As I ponder my own career, the constant has always been that I have been blessed with a ton of opportunity. Some opportunity I took, some I passed on but all in all I can’t say that the opportunities haven’t been there. I worked hard to be recognized so when opportunities came, those in a position to share those opportunities thought of me. That is the thing about opportunity though; in a lot of cases it takes those who are in a position to share, to do just that – share!
When the topic of a diverse and inclusive workforce comes up, way too often people think affirmative action. Diversity and inclusion isn’t about affirmative action, it is about affirmative opportunity. The vast majority of those in minority communities don’t want to be given anything but a fair shot. I didn’t want anyone to “give” me the role of head of Digital for a fortune 500 company. I simply wanted to be given consideration and if my qualifications, track record, and leadership fit the bill, then I wanted the opportunity to earn the role.
As you go up the ranks of most of the largest organizations in U.S., the representation gets decidedly more male and decidedly more white. Let’s be clear there is absolutely nothing wrong with these men being in these positions, particularly when most earned the right to be there. The challenge is, in order to join these elite clubs in many cases ability sometimes comes second to trust. Trust comes from that intimate knowledge of a person and goes beyond the workplace. It comes on the golf course, church, the cigar bar, or simply the neighborhood or community. And people naturally trust those they are most familiar with for things that are important to them. Think about the people you’d leave your kids with, in many cases they will be of similar background to you. So imagine what it’s like for those white males at the top of the house. If trust is a huge factor in who gets what opportunity, then think how difficult it is at times for minorities to break into those clubs. Again, what most of us in minority communities are looking for is the opportunity for consideration amongst those who have the power to share those opportunities. We want the chance to succeed, we also want the chance to fail and not have that failure projected on every other minority that comes behind us.
So when you think diversity and inclusion, kill any thought of quotas. Focus on ensuring you and your organization are getting the best quality of candidates available. If during the consideration process you have a diverse cross section of candidates and you pick the straight, white guy because he is the best fit, then that is the very definition of diversity and inclusion. Open the process to all and choose the best fit, not because you play golf together or because your kids go to the same school, but because that candidate is truly the best fit.
It also doesn’t hurt that diversity and inclusion are great for a company’s bottom line. Don’t believe me, just ask our friends at PWC
Share your thoughts or push back if you disagree – lamont@digitalsince99.com , @digitalSince99
