Article: The Future is Now

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The Future is Now

Do any of you remember the old Johnny Carson bit where he played "Carnac the Magnificent?" Johnny donned a jeweled turban and, one at a time, he held a series of white envelopes up to his forehead to telepathically answer the question contained in the envelope. The audience jeered or laughed as, amazingly, "Carnac" sensed the answers to the questions in the envelopes. It was a simple routine, but was dearly loved and remembered by his fans. (I realize that some of you are too young to know what I'm referring to, but if you are curious, read the Wikipedia entry or visit JohnnyCarson.com)

Each year I'm asked to play a version of "Carnac," minus the fancy headdress and bawdy/slightly offensive jokes, at our annual staff retreat in January. This means that I present a "State of the Industry" report looking at current and future issues related to diversity and inclusion. I report on the issues that ProGroupers need to be thinking about as we prepare our clients for what lies ahead. Not unlike Johnny Carson, the answers seem more apparent than the questions. There aren't many people hypothesizing about diversity and inclusion. No one seems to be asking questions in order to anticipate the future. Most are reacting to the present or trying to get others to react to it. So, preparing this report calls for research and prognostication... a real "Carnac" approach.

In order to look into the future, I create my own set of questions and then spend time researching general business and workplace trends with diversity and inclusion layered on top. I try to determine how diversity and inclusion link to business success - the true goal of ProGroup's journey for the past 20 years.

To begin the New Year with you, I'd like to share the key points from my report. I invite you to respond with your reactions, additions, and questions. Unlike "Carnac," I will provide the question that I was attempting to answer in advance and spare you the suspense.

What will be the primary issues ProGroup and our clients will be talking about in 2006?

1. Integrated Training: Leadership and management training remains a hot commodity in the "soft" skills training world. The trend is just beginning, and we believe will increase rapidly, to seamlessly weave and overlay diversity and inclusion in other training topics. While it seems obvious, few are doing this. Even the great work that is available around employee engagement and leadership development overlooks the huge impact that diversity and inclusion concepts play in these areas. And the diversity folks seem fixed on maintaining diversity and inclusion as a separate topic. ProGroup has always worked toward "connecting the dots" for leaders and managers. Our newest management training program, Tools of Engagement™, blends current management concepts with diversity and inclusion, offering managers a skill set that allows them to be better managers for all employees. On May 10, 2006, Ron Adderley, ProGroup's Vice President of Creative Development and I will be speaking at the national ASTD conference in Dallas, TX about "Weaving Diversity and Inclusion Into Your Leadership Development Program." While we believe there is still a need for baseline diversity training, we know that the next step must be an integrated approach to skills application. When this occurs, cultures change and the ROI for diversity-related training increases... which brings me to my next point.

2. Measurement: Now that organizations see diversity and inclusion as a "need to do" and, in some cases, a "must do," rather than a "nice to do," one question being asked is, "How do we measure the diversity ROI?" This is not a new question, but it is being asked more frequently and with greater intensity as businesses spend resources on diversity and the results are "squishy" and hard to quantify. ProGroup answers the question of diversity ROI by measuring three key areas and the links between them.

First, we look at employees. Of course, representation, promotions, and turnover remain important metrics. Beyond that, we measure employee engagement, application of training concepts, and performance around stated diversity/inclusion competencies. Organizations are asking us to survey their workforces to determine their current states and then come back and measure their progress. The significant change is that the voices of employees are being heard in ways they have not been heard before. Real change is happening around diversity as it relates to the work environment and how it can be leveraged for business results.

Next, we look at a big shift in thinking among customers. Today, customers and clients have their own metrics for the organizations with which they do business to determine their level of commitment to diversity and inclusion. The legal community is a prime example. Five hundred chief corporate legal officers signed a document entitled, "Diversity in the Workplace - A Statement of Principle." The document requires that law firms doing business with their companies demonstrate their commitment to diversity. This move has awakened a lethargic legal community.

The third area of focus can be the loudest voice of all - communities. Companies are being evaluated with greater scrutiny by diverse communities, and, in some cases, the media. No longer can the companies just "send a check" to the foundations and organizations with which they are comfortable. Communities want to know that these companies care about them beyond showing up for photo ops and doing the minimum to get their business. They want assurances that diversity is important within the organization and that people who look like they do are welcomed and afforded all the opportunities needed to be successful. Communities want companies to roll up their sleeves and get involved at ground level. The value of a company's image amongst those in various communities has been sorely underrated. Yet, this metric often determines the "organizations of choice" with which they will work, speak well of, and do business.

When these three elements - employees, customers, and communities - are linked and working in synergy, the diversity ROI is undeniable.

3. Generational Differences: By now, it should be no surprise that there are four generations working together on the job. Here, the trend to notice is the unexpected challenges of this phenomenon. Managers don't know what to do. Consider these examples that have come up among ProGroup's clients over the last few months:

The conflicts that result from 20-somethings managing Boomers.

The recognition that a computer company may lose a huge customer base because their engineers and designers are mostly under 30 and out of touch with Boomers, who want to stay productive with products that accommodate the physical changes of their age group.

The biases shown by Gen Xers about Boomers, resulting in the discounting of individuals with critical knowledge and expertise and, in some cases, driving them to early retirement.

4. Cultural Responsiveness: The influx of foreign-born permanent and contract employees and foreign-born customers has been occurring for quite some time. Organizations are now recognizing that responsiveness to cultural differences is part of diversity and inclusion. While I worry that the primary dimensions of diversity (i.e., race, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, and religion) will fade from our conversations, the nuances of culture and ethnicity are real, present, and perplexing to Americans, as many of us have little cultural competency. The good news is that there is a brewing awareness of this skills gap. Questions are being asked such as, "Why do Asian employees rank lowest on job satisfaction?" The not-so-good news is that no checklist exists that tells us how to interact with every individual from a specific culture. This trend will continue to increase, requiring a great deal of attention.

5. Global Business: It is hard to find a growing company today that isn't currently working or considering working internationally in some aspect of their business. ProGroup has maintained for years, "It's the things you don't know you don't know that will get you." When doing business in another country, this becomes the mantra. For years, the term "globalization" was bantered about within the diversity industry with little understanding and substance behind it. Now it is causing great consternation among leaders and managers and is falling at the door of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Many companies have already changed their "Diversity Office" to the "Office of Global Diversity," yet this does little to counter their limited understanding and the broadening responsibilities that they and their leaders share. ProGroup has called in knowledgeable consultants in the global arena to work with us and our clients. We are tailoring training programs to work in other countries and helping companies with branches in America and abroad speak of diversity with one voice. This represents just the beginning of what's to come.

We will address these trends in the coming year. Our future is now, as these trends impact how we talk about diversity and inclusion within ProGroup and with our clients. The bottom line is that our past 20 years has only set the stage for 20 more years of expanding opportunities to create a better world.

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To supplement this article, Karen & Myrna created a list of ProGroup firsts for your information and even amusement!