Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 21)

bility in their direct reports unless they are given tools and processes to do so. The following people processes might be impacted: • Training and development: Providing access to cross-cultural training programs. • Organizational development: Offering team-building interventions. • International assignment management: Including talent management considerations, such as providing international experience to professionals in the selection process. • Performance management: Including cross-cultural competence among the criteria used to rank or rate performance, along with clear behavioral descriptions. • Development planning: Providing tools that guide managers and employees to resources to develop cross-cultural competency. • Rewards and recognition: Creating awards for crosscultural team performance and providing managers with tools that make it easy to nominate employees. There is no easy way to overcome middle management resistance to diversity initiatives. It takes time to build trust in the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and it takes a coordinated effort to bring all the necessary elements together: diversity and inclusion training, a clear business case addressing middle managers concerns, evaluation and recognition of middle managers’ diversity performance, and tools and processes to help inculcate diversity and inclusion principles into middle managers’ day-to-day activities. It may seem like a lot of effort and attention to lavish on one segment of the organization’s population. But the payoff can be great. Georgia-Paciﬁc realized the power of middle management when it implemented ﬂexible work schedules a few years ago. Instead of imposing a one-size ﬁts all program, developers listened to plant managers’ business concerns and designed a program that not only beneﬁted employees but gave managers what they wanted: higher productivity. When managers saw the program responded to their needs, they embraced it, swiftly implemented it and won Georgia-Paciﬁc a Catalyst Award in the process. Middle managers can be a proxy for the entire organization. If their hearts can be won, their minds convinced and their energies engaged, a powerful force for change will be unleashed. « Michal Fineman is a senior consultant in ORC Worldwide’s human capital practice. Elizabeth MacGillivray, an ORC senior consultant, chairs the Global Diversity Forum, a network of 45 multinational companies that meets to discuss global diversity and equality strategies, trends and developments. They can be reached at editor@diversity-executive.com. ‘Hidden Winds’ Hinder Progress A barrage of nearly invisible impediments can slow the progress and momentum of highly qualified women and minorities, but there are tools that can help deal with these hidden biases or obstacles in the workplace. “There are these hidden forces like the wind in organizational settings. Some people experience tailwinds, which push them faster in their careers, while others — with equal levels of ability and personal commitment — are running into the wind constantly,” said Terrence Simmons, CEO and managing partner of Simmons Associates Inc., a consulting firm specializing in leadership, diversity and inclusion management. Dr. Sylvia Hewlett, an economist and founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy, said hidden biases in the workplace may emerge in something as seemingly innocuous as a hand gesture, an accent or a certain tone of voice, things that can mark someone as different. The results are often negative biases that she said are very hard to change. “For African-American women, it’d be very easy to be seen as too loud and to be seen as a troublemaker, [whereas] for Asian women, you didn’t have any leadership potential because you’d be too soft-spoken,” she said. “It is very hard for minority women to hit [the] right balance.” The consequences of these hidden roadblocks can take a toll on the individual, as well as the organization. Unless employers are aware of the impact hidden [biases] have, they likely will fail to make merit-based decisions about advancement and other opportunities, which leaves the organization with a system that can demotivate its best performers, Simmons said. However, few employers have the awareness, skill or confidence to broach the subject, Simmons explained. To make matters worse, women and minorities experiencing the bias firsthand often are hesitant to explain to superiors that these subtleties, also called microinequities, may be getting in the way of their success. “Deep down, there may be thoughts that this is a subtle form of racism or sexism, but when those words are used, you’re now playing the race card or gender card,” Simmons said. “There’s a real problem even getting to the issue, coming up with solutions and getting past these barriers.” This is where open communication comes in. “If everybody understands the concept that hidden winds are operating, that enables all parties to communicate openly without using charged words like ‘racism,’ ‘sexism,’ ‘homophobia,’ ‘ageism’ or whatever,” Simmons said. “The idea is to be able to say, ‘I think I see a vector operating between us in our team or company,’ and that allows people to stop and think about it and see the issue in a much more analytical, rather than an emotional, way.” – Deanna Hartley 21

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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