Check Out the Top Ten Facts about diversity management that could benefit your organization or business

If you own or work for a business, you might not be taking advantage of all the opportunities managing diversity has to offer. Many of us are still confused over diversity best practices and how diversity benefits an organization.

Yet, research is showing that organizations close to diversity, that really know how to maximize diversity, are moving ahead.

(A group of researchers from MIT Sloan School of Management in a five-year study, for instance, found that... "To be successful in working with and gaining value from diversity requires a sustained, systemic approach and long-term commitment...Organizations that invest their resources in taking advantage of the opportunities that diversity offers should outperform those that fail to make such investments. See http://bit.ly/p8dzBK )

So, here are ten questions and answers that I believe can benefit -- and of course, I want to hear more ideas from you. So please add your comments at the end.

1. What are the advantages of a more diverse workplace?

Co-workers with different histories and life experiences may think of new, different products or services. They may have other social or information networks to enable them to promote products or services. They may also identify potential customers that we have so far missed, overlooked, or dismissed.

2. What is the matter with doing more of what has worked in the past?

Nothing — if it keeps working. Yet the population base, from which our customers come, is rapidly changing due to disease, war, travel, changing birth rates, and the rapid spread of information. If we don't adjust to what our potential customers will look like, we'll get smaller.

3. Will increasing the diversity of my company's workforce guarantee success?

No single-thing approach to management can guarantee success. Beware of fads.

4. Do I really have to change my workforce? Can't my good salespeople sell to anyone?

Selling anything to anyone is one way to define a good salesperson. Another is to say that a good salesperson can sell any one thing over any other thing. Yet even good salespeople can't make a sale if they don't know how to deliver the message in a language or in a way the customer understands. Even worse is a product name that translates poorly in the language of the customer. Barriers can also exist in terms of price. For example, India is encouraging businesses to come up with a computer device costing less than ten U.S.dollars. Cultural difference can be complex, and some of them really matter.

5. How can I get my current employees to accept new and different employees?

In general, two characteristics of success come to mind. First of all, management, from the very top down, needs to understand that success in this arena is absolutely expected and that resistance is not acceptable. Secondly, it needs to be clear that the success of new employees is not part of a zero-sum game. No one has to lose in order for the new employees to win.

6. Will an emphasis on diversity fundamentally change my business?

That depends on the nature of the business. The more you work with people instead of things, the more your business will change as the population it serves, and your employees, change with it.

7. What if my business mostly sells to other businesses? Do I still need to worry about diversity?

Who owns the other businesses? As you well know if you've ever looked at manufacturing’s "Made in" labels or tried to call customer service, many companies now outsource work to foreign companies. If your company markets to businesses, your customer base, and potential competitors are growing.

8. I make a lot of sales on-line? Does the diversity of my workforce matter when my customers are mostly ordering my products on a computer?

Of course it does. Language, whether written or oral, often contains idioms, inferences, or idiosyncrasies that a person unfamiliar with American English will not understand. If your Internet site contains videos of people talking, the nonverbal communication may also be unclear or misunderstood by persons with other backgrounds.

9. How do you "train" for diversity? Isn't this mostly a matter of tolerance?

Tolerance is part of it, and our first lessons about tolerance come during our childhood. But tolerance, and receptiveness, and active listening, and company priorities, and evaluation procedures, and many of the day-to-day details of how business is done” in your company may be able to be improved if given proper review and assessment. Learning new things is a lifelong requirement, even if we don't like it. In this case, we stand to learn some new worthwhile things.

10. Can we do our own diversity training in-house? Isn't this a good way to identify and get rid of bad supervisors? Also, What is wrong with continuing to hire people who “fit in?”

If you want the idea of Diversity Training to create hatred and resentment in your company, that would be the ideal way to do it. Instead, training should be available at all levels of the organization, with obvious top-level endorsement. It should be done by outside “experts.”

To this final question, the answer is nothing, if your business skills are good enough to hire such persons, avoid losing discrimination lawsuits, and continue to grow or maintain the business as customers change.

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multicultural, psychology, business, marketing, economics, counseling, civil rights, diversity, administration, personnel, inclusion, human relations, diversity ebooks, cultural diversity

Techies call older engineer names (like "Fuddie-duddie") and run him off the job -- Who Will Pay? Why Was This Behavior Allowed?

What if this happened to your dad or your mom? Would it make you angry?

What if these were your employees? Would you consider diversity training? --

A recent California Supreme Court decision involves an experienced engineer who went to work for a giant corporation (the kind of company that one would think comprehends and practices diversity).

This guy knew that going into a high-tech job would mean working in a youthful company, with fewer older workers. But he didn’t expect the bullying he received by younger workers, including his boss, who immediately started called him names like “fuddy-duddy” and “old man,” he alleged.
but
The engineer had worked successfully for years in major corporations, but was suddenly taunted with name-calling, with words like "slow," "fuzzy," "sluggish" and "lethargic."

Employees allegedly called him an "old guy" and stated that his ideas were "obsolete" and "too old to matter" and that his knowledge was “ancient.”

They allegedly joked that his office placard should be in the shape of an "LP" (i.e. a vinyl record) rather than the customary (then current music format) "CD." For several years this inappropriate behavior progressed, the engineer alleged, and after a time, when his job was taken away, he left this company, but then sued for age discrimination.

While the case had not been settled at the time I read about it, the court issued a unanimous decision that could make it more difficult for California employers to win summary judgment in certain discrimination cases involving potentially discriminatory comments.

In fact, California courts must now evaluate such “stray” remarks together with all other admissible evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence of discrimination for a case to proceed to a jury trial.

This decision reaffirms that employers must do more than simply maintain policies preventing discrimination and harassment. They must take steps, including training of supervisors and nonsupervisors alike, to ensure all employees are aware of such policies and the risk of liability posed by potentially discriminatory comments, in any context. In other words, they must learn to manage their company’s diversity.

This story leaves me wondering who raised these young employees to show such meanness and hostility toward an older, experienced co-worker? Did any professors ever discuss diversity at their schools? Or multiculturalism? Good manners? And what kind of managers and CEO led this company? Had they ever experienced any leadership education?

The failure to raise someone who tolerates people who are different, or who values the very skills and experiences others may have to offer, no matter how “different” they appear to be, has to land somewhere.

Someone failed these employees quite miserably, either their parents, teachers or employers. Perhaps all of the above tried and failed. I hope my new eBook, Cash In On Diversity, will help fill in gaps that are apparently missing for those who behave in this way and for others who tolerate or encourage this misbehavior, as well.

We are a diverse nation filled with people of many sizes, shapes, ages, religions and sexual preferences — people with missing limbs, stutters, mental challenges and so many other differences.

But too many of us still do not always recognize that all people are deserving of equal treatment. Or that even with “differences,” nearly all of us still have something to contribute, if allowed to participate. As the battles heat up at school and at work, and as the civil rights lawsuits keep piling up, isn’t it about time to change?

This eBook is an attempt to explain how our world is changing in the organizations where we work and spend much of our time each day — and will endeavor to describe where intolerance and hate come from, and why these attitudes and behaviors do not serve us well in the workplace. This book also shows many of the benefits we can achieve as individuals, and as organizations, when getting along with others, as we celebrate and appreciate our differences — as we embrace diversity.

People who care about getting along need to take a stand when intolerance is displayed. Leaders must help the people they manage with proper tools and guidance. This is the basic message presented, along with important explanations of themes, including cultural diversity, multiculturalism, cross-cultural communication and showing how all of us can become better human beings with this knowledge.

I hope that readers enjoy this information and put it to use, because we are living in a world that demands we change.
~ ~ ~
Ageism can be defined as "any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age" (Traxler, 1980). As an "ism", ageism reflects a prejudice in society against older adults.

* * * * *

~ ~ ~
A wonderful comment follows this blog. I was not able to comment back, directly, but want to add this note --

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and excellent advice. I have a friend going through this now, and the supervisor's comments are a daily assault. Boy will she be surprised when she gets zapped with a lawsuit! Companies that don't learn how to treat older workers get sued -- and good employees simply leave. What a waste of resources, either way. Take care and thanks. Susan

Defining Diversity; It's Not Just About R E S P E C T

How many times have you heard a person say, "Well, I get along with everyone. We really are all alike, deep down." Or, "We don't need diversity training. We just need to learn to get along."

Wanted to share this great definition of diversity. I ran into it on a site supported by the University of Oregon --

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect.

It means understanding that each individual is unique,

and recognizing our individual differences.

These can be along

the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs,

political beliefs, or other ideologies.

It is the exploration

of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment.

It is about understanding each other and moving beyond

simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the

rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Reminds me of R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr.'s Platinum Standard of diversity. Here is a link to a fascinating video of Dr. Thomas talking about diversity

http://youtu.be/JA3Z27RZ_bk

Have a great day. I am off to the accupuncturist... (I believe in diversity of health care.)

The Second Street Gallery of Gallup, New Mexico

Thank God For My Facebook Friends, New Mexico author extols.

Cash In On Diversity NEW eBook Price: 99 cents

Dear Subscribers and Readers of Diversity Briefings:

After thinking about it, I decided my new eBook, Cash In On Diversity, should only cost 99 cents. It's a new eBook trend that I am responding to -- keeping the cost way down so that nearly everyone who is interested has an opportunity to read this information. And, I really like this idea!

At the same time, I also lowered the price of Who Killed Emmett Till?, as well, to 99 cents.

Please send me your comments and I always appreciate your reviews -- good and bad.

Here is a link to today's news release on the Till book with this information:

Not Enough People Know About Emmett Till; New, Low Cost eBook Could Help Solve the Problem, Author Hopes


Susan

Cash In On Diversity

Ohio Jailers Need Lesson in Diversity, Civil Rights; So Does Wolf Blitzer of CNN

Not too long ago, I watched reporter Wolf Blitzer of CNN shake his head and say "I didn't think things like this happened any more." He was reporting on a civil rights violation of an African American (I don't even remember what this particular event was about).

I do remember that I was so disgusted that someone who reports national news would think racist incidents like those that used to be reported during the modern civil rights movement simply don't happen today.

Really, Wolf? Look at the story I just read this morning out of Mansfield, Ohio, reported by WFMD.com -- a news report eminating not exactly from the Deep South:

Just in case you are walking around with your head in the sand -- like the Wolf Blitzers of the world -- it does still happen.

What if this were your son?
The Mansfield Branch of the NAACP is responding to the outcome of an investigation by the Richland County Sherriff's Office into allegations of misconduct involving a juvenile that was in custody at the jail.

Three Richland County Corrections officers and one retired Corrections Officer were criminally charged Thursday. Sgt. Kristin Gillis, 41, corrections officers Rodney Gallaway, 47, and Michael Reef, 45, and former corrections officer George Isaman, 65, were charged with dereliction of duty of second-degree misdemeanor; interfering with civil rights, a first-degree misdemeanor; and endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Maj. Dale Fortney said the department will pursue separate administrative charges against Gillis, Gallaway and Reef and four other corrections officers involved in the incident.

The officers are accused of leaving 17-year-old, Kenneth Puckett, in a freezing garage on the second floor of the jail where he was shackled to a concrete pillar while fully restrained in a restraint chair. The garage doors were opened exposing Puckett to the extreme cold weather for more than two hours as he screamed in agony.

The Mansfield Branch of the NAACP issued the following news release in response to the outcome of the Kenneth Puckett investigation at the Richland County Jail:

The Mansfield Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is dismayed at the outcome of the Kenneth Puckett case. No individual should be subject to the inhumane treatment this young man received while in the custody of the County jail. It is also our position that no employee paid for with public funds should ever be allowed to participate in such a deplorable act and continue to remain in public employment. The continued public employment of these individuals is inappropriate and the decision to charge these offenses as misdemeanors is indefensible.

The corrections officers involved in this incident were seven adults who were in a position of authority over a minor in their custody. To deliberately expose him to below freezing temperatures for hours while barefoot, wearing the jail uniform and restrained to a chair can be described as nothing short of criminal. Many, many individuals in this community have felony records for much less. The outcome of this case demonstrates a systemic inability to discern what does and does not constitute inhumane treatment and spotlights an outrageous abuse of power and authority. Furthermore, the willingness of the legal system to turn a blind eye to the severity of such abuses by public employees merits further action.

The NAACP recognizes that not all jail corrections officers and Sheriff’s office personnel condoned this reprehensible behavior. We are grateful that within that institution, there were individuals who witnessed these actions and reported them to the public rather than relying on an internal investigation to ensure a just resolution.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, eradicating civil rights violations, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

Gillis, Gallaway, Reef and Isaman will make their first appearance in Mansfield Municipal Court on June 23 at 10 a.m.

Gillis, Gallaway, and Reef have been reassigned to jail posts and will have no contact with inmates until the issue is resolved. Isaman recently retired from the sheriff's office.

If you don’t think diversity is important, you are an idiot. | SmartData Collective

If you don’t think diversity is important, you are an idiot. | SmartData Collective ... Diverse environments get better results.

Diversity was a hidden battle cry at Mississippi's lunch counters

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in the Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases: From the Land of Emmett Till ..."About things that should never be forgotten"

Lack of Diversity, Discrimination Can Cause Mental Health Issues, Study Notes

A story in today's Legal Industry News by KCJ News Service states that many minority workers 'feel discriminated against'

Employment law developments to promote diversity in the workplace may not be having the desired effect, as many people from minority backgrounds still feel they are being discriminated against, it has been claimed. According to a study by Business in the Community (BitC), the majority of individuals from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups believe they have been overlooked for promotion at least once.

Basically, the study found white British workers average almost four promotions during their careers, compared with 2.5 advancements for those of African, Indian or Pakistani descent, while many staff members from minorities feel they have a lack of support from their managers.

"The survey highlights evidence of racial discrimination, with African and Caribbean workers particularly feeling discriminated against," the BitC report stated, with one in four African workers and one in seven from the Caribbean saying they have been treated unfairly.

Recently, it was stated by the Mental Health Foundation that discrimination is also a problem for people who suffer from mental health issues.

Makes sense to me. We still aren't "there" when it comes to diversity. Just a few days ago, I posted a story about a major university in Missouri that refuses to ensure students receive diversity training. What are these professors afraid of?

Is it really a wonder that this can become a mental health issue for some people?

In my new eBook, Cashing In On Diversity, I tell a true story about a recent California Supreme Court decision involving an experienced engineer who went to work for a giant corporation (the kind of company that one would think comprehends and practices diversity).

This engineer knew that going into a high-tech job would mean working in a youthful company, with fewer older workers. But he didn’t expect mistreatment he received by younger workers, including his boss, who immediately started called him names like “fuddy-duddy” and “old man,” he alleged.

The engineer, who had worked successfully for years in major corporations, was suddenly being taunted with words, including "slow," "fuzzy," "sluggish" and "lethargic." Employees allegedly called him an "old guy" and stated that his ideas were "obsolete" and "too old to matter" and that his knowledge was “ancient.”

They allegedly joked that his office placard should be in the shape of an "LP" (i.e. a vinyl record) rather than the customary (then current music format) "CD." For several years this inappropriate behavior progressed, the engineer alleged, and after a time, when his job was taken away, he left this company, but then sued for age discrimination.

While the case had not been settled at the time I read about it, the court issued a unanimous decision that could make it more difficult for California employers to win summary judgment in certain discrimination cases involving potentially discriminatory comments.

In fact, California courts must now evaluate such “stray” remarks together with all other admissible evidence to determine whether there is sufficient evidence of discrimination for a case to proceed to a jury trial.

This decision reaffirms that employers must do more than simply maintain policies preventing discrimination and harassment. They must take steps, including training of supervisors and non-supervisors alike, to ensure all employees are aware of such policies and the risk of liability posed by potentially discriminatory comments, in any context. In other words, they must learn to manage their company’s diversity.

This story left me wondering who raised these young employees to show such meanness and hostility toward an older, experienced co-worker? Did any professors ever discuss diversity at their schools? Or multiculturalism? Good manners? And what kind of managers and CEO led this company? Had they ever experienced any leadership education?

The failure to raise someone who tolerates people who are different, or who values the very skills and experiences others may have to offer, no matter how “different” they appear to be, has to land somewhere.

Someone failed these employees quite miserably, either their parents, teachers or employers. Perhaps all of the above tried and failed. I hope this book will help fill in gaps that are apparently missing for those who behave in this way and for others who tolerate or encourage this misbehavior, as well.

We are a diverse nation filled with people of many sizes, shapes, ages, religions and sexual preferences — people with missing limbs, stutters, mental challenges and so many other differences.

But too many of us still do not always recognize that all people are deserving of equal treatment. Or that even with “differences,” nearly all of us still have something to contribute, if allowed to participate. As the battles heat up at school and at work, and as the civil rights lawsuits keep piling up, isn’t it about time to change?

One Major Midwestern University Can't Get It Together Enough to Teach Diversity

It is sad when the faculty of a major University doesn't "get it" -- that we live in a global world and diversity training is highly appropriate for their students.

If you asked any University of Missouri faculty to cite reasons for why they didn’t agree to require all students to take a diversity class, they could probably come up with a few. It is pretty obvious, however, that misinformation wasn’t one of them.

Some instructors have explained they simply don’t think a diversity requirement is necessary, according to Rubin, chairwoman of the MU Faculty Council, who told this to a Missouri reporter, after the requirement was voted down. Others thought it was a knee-jerk reaction to racially charged incidents on campus.

Some saw the proposal as too broad; others thought it was too narrow and violated academic freedom, reports Janese Silvey of the Columbia Daily Tribune.

Rubin told faculty council members there were “other reasons I’d rather not discuss in public," Silvey reports."And those reasons, [according to Rubin], highlight the need to require a diversity course."

In May, MU instructors were asked to approve a plan that would have required all students to take a diversity class as part of general education requirements. Existing courses already teaching diversity issues could have been deemed as “diversity-intensive” courses to meet the requirement — much like MU’s existing writing-intensive program.

But as Silvey reports, the proposal failed with 232 members voting against it and 210 voting for it.

"At the time, Rubin blamed the Faculty Council for not communicating the plan well enough to faculty at large."

Blaming misinformation hasn’t gone over well with those who voted, Nicole Monnier, a professor of Russian, told the Tribune reporter. "Faculty members don’t like being told they voted “no” by mistake," she said. “They voted ‘no’ for a reason.”

All was quiet before the election, with only a small number of faculty members publicly voicing concerns about the proposal. According to Silvey, this was probably because they didn’t feel comfortable speaking out against a diversity plan. Silvey repeorts she was told this on the side by some faculty members.

Before the election, there was "nothing but positive feedback," one faculty member said. But later, "they expressed fear about speaking against a diversity class."“It’s easy to vote in isolation,” that faculty member told Silvey.

Others said they felt Faculty Council proponents of the plan weren’t open to other ideas.
-----
Special Announcement: As a special bonus to readers of this blog, I am offering a special discount on my new eBook, Cashing In On Diversity when they purchase it through Smashwords --


Promotional price: $2.99
Coupon Code: HC29F
Expires: July 10, 2011


To purchase your copy now, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63393 and use the Coupon Code, above, for your special discount.


Susan
-----
Will this diversity training proposal come back to faculty for a vote next school year? Already several council members have warned against "rushing to put it up for a vote too soon."

One engineering professor and incoming chairman of the council suggests faculty "better explain that students need to understand diversity before entering a global workforce," Silvey reports.

But an associate professor of agricultural economics, questioned what happens if faculty were to vote against a diversity course a second time. “Are we going to keep coming back?” he asked. “Are we hellbent on getting a diversity requirement at this university?

Special Announcement: 25 percent discount on new diversity eBook for blog readers

Readers of this blog will receive a special discount on my new eBook, Cashing In On Diversity when they purchase it through Smashwords --

Promotional price: $2.99
Coupon Code: HC29F
Expires: July 10, 2011

To purchase your copy now, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63393 and use the Coupon Code, above, for your special discount.

Susan

Good Intentions Aren't Good Enough -- When It Comes to Diversity Management

Former U.S. President George W. Bush hit one nail on the head when he said, “Good intentions aren’t good enough!” Bush’s quote should be considered today by those organizations that strive for racially and ethnically diverse workplaces, but don’t necessarily meet their diversity goals.

As popular the topic, and with so much being written about valuing diversity and its management these days, many companies might recognize the value that diverse employees can bring, but as it turns out, few successfully exemplify those values.

In a recent study conducted by Commongood Careers and the Level Playing Field Institute, researchers found when it comes to promoting staff diversity there was little connection between intentions and actions of nonprofit organizations.

(Other studies show that private companies are having the same problem implementing diversity, as well. For instance, major European organizations display little diversity in the ranks of their top management according to an analysis by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) of 40 randomly selected companies from the Euro Stoxx 50 index; on average, 93 percent of the executive directors were male; 86 percent were native Europeans; and 49 percent were between the ages of 51 and 60 years old. By contrast, the market demands on these same companies are far less homogeneous: the purchasing power of women is steadily increasing; the companies generate, on average, approximately 40 percent of their revenues outside of Europe; and their customers are growing older. "Diversity must be seen as a strategic response to major business trends such as globalization, demographic shifts, and the talent shortage," explained Dr. Rainer Strack, senior partner at BCG, HR expert, and an author of the report.)

Meanwhile, in the Commongood study, of the 1,638 nonprofit professionals surveyed, 90 percent of employees said they believe their organization values diversity, but 70 percent of respondents also said their employer does not do enough to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. Commongood Careers focused on diversity as it pertains to race and ethnicity.

James Weinberg, Commongood’s founder, says the extent to which an organization embodies diversity not only affects its ability to remain competitive but it also plays a role in fulfilling its founding mission.

“In the nonprofit sector, most organizations are in the business of helping people,” says Weinberg. “You run into a particular set of challenges when you run an organization that is not representative of the community you’re serving, and that opens you up to being disconnected to the nature and challenges of those in the community.”

According to the survey results, 64 percent of the respondents who reported that they left an organization because they experienced a lack of diversity or inclusiveness were people of color. Additionally, the cost to organizations to recruit and fill a vacancy can range from 30 to 150 percent of an employee’s salary – a much bigger loss for the big picture, the report indicates.

“In our experience working with the organizations who prioritize diversity and have a fundamental understanding of the full benefits of diversity and the costs that they incur if they don’t, is what separates a successful organization from those that aren’t,” Weinberg says. “This is a mission critical core value that is vital to organizations and it’s that perception shift that we really need to encourage in the sector.”

Commongood gives several suggestions for how to build diverse and inclusive workplaces in the nonprofit sector.

--Have open conversations that lead to clarity, consensus, and commitment.Talking about race can be difficult, and yet a productive exchange of ideas and openness can take place when there is a thoughtful process involved. To get a conversation going, leaders can form a staff committee with the assignment to organize trainings, structure settings for staff conversations, and report on results.

--Communicate effectively about diversity commitments. Create and share an organizational diversity statement and plan that clearly tells how the organization defines diversity, what its goals are related to diversity, and what strategies it uses to meet those goals.

--Develop partnerships and networks that enable effective recruiting. Target community organizations that represent diversity, such as professional associations, educational institutions, alumni networks, cultural societies, etc. in order to expand the possibility of locating a more diverse candidate pool.

--Ensure hiring processes that are equitable and inclusive. Take steps to ensure that unintentional bias doesn’t affect hiring processes, and to conduct an audit around hiring-related policies for subtle cues that could be interpreted as biased, unfair, insensitive, or offensive. Weinberg suggests involving diverse individuals in the design and implementation of the hiring process. The organization should also make sure that it is clear on its messaging about diversity throughout the interview process.

--Embrace, develop, advance, and retain employees. Simply succeeding in hiring diverse employees is not enough to maintain a commitment to diversity and inclusion. To keep new people, organizations must focus on activities that promote diversity. Consider a well-designed mentoring or coaching program for new employees. There are many other ways for organizations to demonstrate a commitment to diversity throughout all the ranks, while making sure that diverse employees have opportunities to advance to senior leadership positions.

Susan

I look forward to your comments and reviews on my newest eBook, Cashing In On Diversity.

Why in the world would a business owner put up a 'right to refuse service' sign?? No diversity here!

Any retailer that posts a sign announcing they “reserve the right to do business with anyone for any reason," needs to at least recognize that's a pretty dumb way to attract new customers --

I really can't believe I still see these signs, but I do. What is going through the head of any business owner that appears to say, "hey, if I don’t like the color of your skin, or how you look or act, I can tell you to leave my store and I don’t have to even be rational or even follow the law.”

I moved to New Mexico in January and am really surprised that in a state with such a diversity of population, business ‘refusal’ signs are still common in many communities.

For many people – whether or not they fit into a ‘minority’ classification, such a statement harkens back to the days when non-white people were actively discriminated against by racist retailers. So, why would any business owner in their proper mind – someone who wants to make money by serving as many people as possible -- post a potentially offensive sign in their store in this day and age?

Well, here is a quick sociology lesson for anyone who would defend this practice: almost half, nearly 40 percent, of the U.S. population doesn’t fit the white family stereotype that made marketing in the 60s so easy – the image of June Cleaver and her popular family.

Guess what! Leave it to Beaver days are over! The changing cultural landscape of the country is exciting and offers so much opportunity. This requires all of us in business to think about the best way to start an engaging conversation.

An offensive sign that brings back memories of our country’s worst behaviors, the days of water hoses and black children being hosed down, simply is not a way to start a good conversation with any customer.

I DO still remembers those horrible images from the 1950s when watching television with my parents, and I often ask store owners to explain their signs when I see these discriminatory signs in their stores.
It can be an interesting encounter. Sometimes, the store owner is quite defensive, even when I quietly explain how I feel about their sign and why. But I do think they get the message, and I ask others to ‘run’ the same ‘social experiment’.

This type of bigotry, whether or not it is purposefully intended, really harms all of business and can be so hurtful.

One has to wonder. Who is the store owner targeting? Would they kick out a gay couple holding hands? Do they want poor people to stay away? Are they directly targeting Native Americans? Often, the store owner can’t even answer these questions, probably because they haven’t given their sign enough thought in the first place. Yet, I am sure they want to have a successful business and make money from lots of customers.

My new eBook, Cash In On Diversity,is  published by Smashwords (distributor of eBooks to the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store) and I've tried to blend practical experience with academic findings and provide do-able solutions for companies that are trying to grow their customer base, capturing a better representation of ethnicity and cultures.

The 12 chapter eBook features a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist, a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies make, specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, an 11-point organizational diversity analysis, the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia).

So take a look -- follow the link -- and you can download 20 percent for free!