IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2016 - 16

An Action Plan To Engender Diversity

The industry is well-intentioned, but has work to do. Though our
organizations do tend to exhibit a variety of acquired diversity traits-
work style, personality, expertise, etc.-they fall short in terms of
inherent traits like race, ethnicity, and gender. So how do we effect
change and achieve adequate progress? The formation of the IIDA
Diversity Council is a big step forward. But there are actions we can
take on an organizational level to slowly turn the wheel.

1 Initiate discussions about race
In her provocative and engaging TED talk, financier/
philanthropist Mellody Hobson made a compelling
case for business leaders to be "color brave"-
emboldened and enlightened to address the
sensitive issue of racial diversity (or lack thereof).
"Smart companies deal with [race] head on,"
she asserted. "The subject matter can be hard,
awkward, and uncomfortable. We should learn
to be comfortable being uncomfortable."
2 Define diversity for your organization
Every individual has his or her own definition
of diversity, inclusion, and engagement. Thus, it's
vital that firms establish their own definition,
and communicate their vision so staffers can be on
the same page and work toward a common goal.
3 Create and enforce a diversity agenda
Companies diverged when it came to having a
concrete diversity plan or policy in place. Some do,
some don't; those that do don't necessarily follow
through with them. This is a lost opportunity in
more ways than one. Firms and manufacturers find
that clients often inquire about diversity practices
and factor this in when choosing which designer
to hire and what furniture to specify.
4 Make the pie bigger
Only a handful of designers and manufacturers
mentioned that they actively seek out diverse
candidates when recruiting, and very few made it
a top priority. One. because they don't necessarily
view a lack of workplace diversity as a big problem,
and two. because they did feel an urgent need to
recruit and hire "great talent" that is a "cultural fit."
But Bullock pointed out that if we cast the net
wider, we will attract better and more diverse
talent simultaneously. Try reaching out to organizations like the National Organization of Minority
Architects (NOMA) as well as design programs at

Howard University and other historically black
universities, and calling contacts outside your
immediate circle for good leads. Organizing
relaxed, informal networking events are another
way to invite people into your life and organization
who don't look like you.
5 Be inclusive
A key takeaway from the weekend's discussion
was the need to support diversity via inclusive
measures. Hiring a diverse team is not enough. For
diversity to succeed, all employees need to feel safe,
comfortable, and encouraged by managers and
colleagues alike. Leadership needs to know how to
nurture inclusivity, and how to patrol for discrimination both active and passive. A generally tolerant,
liberal attitude is not the same thing as deliberately
going the extra mile to ensure workers of all stripes
feel at home.
6 Go beyond the poster
Use marketing efforts to signal that you support
and embrace diversity. Primo Orpilla, FIIDA,
Principal of O+A, shared his new website design,
which effectively illustrates his firm's multiethnic
makeup. The website showcases everyone-from
designers to the controller-alongside their
responses to a humorous, but insightful Q&A
where their biography would typically reside.
7 Look for opportunities to move
the agenda forward
Building a diverse workforce can be a vexing
challenge, especially for companies not located in
diverse communities, and often takes years. In the
meantime, there's still a lot of other things you can
do to invest in future diversity. Take the long view.
"Find other avenues for change," suggested Stallworth. "Reach beyond what's immediate and look
forward to opportunities where you can make
a change-even if it's to invest in a coffee shop
in your town. That's where growth happens."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2016