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Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP Earns Prestigious Top5 Speaker Designation in Diversity and Inclusion for the Third Year in a Row

GREENSBORO, NC  – January 19, 2012 –  Local diversity strategist and speaker Lenora Billings-Harris has been awarded the prestigious “Top5 Speaker” designation in 2012 by Speakers Platform, one of the United States most prominent speakers bureaus.   Out of hundreds of nominees, Lenora has risen to become one of the world’s most respected and compelling speakers in diversity and inclusion.

 

Each year, Speakers Platform recognizes five speakers, within ten popular topic areas, based on: expertise, professionalism, presentation skills, original contribution to the field and public votes cast at the Speaking.com Web site.  Over 13,000 votes were cast from business leaders, educators, association members and others from around the world for the 2012 nominees.

 

Lenora is the co-author of TRAILBLAZERS: How Top Business Leaders are Accelerating Results through Inclusion and Diversity, and she is often an expert guest on TV and radio internationally. She serves on the adjunct faculty of the business schools of Averett University and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and leads a full service diversity consulting firm. She has presented to audiences in over eighteen countries on six continents.

 

As a diversity strategist, Lenora partners with organizations to help them make diversity a competitive advantage. She has been included as one of 100 Global Thought Leaders on Diversity and Inclusion by The Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and was named by Diversity Woman Magazine as one of the twenty top influential diversity leaders in the US. Her award winning diversity leadership research is recognized in several journals internationally.

 

Billings-Harris said she is honored to have received this award for the third time. ”It is encouraging to be affirmed by clients and audience members. Together we can create a more inclusive society.”

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If you’d like more information about the Top5 Speaker award and/or to schedule an interview with Lenora Billings-Harris, please contact Jen at Jen@LenoraSpeaks.com.

 

 

 

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10 Minutes to Remember MLK

I wondered how long it would take us to turn the Martin Luther King holiday into just another day of shopping specials. Unfortunately, that day has arrived in my community. I had a chance to contribute to a celebration in Muskegon Michigan last Friday. If you have 10 minutes to celebrate the true meaning of this day click here http://tiny.cc/iwk4w

 

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Two Companies Commit Multicultural Mishaps

As our Jewish friends celebrate Hanukkah, this is a wonderful time to learn about traditions and religious celebrations. Although Whole Foods and CVS had good intentions, their actions did not provide a positive result.  Another example of what happens when non-diverse teams make decisions that impact multicultural communities.  As you read the article don’t get angry, get educated, so we all can help create better solutions. Happy Holidays!

Click here for full article: Multicultural Mishap

 

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Trailblazing in the Executive Suite

Congratulations to one of our Trailblazers!  Virginia M. Rometty, will become IBMs new CEO.

Rometty will be the 17th woman to sit at the helm of a Fortune 500 company. IBM is listed as number 7 on Diversity Inc’s. top 50 companies for diversity.

Vice President of Diversity and Workforce Programs for the IBM Corporation, Ron Glover, is passionate about his work and has been successful in bringing about diversity and inclusion on all levels of the company.

Glover recalled a conversation with a colleague on the senior leadership team. They were reviewing internal candidate slates for “executive level opportunities” when Ron made a remark about the colleagues’ diligence in asking a number of questions regarding the candidate slate. As Glover tells the story, he says his colleague looked at him and said:  “I’m not doing this for diversity, Ron. I’m doing this because that’s one of the ways I assess whether the slate has absolutely the best people on it. When it’s not diverse, it’s a tip off to me that somehow or another we didn’t get the right names of people on the slate.  [] IBM — known to have a long term penchant for talent identification and development — believes that tangible actions such as reinforce the assertion that the “tone is set at the top”.

 

IBM is one of many companies implementing strategy and using metrics to determine progress in D&I and taking accountability for results.

 

Trailblazers focus on three to five primary components of achievement — largely universal milestones that their organizational scorecards use to measure accountability.  These are meant to be representative, not all encompassing.  They include but are not limited to such objectives as:  Culture of Inclusion, Talent Management Pipeline and External Partnership and Brand Eminence.  [Each primary component consists of sub components.  For example 3 of the many mini components under the primary component of Talent Management Pipeline are]:

  • Percent women and people of color who are participating in select leadership development programs, and their advancement rates subsequent to participation
  • Percent overall women, women of color and people of color in top 200 positions on a year by year comparison basis
  • Percent women and people of color advancing into senior management or officer level positions on a year by year comparison basis

-Trailblazers

 

Though 17 may seem to be a small number to hold up as progress, the fact is, it is progress. Women have come a long way in the workforce.  Some may regard these 17 women; the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, as well as other minorities in leadership positions, as a mere crack in the glass ceiling. Yes, there is still work to be done in bringing about diversity and equity in the executive suite.  However, we must continue to be encouraged to take action, commend efforts and celebrate milestones.  When we take a look at the big picture, each milestone is being set down to build a trailblazing path.

 

Read full story – IBM’s new woman CEO

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Lessons on Diversity and Inclusion from Nature’s Experience

I had the opportunity to drive to the mountains and then to the shores of North Carolina to work with clients late last month. Although I usually do not like long car rides, these two were spectacular. I was constantly reminded of the miracles of nature as I enjoyed the many hues of the changing foliage. The diversity of trees manage to co-exist and support each other while still maintaining their own unique identity. The fall season illustrates the beauty of this interdependence every year.

 

It seems that everything in nature has its particular purpose and talent; all working interdependently – changing, adapting, evolving – to create and maintain success. Nature’s diversity spectrum is infinite and there is input from everything on that spectrum.

Indeed nature is a great example of how employing and engaging diverse talent can deliver organizational excellence!

 

Each employee is like a tree, just waiting to show its brilliance. One way organizations can effectively develop and utilize their diverse talent is by determining where they are now, and then plan ways to benefit from the interdependence of their multicultural talent. Organization-wide diversity and inclusion audits inform leadership regarding their engagement efforts and how they impact all employees. One supporting statement captured by an employee was shared in Trailblazers :

 

My manager listens to ideas from everyone and encourages input individually and/or as a group. (Cultural Competency: demonstrating inclusion as a way to engage the full workforce.)

 

Contributions from each employee can only strengthen the bottom line.

 

As CEOs and others routinely engage with a spectrum of people who represent the more conventional attributes of diversity — such as gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and possibly veterans groups — they fully expect to learn about the contributions that each individual and group can bring to the organization; through their connections and knowledge of their own constituency groups.

 

So take a walk along a nature trail to appreciate the diversity and the interdependence that abounds.  You’ll be sure to find inspiration on how to leverage diversity to your business’ advantage.

 

 

 

 

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Challenge yourself to SEE: Seek -Engage -Encourage

Sight is the ability to see. Vision is the ability to SEE beyond barriers, turning them into bridges and realizing the benefits of diversity and inclusion in our workplace and communities. Challenge yourself to seek opportunities to learn about individuals of different groups; engage in meaningful dialogue and fun activities with members of different groups and encourage people within each of your spheres of influence – at work, at home, in your community – to begin this journey of inclusion and acceptance.

There are many benefits to learning about, accepting and respecting diversity. The CDOs (Chief Diversity Officer) featured in Trailblazers are leaders who are part of organizations that have embraced and fostered diversity to the advantage of the organizations and their communities. They are considered trailblazers due to their pioneering efforts that have set the bar of achievement for other organizations.

They see how vital inclusion and diversity are to strengthening the fabric of their organization through a robust pipeline of talent, while also striving to enhance their marketplace presence. They have a clear vision of the advantages and impact of an inclusive and engaged workforce. They “see around corners” with respect to trends and challenges that will impact their organizations’ ability to stay relevant in service of a very diverse workplace and marketplace — both in the U.S and abroad.

What Trailblazers understand better than most is that inclusion and diversity deliver results.
Source: Trailblazers

Challenge yourself and inspire your community of friends and coworkers to be trailblazer champions! Need some ideas on how to get started on your trailblazing journey? Why I’m certainly pleased to be The Help with this. Yes, The Help is a terrific film to view and discuss with a group of friends and or coworkers. Maybe your department can arrange for employees to view and then discuss this film as part of continuing diversity education.

Other films:
• A Class Divided
• Dances with Wolves
• Schindler’s List
• Selena
• The Diary of Anne Frank

It would be wonderful if each of us could immerse ourselves in a different group or culture for 30 days as did Morgan Spurlock in his television series 30 Days. However, a less complex approach is doing simple “1 a day” things to connect and engage with individuals different from yourself:

Some places to visit and activities you can do:

• Oktober Fest
• Places of worship
• Ethnic restaurants
• Women’s or Homeless shelters
• Ethnic museums and memorials
• Socialize outside of your circle at trainings or in the cafeteria
• Smile when greeting others
• Start a regular* conversation with a person of a different generation, GLBT (Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender), Muslim or Latino group.
• Add a new word you can use; delete a word you can loose from everyday conversation. For example, use/add disabled person, lose/delete handicapped.

*Relax Respond Respect

I challenge you to SEE as many people in your community to celebrate diversity and inclusion, be a trailblazer champion and make a difference.

Helpful resources

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Winning with the Best Talent!

Who doesn’t like to win?! Organizations are constantly in search of new ways to beat the competition.  Many have tapped into what continues to be a major competitive edge.

That competitive edge is diversity in talent. All companies want talented, competent and committed human capital – or as many organizations refer to them – the best and the brightest.

Companies that are blazing trails in diversity know that the “best and brightest” can come from every subculture imagined. That is – talent, brilliance and competence come from behind many different cultural doors.  So whichever door you choose, you win!

Indeed that’s what the Trailblazers are doing; they have discovered the diversity advantage and they are winning! The Trailblazers’ goals are to increase the odds of their organizations in winning the war for talent, enhancing a culture of inclusion to retain their top performers, and differentiate their organizations in the marketplace.

DiversityInc magazine selected our Trailblazer Sodexo as #1 for  2010’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity. American Indians, Asians, African Americans and Latinos are 50% of their workforce and 20% of senior management.1 During our interview with CDO Rohini Amand, she explained the foundation for their success. “Our global strategy is built around talent excellence, operational excellence and business excellence. It is built around clear goals that have to do with diversity in the pipeline, which includes recruiting, retaining, and engaging diverse populations. Across the globe we’ve focused on gender because it is the one thing that you can put metrics around. But it is more than just getting the bodies in those positions. Rather, we need to cast the net wide and hire the best qualified candidates, making sure we’re changing behaviors and cultures in the organization.”

source-Trailblazers

This year (2011), DiversityInc Magazine has recognized 7 of our Trailblazers among its prestigious Top 50 Companies for Diversity.  You may have heard of some of these companies: Sodexo, IBM Corp., Merck & Co., The Coca-Cola Co., Verizon Communications, Dell and Ford Motor Co.

Diversity in ideas, perception and approach can set your organization on an evolutionary and innovative journey with the rewards of revenue gains as well as recognition for corporate responsibility, cultural appreciation, respect.

Actions you can take right now:

1. Create a reward program for current employees who refer someone who you ultimately hire.  The reward could be provided at three intervals: at hire; after 3 months on the job; after 6 months on the job.

2. Develop an ongoing relationship with local colleges, universities, technical schools and community colleges where you can regularly sponsor events. Name recognition does matter.

3. Engage your Employee Resource Groups ( also call affinity groups) in the recruiting, development and retention process.

D&I anyone?

Be encouraged, become a trailblazer champion – start winning!

Related web articles on winning with diversity:

Change Behavior Promote Inclusion

Hiring Latinos to Increase your Customer Base

 

 

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9/11 Are you an Agent of Change or just a Bystander?

September 12, 2011 Lenora Billings-Harris No comments

Across the world, the last several days have been filled with observances of the 10th anniversary of the attack on the United States of America. As we all reflect on that shocking day, I think about how much has changed in ten years and how much has not yet changed as it relates to understanding and respecting differences. 9/11 made us think about our freedoms, and it also ignited new stereotypes and generalizations based on fear.  As a nation we knew we could not take the feeling of being safe for granted ever again, thus many people still blame all Muslims for the attack. Doing so is a way for some to manage their pain.

I am often asked why I do this work (diversity and inclusion). My brief answer is that I am constantly overcome by humankind’s ability to hate. I am overwhelmed by the rationale people use as permission to hate and hurt others for no reason other than those “others” are different; different races and ethnicities, different faiths and beliefs, different sexual orientations, different ages, different attitudes and politics, different personalities, etc.

I am driven to do something in whatever small way that I can, to help us all learn and understand at a deep level that hate comes from fear and fear often is fueled by the belief that we will lose something. We fear that which we do not understand. So, the more we can understand different points of view and recognize that they are just different not wrong, perhaps the sooner we can all channel our energies toward building on those differences to find better solutions to the problems of the world such as hungry, the need for clean water, education, etc. When we hate just because of difference we steal away our ability to discover new solutions. On the other hand, when we challenge ourselves to look for the facts, we can then place blame for crimes and other deplorable behavior where it is due, such as with the 9/11 terrorists, instead of spreading the blame to all of any one group.

Understanding does not come to us without commitment to lean into our fears with the belief that on the other side of that fear are answers to help us make better decisions about ourselves and others. My hope is these observances will motivate you to become part of the solution by determining ways to contribute to heightened understanding of the world’s need for people who respect difference, and to seek understanding instead of blame.

Join with me to take personal responsibility for making a difference within each of our spheres of influence by speaking up, and by asking questions instead of remaining silent and expecting others to step up. It does take a village, and each village is filled with individuals like you.

Tell me what you are committed to do during this next year to help make next year’s remembrance of 9/11 one of honoring those we lost, and building bridges in whatever way you can.

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Huffington Post Makes a Serious Commitment to Diversity

Many companies say they value diversity and inclusion but do
little to prove their commitment. For at least the past ten years researchers
have reported that diverse workforces that are respected and heard lead to
better business results.  As
reported by The Network Journal, Huffington Post is leading the media industry
with their latest organizational move. They reported on May 10th
that, “The Huffington Post is moving forward with
its diversity efforts as it hires BET co-founder Sheila Johnson as strategic
advisor for Multicultural and African-American Initiatives and Derek Murphy as
general manager, Multicultural. Murphy, who was previously senior vice
president, Business Development of The Huffington Post had been COO of Global
Media Ventures, which he formed with Johnson.”
 http://www.tnj.com/news/business/diversity-matters  In February 2011, AOL purchased The
Huffington Post, which was founded by Arianna Huffington.

All of the twelve chief diversity officers featured in TRAILBLAZERS: How Top Business Leaders
are Accelerating Results through Inclusion and Diversity agree that their
organizations are able to identify the impact of diversity and inclusion on bottom
line business successes in their markets.

The NBJ (National Association of Black Journalists) has advocated
for more diversity in news rooms, on editorial teams, on television news
programs, as well as in the executive suites in general.  

Its 2011, when will “diverse” executive hires no longer be
newsworthy because there are so many, so often?

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Doing the Right Thing

In the midst of tragedy in Tucson, several people did the right thing and in doing so, they also demonstrated the true diversity and inclusion at work.

“We saw a white, Catholic, Republican federal judge murdered on his way to greet a Democratic woman, member of Congress, who was his friend and was Jewish. Her life was saved initially by a 20-year-old Mexican-American college student, and eventually by a Korean-American combat surgeon. And then it was all eulogized and explained by our African-American president. And, in a tragic event, that’s a remarkable statement about the country.”—  MARK SHIELDS, political commentator, ( PBS NewsHour) quoting Allen Ginsberg (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june11/shieldsbrooks_01-14.html)

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© 2012 Lenora Billings-Harris – CSP