Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 64)

MAGIC continued from page 57 “There’s a lot of people out of work all over the country. It’s time for us to really put minorities to work, and we have to train them to do those jobs and we’re going to do just that.” On the subject of diversity, Johnson said there is no need for a speciﬁc philosophy around the subject at Magic Johnson Enterprises because that’s what he’s been about from the beginning. “If you look at my ofﬁce, the 30 or so people that work there, they’re all minorities except one. And for the people we hire across the country, it’s the same thing. We’ve always believed in minorities, so diversity for us is something to live by. That’s who we are, and that’s how and why I built my company: to give minorities who have been overlooked in “They believe in what we’re doing in urban America. They believe in growth opportunities within the company. That’s it in a nutshell,” he said. “There’s growth potential for them, and they are affecting the community, basically, that they grew up in. It’s also a great learning curve for them. The people who work inside Magic Johnson companies get to rub elbows with the brightest and the best from other corporations.” Many thought leaders and practitioners in the diversity and inclusion space have commented on the lack of progress in the industry in the 20 or more years since the issue ﬁrst entered business conversations. That might be related to a disconnect between a belief in the value of diversity and tangible actions to carry it into practice, Johnson said. “There’s a lot of lip service out there about diversity, but I get upset when I don’t see companies really believing it, executing on it and making sure the employees buy off on it as well. It’s not just putting somebody in the diversity role. It’s actually doing something about it. “There’s contracts for vendors and suppliers, making sure there’s advancement for those who deserve it and have earned it and making sure you have enough minorities working inside your company — and not just anybody, but minorities who are qualiﬁed.” With an expanding list of businesses under the Magic Johnson Enterprises umbrella, Johnson said he plans to focus his energy on sustaining the viability of his various companies. “My model in ’09 is to grow the business that we have. I’m not looking to take on anything else right now. I’m looking forward to growing what we already have, which can be unbelievable — and a lot — so that’s where I have everyone’s mind set: to get ready for the ﬁrst quarter of next year,” Johnson said. “We’ve always believed in minorities, so diversity for us is something to live by. That’s who we are, and that’s how and why I built my company.” – Magic Johnson, Chairman and CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises corporate America that opportunity to be presidents and vice presidents. They already have the skill sets; it’s just giving them the opportunity to work and letting them do what they’ve been trained to do through their college educations and backgrounds in private corporate America. “If you look at the contracts we have with different companies, whether it’s cleaning our buildings or some of the line contracts, we always look for minority vendors. Diversity for us is a way of life.” Johnson said he has been able to recruit for his organization without much effort because potential candidates believe in the brand and the company’s mission. “It’s unfortunate we still have to talk about [diversity]. This should be something that is just a part of what we do. Diversity is a plus for everybody. It’s a plus for those who will be employed. It’s a plus for those who get the contracts. It’s a plus for the corporations that hire them or that give them those contracts. “Hopefully, in the next ﬁve years or so we won’t have to talk about it like this. It will just be a natural thing, that, ‘Hey, these people do a great job. They deserve to have this opportunity, and it’s just a part of business.’ People better look up because it’s going to have to be. “The minority community is growing seven times that of the general population. In the next 20-30 years, or 20-40 anyway, half of America will be minorities. Companies and corporations have to look at it now. They can’t wait until then or they will be behind.” « 64 Diversity Executive | www.diversity-executive.com | November/December 2008 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

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.