Suddenly Anything is Possible

You Never Forget the First Time You Are Called a Terrorist

by Hafsa Ahmad
Content Solutions Intern, Cook Ross Inc.

 

It is difficult to forget the first time you are called a “terrorist”. At first, it comes as a shock but then you feel more emotionally rattled than you do insulted. Muslims, Arabs, South Asians, or anyone who could be mistaken as Muslim, have possibly experienced this in routine after the September 11 World Trade Center attacks. But after your first, the insults start to meld into just another aspect of life in America.

So when Shaima Alawadi first found a note pinned to her door that stated, “This is my country. Go back to yours, terrorist”, she dismissed it as a mere prank. This instinct to dismiss a threat has become routine for many Muslim-Americans in the past decade. Reporting harassment incidences to the police is perceived as foolish and futile.

Shaima, a sweet-smiled California mom of four, chose to wear the hijab. The tradition of hijab for many Muslim women, beyond modesty, is to identify and distinguish Muslim women from other women. Every Muslim woman who chooses to take up the veil, particularly in America, does so knowing that she will be identifiably Muslim from afar. Now, in Muslim countries, this is hardly a dangerous move. However, the brutal murder of Shaima Alawadi, hijab-wearing Muslim mother of five, proves that in America, identifying yourself as Muslim is tantamount to putting yourself at risk.

The issue at hand holds ramifications far beyond an isolated incident. What this murder reinforces is what many Muslims have feared since 9/11- to wear a hijab or grow a beard is to place yourself in the line of fire for hatred, harassment, even murder, in Shaima’s case. What this spells for Muslims today is that they are forced to choose. Do they hide their Muslim identity and live free of suspicion, hate and harassment?

America can never be the free country that it was founded to be, so long as minority populations within its borders feel pressured to suppress their identity, in return for an increased measure of security. Since the murder of Shaima, Muslims have again arrived at a crossroads to wonder: is it safer if to shed the scarf and shave the beard? Why must Muslims sacrifice tradition, religious freedom and personal liberty for safety and freedom from persecution?

Undoubtedly, countless Muslims have chosen to fight against the suppression of their religious identity. They have, in turn, become increasingly vocal advocates of their religion, in more ways than wearing a headscarf or sporting a beard. However, one cannot deny the fear that rippled through the Muslim-American community- that Shaima could have been any one of us.

The first time I was assaulted for wearing hijab, I was twelve years old, testing out my new bike in my neighborhood park. I faintly heard yells from an approaching SUV, but paid them no mind. As the vehicle approached, I noticed three teenage boys hanging out the window and sunroof, making rude gestures in my direction. Innocently, I glanced around to see who they were yelling at, but saw no one. I realized an instant too late that their hate was directed at me, when the first egg hit me hard on my thigh, followed closely by three more as I biked as hard as I could for home. The trembling stopped eventually, but I could never shake the fear that one day, I could get hit with worse than eggs.

It is horrifying that we live in a country where minorities have to suppress their identity in order to feel safe. This kind of exclusionary behavior threatens the ideals that America was founded upon. America’s founding fathers came here in search of a nation where they could practice their religion openly, and free from discrimination. We are a nation that, despite our Pledge of Allegiance, continually struggles to provide liberty and justice for all. We are a nation where a man who shoots an African-American youth for “looking suspicious” can go days uninvestigated, and where Muslim-Americans dismiss threats because of their lack of faith in the police force.

More than a decade has passed since September 11, 2001, when the vilification of Muslims became prevalent in America. Yet 2010 saw the highest number of hate crimes against Muslims since 2001. These assumptions -- specifically, that a headscarf-wearing mom from California must be a radical Muslim or that a hooded African-American teenager is a criminal -- are fed to us by media, government policies and the recent wars that have ravaged the American psyche. In order to move past tolerance towards inclusion, we have to discover within ourselves the hidden prejudices we hold and courageously address them, not suppress them.

Them vs. Us -- 8 Ways to Bridge the Gap

“Them vs. Us”—8 Ways to Bridge the Gap

Workplaces are one of the few places in society where we don’t get to choose who we associate with. With this in mind, understanding different backgrounds and viewpoints is important for being successful in business. Each person’s background defines their world, said Howard Ross. When we hear “diversity,” for many it brings up a “them v. us” feeling, rather than one of inclusion.

Over the past 20 years, we have seen a steady polarizing trend in our country…a movement toward a “them vs. us” way of thinking and acting. The resulting impact on our organizations, our political structure, our economy and our communities threaten the foundations that we hold most dear. A recent Diversity Insights Series conversation brought Howard Ross to campus to discuss why this dynamic happens and what we can do to begin to bridge these gaps in our lives.

Howard Ross is one of the nation’s leading diversity training consultants and a nationally recognized expert on diversity, leadership, and organizational change. He founded Cook Ross in 1989 as a consulting firm dedicated to developing and implementing innovative solutions in diversity and inclusion. In his 90-minute talk, to a (diverse) group of business people from around the Twin Cities, Ross explained how our culture has changed and provided 8 ways to impact our unconscious reactions to “us vs. them.”

Today, most of news and commentary sites we read an watch share our worldview. Do you prefer MSNBC or Fox News, for example; NPR, talk radio (or sports talk)? We are “self segregating into mental (and physical) enclaves of people who think like us,” said Ross. This reinforces our ideas of “the others” as those who don’t think like we do. But, he points out, “there is a difference between having a strong point of view and demonizing each other.”

American demographics are changing organically – this has never happened before and we don’t have a rulebook for it. The beginnings for that “societal rulebook” are Ross’ 8 ways to impact our unconscious:

1. Acknowledge bias 
   We all have our biases. Understanding that and knowing what they are is a first step. As yourself, “what’s my bias in this circumstance?” So often bias comes from thinking, “that’s the way we do things around here.” Can you be willing to change, to be flexible?
2. Develop and practice “constructive uncertainty”
   We value certainty more than quality–it is more important to us, it seems, to take the easy route. A simple example: I’ll go to Caribou or Starbucks even though there is another “local” coffee shop nearby that could be a better option. Try something new and you can learn a lot.
3. Explore awkwardness and discomfort
   Think about what is making you uncomfortable in a particular situation, and why. Trying to understand those feelings will allow you to work with them.
4. Develop the capacity to use a flashlight on yourself
   Simply put, “What we observe, we can change,” says Ross.
5. Engage with those people you consider “others”
   Be respectful, and try to learn about the life experiences that lead others feel the way they do. Even if you may not come to agreement on a divisive issue, you can better understand someone else’s frame of reference, and their right to that opinion.
6. Get feedback and data
   Ask others about their perceptions of your biases, and find ways to measure them.
7. Less guilt, more responsibility
   “…in order to live an ethical life, to live ethically and responsibly, I have to take some responsibility for the unearned advantage, which means working to change the society that bestows that advantage. It’s not guilt, but it is responsibility.” -Tim Wise
8. Practice conscious awareness
   “Every villain is a hero in their own story,” noted Ross. Each political party, for example, wants what’s best for the country – they just have a different preference about how we get there. To better understand others and dissolve the barrier between “them” and “us,” one simple thing to do is start watching and listening to “other” media sources.

What other ways do you have to bridge the gap between “them” and “us?”The Diversity Insights Series is presented by the Opus College of Business in partnership with the Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity. Offered quarterly, the series will feature individual speakers or panels focused on current and emerging issues on workplace diversity and inclusion topics.

Learn more about the Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity and its 2012 conference, A Time for Innovation, March 20-22, 2012.

To read the full blog CLICK HERE. Thank you!

Got Unconscious Bias? (Hint: YES YOU DO!)

Six Steps for Dealing with Unconscious Bias

By Howard J. Ross

Raise your hand if you are biased. If you were slow to raise your hand, you are not alone. Many of us are reluctant to admit we harbor some bias. We have been taught that to be biased means that we are bad. Or worse, that we are bigots and discriminators. But bias is a normal part of human behavior. It helps us survive by helping us make snap decisions that can save us from danger or protect our families and livelihoods. But it can also interfere with our desire to appreciate others and be fair to all. We all strive to be aware of the judgments we make about others. But it takes practice to question your gut instincts.  Bias resides inside all of us, whether we like it or not.

New science and knowledge of organizational behavior reveals that most of the bias we may feel or exhibit exists in our unconscious. Much of that bias is cultural and is learned from our families of origin. We assume our own beliefs and norms are well…normal.  We assume others share our perspective. Imagine inviting someone into your home. What if you told them “Make yourself at home” and they went to the refrigerator and drank orange juice right from the carton?  Clearly, we all have different worldviews and unique ways of navigating our environments!

Organizations that truly wish to create diverse employee populations and more inclusive workplaces have struggled for decades with overcoming bias. Clearly, individuals and groups should pay attention to how race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and multiple identities should be managed so that all employees can be successful, contributing members of their organizations. More times than not, people make choices that discriminate against one group and in favor of another, without even realizing that they are doing it. All of us need practice to reveal our thinking and understand not only what we think, but how we think. Here are six “conscious” steps to help you deal with unconscious bias:

1) Tell the Truth to Yourself & Notice What Influences Your Decisions: Remember that all humans have unconscious preferences and biases, which is completely normal, and that those preferences and biases impact most, if not all, of the decisions we make, including those regarding people. Be willing to honestly admit your biases.

Also, keep in mind that unconscious preference and biases can influence decision-making in both negative as well as positive ways.

2) Gather Data About Yourself: The Implicit Association Test (IAT) can help you identify your unconscious preferences. Taking one or more of the IATs is a free, voluntary activity that you can do at home on your own computer. Keep track of your decisions and review them to see if there are any patterns that may not have been apparent to you (e.g., similarities in the persons you socialize with, people your hire or select to be on your team.) Patterns don’t automatically indicate bias. But if you see a pattern, it would be wise to examine it further.

3) Stretch Your Comfort Zone: If you discover that you view a particular group with discomfort, make a conscious effort to learn more about that group. Expose yourself to positive images and other information related to that group. Don’t be afraid to question yourself. If others question your decisions, instead of reacting defensively, try to listen to the feedback. Be open to change.

4) Stimulate Your Curiosity about Others: When you interact with a person who is part of a group with which you have had little interaction, be aware that you may be especially susceptible to stereotyping, which can lead to false or negative assumptions about that person.  Make a conscious effort to learn more about that individual as well as his/her group, recognizing that interaction with one person does not predict or explain his or her group norms.

5) Expand Your Constellation of Input: Get input from people representing other groups or points of view during your decision-making process. One of the best ways to bring concealed beliefs and how they affect behavior into clear view is to request peer feedback regarding potential preference patterns. Most of us are nervous to do this because we are inherently afraid of what we might hear. But are we better off with people thinking it and not telling us?

6) If You Mess It Up, Clean It Up! Don’t be afraid to go to somebody and apologize if you feel like they have been treated unfairly, excluded because of who they are, or not recognized for what they contribute. Make the situation right and then evaluate the system that led to the decision and explore ways you can improve the process for the future.

Bias occurs because our fundamental way of encountering the world is driven by a hard-wired pattern of making unconscious decisions about others base on what feels safe, likeable, valuable, and competent. And that includes our reactions to the people we live with and work with every day. The pathway to overcoming bias begins by accepting the normalcy of it.  When we accept that we have normal biases, it becomes much easier to observe how they may be impacting our decisions or reactions.  Accepting personal biases makes them less, not more likely to impact others. 

We are all human and so is bias. Engaging in these six steps is the first big step on a journey toward creating organizations where all people have their best shot at being successful.

Read other articles and learn more about Howard J. Ross.

No Need for Hate

Sometimes being a proud parent and an advocate for diversity come together. My 17-year-old son Jake composed this poem the other day that I thought I would share with you. Thank you for reading, Howard Ross

Hate
by Jake Ross

Hate.

Children forced to vacate their schools,
Punished again and again for following the rules,
Trying to fit in to a society that doesn’t want them,
That calls them different for being who they were born to be,
Gay, lesbian, transgender, straight, we are all people, there's no need for hate.

People are hated for who they are,
Told they are different, told they have flaws,
But the truth is,
Nobody deserves to be hated,
Harmed for things beyond their control,
Feelings are feelings,
And they belong to the feeler,
Schoolchildren harm each other,
Wounds too deep to heal.

Little boys interested in others,
While people just like them are murdered every day,
And there's poor innocent Matthew Shepard,
Who died for being gay,
Beat to death and left crucified in the desert.

When will the world learn that to discriminate is to kill?
Calling a little boy “fag” is the same as stabbing him with a knife,
Whether it be from an angry, ignorant fool, or by his own hand,
This wound may cost him his life.

Life is a very beautiful thing and deserves to be cherished,
But this cannot happen when innocent children perish.

So stop the hate, stop the death, stop the rage,
Learn to love,
Because the world won't fix itself,
We must fix the hearts that have broken,
Because if we can't love those different from us,
Then how can we really love at all?

Are You Diversity Literate?

by Nancy Jambor

Creating Diversity Literacy

More and more institutions of higher education are announcing initiatives promoting what I will call diversity literacy. The announcements refer to “fostering a culture of pluralism,” “enhanced commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” “expanded intercultural awareness,” and “cultivating multicultural values.” 

What’s going on here?  It seems to me that universities and colleges are moving towards deeper engagement with the complex challenges and opportunities of living, working, teaching and learning in an intercultural world.  Indeed, though the future is now, the willingness and readiness of colleges and universities to embark on the journey of developing diversity literacy has not been everywhere apparent. What will it take for an institution of higher education to get there from their here?

                               

What is diversity literacy?

             Diversity literacy focuses on recognizing and responding with fluency to cross-cultural interaction. Developing such proficiency requires a commitment to learning how to understand and successfully interact with people we perceive as different from us, and who likewise perceive us as not like them.

            Diversity literacy can inform the ways in which all of us go about our everyday routines, interactions, and relationships. What can happen as a result of becoming literate in the area of diversity is that we are able to better navigate our current and future world.

            The ways in which others communicate with us are rooted in cultural frameworks, just as our ways of communicating reflect our cultural context. Diversity literacy encompasses a grammar of cultural communication patterns, a syntax of tone, gesture, stance, etcetera, a vocabulary expressive of nuanced understanding of cultural differences.  This new literacy relies on a lexicon of courtesy and hospitable (rather than hostile) interaction. 

             It appears to me that the “specified area” for diversity literacy is, truthfully and accurately, life.  Culture is a lived experience.  We are never not living it.  

 

Fluency in Diversity Literacy

            What kinds of competencies and knowledge need to be  considered as essential elements for the cultivation of intercultural competencies, aka diversity literacy?

            Janet M. Bennett [Intercultural Communication Institute, Portland, Oregon] suggests that intercultural communication competencies emerge from a mindset, heartset, and skillset. These in turn depend on capacities for “cognitive complexity, psychological maturity, and emotional energy.” (Dalton, 1998) Yes, Virginia, these can be learned!          

            Development of intercultural communication competencies - the repertoire of a diversity literacy - begins with knowing one’s self as a cultural being, proceeds to understanding others’ cultural frameworks, and continues as a lifelong process, to learning ways to effectively navigate between and among multicultural dimensions in behavior, values, beliefs, and attitudes. 

            The process of learning about culture, and intercultural competencies, is widely considered to be developmental in nature, moving through stages characterized by increasing awareness, improved capacity for contextualizing communication patterns, and ability to adapt to differing cultural situations.

            Diversity literacy entails proficiency in both instrumental - “task-oriented problem-solving” and communicative learning (Mezirow, 2000). Mezirow writes that “communicative learning [is] learning what others mean when they communicate with you. This often involves feelings, intentions, values, and moral issues.”

            Dalton (1998) enumerates some key capacities entailed in developing cultural competency as (a) high level of cognitive complexity, so as to make sense of “huge amounts of contradictory information;” (b) excellent interpersonal skills - Goleman calls this “emotional intelligence;” (c) learning from experience, which requires social and psychological openness; and (d) ability to reason from a moral/ethical standpoint. Most if not all of these can be accurately depicted as “meta-competencies;” that is, requiring the ability to engage in high levels of self-reflective, analytical, and integrative thinking.  Offermann & Phan (2002) propose cultural intelligence “as a life skill in today’s pluralistic societies.”

            Fluency in diversity literacy may be observed or demonstrated in some of the following ways, as described by Dalton (1998):

•         acting as an effective member of an intercultural team, by “active listening, acting with integrity, bringing out the best in others on the team, and demonstrating appreciation of cultural differences”

•         “perceived to be cross-culturally adventurous, who seek opportunities to learn, and who are insightful and open to criticism”

•         skilled in and committed to learning how to learn in someone else’s culture

 

Let’s get transformational!     

            The process of becoming more culturally competent - literate in diversity - exemplifies transformational learning. Mezirow writes that “transformative learning refers to the process by which we transform our taken-for-granted frames of reference (meaning perspectives, habits of mind, mind-sets) to make them more inclusive, discriminating, open, emotionally capable of change, and reflective.”  Each of us - individually, in groups, and as institutional communities - as we are engaged in developing diversity literacy, are faced with examining and reframing our points of view, challenging ourselves at every step of the journey to step out of our ethnocentrism, and step toward integration of increasingly complex experiences, information, and paradoxes.

            Taylor suggested in a 1996 article that “transformative learning theory” offers a model for the process of becoming interculturally competent.  This approach includes a basic understanding of learning as meaning-making:  making sense of our experiences, especially those that contradict what we thought we knew, which happens often during many cross-cultural interactions!  More importantly, I believe, this approach involves defining diversity literacy as developing “a more inclusive and integrated world view.” Research (Hammer, Gudykunst, & Wiseman, 1978) highlights the following abilities as critical to “successful” meaning-making about intercultural experiences:

(a)    ability to deal with psychological stress;

(b)   ability to effectively communicate; and

(c)    ability to establish interpersonal relationships.

 

We are left to ask, “In what ways might adult learners be reliably engaged in such an enterprise?”

 

Curiosity leads the way

            Over the last few years, Janet M. Bennett [Intercultural Communication Institute] has begun exploring curiosity as a prime attribute for intercultural learning.  Viewed as a crucial (and playful!) mental/emotional attitude, curiosity fuels a motivation to experience, to encounter, to connect, to learn. 

       Cultivating curiosity, then, may play an instrumental role in developing diversity literacy, in part mitigating or overcoming the potential disorientation, difficulty, and tension many people and groups experience in intercultural interactions.

Cultivating community, and the sense of “mattering”

            Diversity literacy signifies the knowledge, skills, and capacities necessary for effective cross-cultural bridge-building. Diversity literacy is essential to “create a culturally dynamic organization.” (Dalton, 1998)  Gaining and sustaining the ground of diversity literacy requires willingness to work with the inevitable tensions that differences create. Darryl G. Smith, writing in 1996, urged engagement by institutions of higher education with the “difficult dialogues” which he placed at the heart of a trifecta: community, multiplicity of group memberships and roles, and, intriguingly, the idea of “mattering.”             

            Schlossberg and others have created a list of characteristics associated with a sense of mattering. They include:

•         Attention – feeling noticed and seen (perhaps especially when not physically present!)

•         Importance –believing our contributions (verbal and otherwise) make a difference

•         Ego extension – sensing that others will be “proud or saddened by one’s success or failures”

•         Dependence – expecting that others rely on us as an important group member

•         Appreciation –  receiving acknowledgement for efforts

            Smith has suggested that these five aspects of “mattering” can be utilized as organizing (and organizational) guides for efforts to foster effective multicultural communities within the context of higher education.

 

Nurturing Voice for Diversity Discourse

            Belenky, Bond & Weinstock (1997) write about “midwife leaders” who “enable the community to give birth to fledgling ideas and nurture the ideas along until they have become powerful ways of knowing.” This notion of midwifery is crucial to the transformative learning processes entailed in cultivating diversity literacy. 

            Diversity literacy proficiency must include nurturing the diverse voices of individuals and groups, many of whom have previously experienced long-standing exclusion from institutional discourse. Belenky, Bond, and Weinstock describe the act of speaking up as a dynamic process of “claiming the power of her mind,” reflecting a deep sense of “well-being.” The wellness that provided a platform for participation was a result of sustained, intentional listening in a particular way, drawing out those who might lapse into silence, inviting them to the dialogue through reflective questions.  They write that once engaged, individuals become committed to “a developmental process that will perpetuate itself.  As people are drawn out and empowered they are likely to draw out and uplift others.”

            Diversity literacy gives room to all members of the community to voice themselves.  We can presume the voices will be diverse, and we can ensure that all points of view are heard and seen as essential to the health and vitality of the community as a whole. Indeed, it cannot be whole and well unless all members believe their voices are noticed, welcomed, and included.  In short, it matters tremendously that all community members know unequivocally that what they have to say matters.

 

Leveraging diversity for institutional excellence

            Williams & Wade-Golden have studied the emerging trend of appointing Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) on campuses across the United States. They identified development of a “functional definition of diversity as a resource that can be leveraged to enhance learning . . . and is fundamental to institutional excellence.” [my emphasis] This leveraging of learning can happen in the context of teaching and learning diversity literacy.

            While Smith accedes that the notion of community is “elusive,” he also asserts that development of community is pivotal to providing, for everyone, an authentic sense of belonging. He writes, “the strength of the community is most often the integration of meaningful involvement as an individual, [and] as a participant in important group functions.” The concept of creating diversity literacy is one significant way to contribute to a dynamic, engaging community, which will profit institutions through enriched community life, deepened commitment of diverse faculty, staff and students to stay and contribute, and the priceless appeal of a place where anyone, from anywhere, can find their place.  Fantastic business, this!

            The focus on diversity literacy at institutions of higher education is at once ambitious and timely, compelling and demanding. As there is no instant anything in culture learning, making progress in attaining their vision, mission, and goals will require committed leadership, and committed followership, at all levels and in all sectors. The dedicated and oft-times delicate nurturance of communities that are authentically welcoming, inclusive, culturally diverse and thriving will depend on both resilience and resolve.  All campus communities will need to know they matter, today and tomorrow.  Gaining institutional proficiency in diversity literacy promises to be a transformative undertaking.   

            The stories unfolding on campuses across this country may enlighten all of us who care about  authentic connection and belonging. Offermann & Phan write that “leaders are, and will be increasingly called upon to be the champions of diversity, the models of skillful cross-cultural behavior, and the mediators of cross-cultural conflict.” I venture to say that we will all be called upon in this way.

            What happens next in these college and university settings will no doubt make for a fascinating and lively narrative about the processes for “achieving a campus community that can function and indeed thrive on its diversity.” [Daryl G. Smith, 1996] Very exciting business!  

 

About the author

Nancy Jambor (nanjam1@msn.com) has extensive experience teaching and training, plus managing interdisciplinary projects and programs in fields such as education, health, and early childhood mental health.

Nancy has more than twenty years’ experience designing and delivering adult education as an invited presenter at state, regional and national conferences, as an adjunct faculty member at several Oregon community colleges, and as a staff development coordinator for non-profit educational organizations. 

At present, Nancy divides her time between Portland, Oregon and San Luis Obispo County, California. She invites your questions and feedback on this blog entry. Write to her at nanjam1@msn.com.

Equal Justice for All: Be Courageous and Outspoken

by Howard J. Ross, Chief Learning Officer

Last Saturday evening I had the privilege to be the co-chair, with my good friend Tiane Mitchell Gordon, the Senior VP of Diversity and Inclusion from AOL, for PFLAG’s 2nd Annual Straight for Equality Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. (Yes, THAT Times Square!)

It was an inspiring evening, highlighted by three award winners. Liza Minnelli was given the PFLAG Straight for Equality in Entertainment Award; Dr. Rohini Anand, the extraordinary Chief Diversity Officer of Sodexo, was given the Straight for Equality in Business award, and Scott Fujita, a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl-winning team, was given the first Straight for Equality in Sports Award. Scott has been especially courageous in his outspoken support for human rights while working in a business sector that is rife with homophobia.

I have to say that I’m not somebody who is especially big on lists and awards. All too often they seem to be more about who knows whom -- and unfortunately who pays whom for the recognition -- than they are about true visionary leadership. But in this case, every one of these award winners are people who have walked their talk and deserve all of our recognition and respect.

It was an honor to be invited to participate. If you’re interested, I’ve posted below the photo a copy of my opening and closing remarks at the event. 

Opening Comments: Tonight we have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and honor a group of committed people. People who share our commitment to equality for all people. People who have demonstrated that commitment in their acts as well as their words.

Tonight, we will have an opportunity to have fun together, to be a community together, to be entertained together, and to celebrate together. But let there be no mistake. Tonight is not just a party. We are here for a clear and present purpose. We are here because we know that there is no justice unless there is justice for all.

However, the question that I have is, when people hear, in the Declaration of Independence, these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all (people) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” ...do they not believe in the declaration, or so they not know what “ALL” means?

And so tonight, we want to invite you, to implore you, to engage you. We want tonight to be a call to action. We want to know that this experience, here tonight, will inspire you so that you are left with a clear and unwavering connection to your own commitment to equality – for all.

As Dr. King so memorably said, “We have before us the glorious opportunity to inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization.” Let us be clear…it will not come easily. It never has. But we have an opportunity to step up our individual passion for equality and for justice by remembering that we are not alone in that commitment. That we stand together. That we have the tools, resources, and support – through programs like Straight for Equality and by the achievements of tonight’s honorees – to know that our stand will create change.

Tonight, THAT is what we celebrate.

Closing Remarks: First, I want to thank PFLAG for the privilege of co-chairing this event, especially with my dear friend Tiane.

We started the evening by saying that we wanted tonight to leave all of us inspired. To leave all of us moved to action. That is the gauntlet that we throw down to you. To act in the big ways, but, just as importantly to act ever day in the small ways.

As Marion Wright Edelman has said, “You just need to be a flea against injustice. Enough committed fleas biting strategically can make even the biggest dog uncomfortable and transform even the biggest nation.” That’s our challenge. To transform our nation. That’s our opportunity. That’s our work. Thank you for joining us in that work.

Is Your Hospital Culturally Competent?

Today, people of color comprise more than one third of the U.S. population. By the year 2050, various ethnic groups and persons of color in the U.S. will total just over half (51.1 percent) of the population according to U.S. Census Bureau projections. Close to 90 percent of our total population growth will have come from high birth rates of persons of color and historic levels of immigration.

The census projection emphasizes what many have already realized: providing healthcare services to people who act, talk, relate, dress and eat different from what we have often considered the “mainstream” will become far more commonplace. Continued immigration into the U.S., along with increases in the population of various cultural groups, means that more patients with different cultural customs, beliefs and practices will enter into the healthcare delivery system. This brings with it a unique and complex set of challenges for providers.

Culture Shock

While healthcare is a universal concept that exists in every cultural group, cultures vary in the ways they perceive health and illness and how care is given. Culture is predominant force in shaping an individual’s health and response to illness. For this reason, hospitals must not only provide excellent patient care, they must also be proficient in “cultural competency,” the understanding of different cultures, customs, and values.

Some hospital leaders understand the importance of being culturally competent and have responded by hiring more multilingual staff and interpreters, and providing diversity training to help staff members understand their patients’ different backgrounds. Some changes are even required by various regulatory and accrediting organizations including The Joint Commission and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards. These are important steps. Yet, they are only the beginning of preparing for the reality of a multicultural and multilingual patient population and workforce.

Cultural Benefits

In healthcare, the benefits can be much more significant, since in the industry, the business case accounts for more than return on investment. It translates to the “top line” of optimal patient care and the “bottom line” of business growth and sustainability. Healthcare organizations can potentially see the following in addressing diversity and cultural competency in their organizations:

Top line

•  Better patient care

In healthcare, the bottom line is providing excellent care to patients. Although cost has to be considered, people are No. 1. Many reports have indicated that ethnic minority providers generally care for more minority patients than their non-minority counterparts. Also, ethnic minority patients are more likely to be compliant and comfortable with a provider who can speak their language and/or understands their culture.

•  Reducing health disparities

Racial and ethnic minorities have higher rates of poor health outcomes than whites in the case of most     diseases, even when controlling for various factors such as income, employment status, and insurance     coverage. Cultural bias is one contributor to this, according to numerous studies. A diverse and culturally competent workforce can help reduce health disparities.

Bottom line

• Recruit and retain diverse professional talent

Diverse organizations and companies are seeing the benefits of having a diverse work force. Diversity and management talent go hand-in-hand. The most talented people seek to work for organizations that are committed to providing the best-quality services. They know that an organization that reflects its customers does just that.

• Improve market share

Patients of color are the fastest growing population of healthcare consumers. Communities that include particular cultural groups tend to patronize and be most loyal to service providers that represent them, that understand and respond to them and appreciate their differences. As the population becomes more diverse, the providers that meet the needs of those diverse patients will become their providers of choice.

• Lower healthcare costs

Disease management has been implemented as part of many patient care plans to improve care and reduce costs. Diversity and cultural competence programs can reduce cost through communication with patients regarding their risks and increasing prevention and self-care. While this is the case for providers and employers, it is also such for all taxpayers and those paying insurance premiums. If usage increases for an employer as a result of untreated chronic conditions, the overall pool of payers pays more.

• Avoid legal issues

Failure to understand differences of culture or custom may lead to lawsuits. While this may or may not be warranted, the opportunities for a lawsuit increase with even the perception that care is not provided equally.

• Compliance with accrediting bodies

The HHS Office of Minority Health has implemented standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services. The Joint Commission continues to explore ways to incorporate cultural and linguistic competence. While The Joint Commission evaluation is not meant to find fault, incorporating standards into the recommendations serve as a great opportunity for organizations to improve their cultural proficiency and, simultaneously, meet their business obligations.

• Expand the future work force pipeline

With the current work force shortage, the need for more people to choose the health professions (particularly nursing, allied health, and STEM fields) is overwhelming. Encouraging and promoting diversity sends a message to ethnic minority students in your community that the health professions are a place where they can make a difference, particularly by seeing professionals they can emulate.

• Good business sense

I’ve mentioned that understanding different patients’ cultures can have a positive impact on a hospital’s bottom line. Additionally, successful hospitals understand the need for a highly skilled and diverse workforce. Since the overall work force is also consistently diversifying and healthcare costs are skyrocketing, large employers will increasingly scrutinize their health plans and providers to ensure they have the caretakers and services that meet the needs of their employee population. Health plans also will want to make sure their hospital providers reflect their communities. The process is good for all involved, particularly the patient.

Summary

Many hospitals and healthcare providing organizations have already begun their journey toward understanding and integrating the importance of cultural competency – from both a business and patient-centered care and satisfaction standpoint. They have employed diversity coordinators, seek diversity training for executive and patient-care employees and are hiring more interpreters. Those hospitals that prepare for cultural diversity now are better equipped to provide excellent care and service. Employers will choose them as their provider. Insurers will enlist. And the community will support them. The healthcare providers who don’t respond to this growing need will be left behind.

Where are you along the cultural competency continuum in your organization? Let us know at lookingforanswers@cookross.com.
 

How Do You Handle the Diversity Emergency?

It seems like a regular part of the news. Some organization in the media spotlight confronting the embarrassment, financial and marketplace vulnerability of a “diversity emergency”.

A major corporation is sued by its African American and female employees, creating a divided culture, and eventually, a $40 million settlement.

Don Imus puts his foot in his mouth by unleashing a stream of stereotypes and racial insults on a widely read radio show, leaving his employer in turmoil, his listeners enraged, and the entertainment world embarrassed.

A national retail clothing giant is investigated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for allegedly discriminating against a 17-year-old Muslim by refusing to hire her because she wore a hijab, or head scarf, in observance of her sincerely held religious beliefs.

The Cambridge Police Department deals with the fallout of the arrest of a prominent African-American Harvard professor.

A large insurance company is accused of denying its services to certain communities, resulting in NAACP picketing, angry employees and public embarrassment.

The situations listed above are few that our clients have faced, but the list is almost endless: Sportscasters fired. Restaurants accused of racism. Tape recording of executives purportedly using racial epithets, etc., etc. These kinds of situations are among the most feared in American business today because the costs associated with them are astronomical.

Lawsuits like the $85 million paid by Publix Supermarkets, or the over $300 million paid by Mitsubishi. Stock losses like those suffered by Texaco and how many people will never eat at a Denny’s again?

The reality is that how organizations deal with these emergency situations is far more critical than the emergency itself. Sure, the embarrassment and public vulnerability is inescapable, but the reaction of many organizations makes these situations even worse than they have to be.

It is not surprising that we react the way we do. It is natural to feel victimized and defensive because in an overwhelmingly large percentage of cases these incidents do not reflect the malevolent intent of the company in question. They reflect the negative behavior of certain employees; or the overall ignorance about these issues on the part of the organization; or, even more often, an organization that has not taken its vulnerability seriously enough and not been proactive on this very critical issue.

So, the pattern is all too familiar. The news hits the stands, or the lawsuit is filed, and the company reacts. Lawyers give formal statements. Leaders cite how appalled they are. In some circumstances, attempts are made to cover up, butter up, or put in spin control….but little is done to use the situation as a springboard for creating a stronger organization.

In our experience, there are a number of ways to handle a “diversity emergency” that can help your organization in the long run.

1. Deal with the short term realities, but take the long view.

It is important to react quickly and do “damage control” in a situation like those mentioned about, but it is more important to begin developing a long-term recovery strategy. Some people may never forget the headlines they read, but in the same sense that some consumer product companies (e.g. Perrier, or Tylenol) have managed to recover nicely from contaminated products, it is possible to develop a long-term strategy for recovery from a diversity emergency. The long-term view also can remove some of the anxiety and panic and give people within the organization a sense that there is something they can do about the situation.

2. Find out what really happened. Is it a special case or common case circumstance?

In our haste to cover our organizational tails, we sometimes can rush to assume that the situation, even if it is proven true, is a unique, special case, reflective of a specific employee or employees. In our experience this is rarely the case. Usually, for a situation to reach these kinds of proportions it is reflective of a culture within the organization that has tolerated this behavior for a long time, or minimized it and not acted on it. The notion that employees are waiting to take advantage of the cash cow of a discrimination or sexual harassment lawsuit is simply not upheld by organizational studies. In fact, studies show that there are many times more cases that go unreported because the process of filing a suit is a rigorous and dangerous one for employees. They can easily find themselves up against a company with far more resources to defend itself than they have to pursue the case, and also find themselves ostracized by fellow workers, even friends, who are afraid of being tainted in the eyes of their employer by associating with the complaining employee. It takes a comprehensive study of the organization to find out how much of the behavior in question is really going on.

3. Use the incident as a springboard for organizational transformation.

Take the incident as a sign that you need to address diversity as an issue within your organization. Take a comprehensive system-based approach, not just a quick fix. One of our clients, a public power utility, reviewed and reworked their hiring, interviewing and promotion processes after settling a lawsuit. They became a leader in making their organization a demonstration of an equitable workplace.

4. Communicate with and listen to your employees.

Public incidents involving a company can have a dramatic impact on its employees. They can react defensively, or with embarrassment, or it can cause sympathetic employees to rise up with their own issues. Make it clear that you understand and care about the impact it has had on them and let them give you suggestions as to how you can make the company a better place for them to work.

5. Communicate with and listen to the community.

Community members are likely to experience reactions ranging from disappointment to rage. Get out and talk to them, but don’t try to convince them how great you really are. Listen to their concerns. Listen to their upset. Ask for their ideas. Whenever possible get them involved in your recovery process.

6. Make yourself available.

Don’t go into hiding. Talk to reporters, to customers, and to employees. Let people know that you consider it your responsibility to deal with this issue…even when it gets uncomfortable!

7. Show that you take the incident seriously.

Don’t downplay the situation. If anything, by embracing it fully, people will have less of a need to hammer you with how significant it really is. Take it seriously and let people know that you do.

8. Train your employees not to make the same mistake again.

Don’t assume that the incident will only happen to the particular employees involved. Help others understand that they can easily make the same mistake if they’re not careful. The Atlanta Braves asked us to provide training for all of their major league and minor league players, as well as their managers, coaches, and front office personnel. They didn’t think that they were all like the infamous John Rocker …far from it. But they decided to use the Rocker incident as a learning opportunity for the entire organization.

9. Create organizational structures that ensure it won’t happen again.

Put structures in places that employees can come to when they have concerns: corporate justice offices, strengthened EEO offices, or human resources counselors can all provide a place where concerned employees can come. In addition, managers and supervisors can be trained to know what to look for and listen to and intervene in ways that prevent situations from getting out of hand. An employee who feels like their complaints are taken seriously within the organization is less likely to run to a lawyer or the newspapers.

10. Don’t assume that it’s just “their” problem. Take on your own learning about diversity.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do as a leader is to take your diversity emergency situation as an opportunity to do your own learning. Show people within and outside of your organization that you want to know more. Model diversity, inclusion and cultural competency learning behavior for everybody around you.

Remember, diversity emergencies can be embarrassing, costly, and upsetting, but they do not have to be permanent. Turn your emergency into an opportunity for learning and you will be surprised how you can turn your organization around and even demonstrate proactive behaviors for other organizations.

Victim or leader, which will you be?

Cook Ross specializes in helping organizations prepare for Diversity Emergencies. We have led many executive seminars on Dealing with Diversity Emergencies and developing Diversity Communications Plans. We also provide management and executive trainingon cultural competency, unconscious bias, talent management, organizational change, and ReInventing Diversity for the 21st Century©. For more information, call 301.565.4035 or write to us at lookingforanswers@cookross.com.

Join Us for "ReInventing Law Firm Diversity Efforts" FREE Web Seminar -- June 30, 2009

 

For more information, contact:

J. Robby Gregg, Jr.
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Alliances
Cook Ross Inc.
301-565-4035 x1023 or robbyg@cookross.com

A Cheater is Just a Cheater--Howard Ross

I am a sports fan…always have been. I am particularly a baseball fan, and so I watched with special interest as Barry Bonds approached Hank Aaron's homerun record this summer, and noted the constant media and fan derision he received. (For example, I read one column by USAToday’s Christine Brennan, after the homerun was hit that she began with, “Our long national nightmare is over…a bit of hyperbole, I think, when our soldiers are dying in the battlefield.)

Now I have to say that my inclination is to think that Bonds used steroids. I have no proof of that, of course, as does anybody else yet, but I have been convinced, perhaps by the press, that he probably did juice up over the past few years.

However, I have noticed a pattern in the relentless way that Bonds has been berated about this that strikes me as inconsistent, particularly in light of how others seem to be treated for infractions that would appear on the surface to be analogous.

It particularly struck me this morning as I was watching the report of the New England Patriots victory yesterday and the excitement with which their 5-0 start has been greeted. Noticeably absent was any mention of the fact that just a few short weeks ago Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick was found to be spying on opposing teams, a direct violation of the rules. And just before that it was Rick Ankiel, the feel good baseball story of the year when he came back to the St. Louis Cardinals, just before he was found to have used Human Growth Hormone; and before that the celebration of Sammy Sosa’s 600th homerun…you remember Sosa, of steroid allegations himself, as well as corked bat fame.

Now as much as I like sports, I also know that a game is a game. So who really cares about all of this in the grand scheme of more serious issues? But sports has had an unwavering ability to cast a light on some of our core issues over the years.

Why Bonds for this level of recrimination and not the others? I know that people have many explanations…it was baseball’s, (and maybe sport’s) biggest record; he never has admitted juicing (but, of course neither has Sosa); Belichick said he was sorry and took his punishment….etc.

I’m sure all of these are factors, but is there another? When Donovan McNabb suggested recently that Black quarterbacks are under greater scrutiny he was quickly greeted with denial. But is it possible that, without even realizing it, we do hold African American athletes (particularly those, like Bonds, who are deemed to have “attitude”) to a different standard…that their failure is more disappointing; their violations more appalling?

Everything we have been learning about unconscious bias tells us that sort of thing can happen to good people all of the time. That we can be swayed in our determinations by hidden judgments and perceptions that we not only don’t know are there, but that may be counter to our conscious beliefs about ourselves.

Yet, as I hear people respond so defensively to the inquiry about these kinds of questions, as they have with both Bonds and McNabb, I can’t help but muse, “Me thinks thou doest protest too much.”

After all, a cheater is just a cheater.

But are you sure?