Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 47)

33,800 employees globally and global headquarters in Chicago, has implemented an enterprise-wide diversity and action-planning process. Each service line and business unit has a robust diversity and inclusion action plan, Thurman said. The company also has established an advocacy program for women and minorities in the ofﬁce pipeline. “We have also reorganized our Diversity Council to make it more actionfocused and have devised a number of educational tools for management to learn how diversity and inclusion both impacts and beneﬁts business,” Thurman said. Thurman said the ﬁrm wants to be the employer of choice for diverse talent in the real estate industry, and that aspiration is the driving force behind a multiyear, multiphase plan to nurture a diverse and inclusive culture. Current diversity-friendly programs in the Americas include same-sex domestic-partner beneﬁts, ﬂexible work arrangements and educational assistance. Jones Lang LaSalle also is partners with The Posse Foundation, that recruits and trains student leaders in public high schools to form multicultural teams known as “Posses.” Further, Jones Lang LaSalle supports The Robert A. Tiogo Foundation, that encourages minority students to consider ﬁnance careers. “As we consider our employees, we have to create and maintain a culture that allows everyone to be unique and different while still feeling valued,” Thurman said. “Our clients consistently ask us for new, innovative solutions, which means we have to be open to new ideas. One of the important ways to get new ideas is to seek and value different perspectives.” Jones Lang LaSalle’s diversity goals complement Thurman’s personal passion for the subject, he said. “I think I can make a difference within Jones Lang LaSalle while also creating lasting opportunities for others in the future,” he said. – Elizabeth Lisican What Metrics Should I Use to Measure the Impact of Diversity and Inclusion? Marshette Turner Executive Director International Trade Bureau, RainbowPUSH Coalition Marshette Turner, national director of the International Trade Bureau (ITB) of RainbowPUSH Coalition, is driven primarily by three forces: her faith, her desire to help others meet their full potential and an innate business savvy she said she inherited from her mother. The ITB is the business arm of civil, social and human rights organization the RainbowPUSH Coalition, which is headquartered in Chicago. “The focus of the department is to assist minority- and women-owned businesses trying to do business with large corporations,” Turner said. Turner said her organization’s business strategy is best described in its mission statement, which reads: “The ITB strives to assist minority- and women-owned businesses in their efforts to access business opportunities, and to promote fairness and inclusion in the corporate community. The ITB, through research, education and partnership, encourages companies to form mutually beneﬁcial business relationships that embrace inclusion as a means of growth.” See what diversity leaders are saying, and join the conversation on the Diversity Executive Network, a community dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in today’s organizations. diversity-executive. com/network http://diversity-executive.com/network http://diversity-executive.com/network

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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