Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 19)

iversity champions and practitioners are by and large an optimistic lot. They do the work because they believe it can make positive changes in their organizations and in society. But even the most ardent diversity leaders get frustrated when it seems like, despite all their efforts, diversity management concepts have not become an integral consideration in business decisions. Rarely is there a single cause for a failed diversity initiative, but one group that often gets a large share of the blame is middle management. Senior leaders may “get it.” They may serve on diversity councils and champion employee networks and mentor women or minorities. Rank-andﬁle employees may be active in employee networks and on task forces, but it’s often middle managers who drag their feet. D 4. Build diversity and inclusion into every people-related management process and tool so dealing with it is unavoidable. Some companies favor one approach over the others, but all are necessary to motivate middle managers to spend time and energy promoting diversity. Research suggests both stand-alone awareness training and skills training embedded in other courses are important. ORC conducted a study this past summer and found companies that scored well on a number of different measures of diversity management success tended to be those that offered stand-alone diversity awareness training, as well as other kinds of training — such as cross-cultural and microinequities training. The term “microinequities” refers to the seemingly small and usually unconscious ways people communicate disrespect for others: looking at your watch while someone is speaking, for example, or frequently interrupting certain people in meetings. Microinequities training helps people recognize and correct these behaviors and often provides the “ah ha” moments that bring diversity and inclusion concepts home to middle managers (Figure 1). Stressed Middle Managers What’s wrong with middle managers? For starters, they arguably are the most stressed employees in modern organizations. Their By Michal Fineman and numbers, and the numbers of employees under them, have Liz MacGillivray decreased. At the same time, enterprise-wide technology systems have allowed more administrative work, such as compensation planning, to be pushed onto their desktops. They’re being asked to do more Build a Better Business Case with fewer resources, and they’re pulled by the expectations The business case for diversity and inclusion often is articuof their subordinates and pushed by pressure from senior lated in big-picture, generic terms. Typical arguments rely on leaders. This shapes diversity as just another little-used cor- the importance of attracting the best and brightest to work for the company, the fear of a future talent shortage, the suporate mandate that takes time away from “real work.” perior capacity for innovation inherent in a diverse workThe reason middle managers are so harried is the same rea- force or the purchasing power of diverse markets. son lack of support from them can stall a diversity initiative: They are the lynchpins of the business. Middle managers Middle managers may acknowledge the truth of these claims turn strategies and long-term plans into day-to-day, execut- but may not ﬁnd them compelling enough to change their beable tasks. They also pass on messages from higher-ups to havior. Worse, they may question the assumptions on which ﬁrst-line supervisors and the rank and ﬁle. And the way the statements are based. When a manager is sorting through middle managers interpret and communicate these messages 300 resumes for every job opening, for example, he may ﬁnd it has a huge inﬂuence on how employees receive them. Which difﬁcult to believe he will be at a disadvantage if he doesn’t make messages are seen as credible and important, and which are greater efforts to reach out to a more diverse talent market. deemed safe-to-ignore corporate speak, depends in large part To motivate middle managers, the business case needs to speak on middle managers’ reactions. directly to the issues they struggle with every day. “How will doing all of this diversity stuff help me solve my problems?” Answering such questions requires a deep understanding of Overcoming Resistance From the Middle Several strategies can be employed to win middle manag- the middle managers’ job and challenges. Ask middle managers what their most pressing problems are. Once diversity executives ers’ support: 1. Engage them through training and awareness building. 2. Build a business case that speaks directly to their needs. 3. Hold them accountable for modeling diversity behavior and accomplishing diversity-related objectives. On the Web How have you broken through middle management roadblocks? Share your stories at diversity-executive.com/roadblock. Diversity still is an afterthought in many organizations and is likely to remain so unless companies can fully engage and gain the support of one powerful workforce group: middle managers. November/December 2008 | www.diversity-executive.com | Diversity Executive 19 http://www.diversity-executive.com http://www.diversity-executive.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity Executive - November 2008

Diversity Executive - November 2008 Editor’s Letter Contents Leadership Connections Guest Editorial Diversity Executive Online Middle Management Roadblock ‘Hidden Winds’ Hinder Progress The Domino Effect Supplier Partnerships Unlock Economic Opportunities Measuring Diversity Special Section: Who’s Who in Diversity and Inclusion Dimensions of Difference Overcoming Language Diff erences Business Intelligence: Combating Subtle Discrimination Case Study: Shifting Diversity Into Overdrive Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Strategies

Diversity Executive - November 2008

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