Deanna Hartley's Page

OK, if you’re like me and your guilty pleasure is to keep abreast of all things Hollywood, then you’ve probably noticed the ire of myriad individuals toward the “New Hollywood” issue of Vanity Fair. Apparently, the magazine features nine up-and-coming starlets, such as Anna Kendrick from “Up in the Air” and Kristen Stewart from the “Twilight” series. There’s just one catch, though: Critics note that there is simply no diversity in the group of women that was eventually selected and that… Continue

I just finished working on an article for Talent Management magazine on the appropriateness of workplace romances and when managers should get involved. There were a few interesting tidbits, found in a recent Workplace Options study, that I’d like to share in this blog. First, the study found discrepancies in the way that the different generations in today’s workplace perceive and engage in office romances. For instance, wh… Continue

Not too long ago, I sat across the table from Magic Johnson. But what was even more exciting and inspiring to me than being in the presence of one of the most widely recognized sports legends was the message he and his new business partner — Leonard McLaughlin, president of Aon Cornerstone Innovative Solutions — were propagating. I don’t want to give everything away here because we have an exciting upcoming Diversity Executive e-newsletter article outlining this news, but what I can divulge is… Continue

I have about a three-and-a-half-hour commute to work and back each day — which gives me plenty of time to be observant of my surroundings (particularly on the days I forget my iPod!). I take public transportation, which allows me to run into my other regular traveling companions on a daily basis. Among them are a handful of individuals who are blind, yet are perfectly comfortable and require no assistance to accomplish everyday tasks, regardless of how seemingly complex they are. Of course, my… Continue

I was chatting with a friend recently about something that peeved her at work. A male colleague of hers made an offhand comment or joke referencing African-Americans within earshot of my friend, who happens to be one, and she — rightly so — took offense to her co-worker’s insensitivity. Could the gentleman have thought his remark would not penetrate his cubicle walls? Perhaps. Could he have been just plain ignorant and not known the comment was racist? It’s probable. Or it may just be that his… Continue