Diversity Discussion Group – Lila Kelly’s Report on Monthly Meetings

Lila Kelly, of Lila Kelly Associates, LLC and DiversityIntegration.com, facilitated this Diversity Discussion Group for over 20 years up until 2023. This group started as a Special Interest Group (SIG) with the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) and was co-sponsored by Human Resources Professionals of Minnesota (HRP-MN), where Lila was on the board of directors for many years.

We met the second Friday of the month throughout the year, and the meetings were free and open to the public. Different members provided free space to meet, and since COVID-19, we held our meetings via Zoom. We had up to 400 people on the email list who received monthly meeting reminders along with other diversity-related events, job openings and news. Typically, between 8 and 15 people attended the meetings.

Often people have asked about my monthly Diversity Discussion Group meetings — about the meeting format, attendees, types of organizations, and topics of discussion. Here is a description of the meetings followed by a sampling of the many topics we have discussed over the years.

Meeting Format
Attendees discuss and share diversity-related topics and resources, in our workplaces, personal lives, and communities. Networking with others who are interested in this important topic is another aspect of this group. The meeting atmosphere is informal. The meetings begin (and sometimes end) with moving around the circle of attendees with introductions and to give everyone a chance to speak. This may include an update on a diversity topic they had previously shared with the group, an upcoming diversity event or resource, and/or a question or topic that they would like discussed. Short discussions take place during this format, which allows many topics to be discussed. Occasionally we have a short presentation and facilitated discussion on a specific diversity-related topic.

After each meeting, I was amazed at how much we actually discussed…which seemed to unfold in my memory over the rest of the day and sometimes over the next several days. I feel enriched from hearing the topics presented and the exchange of diverse perspectives in the ensuing discussions. This group has helped me keep my finger on the pulse of the diversity movement for many years.

Attendees’ Position Titles
Account Executive, Accountant, Assistant to the CEO, Attorney, Attorney/Mediator, Career Counselor, Chief Financial Officer, College Student, Consultant and Teacher of hip hop, Customer Relations Manager, Customer Support Supervisor, Department Director, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Manager/Committee Member/Coordinator/Consultant, Education Consultant, Employee Relations, Executive Communications Associate, General Manager, Government Relations Specialist, High School Student, HR and Diversity Consultant, Human Resource Director/Manager/Specialist, Leadership Consultant, OFCCP Compliance Officer, Program Director, Psychologist, Recruiter, Recruitment and Diversity Specialist, Recruitment and Outreach Manager, Sales Rep, Sign Language Instructor, Talent Acquisition Manager.

Types of Organizations at Meetings
Agricultural, Colleges and Universities, Corporations, Financial institutions, Healthcare, Internet job search company, K-12 school districts, Law Enforcement, National Guard, Nonprofits, State/county/city government, Retail, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), and more.

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Organizational Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives:

  • The gun situation in the U.S. – https://campaignzero.org, Cultural appropriation, credential programs in the DEI area, Job search situation and advantages for people over 50.
  • Diversity work and projects that attendees update us on at meetings, including D&I / DEI committees and teams initiatives, struggles, and progress. Ideas for success are discussed and suggestions are shared.
  • An attendee shared with the group the PROCESS SHE USED TO CHANGE THE TURNOVER RATE at her organization from 200% two years ago when she started to ~35% now. She works with a very diverse workforce. One thing she did was clarify four key competencies on which to focus in their hiring and performance management practices.
  • A Director at a non-profit organization recalled a time years ago when I shared with the group a 10-YEAR OLD DIVERSITY ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT for a diversity action plan. At that time, a member of the group said that the report was actually from his organization, that he was hired to develop recommendations such as those on the report, and that NOTHING has changed in the last 10 years there! The Director said that something similar to this recently happened to him at his organization.
  • Discussed COMPLIANCE VERSUS THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DIVERSITY and the focal points for diversity work.
  • Much of the same type of diversity work can cross the lines between corporate, government, healthcare, education, and other fields.
  • A Gallup Poll that showed 70% OF WORKERS ARE NOT ACTIVELY ENGAGED and discussed generational diversity’s effect on it.
  • Discussed the process of starting EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUPS (ERGs) in one organization. One person asked whether a successful existing diversity group in his organization should be forced to become an ERG, even though the group wants to remain as they are.
  • DIVERSITY IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUE. It touches everything. For example, to have effective diversity recruitment, organizations also need to integrate diversity into their hiring practices and retention strategies. Also, diversity and inclusion efforts need to be supported by other policies, procedures, and practices in the organization. For example, interview questions should be based on accurate job descriptions and written and asked in an inclusive manner.

Diversity Positions’ Job Responsibilities:

We discussed diversity jobs that exist now and how diversity has become a field of its own. Over 20 years ago, when some of us began working with diversity, there were no positions with diversity in their title. Now there are diversity coordinators, specialists, recruiters, managers, directors and even vice presidents. What do people do in these jobs? What are the goals of these jobs exactly? Do organizations know the answers to these questions when they create these positions? Who are mentoring people in these positions?

First, we need to ask why the organization needs this position. It should be clearly stated how exactly this position will help maximize organizational effectiveness. We began to name some specific job functions, but that is when the discussion started falling apart. Things by attendees were discussed such as, “understand cultures and how to relate to them,” “understand Affirmative Action and work on the action steps related to that,” “identify and work to resolve diversity issues related to all aspects of dealing with customers of services and/or products,” “understand employee’s attitudes—from long-term white employees, who may feel that new immigrants ‘should go back to where they came from,’ to the new immigrant with different cultural values and beliefs trying to learn the work environment’s culture.”

 Recruiting / Interviewing / Hiring:

  • HIRING PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELON was discussed again. (Notice the person-first terminology instead of referring to individuals as “felons.”) We discussed the discrimination they face, and that many employers reject an application as soon as they see a felony charge. That there is some effort to remove the question about convictions from application forms. Discussed how some companies take the time to determine if the felony is job related, and if it is not, they will interview the applicant. Two of the attendees from one company said that their company does this, however, another attendee said that he applied at that company and was told they would not interview him because of a felony conviction (unrelated to the job) – this was valuable information for the other two people to hear.
  • BAN THE BOX UPDATE: Amendment to Minnesota Statute 364 went into effect January 1, 2014, and restricts initial inquiries into criminal histories on job applicant forms. Discussed occupations that are excluded, that the conviction/crime has to be job-related to use as a reason not to hire a person, and what applicants can do if they see this box on an application form.
  • COLLEGE DIVERSITY RECRUITING: Discussed where recruiters can find diverse college graduates and resources were shared. Recruiters need to look outside the box of their traditional recruiting methods. The Diversity Recruiting & Resource Directory is a good resource for this.
  • AFFIRMATIVE ACTION RECRUITING AND HIRING, what Affirmative Action includes and resources it offers, even to organizations that do not need to comply.
  • CULTURAL COMPETENCIES NEEDED FOR RECRUITING AND HIRING: Many work environments will be changed dramatically over the next 5 to 10 years. We discussed the emerging need for cultural competencies in recruiting and hiring. The baby boomer generation is beginning to pick up speed in the wave of retirements from the workforce. Many organizations do not seem prepared to deal with the turnover, let alone the diversity of the applicant pool from which they will be hiring. One person said that within the next five years 50% of their entire workforce, including 70% or the managerial staff, will retire. Another person said that at her organization, 25% of the workforce will be retiring in the next 5 years, mostly white male managers. Strategies for recruiting were discussed.

Sexual Violence and Diversity:
Kathleen McDowell discussed her work educating healthcare professionals and employers on working with child sexual abuse survivors. You can see her book here.

A few group members mentioned that they have worked with victims of sexual violence, including in healthcare, the military, schools, at the legislation level, and in communities.
This is a much more prominent problem than many people realize.
It is one of those subjects that is so uncomfortable to talk about, that often it is not… which helps allow it to continue. Even though it is uncomfortable, it needs to be discussed and dealt with.

Racism / White Race:

  • IS THE WHITE RACE DISAPPEARING? Discussed how some people fear this. Upon searching the Internet, the question is definitely out there. I think this fear was magnified by the news in 2012 that babies born in the U.S. were over 50% non-white births—for the first time in history, and the number of white babies born will continue to drop. The answer? No. The mathematician in the group offered some numbers to explain this.
    THE N-WORD: An incident was shared where WHITE STAFF WAS USING THE N-WORD, because others in the workplace who were African American were using it. A white staff asked the question, “Will the N-word ever become just a word?” Different versions of the word and their meaning were presented related to the way the word ended, e.g. in “er” [negative historically] versus “a” [term of endearment among select groups in a community]. This discussion goes beyond our Diversity Discussion Group – you can check the Internet.
  • CRITICAL WHITENESS STUDIES: A course of study was mentioned that is offered in some colleges titled “Critical Whiteness Studies” In Academia. Many of us were skeptical of that at first.
  • “WHITE SPACE” was also discussed.
  • CHEERIOS COMMERCIAL: We discussed and watched (via smart phone-thanks Mitch!) the controversial Cheerios commercial that had been in the news, since some participants had not seen it. It shows a mixed-race couple and their child. The main question from the group was, “So, what’s the big deal?”
    HIGH SUICIDE RATE OF YOUNG MEN. We discussed the high suicide rate of men in their twenties and suicide rates in general. Young men are isolated and expected to be tough and “suck it up.”
    They have less access to mental health systems. We need to change the stigma of mental health issues.
    Suicide clusters (or copycat suicides). Questions discussed included: What can we do? What should be done? What tools are given to teachers and parents? What interventions are taking place? White men have the highest suicide rate and black women have the lowest.

 Other Diversity Topics:

  • The meaning of the words diversity versus inclusion versus equity is often discussed at meetings, since there is not just one meaning for them.
  • The meaning of Pansexuality, or omnisexuality – a sexual attraction, sexual desire, romantic love, or emotional attraction toward people of all gender identities and biological sexes.
  • THEORY X and THEORY Y are theories of human motivation that describe two contrasting models of workforce motivation. With Theory X assumptions, management’s role is to coerce and control employees. With Theory Y assumptions, management’s role is to develop the potential in employees and help them to release that potential towards common goals.
  • POOR PEOPLE DON’T EAT HEALTHY (Socio-Economic Diversity): We discussed how many people who are poor eat unhealthy foods for a number of reasons. There is much about this on the Internet. This discussion led to brain development, that unhealthy diets contribute to the achievement gap in our K-12 school systems, and that many kids start school at an advantage or disadvantage. Again, there is much about this on the Internet. As stated in one article, “Children who grow up in poor families are exposed to food with lower nutritional value. This can adversely affect them even in the womb.” Some communities are attempting to remedy the problem with nonprofit agencies that supply pantries and administer community gardens in as part of its anti-poverty programs.
  • BULLYING IN ORGANIZATIONS and creating a respectful workplace. How anti-gay marriage has led to bullying in some cases.
  • GAY MARRIAGE and how the younger generation is more open to diversity and helped tip the scale to pass the law in Minnesota (and elsewhere).
  • GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY: How the different generations view diversity differently. A tenth-grade high school student in the group said about the diversity around her, “It is just the way it is.” It’s the new normal for the younger generation.
  • DIVERSITY EDUCATION IN PRE-K – there is more now. That is where it needs to start, with diversity and communication skills. One woman mentioned her work with young kids in schools and the use of Persona Dolls as a tool to teach about diversity.
  • SITUATIONS of workplace conflicts regarding newer immigrant African men and white women. We discussed two situations that involved a man who is an African immigrant from a male-dominated culture and a white female coworker in a more senior position (these were two different work settings). In both cases, words describing the male employee’s behavior included intimidation, manipulation, defensive, lying, anger, and explosive to cover up his inadequate job performance. This behavior seemed successful in keeping the focus on the fear of showing cultural bias in the workplace and not on the quality of work performed, and in the process missing the issue of sexism.
    • From a cultural perspective based on cultural values and beliefs, the African men may have truly believed that they were in the right to be dominant and let the women do the more menial tasks of the job. However, the job descriptions should state the job duties, so it should be clear whether the employees are doing the job or not. However, even if a job description clearly defines the duties of a job (which many do not), manipulation and intimidation can be used to keep other employees from complaining to HR.
    • Human Resource’s Role: We discussed HR’s role in each of these situations, related to diversity issues around sexism, racism, and cultural values and beliefs. It was felt that HR staff are often not culturally competent to deal with this type of situation, and they should be. One person said that HR must have known this was going on, because that is HR’s role. HR’s role should be supportive in cases like this. However, HR is often not trusted by employees that are dealing with subtle inequities in the workplace. So, incidents may continue for a long time without HR being aware of them. HR staff are busy. To learn about and develop the cultural competencies to effectively deal with the multitude of potential cross-cultural and other diverse employee situations takes a lot of work. HR staff members decide whether they are going to put the effort into learning these cultural competencies.
    • If someone in HR is not going to deal with a diversity-related conflict, then HR should know who in the organization can and will, so they can refer employees to them. Situations like this need to be dealt with effectively, and someone needs to be responsible for that in organizations. Conflict situations such as these will increase with the increasing diversity in the workplace. How will they be handled in your organization?

 

Copyright ©2023 Lila Kelly Associates, LLC. Not to be reprinted without written permission from Lila Kelly. See information on online training, workshops and books on diversity and inclusion in hiring, interviewing, recruiting and retention at DiversityIntegration.com. To stay up to date on our latest blog posts and special offers, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.