Local minority business owner wins prestigious award
Dr. Shirley Davis (left), recently won Toastmaster International’s Golden Gavel award. Photos provided. Published on August 27, 2022 By Mark Parker Dr. Shirley Davis has many monikers – global workforce expert, bestselling author and successful business owner, to name a few – and can now add Golden Gavel Award recipient to the list. During an Aug. 20 ceremony in Nashville, Toastmasters International presented the Tampa resident with its most prestigious honor. The organization awards the Golden Gavel to just one person annually, and Davis joins an illustrious group of past honorees such as Dr. Joyce Brothers, Walter Cronkite and Zig Ziglar. Founded in 1924, Toastmasters is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. It boasts over 300,000 members in 149 countries and has presented the Golden Gavel to distinguished communicators and trailblazers since 1959. “It’s amazing; it’s exciting, and I’m still pinching myself,” said Davis. “But what it really means for me is that all of the work that I’ve put in over my last 35 years in corporate America has come full circle in being appreciated and recognized because it has had so much impact on so many people around the world.” Davis is the president and CEO of Tampa-based SDS Global Enterprises, a female and minority-owned C-Corporation. According to its website, SDS provides developmental solutions that enable leaders to create high-performing and inclusive cultures. While her clients span the world, SDS Global works with several local companies, including Raymond James, Vinik Sports Group and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Davis, president and CEO of Tampa-based SDS Global Enterprises, is also an acclaimed author. Through her previous experience as a chief diversity & inclusion officer for several Fortune 100 companies, Davis has offered her insights to business leaders in over 30 countries on five continents. Published by Wiley Press in January, her latest book, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Dummies, has reached best-seller lists. Davis also penned Living Beyond “What If?,” published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers in August 2021. She has served as a featured expert on several nationally broadcast TV shows and has written for prominent publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. She made the cover of Oprah Winfrey’s magazine, O, earlier this year – a particularly proud moment for Davis. While she called the recognition “wonderful” as it highlights her work’s importance, Davis relishes the increased opportunities to share her message. “About how we have to truly change our mindsets and our attitudes and behaviors as leaders because the world around us is changing,” she said. “And I’m seeing too many companies that I’m working with that are hiring our firm, whose leaders are not as inclusive. They’re not as effective working across differences.” While many leaders throughout the country have recently increased diversity and inclusion efforts, Davis said much work remains to create opportunities and parity. She noted that some clients are just now increasing their funding of female and minority-owned businesses, and one of the most significant challenges for those demographics is just getting noticed. Women and minorities, said Davis, are often overlooked because people in power tend to only provide opportunities to friends and colleagues that provide a sense of familiarity. “And if they don’t happen to know a lot of minority-owned businesses,” she added. “Then they don’t usually give us the opportunity.” Diversity and inclusion extend far beyond race and gender, Davis stressed, and encompasses many underrepresented groups. These include seniors, non-native English speakers, people from low-income backgrounds or even someone with an introverted personality in an office full of extroverts. “We’ve got a lot more work to do in educating everyone that this is about engaging with all talent and all workers,” she said. As the pandemic caused a shift to remote and hybrid work, business leaders must also modify employee engagement techniques. She added that at the core of those significant changes is ensuring people not seen as much in the workplace still feel included and valued. Workers, explained Davis, are increasingly leaving their jobs due to feeling overwhelmed and experiencing burnout. She said those participating in the “Great Resignation” typically thought they were undervalued and lacked opportunities to grow and develop. Many companies, she added, have recently increased salaries and attempted to address those issues. However, she said owners need to not only pay their employees a fair and equitable wage that aligns with the increased cost of living, but they also need to treat them with the highest level of respect and dignity. “And the last piece of that is the company’s culture,” said Davis. “They’ve got to know what distinguishes them from other companies that their companies are leaving to go to.” Despite her recent accomplishments – Inclusion magazine also inducted her into its Hall of Fame this year – Davis said she would continue her mission of bettering corporate environments for underrepresented populations in earnest. She said much work remains to ensure leaders follow up their talks of increasing diversity, equity and inclusion with quantifiable results. She also plans to write another book and work on a documentary. “I’ve got so many great opportunities, and I’m just going to ride the wave out and continue to do everything I do,” said Davis. “I’m just glad that was a natural output of the work that’s been so impactful.”
How Workers Should Prepare For the Job Market in 2022
One of the most dramatic storylines to come out of 2021 was the unprecedented state of the labor market. America learned terms like “the Great Resignation” and “the Big Quit.” Businesses that were eager to reopen after pandemic shutdowns couldn’t hire enough staff to meet the demand, no matter how much they offered to pay. Corporations across the country doled out big signing bonuses and imaginative benefits to average applicants.
How to Realize the Benefits of Inclusive Leadership
Dr. Davis’s recently published article on Fast Company can be viewed here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90683353/how-to-realize-the-benefits-of-inclusive-leadership Implicit bias training has seen a significant uptick in the past year following the national and international calls for greater justice, equity, and inclusion. I know this firsthand because my firm has been flooded with hundreds of requests from clients wanting their entire leadership teams and general staff to go through it. The core message of implicit bias training is that all humans have it as a built-in safety and survival mechanism. Our brains are hardwired to be biased but when left unchecked, it can have a negative impact on everyday interactions and decisions, especially in the workplace. But simply being aware that we all have biases does not let us off the hook. That matters more than ever because the workforce and the marketplace have become more global, multicultural, multigenerational, and hyper-connected. On top of that, they all bring differing needs, expectations, and ways of thinking, working, and doing business. The ability to lead more effectively across differences is a key lever for attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent, driving innovation and creativity, as well as expanding into new markets, and serving new customers and clients. In addition to implicit bias training, in the last 18 months alone, my consulting firm has conducted nearly 100 listening sessions, and more than 50 inclusion and employee engagement surveys and focus groups, and the results have been consistent across industries, sectors, and company sizes. Workers expect their employers to: value diversity, equity, and inclusion want their leaders to be authentic, walk the talk and live the company values have the opportunity to grow their knowledge and acquire new skills work flexibly and have more autonomy in how they work be paid fairly and competitively work in a ‘safe-to-speak” culture where their ideas and opinions can be shared without fear of retaliation be recognized and appreciated And they report that if they don’t get it, they are willing to walk away. Today that threat has become real. The U.S. job market is slowly recovering by adding thousands of new jobs, while at the same experiencing the Great Resignation, where workers are quitting their jobs in record numbers. In June alone, 3.9 million people said “I quit” which was slightly down from the nearly 4 million who quit in April. In a recent Monster.com survey, 95% of 650 U.S. workers said they were thinking of quitting their jobs. The main reasons for quitting are very aligned with what our firm heard from workers in listening sessions and focus groups—they are experiencing increased burnout, work-related stress, a lack of development and growth opportunities, low wages and poor benefits, lack of flexible work, and toxic workplace cultures. Wait, there’s more. The 2021 Work Trend Index report conducted by Microsoft a few months ago studied more than 30,000 people in 31 countries. It revealed some startling findings that should be a warning to all leaders. Five that stood out to me because of the consulting work we’re doing with clients around the world include: more than 40% of the global workforce is contemplating leaving their current employer this year flexible work is here to stay leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wake-up call authenticity will spur productivity and well-being high productivity is masking an exhausted workforce Wow, talk about having some work to do to re-engage, re-energize, and retain existing talent. This is a clear and compelling business case and a loud cry for more inclusive leadership. Successful organizations recognize that in order to attract top talent, increase employee engagement and job satisfaction, drive innovation and creativity, and enhance the customer service experience, they must cultivate an inclusive workplace culture. And that begins and ends with inclusive leadership. It cannot be a nice to do, it must be intentional and a continuous development process. While culture is everyone’s responsibility, leaders set the tone. I call them “thermostats” in the company because they set the temperature and create the atmosphere that workers experience. In my 30 years in human resources, I’ve seen more often that people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad leaders and toxic workplaces. Many of the reasons listed above of why workers quit or plan to can be avoided/recovered by having inclusive leaders. I get it. Being an inclusive leader is not as easy as it sounds. Inclusive leadership is much more than having a title, giving a hug, and being nice. It requires a paradigm shift, an openness to different ways of doing things, leaning into some discomfort, and demonstrating the courage to embrace the unfamiliar. Many leaders have neither the basic foundational knowledge about inclusive leadership nor an idea of what workers expect in their leaders today (they are out of touch, as the Microsoft study revealed). Employees are demanding, at the very least, that our workplaces be more inclusive, welcoming, and respectful, that they create a sense of belonging, and are free from harassment. For some companies with legacy cultures and others that have existed for more than a century, this is an extremely hard change management process. But it’s necessary. Therefore, every leader should upskill and develop new competencies that will do those three things: re-engage, re-energize, and retain their workers. They must be intentional about valuing diversity and inclusion. Intentionality can include listening attentively to understand others’ perspectives and points of view and creating safe and brave spaces for staff to feel comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of retaliation. Instead of using the same person(s) to carry out tasks and special projects, they need to intentionally spread opportunities around. And it means not only inviting more diversity to the table but soliciting diverse perspectives and ideas. When they observe or hear something that is inappropriate, insensitive, or insulting, they speak up and call it out. These daily acts of intentionality can go a long way to foster trust and belonging. Additionally, leaders must increase their level of cultural competence, which can begin with a self-assessment and
Want Better Sales Performance, Increase DEI Commitment
The workforce and the marketplace continue to experience dramatic demographic shifts that include more women, BIPOCs, and younger workers (e.g., Millennials and Gen Z) to name a few. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 78% of sales people are white. Women make up 50% of the U. S. workforce but only 39% of the sales workforce, and only 19% of leadership positions in sales. This lack of representation across gender, race, ethnicity, and other demographics can send a strong message that certain people are not welcomed in the sales profession. As President of SDS Global Enterprises, a global workforce and culture transformation consulting firm, we’re experiencing a significant increase in outreach from companies needing help in attracting more diverse talent and building a more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming workplace culture where ALL talent can thrive. Many of them are in Sales and Marketing (especially in pharmaceutical, financial services, sports, real estate, and technology) and they admit that they have a “diversity problem” [or lack of diversity]. Their sales forces are dominated by white men, and they know that they are not reflective of the changing demographics, their customers, or the communities in which they do business. The question you may be asking is “why is this important to them now?” I asked the same question because it’s always been an important business issue. I’ve been in the Human Resources and DEI field for over 20 years and as a Chief D & I Officer I’ve been pushing the business benefits of DEI in every company I worked. However, it was not always met with support, or the belief that DEI has an impact on the bottom line. But today, it couldn’t be more be a more clear and compelling case. Sure, the international protests and calls for greater equity, inclusion and justice following the murder of George Floyd increased the focus on DEI. So did the significant disparities and/or lack of access to health care, education, socio-economic and job opportunities that were revealed during the global pandemic equally contribute to the recognition that we have a DEI problem. But before these incidences, the business case was still compelling. Just look at the buying power of people of color and millennials, which is well over $4 trillion annually. According to Catalyst, a global consulting firm for women in the workplace, women controlled an estimated $31.8 trillion (USD) in consumer spending in 2019. For sales and marketing firms to overlook this reality would be a “going out of business strategy.” If this isn’t compelling enough look at the studies that reveal the impact of DEI. Studies from the Harvard Business Review, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey and Company show diversity has a strong correlation with organizational performance. McKinsey’s most recent report, “Diversity Wins: How inclusion matters,” revealed that organizations with diversity of gender are 25% more likely to be more profitable than their peers. It also shows that organizations with diversity of ethnicity are 36% more likely to be more profitable than their peers. The World Economic Forum’s report “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 4.0” suggests that companies with diverse employees have “up to 20% higher rate of innovation and 19% higher innovation revenues.” Similarly, the Boston Consulting Group revealed in its 2018 study on How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation that increasing the diversity of leadership teams leads to more and better innovation and improved financial performance. In both developing and developed economies, companies with above-average diversity on their leadership teams report a greater payoff from innovation and higher EBIT margins. Moreover, sales and marketing organizations want to attract top talent; they want to innovate and solve complex problems; they want to increase market share through a positive customer experience; and they want to drive sustainable performance. These are compelling enough reasons to embrace DEI as a business strategy, so no more asking “Why is it important?” or “What’s the business case?” The real questions now are “What can we do about it?” “How can we realize the value of DEI in our sales and marketing teams?” Here are a few tips and strategies you can implement: Adopt hiring practices and strategies to attract underrepresented sales professionals. Yes, they are out there. Cast your net wide and target organizations, colleges/universities, and events that cater to a high percentage of diverse members, students, and attendees. Don’t assume that you have to lower your standards or hire less qualified salespeople just because you are seeking more diversity. This tends to be the proverbial response when recruiting diverse talent and it is rooted in privilege and bias. Assume that talent comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, backgrounds, gender, and ethnicities. Review your job descriptions for sales and marketing positions to ensure that they contain inclusive language such as salesperson vs salesman. Avoid descriptions that tend to appeal to men versus women such as “aggressive” “competitive,” or “expert,” and when describing the tasks of the ideal candidate, use “S/he” or “you,” versus “He should possess…” Provide additional training such as Behavioral Interviewing, Emotional Intelligence, Unconscious Bias, and Cultural Competence to all sales staff, especially those who will be conducting the interviews and making the hiring decision. This will help to minimize the tendency to hire others like themselves, to avoid asking illegal and inappropriate interview questions, to be aware of how biases can play out in the workplace and in providing service to customers and clients, and how to foster a culture of inclusion, belonging, and respect. Embed DEI into your values and hold leaders accountable for living them out every day. Provide mentoring, coaching, and other forms of development for all new hires and ensure that their onboarding and orientation process gives them a level playing field and sets them up for success. Encourage diversity of thought and ensure that all opinions and perspectives are valued. It’s clear that sales and marketing organizations can no longer ignore the fact that the demographic shifts will continue to disrupt the workplace, the work, and the workers. They must commit to DEI
Unconscious Bias and Its Impact in the Workplace
I believe this is a very timely, relevant, and necessary topic. Yes, in this current climate, it couldn’t be more important to talk about unconscious bias and its impact in the workplace. Bias is a fact and it is something we all have. It is a part of our human makeup, it’s a part of our brain, and it is how we’re hardwired. It plays out in the workplace and impacts our decision-making everyday interactions. I want to share some strategies and tips with you for how you can address and mitigate your bias, and hopefully become more aware of what yours are so that you can also address them and move from having that unconscious bias to being more inclusive. Global research, as well as our US census data, tells us that right now we’ve got 51% of women in the global workforce and that we also have five generations right now working alongside of each other. There are seven billion people on the planet and, out of those seven billion, at least one in seven people has a disability, visible or invisible. We’re living in the era of disruption and the three Cs, which are accelerated change, overwhelming complexity, and increased competition—as you think about that, the greatest amount of competition that we have is talent. We’ve got different personalities, different communication styles, different needs, backgrounds, expectations, different faiths and different religious beliefs, and different values. We are certainly living in a more global, diverse, hyper-connected, but also multi-generational, multicultural, multiethnic, and now, a much more virtual workplace. I am certainly seeing companies focusing on this more and more, recognizing that the workplace is really complex. Let’s talk a little bit about implicit bias. Implicit bias is defined as an unconscious opinion and it can be positive or negative. I want you to think about some positive examples of bias or unconscious bias. We make decisions all the time, sometimes based on that. Positive stereotype or unconscious opinion are stereotypes, attitudes that we have about people or certain groups of people. Recognize that these messages, these rules, these stereotypes, and these opinions about other people were learned at a very young age and the more that they were reinforced through school and life experiences and the relationships that we had perhaps with our immediate family, but also with our extended family, our friends, our community, our places of worship, and certainly those things that we saw on TV and read in the newspaper and heard on the news. These are all the things that have shaped and formed who we are and they have created what we call “schemas” or “lenses.” The filters and the lenses through which we see the world are some of the non-conscious assumptions that we have simply because they have been reinforced over time through by all of those areas that I just mentioned: learned rules, our families, relationships, community, media, as well as experiences. We know that there’s been messages historically that have been taught from generations and passed on from generation to generation. They become so ingrained into who we are, so subconscious, that we’re not even aware that we have them anymore. I am someone that has been shaped and formed by all of my experiences, all of the messages that I heard, all of the things that I have been taught and read and heard, all of those things now create who I am, so I actually see the world as I am rather than the way the world really is. We believe that the way that we see the world is the way that the world really is. We assume sometimes unconsciously that everybody should see the world the same way. “I see the world out of a red-colored lens and you see the world out of a blue-colored lens and we’re trying to convince each other to see the world, the way that we see the world, when the beauty of all of this is that we get to see the world the way that it really is, but we learn from each other and we broaden our perspectives, we broaden our lenses and our frameworks in which we see the world. That’s how we become more effective at working across difference. But the more that we try to hold on to our differences and the way that we try to make our differences be the reality, be the truth, the more that we isolate people and the more that people feel a bit more excluded.” There are two parts of the brain that inform our decisions, our interactions, and this shapes our ability to truly accept or not accept differences, to truly make great decisions, biased decisions, or unconscious decisions. The amygdala is what I consider the back part of your brain. The amygdala is really where the biases lie. It’s unconscious. This is what we call the “fast brain.” Bias is a quick, snap judgment that we make. It’s a tendency and an inclination that we have to have to be able to interact with the world. Quick responses are important to survive, to be protected from anything harmful and dangerous. That’s where it lies is in our amygdala, in the fast brain, the unconscious. The other part of the brain is the prefrontal neocortex and what brain scientists say is our “slow brain.” This is also what we call the conscientious brain. This is where we are certainly being more reflective, more conscientious, and where we’re slowing down and being more aware of information. This is where we slow down and analytical thinking happens. This is where critical thinking happens because we’re slowing down, we’re processing, and we’re pausing to make a more informed decision. When we’ve got to make those kinds of decisions about people we hire, who our go-to people are, who we pay more, who we pay less, who we promote, what feedback we give to this person or do
There is Still Work to Be Done
It’s an honor to be published in the Tampa Bay Business Journal Jan. 15, 2021. Check out the article here: Companies that promised to review policies in 2020 in the wake of social unrest now face showing results in 2021. If 2020 will be remembered for anything other than the coronavirus, it will be for protests that spread to cities and towns across the nation in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. Months of marches were held in both Tampa and St. Petersburg. While the initial purpose of these marches was to spur government reform regarding policing, calls for equality and racial justice soon spilled over into other facets of life, including entertainment, education and business. Businesses ranging from the largest public companies in Tampa Bay to mom-and-pop stores put out messages of support and pledged to do better. Seven months after the protests began in late May, the organized marches have mostly died down. Progress has been made in some areas, but both sides — advisers and the companies themselves — know there is still plenty of work to be done in 2021 and the months ahead. “There are companies that are forward-thinking companies, and some companies … [that] are doing better but recognize they have a long way to go,” said Shirley Davis of SDS Global Enterprises, a Tampa Bay-based corporation that works with businesses to create more inclusive cultures. “There is still work to be done.” The momentum of the summer is waning a bit, said Cal Jackson, the director of Diversity and Inclusion global programs for Tech Data Corp. “There are still groups that are underrepresented in our organizations and what I feared is starting to happen: It can’t be a news cycle and there are unfortunately, police events that bring things back into the radar.” The slow march of progress Even before 2020, businesses were looking to diversify their ranks — both in leadership and among the workforce — and Tampa Bay was no exception. This has especially been the case when it comes to gender diversity. As of January 2021, 19 of the region’s 20 largest public companies had at least one woman on their board of directors, according to data provided by the companies to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. A majority of the 20 largest public companies had at least one ethnic minority on its board of directors, a group that primarily was comprised of Asian-Americans and African-Americans. But the majority of board members in Tampa Bay are white men, as is most of the leadership at those companies. That might be one possible explanation as to why many Tampa Bay companies tiptoed around this summer’s events and the issues they raised. Only three of the region’s largest public companies — Raymond James, Bloomin’ Brands and Welbilt — released statements concerning the racial unrest over the summer. Only nine of the companies have a diversity policy on their websites. And only a handful of companies have announced actual action taken to improve diversity within their company, such as creating a pledge to the Black community or hiring an executive to oversee diversity and inclusion. “We did an internal promotion… and created a new position: VP of diversity and inclusion, in order to formalize that process,” said Joanne Freiberger of Masonite International, adding that Carlini Rivers took over the position in November. Rivers had been with Masonite since 2016. But most companies have shied away from such actions, and most frustrating to SDS’ Davis are executives who are still unwilling to acknowledge that there are racial issues within the business world, let alone address them. “What’s disappointing is we have too many leaders … who turn this work into a political statement. ‘If we say Black lives matter, then we’re saying all lives don’t matter,’” she said. “We still have people who are resistant to it, who resist it in a way that sabotages and derails the spirit behind it. And regardless of the political, inclusion is a good business strategy.” Moving forward But perhaps that paints a bleaker picture than reality. Talking honestly about race can be a prickly issue that many companies would prefer not to discuss publicly. But Davis said interest in her company’s services has been robust. “I’ve been in this work for 20-something years, I worked in HR for Fortune 500 companies, and in that time frame I have not had that much demand and as many requests as we did in June and July,” she said. “It was amazing and at the same time, it was well overdue.” She said it started with helping companies craft statements during the summer protests, but continued on to holding listening sessions. Davis said she was impressed by the number of organizations that really did want to change how they operated, by conducting diversity audits and committing to making long-term changes. It starts at the top, Jackson said, quoting a story Tech Data CEO Rich Hume told him. “He said, ‘I saw just how our board of directors changed in regard to its dynamics and how they were innovative and their discussions as we put more women and more diversity on the board.’” It is important for companies bringing in formalized D&I practitioners and programs to continue progress in 2021, but the work isn’t just about racial equity, he said. It’s also about building environments of inclusion because that can boost the bottom line, not just promote good corporate citizenry. “We do this in our workplace for organizational effectiveness,” Jackson said. “[This work] decreases attrition, and makes us a progressive company so that we can always get great talent that wants to come work for us.” And, in a strange way, the pandemic has helped to achieve those goals, he continued. “It has pushed us to the realization that we can work and telework and we can have roles everywhere, and that gives us a humongous net that we can throw out now for phenomenal talent and not just based upon the location of where we need people,” he said.
How HR Professionals Can Foster More Inclusive and Innovative Cultures
It’s an honor to be published in IPMA-HR’s November 2020 HR News Publication! Check out the article here: The workforce has become more global, diverse, multicultural, multigenerational, virtual and hyperconnected. As a result, work gets done differently. Also, there is no question that numerous demographic shifts that have occurred over the past decade have disrupted many of our long-standing human resources policies and strategies. The ability of HR leaders to lead their organizations amid these disruptive forces and across differences while fostering more inclusive and innovative work environments in a wide variety of contexts, cultures and complexities will be a key lever for attracting, engaging and retaining top talent. Census data and global workforce studies continue to affirm the following realities: Women make up 51 percent of the global workforce and 60 percent of all degree earners (from associate’s degrees up to doctorates). There are currently five generations in the U.S. workforce. Among the two largest generational cohorts, baby boomers still account for roughly one-third (31 percent) of workers; however, nearly 70 million of the 79 million baby boomers are expected to retire over the next 5-10 years. Aging employees are expected to continue working into and through retirement. Between now and 2050, the portion of people in the workforce who are over the age of 65 is expected to grow by 75 percent. The other largest generational cohort, the millennials, now makes up 50 percent of the workforce. By 2025, millennials’ share of the workforce jumps to 75 percent. By 2017, the oldest members of Generation Z (those born 1996-2010) had entered the workforce. With 7.5 billion people on Earth, 1 in 7 has a disability. In the United States, the minority of today (people of color) will become the majority of tomorrow, making up 54 percent of the workforce by 2030. Of course, there are many other considerations, such as how to be more accommodating and appealing to the LGBTQ+ community, people with various religious beliefs and faiths, our veterans and active duty workers, and many more. We have to consider the diverse needs, expectations, thinking styles, work preferences, communication styles and development needs of a new generation of talent. That includes making changes such as revamping our policies to allow for greater flexibility in work arrangements; upgrading our benefit programs from offering only traditional 401(k) and retirement plans to instituting additional perks such as unlimited vacation time, paying off student loans, offering public transportation passes, gamification, health and wellness programs, onsite daycare, dependent care and long-term care benefits; and much more. It also means expanding our recruiting and selection processes to ensure less-biased decisions are made and our nets are cast wider to attract a more diverse slate of candidates. Additionally, it means offering individual career ladders and unique development opportunities. As HR leaders, we need to know how to navigate this complex and rapidly changing landscape. That means having the right skills and competencies to build more equitable, inclusive and high-performing workplace cultures. Why is this important? Because these kinds of work environments produce higher performance, increase employee engagement, fuel innovation and creativity, increase retention and positively impact the customer service experience. Ultimately, they positively contribute to an organization’s bottom line and result in sustained success. In fact, research cited by Bain & Company revealed that companies that create a winning culture are 3.7 times more likely to be top performers. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to more than 5,000 HR professionals and business leaders around the world over the past year, and these are the kinds of issues that are keeping them up at night. I am often asked, “What is HR’s role in fostering more inclusive and innovative cultures? And what strategies can we implement?” Here are the top 10 tips that I’ve implemented as a former chief diversity officer and HR executive, as well as what I’ve seen bring sustained success in fostering inclusive and innovative workplace cultures. Inclusive cultures afford all talent the opportunity to obtain a seat at the table and to feel a sense of connection and belonging. Make sure that your overperformers are not undervalued—or they will leave. Find the “hidden figures” in your organization who aren’t always the most visible or vocal but who are adding value. Embed diversity and inclusion into your company’s strategic and operating plans, not just the HR strategy. D&I should not be a stand-alone effort or done in a vacuum. Rather, it should be integrated into your organizational DNA. HR must upgrade and digitize. If not, HR will lose the ability to compete and add value because, according to Cisco Systems, nearly 37 billion things are connected right now. Digital transformation—cloud-based HRIS, recruitment solutions, internal communication platforms, workforce engagement—is key for HR’s transformation. Without inclusion, you will not attract top talent. Physical and psychological safety issues will arise, and mental, emotional and physical wellness will suffer, which will lead to complaints, lawsuits, low engagement, high turnover and absenteeism. All of these result in $7 trillion in lost productivity every year, according to Gallup. Think of diversity like an iceberg. Most often, we make 90 percent of our decisions based on the 10 percent of an issue we see. Look at the iceberg accompanying this article. And, yes, we all act according to our biases and make snap decisions within the first 5 seconds. There is so much that makes people unique and diverse that we miss out on because of our blind spots. Learn to take greater risks and get out of your comfort zone. Being risk-averse, rigid and complacent are antithetical to innovating. It’s HR’s strategic role and responsibility to build bench strength and leadership capability inside the organization. HR must also ensure that leaders develop the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that will be needed in the future. This can be done via workforce planning, succession planning and generating predictive analytics. Stop using stock photos to show visible diversity in your company. Do not try to represent something
DEI Experts List First Steps Toward a More Inclusive Workplace
For direct access to this article, visit: https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/dei-experts-list-first-steps-toward-a-more-inclusive-workplace_o DEI Experts List First Steps Toward a More Inclusive Workplace Achieving a diverse, equitable, and inclusive firm will take time. The process, say three DEI consultants, begins with examining your culture. By SHARON STEED, LILY ZHENG, SHIRLEY DAVIS Read what workforce management consultants Sharon Steed, Lily Zheng, and Shirley Davis advise as initial steps for firms striving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Learn Through Listening Sharon Steed, founder, Communilogue, Pittsburgh Many organizations, leaders, and managers are understandably feeling overwhelmed at the moment. We all finally see how painful life can be for certain segments of the population. Several of my clients have expressed their hesitation, even fear, in confronting these topics: What if they say the wrong thing? What if they hurt someone? What if it isn’t enough? The issues we are facing, however, don’t have to be intimidating nonstarters: They are opportunities to foster connection and drive inclusion, and architects are exceptionally equipped to tackle this challenging time in our history within the ranks of their firms. Architects not only understand their clients’ physical needs and wants, but also what is possible for a site, and what needs to happen in order to get it there. Use this same approach to create an inclusive and equitable culture at your firm. The first step is learning through listening: Leaders need to initiate one-on-one conversations with employees about their experiences in their firm. Make sure each individual understands that their opinions matter and will in no way affect their employment. Ask them: Do they feel included? Heard? Like they belong? Listen to their stories without judgment, and try to internalize their struggle. Make the most of what you learn by implementing changes to your hiring processes to increase diversity; using inclusive language to ensure everyone in the office can join every conversation; and elevating existing voices in your ranks who may feel like they have, or have actually, been silenced. These conversations can be challenging and daunting. Bringing in outside help at the beginning of this process is OK. Consultants can facilitate these tough discussions as well as create a safe space for these conversations to flourish and guide your firm in long-term diversity, equity, and inclusion planning. The rawness of the world right now requires those open lines of communication. When you begin to listen as an action, you will confront the brutal truth that your worldview has been very narrow to date. That’s OK: You are learning through listening. Question Everything Lily Zheng, diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant, Lily Zheng Consulting, San Francisco Corporate culture is the implied and unspoken values, beliefs, and behaviors that represent a company’s identity and inform how employees should interact with each other and clients. Culture is embedded within office policies, processes, and expectations. Where does DEI come into this? Most firm cultures are designed, intentionally or unintentionally, to be most comfortable for their leaders, who are overwhelmingly cisgender, heterosexual, college-educated white men. Fostering a culture of inclusion that welcomes women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, working-class people, and other underrepresented minorities requires reimagination from the ground up. Here are the steps your firm must take, and the introspective questions you must ask all employees: 1. (Re)determine your company values, identity, and ethos. “Who” is your company? Who belongs inside it? One powerful way to begin this exercise is to ask: “Who are we not?” Aim high. Should your company be a place for underrepresented minorities to work? Buy from? Why and how should it earn that reputation? 2. Unpack the assumptions at the core of your company and industry. In design, for example, what stylistic approaches are accepted to be best? What is considered “normal” or “standard” within mainstream architecture education? What are the unspoken expectations for architects interacting with each other and their clients? 3. Identify how these assumptions embed themselves in common practices. Do white men primarily interface with clients, even if they’re less experienced than other team members? Does your firm interact with certain clients more than others or pursue certain types of work? What holidays does your firm recognize? What amount of unpaid labor is expected from employees? 4. Explicitly rework assumptions and common practices to align with your ideal company identity. What do design processes, expectations, and policies that support people of all races, genders, incomes, and social identities look like? How can you normalize these new aspects of culture? Sustain Your Culture Transformation Shirley Davis, president and CEO, SDS Global Enterprises, Tampa Bay, Fla. Culture transformation has become a focus for firms that recognize it can make or break their brand reputation among customers and top talent. Culture can be elusive and invisible, yet it affects the productivity, engagement, creativity, and retention of employees, many of whom are demanding that our workplaces create a sense of belonging, be free from harassment, and—at the very least—be more inclusive and equitable. It can also affect bottom-line profits. But changing culture is not easy, nor is it a quick fix, which explains why most efforts either fail or stall. What is the secret to transforming culture in your firm in a way that results in sustained success? From my experience, I can attest that the clients who have succeeded at culture transformation all understood two things: First, you must implement a comprehensive and robust strategy rather than taking a short-term approach; second, you must make it every leader’s responsibility. Here are five steps to get started: Start with a culture audit to identify the current state of issues, challenges, and strengths, as well as opportunities and deficiencies both inside and outside of your firm. Integrate and align inclusive behaviors into your values, policies, and strategic plan to reflect the changing demographics in your talent pool, customer segments, and communities. Replace archaic belief systems that breed power structures through homogeneity, conformity, and hierarchy. Provide education and development for leaders and staff on how to work more inclusively and effectively across differences. Institute accountability systems that
Resources Available to Address Racial Inequalities
Given these unprecedented times of racial injustices that have precipitated the protests, outrage, and civil unrest in our country, we are aware of the emotional and psychological toll that these incidents can take on workers, businesses and communities. As CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc. and throughout my 20+ years as an expert in the DEI space, I understand how important it is to take immediate action in times like these. In lieu of the recent events that have highlighted the inequities in our society, SDS Global continues to provide resources to respond and strategies needed to build more inclusive workplaces. These are some of the resources that we are providing to our clients to help navigate through these difficult and sensitive topics: Provide COACHING ON MESSAGING to your organization regarding the civil unrest and injustices that are happening in our nation. Facilitation of LISTENING TOURS with staff to create a safe space to allow for open dialogue and to identify opportunities and solutions for moving forward. KEYNOTES/WEBINARS via virtual platform on “Creating more Inclusive and Equitable Workplace Cultures” and “Tips for Tackling Taboo Topics” (such as Race/Racism, gender inequality, religion, etc). CONSULTING with SR. EXECUTIVES on strategies for addressing institutional and systemic racial inequities and other discriminatory practices. INDIVIDUAL COACHING to help leaders effectively lead and work across differences. Provide AUDITS and ASSESSMENTS on organizational culture to identify inequities. As leaders, it is our responsibility to instill and ensure an inclusive and high performing culture. Reassuring staff that they are valued, reaffirming that diversity and inclusion are core to your values and culture, creating safe spaces for sharing feelings, and offering solutions and resources on how to navigate emotionally-charged situations are all ways to help achieve this. We are a full-service provider with virtual delivery options that are available on multiple platforms. We stand ready to partner with you to provide expert consulting, facilitation, training, education, coaching, and strategy development. We look forward to hearing from you on how we can partner with your organization. Sincerely, Dr. Shirley Davis CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc.
Want More Board Diversity??
Thank you, BoardSource and Hardy Smith for featuring me in your recent post on board diversity. Read below or check out the original post here: https://blog.boardsource.org/blog/make-board-diversity-work Make Board Diversity Work Posted by Hardy Smith on Aug 27, 2019 2:19:35 PM Adopting a goal to achieve board diversity is one thing. Taking action to achieve that goal is quite another. Despite ongoing encouragement for nonprofit boards to embrace diversity, BoardSource’s Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices survey shows that movement toward more diverse boards is just not happening on a broad scale. According to BoardSource’s findings, a majority of board chairs and nonprofit chief executives are dissatisfied with their current levels of board diversity. However, the survey reveals another alarming fact: a high percentage of those expressing dissatisfaction about a lack of board diversity do not consider action to alter the situation a high priority or even a priority at all. Furthermore, of the more than 360 organizations that report having no people of color on their boards, it is disturbing that only 10 percent indicate that “demographics is a high priority in board recruitment.” This is in spite of the fact that 62 percent of those organizations with no people of color on their boards admit, “expanding the board’s racial and ethnic diversity is important for increasing the organization’s ability to advance its mission.” Certainly the sector is sending a mixed message. But actions speak louder than words. And because of that, the message is actually very clear —diversity is not a priority. These organizations are shooting themselves in the foot. This message projects well beyond the present board to prospective board members, members, volunteers, staff, donors, and to the community of individuals being served. The more people see that these organizations ignore the need for diversity, the more that they will drive away individuals they would like — and need — to attract. Furthermore, diversity is beyond having a different face or two on your board. When board members who represent diverse communities see no active progress toward diversity, they first become frustrated by the lack of full-in organizational commitment. Then they become discouraged, and finally they become disengaged from their board service. To prevent your organization from going down this path, you need to do three things: Accept responsibility BoardSource says it best: “As the decision-making body at the highest level of organizational leadership, boards play a critical role in creating an organization that prioritizes, supports, and invests in diversity, inclusion, and equity.” The board sets the tone for the entire organization and whatever it makes a priority will trickle down to the rest of the organization. However diverse (or not) your board is at this moment is the direct result of how your board has operated up to this point. Own it. Take action To assist organizations in moving beyond stated intentions with deliberate action, I reached out to speaker colleague Shirley Davis, Ph.D., who is a recognized global workforce expert and specializes in diversity and inclusion. She advises, “Optics matter. When an individual doesn’t see anyone else that looks like them, it communicates that their values and needs aren’t important.” She adds, “However, any conversation around achieving organizational diversity should not be narrowly focused on just gender and race. True diversity isn’t about quotas.” Davis shares these actions for successfully implementing a goal for achieving board diversity. Recognize there can be unconscious biases that prevent action from being taken. Identify a champion to lead the initiative. Develop a positioning statement that covers what the organization believes and defines what is to be accomplished. Establish goals with measurable outcomes. Evaluate progress being made. Provide training and facilitated discussion that gives your goal a top of mind presence. It is also important to avoid making mistakes that will block successful implementation. Davis identifies these four as especially significant: Not seeing that achieving diversity goals is everyone’s responsibility Not recognizing that there can be diversity but not inclusion Not fostering assimilation so there is a sense of belonging Assuming achieving diversity is a quick thing. It’s a marathon — not a sprint. To create a true culture of diversity, Davis advocates going beyond focus only on the board by “operationalizing” your efforts. Every decision your organization makes should be looked at through a diversity lens. This includes leadership positions, committee involvement, program scheduling, employee hiring, vendor selection, member and volunteer recruitment, and donor acquisition. Further demonstrate your commitment to diversity by ensuring that the public view of your organization, such as through your website and social media activity, includes leadership statements that reflect on various aspects of diversity. As nonprofits take action on their commitment to board diversity and inclusion, following Davis’s advice will help remove a source of frustration among board members who do represent under represented communities. In addition, they will position themselves as much more attractive to individuals representing different races, cultures, genders, and generational groups. Commit to desired change Achieving board representation that is reflective of the community an organization serves is the right thing. But it is also the smart thing — the organization benefits from the diversification of different backgrounds, experiences, opinions, and skill-sets, which are all vitally important qualities for a board that wants to reach higher levels of success. Making board diversity a priority and taking action to achieve it is a responsibility that is squarely on the shoulders of the board. Remember, actions speak louder than words, and those nonprofits talking diversity and not taking intentional action are missing board leadership. The bottom line is that taking the right action is the way to ensure that your organization advances its mission tomorrow and into the future. Does your organization have a goal for increasing diversity and for creating intentional inclusion? What actions are you taking to achieve your goal?