Tag Archives: Trailblazers

What to Do in a Month of No Holidays

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What does August mean to you? For most folks it is a month of no holidays, but not for Charles (my honey of 38 years) and me. We celebrate our wedding anniversary as well as both our birthdays in August!  We have no excuses for forgetting these three dates.

Although it is a month with no official USA holidays it is a month filled with endings and beginnings. August reminds us that summer will soon end. I know some of you are saying thank goodness, the heat this year has been unbearable. It is also a month of preparation for the activities of fall- school, work without vacation, planning for the next business year, etc.

August is a month filled with special recognitions and celebrations. I invite you to scan the special celebrations listed in this ezine and then choose two that you will personally celebrate, acknowledge or learn more about in some way .  I plan to learn more about one of the American Indian nations; buy a product or service from a Black vendor; send a card to an Air Force veteran;  have a night out with a girlfriend; do something related to women’s equality; and meditate about the abolition of slavery.

These actions enhance our appreciation of the impact of diversity and inclusion, as well as expand our multicultural competences. Most importantly by taking some action we expand our universe of inclusion as well as have fun in the process of learning.

What will your new beginnings be related to valuing the differences among us? Have fun with your plans and let me know about your discoveries. Together we can make a difference.

Click here to view celebrations

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

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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.

 

 

 

Two Companies Commit Multicultural Mishaps

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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

 

Trailblazing in the Executive Suite

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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

Lessons on Diversity and Inclusion from Nature’s Experience

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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.

 

 

 

 

Challenge yourself to SEE: Seek -Engage -Encourage

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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

Winning with the Best Talent!

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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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Trailblazers by Lenora Billings-Harris and Redia AndersonAre you wondering why all the diversity and inclusion work your company is doing is still not changing the culture of the company?

Redia Anderson and I were curious too, so we interviewed twelve TrailBlazers in the field of D&I to learn their successes.

Chief Diversity Officers of such companies as IBM, Sodexo, Merck, American Airlines and others shared their best practices. To learn more…

Who Am I?

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Who am I?

I am the Latino teenager who works
part-time in your mailroom.
You know
The one you think is in a gang
Just because I use street slang.

Who am I?
I’m the Black woman who works
in your group.
You know
The one who wears her hair in braids,
or a natural, or dreadlocks,
the one you call a radical with
an attitude.

Who am I?
I am your blind neighbor
You know
The one you always speak loudly to,
as though I had a hearing disability,
instead of one of sightlessness.

Who am I?
I’m the Korean grocer in your
neighborhood.
You know
The one you call unfriendly, just
because I don’t smile enough for you.

Who am I?
I am a lesbian, or the gay person
who is your associate.
You know . . . oops, maybe you don’t know.
I chose not to share that aspect of

Who I am,
Because you and your friends are
always joking about “Homo’s”, and
“queers”, and “lesbos”.
If you only knew how closely I work with you.

Who am I?
I am the Japanese American who
works in your sales department.
You know
The one whose name you make fun of
and expect me to laugh.

Who am I?
I am the Christian woman who travels
with you to make client calls.
You know
The one you keep apologizing to,
every time you tell an off-color joke,
or use God’s name in vain.
Why do you apologize?
You obviously are not sorry, or you would
change your behavior.

Who am I?
I am the older man.
You know
The one you get impatient with
because I don’t talk, move, or drive
as fast as you do.
One day you will be old, unless
you experience the only other alternative.

Who am I?
I am your administrative assistant.
You know
The one you always call “Hon” or “Sweetie”
whenever you want coffee.
How many years will it take for you
to learn my real name?

Who am I?
I am the new associate who just
relocated to your office.
You know
The one you imitate all the time,
because of my southern accent.

Who am I?
I am the American Indian.
You know
The one you call chief, and ask how’s my squaw.
If you were interested in me as an individual,
you would know
that squaw is a derogatory French Canadian term,
and chief is not a word I joke about.

Who am I?I am the Puerto Rican.
You know
The one who speaks Spanish to my
friends at work.
You think we are talking about you . . .
Don’t flatter yourself.

Who am I?
I’m the African American man who
works down the hall.
You know
the one you and your friends say,
I only got my job because of my color, of course not because I was the
best candidate.

Who am I?
I am the Chinese American human
resource specialist.
You know
The one you keep asking to help you with your computer,
even though I don’t understand that technical stuff either.

Who am I?
I am a White American.
You know
The one you blame for the errors
made over 200 years ago,
the one you think “has it made”,
the one you think “just doesn’t get it”,
even though I am your strongest
advocate among my peers.

Who am I?
I am an American person
I worry about the environment,
education for my children, my next
paycheck, crime, and crabgrass
in my front yard.
I am the person who wants to know
the real you, if only you would act
interested in the real me.

-Lenora Billings-Harris, 1994