Aspiration vs. Operation
Making Diversity and Inclusion a Reality
I’VE ASKED EMPLOYEES what happens inside their companies that makes them think their company is just faking it till it makes it or gets caught. Here are a few words that keep coming up (and the context in which they come up):
1. Integrity (My company seems to lack it.)
2. Transparency (What’s really going on?)
3. Respect (Why can’t they just acknowledge my work?)
4. Inclusion (Why is it that those in leadership are the only ones who seem to matter?)
5. Representation (It would be nice to see someone like me in leadership.)
6. Acceptance (I am who I am – why do I need to change my …?)
7. Leadership (Stop reading from the press release.)
8. Tired (Why do I have to teach and explain over and over again how to bring diversity into the company?)
Here’s what I hear from employees in more detail:
On Integrity
I was surprised how many times this word came up and how many people, both diverse candidates for jobs and those with solid careers, felt that their companies lacked integrity. It’s a word that’s mostly used internally because customers wouldn’t know about a company’s lack of integrity unless it became public.
Advice for leadership: Always demonstrate integrity and demand it from others.
On Transparency
This word came up in regard to money and budgets, especially in not-for-profit companies. When someone follows the money trail, too often the money isn’t what it’s supposed to be or where it’s supposed to be, especially when it comes to helping diverse communities.
Employees told me that they wished that management would say what they mean and say what they’re looking for, instead of having them do the work and then being told that it’s not going to work.
One CEO said it best – “I can’t promise to be transparent because there are things I just can’t share, but what I can promise is visibility.” I thought that was a fair answer. It’s up to the staff, then, to hold the company accountable to insure that visibility remains a top focus.
Advice for leadership: If you’re looking to check boxes you can use the following statement:
We’re looking to diversify our company and we’re making every effort to do so on all levels. We’re starting out by insuring that we have diverse talent and voices working with us.
At least you’re saying that you’re working on it, which is different from saying that you have it. By it I mean at least one person from a culture different from yours, aka diversity.
On Respect
We all know that this means different things to different people. The majority of responses I received when I asked about this word were: “I want my work to be recognized, and I don’t mean with an award (which would be nice, but …). I would like to know that what I contribute, big or small, makes a difference to the company as a whole.”
Advice for leadership: Take a moment to say, “I see you, I see your work, and thank you.” This will go a long way toward building respect.
On Inclusion
This means making a conscious effort to insure that people are integrated into the system, that they have a feeling of purpose and belonging. It sounds so simple, but apparently it’s not. Companies love to say that they’re inclusive. They produce ads that make it appear that way, but they use actors in the ads, not employees. Employees aren’t going to put on fake smiles and pretend that they’re included in meetings or have equal opportunities. But the actors are paid to make it look that way. The companies may not be as diverse as the ads makes them seem, and their few diverse employees aren’t always made to feel welcome or heard or seen or valued or respected.
Advice for leadership: Make a conscious effort to insure that your employees have a feeling of purpose and respect.
On Representation
Take a look at the advertising, marketing materials, and commercials that show diversity in your offices or meetings. (You know, those purchased photos on your website.) To be honest, you know that there are few people of diverse cultures sitting in those glass-front offices or leading meetings.
Advice for leadership: To be truly diverse, your company must be true to its word and be diverse and inclusive at every level.
On Acceptance
If I walk in the door and you ask me to change my hair, my dress, my speech, then why did you hire me?
Advice for leadership: People want to know that they can be their whole selves at work. Don’t tell them to bring their whole selves to work and then say that you really only want half of their selves at work. You’re asking for a lawsuit. Don’t tell people that they can’t wear their hair a certain way when it doesn’t affect their talent, their safety, or their ability to do their job. Please refer to The Crown Act (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair).
On Leadership
The leadership at some companies read to the world what their public relations departments write, which is normally a big-picture overview. What’s said often doesn’t apply to those who aren’t in leadership roles, yet it affects what they need to do to execute the work. This is a prime example of aspirational vs. operational: taking what the company aspires to and making sure that it’s part of the daily operations.
Advice for leadership: One of my favorite sayings is: “Having the title of leader doesn’t make you a leader – sometimes you’re only a boss.” Leadership needs to lead by example, not by title. And hopefully leadership will lead with integrity.
At least that’s the way it should be.
On Being Tired
African Americans lead the charge saying that they’re tired. They’re tired of being in a company that asks for advice and then does the opposite of the advice they’re given. They’re tired of seeing blacks, Hispanics, and Asians in company ads when the company wants to wave the diversity flag, even though there may only be one of each in the company. They’re tired of feeling like they have to be the teachers about everything black. They’re tired.
Advice for leadership: Be fully committed to Diversity and Inclusion.
Perception vs. Reality
As I was gathering information for this book, this story kept coming back to me, and I felt that this is where it should be told.
I was called by a headhunter when I was working at a company that gave me full freedom – I traveled, made decisions, and got checks cut and signed. The money was good, and I was able to work on projects that I was personally invested in. When the headhunter called I wasn’t really interested. I was already receiving calls from lots of headhunters since my position at the company and the results of my work were very visible. I turned them down.
But when the headhunter told me the name of the company she was calling for, it piqued my interest – it was the only company I thought I would want to work for in-house rather than as a consultant. Once I said I was interested the ball started rolling, first with phone interviews, then with people flying to New York to meet me. I was told that they were looking for the next team of executives who would eventually take top leadership roles in the company. I loved the company, and I still do for the most part.
All the interviews went well. I was told that the company wanted to fly me to headquarters so that I could meet not only the leadership but also some of the staff, since I would work in various departments. I said that I would like to go back to Europe, and I was told that that was a possibility but that first the new team would rotate at headquarters to learn the company from the bottom up.
I was still excited about the opportunity and flew out to meet everyone. This interest in me felt a little off since I didn’t see where any of my personal interests or knowledge would play into decision-making at the company. But I understood that they wanted me to learn from the bottom up and then learn about their international operations, so I was still excited. I came back to New York and got a call from the headhunter, who told me how excited everyone was to meet me and that I only had a few more calls and one more meeting before a hiring decision would be made. This process took approximately one year. Keep in mind that I loved where I was, and I wasn’t 100 percent sold on the new company, so I wasn’t stressed about taking the job.
The headhunter said that the company was opening an office in Miami, and would I want to head up the marketing department? I said no, that I’d already done that and I wanted something bigger than heading a marketing department. The company showed a little attitude to my response, but we continued on with the “next team to take over leadership” interviews. After two more calls and a final breakfast the formal offer came via a call from the department head who would mentor me through phase one.
We had a great call. At the end of the call the department head said that he had one more request. He said that I was high energy and knew a lot about the different departments, but he was worried that I would intimidate the current staff. He asked me to tone it down until I was in the system.
My response was the same as it would be today. I said that I was toned down in the interviews and if I needed to tone down to join the team then no thank you.
When I told the headhunter about this conversation she was pissed, but I told her that she had wasted my time and hers. I’d been who I am from day one. If everyone thought I was too strong during the interviews, they didn’t need to call me back to keep moving forward.
As much as I thought that would be a great company for my next move, it wasn’t! The company wanted a certain type of person, but then they felt that I was going to be more than they could control. Not handle, control. A perfect example of perception vs. reality.
Today this company does a great job empowering women customers, but they’re also engaged in several lawsuits with their employees.
If you aren’t truly committed to your cause, mission, and staff, your customers will eventually realize it.
They can tell when you use public relations to pretend to be what you’re not. You need to be all in. Or admit that Diversity and Inclusion is new for your company, and that you may take a few wrong turns; ask your customers to support you as you commit to Diversity and Inclusion and step into new territory. Your company will gain nothing but respect and loyal customers as long as you keep moving forward with an authentic commitment.
At a past speaking engagement I was asked about the word tolerance and how it fits if a company is trying to commit to Diversity and Inclusion. I have tolerance for a company that’s actively trying to make changes. But I have zero tolerance for a company that repeats the same mistakes and thinks no one will notice. I have no tolerance for companies that feel they need to tolerate Diversity and Inclusion. No human wants to be tolerated.
D&I is the thing companies claim to strive for but often fall short. Valentino gets so much praise for the amount of models in color during fashion week. Yet there’s no diversity in the actual business or creative teams.
— Fashion & Art Magazine executive
If you want to be aspirational, be operational as well! Take care of your inside as well as your outside!
We are watching!
More Stories About Aspiration vs. Operation
I was President of Marketing, Advertising & PR for the apparel company FUBU The Collection (FUBU stands for “For Us By Us”). When I took that job, old bosses and other associates in various corporate jobs and industries told me that I was making the biggest mistake of my career, for several reasons: 1) The four owners were black; 2) They had some Jewish guys behind them; 3) The owners were young; 4) They looked like thugs; 5) They weren’t my type of people; 6) It was a fad (you know, hip hop).
I didn’t know a hip from a hop. I had lived in Europe and Asia for over thirteen years, and I understood culture, people, and business. What I didn’t know about hip hop culture I learned, and I adjusted when needed and set rules and policy when needed.
This was in 1997. At its peak the company had over $350 million worth of sales, domestic and international licenses, and we were traveling and being featured in interviews all over the world. The same people who said I was making the biggest mistake of my career were asking me for jobs. Companies in the fashion industry wanted a piece of what we were creating.
Here’s where we get into aspiration vs. operation. We had celebrities and multicultural models in our ads. Many denim companies thought, hey, if it works for them it’ll work for us. They put any black, bald guy with no shirt and his underwear hanging out of a pair of denim jeans in ads and slapped those ads in Vibe, Source, and any other music magazine they thought black folks were reading. They aspired to be FUBU, but they didn’t have a clue that it would take more than a bald guy in jeans to connect to a culture and be relevant to the industry.
How do you aspire to connect to a company and culture when your company doesn’t look like the folks you’re going to speak to?
I was working for a hot company that was doing exciting new things, and corporate America wanted to be part of the action. They knew enough to come speak to us, but instead of coming with someone who could actually make a deal, they grabbed any black guy who worked for them and told him to come to New York to meet with us. I’m not positive, but I bet they told their guy, “Come take this meeting because we don’t have anyone senior enough who looks like the folks we’re going to meet with.” I don’t blame the black guy for getting on a plane to New York so he could be in one of the hottest showrooms with a hot brand that was relevant to his culture (and to other cultures, just not to the folks arranging the meeting).
As everyone walked into the showroom we began introductions. The meeting was with a car company, although the company I was working for wasn’t part of the automobile industry.
The guests from the car company introduced themselves, and the first four titles made sense to me: Marketing, Product Development, Sales, and a VP of Partnerships. Then the one black guy, who they clearly hadn’t prepped, says he’s in seatbelts!?! He installed seatbelts. I knew then how the meeting was going to go. They were clueless. They were trying to jump into a culture that they thought they could make money from, without real research or thinking things through clearly.
Needless to say the conversation between our companies stopped after that meeting because I said to them on the way out that the next time it would be OK if they came to the table with their full selves and without a prop.
They aspired to be one thing, but operationally they weren’t ready to make it a reality.
If you aspire to be part of cultural happenings, you need to do your research. Don’t assume that any person will do to represent you, because then you’re assuming that the people you’re trying to reach are dumb and followers. Because you sold to them before doesn’t mean you’ll sell to them again.
Years ago you may have gotten away with this kind of behavior, but today customers and employees will hold your feet to the fire. We see you, so your operations need to match your aspirations. Pretending to be what you aren’t won’t work. That’s what the right partnerships are for!
There are many black, Hispanic, Asian, disability, and LGBTQ+ agencies you can partner with that are doing amazing work, so do more research to discover them (not just the top five). Better yet, take the time to ask around about who’s doing good, consistent work who can introduce you to new markets, old markets, and untapped markets.
If you’re honest about aspiring to be part of new markets, then you have to show up for more than just the cultural holidays. You have to make true investments and commitments into those markets, and if you need help, then find the right agencies to help you.
Some Advice for Leadership
Your company has made the commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. Here are some issues I’ve come across that you should think about:
1. Don’t assume that you understand someone’s culture. You may have a shared experience, but it’s not the same experience.
2. Don’t assume that a woman isn’t technical or interested in golf. “Oh, I didn’t think to ask you, because I didn’t think you cared.”
3. You have a company library but not one book is from a diverse author. Obviously, you’re not showing a commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.
4. You go to an outside meeting, and even though your staff isn’t diverse, you say you’re all one. No, we’re not all one! That’s nice in theory. Yes, we all want the same things – love, family, justice, etc. – but if diverse people appear only when you’re speaking to someone who doesn’t look like you, sound like you, and walk like you, then those diverse people are just props.
5. You ask staff what would make them feel more included and invested and then ignore what they say. So why did you ask?
6. Don’t say, “Why do you celebrate that? We can’t give you time off – use a personal day.” It’s not for you to ask why unless you really want to know more about it.
7. “You need a place to pray, pump, or pee?” Do I really need to explain why providing clean spaces for prayer and pumping are mandatory? As for peeing, gender neutral restrooms are an option. ADA-compliant restrooms on every floor are not optional. Gender neutral restrooms can be as easy as changing a sign and sending out a notice about the change. This will be appreciated as a first step. Here’s what someone in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field said:
Interesting to see the bias that exists around gender-neutral restrooms. We are designing more and more and having those conversations with clients.
8. “Geez, now we can’t make jokes in the office if we’re an inclusive office.” If you were making jokes in your office that you need to think twice about, then that wasn’t the correct place for them anyway. Most likely nowhere was the correct place for them.
9. Are you hiding behind your title? You say, “You’d love to see changes, but there’s just so much work to be done, and to stop and review company culture would be too much work. Is it really important? I’m very busy!” Yet your company says that it has a great company culture. Hmmmm …
10. You have diversity goals that are unrealistic. You have set goals and you’re determined to make your numbers, so you hire and hire but don’t ever seem to meet your goals. Have you made a retention goal along with a diversity goal?
11. Stop offering excuses for why you can’t release your D&I numbers. We’ll get into this a little later in the book. If you aren’t committed to Diversity and Inclusion, stop talking about it! If you are, show your numbers!
Faking It Till They Make It
Below are some anonymous survey responses from a questionnaire I sent to people working in various fields (cited below each response) asking them how their companies have been faking it:
The horrible marketing ads that feature a woman of color and hiring a black woman who isn’t empowered to make changes once in the position.
— Meetings and Events
The leadership within the organization talks about the importance of D&I and how we need to work on being more diverse and inclusive. However, no action has been implemented in this direction. Additionally, when offers arose about discussions about strategic planning to assist in rectifying this issue, they have been shot down.
— Higher Education (University)
The hiring of certain minority groups to make the company look inclusive, but the opinions, advisements, and upper executives do not match. The perception is all are welcome, but the reality is “keep your mouth shut.”
— Construction Risk Management and Insurance
From my own experiences, they hired me for my skills and work ethic. But I think they just want to show they have a black person working for them. In reality, they don’t really want you to be involved in decision-making that will help the company succeed.
— Motion and Photography
My company “fakes it till they make it” by using diverse populations as tokens rather than genuinely embracing the fact that both diverse internal audiences in the company significantly represent powerful knowledge, intelligence, and opportunity, while diverse external audiences represent incremental and growing spending power. Placing people of color on corporate brochures and internal documents, as if the current company environment is dedicated to supporting these communities, is very insulting and disrespectful to employees who exist in the day-to-day operations, which are not truly representative of the current company culture.
— Social Media/Marketing
Our church can’t afford to fake it till we make it because our church must be a safe space for all.
— Faith Community
Our tagline is “Wellness For All.” We believe in democratizing wellness regardless of class, race, or gender. We realize the limitations, as there is no way we can speak for all. But the best we can do is to hold space to embrace more inclusion, and to have the self-awareness to include more voices that are not our own.
— Wellness
Save the platitudes for an acceptance speech. Your actions are what matter.
— Media
Often companies commit to D&I because it looks good and sounds “progressive.” However, often the internal messaging to the “D&I recruits” is
“now you are in, stay in your lane!” That company recruits are referred to as D&I recruits in the first place is problematic.
— Event Executive
How does your company rate 1–10? Do you show the outside world all the good things you are doing but you haven’t built a sustainable company culture and enough diversity? How do you get your insides and outsides to match?
— Biopharma Consultant
Advice for Leadership
I hope this chapter gives you an understanding that we see you, and if we work for you, we feel you. It’s time to think differently! Believe it or not, the people who work for you want to help with the diversity of thought inside your company. When you present outside, they just don’t want to be used as props.
What can you do today to make these changes in your company?
