Multicultural Forum

Four champions of workplace diversity will be honored during the 24^th annual Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity, the nation’s leading conference on diversity and inclusion, taking place March 20-22 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The forum is designed for professionals who manage a diverse workforce, are responsible for diversity within their organization or work with a multicultural clientele. The Diversity Awards are given to individuals or organizations that show exemplary effort in addressing workplace diversity issues. Recipients will be honored during a special luncheon on Thursday March 22 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Recipients include:

• Emily King (Wings of Change, Individual): King is a nationally recognized expert in the transition of military veterans to the civilian workforce and author of the first ever guide for civilian organizations, “Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing & Retaining Veterans.” She is a highly sought after speaker who has been featured in segments on CNN and NPR and sits on the board of advisors for the G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Employers Top 100. King’s passion for veterans and the challenges they face as they return home and to work is palpable and she is clearly the trendsetter for introducing companies and organizations to this pressing issue.
• ConAgra Foods (Wings of Change, Organization): ConAgra has had department and staff dedicated to inclusion for just five years, but during that time, there has been significant work accomplished, including a rapid and strong implementation of highly engaged employee resource groups and a more inclusive benefits package for employees; an increase of women in management positions from 19 to 30% and minorities from 7 to 10%; development of a summer camp for minority high school students focused on creating a pipeline in science, technology, engineering and math; and in partnership with local Bellevue University, the creation of a D&I certification program, inviting professionals from around the U.S. to participate.
• The City of Brooklyn Park’s Human Rights Commission (Wings of Change, Organization): At a time when volunteer human rights commissions are taking a beating from elected officials and paid staff of cities through the state, the City of Brooklyn Park’s Human Rights Commission has the full support of city government. In a diverse city where just over 50% of citizens consider themselves white, the Commission challenges city government in recruitment, engagement and retention policies and practices to ensure that city workforce demographics mirror those of city residents. The Commission also promotes active engagement in governance by residents with individual commissioners working to build inclusivity and break down barriers in race, ethnicity, country of origin and language. The Commission’s strategic plan focuses on education, community building, public policy, accountability and handling of complaints.
• Lyle H. Iron Moccasin (Friend of the Forum): Iron Moccasin is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota. After growing up in Minnesota and New York City, serving in the U.S. Navy and the New York City police force, Iron Moccasin returned to Minneapolis to put his life experiences to work for the Native community by joining American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center (AIOIC). During his employment at AIOIC, he has worked in juvenile justice, ex-offender, employment and education programs addressing the issues the Indian community faces. Since 2003, Iron Moccasin has been the Forum’s guide for addressing the issues of displaced communities, the Native community and youth education and employment. He is the go-to person to get things done, whether moving crowds of people or multiple heavy boxes.

Registration is still open for the conference, including the diversity awards luncheon. Participants can choose to attend either the full three-day conference from March 20-22, 2012, or single conference days. Special rates for travel and accommodations are available. For more information and to register, visit http://www.stthomas.edu/mcf.

By Trudy Bourgeois, president and CEO, The Center for Workforce Excellence

The first question that may come to mind when we read this title is:  WHY?  Why change the game?  Why now?  Why women?

The answer to those questions is based on boatloads of research and factual data surrounding us today.  Research found in the book by Bridget Brennan entitled, Why She Buys, reports that women in America make over 80% of the buying decisions and spend approximately $5 trillion annually – over half the U.S. GDP. In addition, in 2010 women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history.  For every two men that got a college diploma last year, three women did the same. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that women now hold 51.4% of managerial and professional jobs—up from 26.1% in 1980. They make up 54% of all accountants and hold about half of all banking and insurance jobs. About a third of America’s physicians are now women, as are 45% of associates in law firms—and both those percentages are rising quickly.

In addition, research proves that organizations that are intentional about building a workforce from top to bottom that reflect the face of the consumer (the majority of which are women as we saw above) are more profitable.

A recent Pepperdine study (http://www.miller-mccune.com/business-economics/profit-thy-name-is-woman-3920/) tracked the performance of Fortune 500 companies with a strong record of promoting women to the executive suite and compared their performance to that of other firms in the same industries.  The results were astounding.  For every year between 2001-2007, the companies identified as being the best at promoting women outperformed the industry median on all three profitability measures  (i.e. overall profits 34% higher when calculated for revenue, 18% higher in terms of assets and 69% higher in regard to equity).  Furthermore, the 10 firms with the very best records of promoting women showed greater profit results than the firms that were merely very good.

After studying these facts, the question in our minds must now be:  HOW CAN WE?

HOW CAN WE harness the representative power and value that women bring to the equation?   HOW CAN WE authenticate gender talent management strategies and thrive in today’s global business world by fully leveraging the majority workforce available to us?  HOW CAN WE experience greater profit results by doing so?

Join me for a highly-interactive and fast-paced session on March 21^st from 10:15-11:45 a.m. as I share insights and in-the-trenches strategies on HOW TO harness female talent – and fully reap the results of doing so.

My featured guest will be the Chief Diversity Officer of General Mills, Kenneth Charles.  General Mills is a 2011 recipient of the cherished ‘Best Places to Work’ award.  They are a leading global company that is achieving breakout results because they have been intentional about deploying meaningful talent management strategies.  This includes being deliberate about leveraging their female talent.

Come collaborate and learn how your organization can build new talent management strategies that are guaranteed to create newfound success.

 By Chuck Shelton, Author, Leadership 101 For White Men & Managing Director, Greatheart Leader Labs

White male leadership development is emerging as an area for significant innovation through global diversity and inclusion (D&I). The basic facts:

• 32 million white men hold leadership jobs worldwide
• the percentage of white men increases with leadership level
• many white guys feel excluded by diversity and inclusion, and they tend not to include themselves.

So it is useful to consider the reasons and risks behind white male engagement.

1. Position Power

Trends in population, education, and recruitment now produce diverse and rising talent. Yet white male executives are still the norm, and for many years they will continue to lead at senior levels beyond their proportion in the population. The obvious strategy: equip white men who lead to succeed through global diversity and inclusion. The risk in not doing so: self-marginalization, from weak bridging to leaders with position power.

2. Inclusion with Integrity

When  “inclusion” was added to “diversity” as the common label for our efforts, a powerful promise was turned loose – the idea that everyone is in. While white male privilege still exists, the future of white men will not be as well arranged as their past. Integrity requires the commitment to seek 100% involvement from the white guys. The risk in not doing so: the distrust of white men, when inclusion excludes them.

3. Growing Allies

Many white male allies travel a common D&I journey, passing from resistance to intrigue to self-interest to support to sponsorship to mutuality. These champions partner with diverse colleagues to move D&I forward, and the white guys who wonder what’s in diversity for them closely watch the white men who have figured that out. The risk in under-investing in such allies: white male resistance continues to limit D&I traction and results.

4. Funded Credibility

Every business unit must wield a defensible value proposition to hold its own during budget decisions. Simply put, D&I budgets can thrive when:

• Inclusion effectively includes white guys, who are many of the decision makers
• D&I leaders hone the return on investing in diversity with business unit leaders
• Diversity is measurably aligned with business strategy

The credible ROI secures funding. The risk of a questionable ROI: a languishing budget.

5. Competitive Advantage

In 2022 we will assure emerging leaders that, yes, in 2012 it was not commonly understood that white guys are not only included in diversity and inclusion, but they will contribute uniquely to its value. My firm now has two corporate clients who must not be named (but not in the same way as Voldemort), because these companies intend to invest in white male leadership development to win the battle for global talent and market share. The risk in not including white men: squandering the opportunity for a key competitive advantage in human capital and organizational success.

What about the white guys? There’s good news as we include them: new power, integrity, allies, funding, and a competitive advantage to boot. Such inclusion is a very powerful commitment.

Nadine O. Vogel, President, Springboard Consulting LLC

When it comes to supporting persons with disabilities, the largest and fastest growing minority segment in the world, in today’s corporate workplaces, today’s CEO’s are looking to their Diversity executives to take the lead in the mitigation of risk along-side the enhancement of productivity, retention and related profitability. Although understanding the ever-changing legislative requirements of the EEOC, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the OFCCP, Office of Contract Compliance Programs for U.S. Federal Contractors is important, it’s the practical applications and best practices of such applications that are critical to effectively and sustainably supporting this segment in a way that positively impacts business results.

Initiatives such as those listed below have become best practices for those employers desiring to become an Employer of Choice for this population, now the largest and fastest growing minority in the world–cut.

1.    The identification and removal of physical barriers via the use of a Barrier Assessment Survey.

2.    Making reasonable accommodations fair and equitable across the footprint of an organization by establishing a Reasonable Accommodation Committee.  Such a multi-touchpoint committee includes a documented, consistent process of protocols, time-limits, resources, etc.  Once established, its success is ensured via enterprise-wide communication and training on its’ use.

3.    The establishment of a disability employee resources group with a stated mission, vision, objectives and activities that are directly tied to business goals and objectives rather than established as a company sponsored support or networking group.

4.    The delivery of enterprise-wide disability etiquette & awareness training relative to the communication and engagement of candidates, employees and customers with disabilities.  This initiative has become a number one global best practice when delivered from a social justice perspective, utilizing everyday examples across the spectrum of disabilities.

Many more examples of the “how”, those practical applications and best practices to support this large, loyal segment will be discussed in the live session at the Forum so mark your calendar now as it will be a session you will not want to miss.

Nadine Vogel is President of Springboard Consulting LLC.  Springboard (www.consultspringboard.com) and is considered a global expert; working with multinational corporations to mainstream disability in the workforce, workplace and marketplace. Nadine is also the author of DIVE IN, Springboard into the Profitability, Productivity and Potential of the Special Needs Workforce. 

By Mariela Dabbah, author and founder and CEO of Latinos in College

I often hear educators say that Hispanic parents are not involved in their children’s education and that’s why they don’t go to college. Corporate executives frequently make a similar comment — Hispanic employees are not interested in advancing in their careers as much as others. On the other hand, I also often hear Hispanic parents say that their children are not afforded the same chances as other students, and I hear Hispanic employees complain about not being offered the same opportunities for advancement as other groups.  What gives?

It’s hard to change attitudes when you keep looking at a problem through the same lens you’ve always used. The truth is that all groups could use new distinctions (definitions of concepts that enable them to see things they couldn’t see before) to understand what’s happening and to make appropriate adjustments to get better results for everyone involved.

If you consider that everyone sees the world through the distinctions they have, then not having distinctions in a particular area will limit your ability to act in that area. For instance, if parents and students don’t have distinctions for acronyms such as SAT, ACT, AP, GPA and IB, they won’t hear these acronyms when guidance counselors or teachers mention them. Unless somebody specifically defines for them the meaning of these acronyms and their importance in the students’ future, it is unlikely that the students will be prepared to apply to college when the time comes. When schools assume that parents and students know things they truly don’t, the schools fail to make distinctions that would enable these parents and students to act in ways that would produce positive results.  When educators assume that, because parents don’t show up for parent-teacher conferences they don’t care about their child’s education, these educators act according to their assumption and very likely stop caring about that student.

But if educators were to realize that Hispanic parents are involved with their children in different ways – through providing good moral values, a strong work ethic, family stability, a strong culture and tradition – educators might begin to work with parents and their children differently. If guidance counselors understood that not all Hispanic students want to go to a local community college or need to contribute financially at home, and that those who are academically talented might be better off financially attending a four-year private school, they would start suggesting options to seniors that they tend to offer only to more affluent students. This change of attitude in turn would produce better results in terms of parent involvement and college readiness.

Something similar happens when companies look to develop their professional pipeline.  When corporations ignore the fact that Hispanics tend to be first generation college graduates and the first in their families to work in a corporate environment, they fail to offer customized scholarship and internship programs to support them. By not connecting these young people with mentors who can guide them through the unwritten rules of their organizations, they miss the opportunity to retain and promote top talent.  These are people who may be a bit rough around the edges because of the environment in which they were raised, but they can become loyal employees who contribute greatly with only a small effort from the corporation.  And this effort will result in much greater diversity at senior levels in the organization.

Acquiring valuable cultural distinctions that enable educators and corporations to adapt their programs and advice to Hispanic students and employees is a very effective way to reduce the performance and attainment gap. The key is that in order for things to change, both sides need to commit to changing the lens through which they see the other.  Strive to learn as much about the Hispanic community as possible so you can avoid letting your personal filters get in the way and you can provide the appropriate guidance to those who are not yet well versed with the education system and the corporate environment.

—

Mariela Dabbah is an award winning best selling author of several books that help Latinos succeed through education and empowerment. Some of her titles are Latinos in College: Your Guide to Success, and The Latino Advantage in the Workplace. Her new book Poder de Mujer (Woman Power) comes out March 6. She’s also the founder and CEO of Latinos in College.

By Vanessa Sheridan

I’m delighted to present on the topic, “Transgender 202: The Next Steps” at the 2012 Multicultural Forum. I plan to share some vital information, practical tools, and helpful resources about this leading-edge area of business interest. You are warmly invited to attend.

As a diversity professional, you’re probably aware of the presence of transgender people in society. Perhaps you even know about the rapidly increasing visibility of transpersons in the workplace. Maybe your organization is already on board with transgender inclusion. If so, you’re part of something that’s very new for the modern business community.

In the year 2000, there were three Fortune 500 companies that included gender identity and/or gender expression in their employee non-discrimination policies. Today, almost half of the Fortune 500 has adopted such policies, and sixteen states currently protect the rights of transgender workers. Transgender employees (and customers) are finally beginning to be taken seriously by businesses, nonprofit organizations, and state/local governments. If you’re like me, you find that trend highly encouraging–but there is still much to be done.

I work with HR professionals in organizations of all sizes that seek to become transgender-inclusive. I’m also hearing from more and more companies that desire to move beyond the basics to ensure that their transgender employees will be fully integrated into the tapestry of their organizational culture. Enhanced cultural competence and full equality are the goals, and they carry significant implications for society. (As we know, social change often happens first in the workplace. Over time, people bring their acquired workplace habits, expectations, and methods of behavior into their homes and out into the larger society, thus precipitating cultural shifts.)

Going beyond “Transgender 101” and taking more comprehensive steps toward the full inclusion of transgender individuals is proving to be an excellent approach for organizations that seek to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. I help propel this strategy forward by providing expert transgender-related consulting, strategy, and awareness training services to these forward-thinking organizations.

We’ve all heard that knowledge is power, but when it comes to transgender in the workplace, many of us are still uninformed–or even worse, misinformed–about this complex, multifaceted subject. In these challenging economic times, we need to learn more about topics that will allow us to grow and be more successful in our work. The more accurate information we have about the transgender phenomenon, the better equipped we will be to:

• enhance our cultural competence and diversity initiatives;
• improve recruitment and retention of top talent;
• position our organizations as recognized diversity leaders within our industries and the larger community;
• be aligned/compliant with federal, state, and local laws as they change and develop over time to become more protective of the rights of transgender citizens, thereby addressing and lessening the risk and not-inconsiderable expense of discrimination lawsuits.

Come join me at the Forum to learn more about transgender inclusion, or visit my website, www.vanessasheridan.com, for further information.