IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016 - 26

Uprooting the Culture

The authors readily acknowledge that while diversity may be
better for business, it's not all sunshine and ponies. Interacting
with people from different backgrounds also has the potential
to generate mistrust, resentment, and conflict.
"The amount of diversity ... is often limited by structural
factors and psychological forces that produce bias-even when
that bias is unintentional," the researchers explain.
There's where company leaders must step in. It's not
enough to hit corporate quotas. "You don't get the benefits
[of diversity] if you don't manage it effectively," Galinsky says.
Sometimes that takes a little marketing, or as the researchers
call it, framing. By highlighting how diversity policies benefit
both minority and majority team members, companies can
minimize resistance and increase support.

From the
Outside In
Share the story. Publicize the firm's diversity efforts
far and wide. Jan Harmon, director of human resources,
HOK, Los Angeles, California, USA, suggests that as part of
the firm's diversity and inclusion culture, it is important to
communicate diversity goals and initiatives to employees
and to share the initiatives with existing and potential clients
through a variety of channels. "If we are true to the culture
we are trying to create, it will become evident to everyone
that this is who we are."
Make it personal. Brand collateral should be as diverse
as its design teams. Make sure the company's website, case
studies, and marketing materials reflect its diversity.
Get out there. Gabrielle Bullock, IIDA, FAIA, NOMA,
LEED AP BD+C, director of global diversity and principal,
Perkins+Will, Los Angeles, California, USA, stays active in
industry organizations, including the National Organization
of Minority Architects. "It's the student and community
outreach that helps build the pipeline for a more racially
diverse profession," she says.
Demonstrate diversity. "You have to engage the client
all the time and put forth a team that connects with their
needs," Bullock says. "Show them that you value diversity
and can put together a team that's not cookie-cutter."

Do your homework. Potential or existing clients
may ask about the firm's diversity and inclusion efforts.
"Companies should be prepared to provide genuine and
meaningful responses to these questions," Harmon says.

perspective

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Photo by: (previous page) Foodcollection RF/getty images; (above) Hoxton/Tom Merton

Creating a culture of diversity and inclusion
within a design firm is one challenge; communicating that commitment to potential and existing clients, as well as potential employees, is another.
Each requires a strategy.

Any real effort at diversity starts with recruiting. Galinsky
and his colleagues found that "underrepresented individuals
often forgo opportunities with organizations they deem
unwelcoming." For example, the report pointed to the use
of masculine language (e.g., dominant, competitive) in job
ads, saying it lowers the appeal for women, not because
they lack the skills, but because they feel they don't belong.
Companies need to ensure recruiting materials and job
postings aren't unfairly targeted toward specific groups.
HOK relies on a multilayered recruiting strategy. "We
get multiple viewpoints on a hiring selection, and we look for
candidates willing to share their points of view in a diverse
work environment," says Tom Polucci, IIDA, AIA, LEED GA,
senior principal and director of interior design at HOK, New
York, New York, USA.
Once employees are on board, designers must build
an environment where all those wide-ranging ideas and
experiences are not only heard, but actively integrated into
decision-making.
"Creating a culture of diversity requires leaders to develop
a level of knowledge, intimacy, and vulnerability to bring a
wealth of different people with different backgrounds and
experiences to solve problems," Smith explains.
A company can meet-and even exceed-its diversity
goals, but that in and of itself isn't enough, says Steve Larson,
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA-based senior director of
diversity and inclusion at TIAA. "You need an inclusive culture."
In such a workplace, people are comfortable being
themselves, feel valued, and have opportunities to be engaged
and involved, he says. Diversity is the mix of people; inclusion
is making sure the mix works.
Without that cultural transformation, the loudest voice in
the room can end up taking over. Often, it's the male voice.
It happens-even to someone like Gabrielle Bullock, IIDA,
FAIA, NOMA, LEED AP BD+C, director of global diversity
and principal at Perkins+Will, Los Angeles, California, USA.
She recalls a design review meeting where one of her ideas
was ignored. Yet, when a male team member made a similar
suggestion, it captured the team's attention.
Backed by the company's commitment to inclusion, Bullock
felt comfortable addressing the issue and emailed the offender
after the meeting. "There is still a lot of bias around diversity,
and we want our team to feel confident addressing these kinds
of situations," she says. "It takes time to break down traditional
hierarchical boundaries, but it's worth it. When we emphasize
diversity, our ideas are richer and our work is better."
Whether the firm is handling interior design for the Princess
Nora bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
or a predominantly African-American high school in Atlanta,
Georgia, USA, diversity is just good business sense. "As a global
design firm that works all over the world, we should mirror the
societies and the clients we serve," Bullock says.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2016