smoothly when there are language, time zone and culture differences. What do they tell us about our organizations? Also, what about the inter-generational references? Do they mix - I mean office wise socially - so that culture and skills can be transmitted and employees can be mentored? How about the feeling among the gay and straight communities in our companies? Even if we don't have affinity groups - is there a smooth mixing of people and collaboration? What is the social culture and how do we try to take the temperature on a daily basis? We are not going to hear about the "outcomes" of these matters until they become "issues" and there are folks to blame, or feelings hurt, or key people fail to stay or are hard to recruit.
We need a new language to speak about this and drive it into the management ranks and see it expressed in the rank and file. Then, the numbers might not matter.
Bernie
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