Part II – Resilience – A Diversity Officer Job Requirement
In Part I of this series, we discussed the important role that resilience plays in the professional success of diversity executives. In this segment, we answer the question: “What should a diversity executive do to build and support resilience in their role?”
Here are 10 Steps to Enhance Diversity Officer Job Resilience:
- Perform your due diligence regarding the organization’s history so that you are prepared to ask pertinent questions during the interview process.
- Have you read the annual report with a critical eye regarding their demographic representation and commitments to ESG?
- What is the CEO and executive committee’s commitment to diversity and inclusion?
- What evidence do you see to support this commitment?
- What is the commitment of the board of directors?
- Understand who preceded you in the role? Is it a newly created position or are you replacing a previous executive?
- If a new role, what are the expectations for the role?
- If you are replacing an executive, how long were they in place and/or why is the role open?
- To whom will you report? What is their commitment to diversity and inclusion? Very often these roles report to the CHRO, COO, or in some cases the CFO. While these are each executive committee members, they may not have the same enthusiastic commitment to the initiative. You must be aware of where they stand, particularly since they control your budget.
- Once engaged in the role, immerse yourself fully to understand the culture of the organization that you have joined. Remember, you are joining an established culture. You must first meet them where they are, understand their goals, unique language and the nuances of their organizational hierarchy. Remember that this takes time and is an important component to your success. If you don’t take the time to get to know the organization and there is the perception that you are not willing to get to know them, you will be hampered in making an impact.
- Set clear, realistic objectives for your first year. Establish a vision for where you would like to see the organization in the future, realizing that your vision will probably not be accomplished in just one year. It usually takes several years to influence change in an organization – and that is with persistent focus. It is sometimes helpful to consider the analogy of moving an ocean liner – steady and consistent. Remember that you are influencing human nature and that takes time and unfailing communication.
- Identify diversity champions. These champions will help you to influence others. They have internal, professional networks that you can tap into to identify opportunities and to integrate the diversity champions’ support into your initiatives.
- Seek support from diversity colleagues from other organizations. It is important to find friendly ears to share your experiences and frustrations, and to share and celebrate small wins. There are many experienced, tenured executives who are willing to support newcomers to the role. In order to influence a sustainable culture change, your progress will undoubtedly be made up of many small wins. These colleagues will help remind you of that tenet.
- Take advantage of the plethora of resources that are available to you. There are numerous organizations that can provide you with all types of training programs, webinars, recognition programs, guest speakers… the options are endless. Remember that any concept or initiative must be culturally appropriate. That means, your organizational culture must be prepared to embrace the experience. If the organization is not prepared to engage, it won’t be successful. If you are in doubt, one potential technique is to “pilot” the concept first, gain support, learn about potential nuances to success, and then expand to a larger audience.
- You must develop and exude patience. Success in diversity efforts takes patience. It is important for you to understand this concept, and for the executives to whom you report, to also understand it. Organizations have been focused on creating diverse and inclusive cultures for decades, your organization must understand that you cannot influence sustainable change overnight. This is a key concept that must be clearly articulated and understood before accepting a role as a diversity executive.
- Consider engaging an executive coach. Every business executive needs a knowledgeable professional with an objective ear to support their growth. Years ago, the coaching experience was provided for high potential employees, or perhaps employees that were on a performance improvement plan, but in today’s economic environment, there is a democratization that is taking place. There are experienced coaches that specialize in diversity initiatives that you can access. Ensure that there is a suitable personality match, to achieve the most productive experience.
Serving as a diversity executive is an extremely rewarding professional experience. You must be prepared to roll up your sleeves, practice patience, demonstrate resilience, and recognize that no organization is perfect. Your role is to help influence positive change toward a more inclusive corporate culture that results in greater profitability and employee engagement.
Marsha Jones is an Executive Vice President and Senior Partner of Tier 1 Level Consulting, LLC, a consulting and executive coaching organization. Marsha founded Tier 1 after serving for over a decade as the first Chief Diversity Officer of PNC Financial Services Group and after a distinguished sales management career at Merrill Lynch. Her multidisciplinary experience in diversity and financial services allows her to identify visionary opportunities and strategic initiatives that help her clients drive transformational business and cultural change.
