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Where Are the Old-School Diversity Champions?
Patrice Hall, 07-27-2009
Diversity champions have probably been around in corporate organizations since before we had a name for them. They were usually the senior individuals who looked out for “the little people.” They understood that company policies and practices needed to work for everyone, not just a select few, and they were willing to challenge the status quo to make this happen.
Employees from all levels and functions of the organization felt comfortable reaching out to the champions because they created a safe space for real dialogue and offered a road map for moving beyond personal comfort zones. In many organizations, these were the folks who catalyzed the first diversity initiative and were critical to its success. So, where are they today?
Well, it turns out diversity champions have been recruited in huge numbers in most sizeable organizations. Recent benchmarking by ORC Worldwide shows they are everywhere — heading up diversity councils, attending diversity events, advising employee affinity groups. These champions may be the engine that drives diversity in most companies.
But with this data comes the question, “What makes a diversity champion?” Does being involved in activities, by default, make one a champion? Sure, it helps — diversity and inclusion initiatives cannot — indeed, should not — be driven solely by diversity or HR practitioners. Stakeholder engagement is a critical component of any successful organizational change effort — right up there with setting business-driven goals, articulating clear measures and integrating new behaviors into the organization’s systems and processes.
But have we reached a point in the evolution of organizational diversity where simply being involved or engaged is sufficient foundation to be dubbed a champion? Or are we missing those essential qualities of passion and courage that seemed to define the trailblazers of days gone by? Most importantly, is it possible to turn stakeholders into champions, and if so, how?
True champions understand their own issues, and they’re not afraid to explore them publicly. They tell stories. When you listen to them speak about diversity, you will hear them describe a situation or life experience that caused them to question what they thought they knew about how the world works. These intensely personal epiphanies are foundations for passion and are often borne of a realization that they, or someone they know and care about, have faced some form of marginalization — or could.
This brings us to the opportunities to develop true champions that we, as diversity practitioners, may have lately overlooked: If the individual’s life experience has not yet provided such an epiphany, involving him or her in authentic exchanges such as reverse-mentoring relationships or quality time with members of employee affinity groups often will do the trick.
Interestingly, this exposure may be equally important for champions who are members of underrepresented groups. A true champion must be willing and able to understand and represent the views and issues of all employees, not just those with whom he or she has a special connection. Any opportunity that enables champions to fully and regularly engage in authentic two-way communication with those whom they may not typically encounter in the course of day-to-day activities — town halls, informal breakfast meetings, management by walking around — can create important insights into the lives and challenges of “the little people.”
Even with these powerful opportunities to connect, there will still be some champions who get it and others who do not. The final rung in the ladder of creating true champions may be found in a simple act of recognition.
One rather surprising finding from the ORC study on the “Impact of Senior Leadership Commitment on Diversity and Inclusion” is that, of all the mechanisms for senior leader recognition, including linking more than 5 percent of bonuses to diversity performance, it was “recognition in peer management meetings” that proved the most distinguishing characteristic of the highest-performing organizations. There is something very powerful in being singled out for outstanding performance in the organizational rat race. In the diversity and inclusion arena, where championing change is hard and lonely work, this recognition leads to powerful results.
Perhaps diversity practitioners can more effectively transition stakeholders into true champions by regularly paying public homage to individuals who demonstrate the passion and courage required to create real and sustainable organizational change — not just those who “show up.” It may be that recognizing authentic role models will, over the long term, do as much to achieve our diversity objectives as tying pay to performance — and that is an economic stimulus plan that can’t be beat.
Patrice Hall is vice president and head of ORC Worldwide’s global equality, diversity and inclusion practice. She can be reached at editor@diversity-executive.com.
