Color Magazine Online

A New Take on Corporate Diversity

"The thinking has been ‘let's focus on what we have in common' and we got stuck. We have to look at what our differences are as well."

There is no question that the 21st century workforce looks different than it ever has. In his new book, "The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity," author Andres Tapia makes the argument that diversity doesn't guarantee inclusion, and that employers must also adjust to a global workforce that thinks as differently as it look.

The workforce as a whole is shrinking and less skilled, and it has been estimated that by 2012 - in less than three years - nearly 70 percent of the U.S. workforce will comprise women and minorities. Sustainable diversity, says Tapia, the chief diversity officer for Hewitt Associates, a leader in human resources consulting and outsourcing solutions worldwide, hinges on embracing the differences that come with a non-traditional workforce, and incorporating those differences into a company's products and services. In other words, the old way of doing business will have to change.

"One of the things that I say in the book - and Hewitt studies have shown - is that most companies are getting diversity, what I refer to as ‘the mix.' About two-thirds have strategies for achieving a diverse workforce, but only about one-third have strategies for retaining that mix. The emphasis has been on our similarities.

"That's part of the paradox that I refer to in the title," added Tapia, who also blogs on the subject at www.inclusionparadox.com. "Organizations and individuals think ‘I get this. I want more diversity. I want people to stay.' We've learned how to be tolerant of our differences, and for so long our energy has gone into focusing on what we have in common."

But that, in effect, said Tapia, has paralyzed us in many ways. The author says it is not only time to recognize our differences, but actively discuss those differences and integrate them into company strategies and programs, such as health care and retirement plans, in order to retain the top talent.

"We have to constructively call out our differences," Tapia said. "The key is ‘constructively.' In the past, we have called out difference, especially when it comes to race, and it has been destructive. As we have moved forward, the thinking has been ‘let's focus on what we have in common' and we got stuck. We have to look at what our differences are as well.

"The emphasis that has been placed on being politically correct, on how differences are bad, let's not make a big deal about it," he continued. "And by differences I don't just mean racial or ethnic or religious; also men and women, gay-straight, introvert-extrovert. As multidimensional individuals, we have to acknowledge that we have our own self-interpretation of the world around us and about the world we work in."

Several sections of the book are dedicated to the idea of how we are different and understanding how those differences affect the workplace: "Calling Out Differences in Relationships"; "Calling Out Different Groups"; and "Calling Out Differences in Organizations."

Tapia breaks down understanding and mastering the Inclusion Paradox into three steps: understanding ourselves, understanding others and having the competence and awareness to navigate the gap between steps 1 and 2.

The hardest step?

"Number one without question. Self-awareness," he said. "Usually when we focus on cross-cultural awareness, we focus on the other culture, not our own."

He gave the example of someone whose business is taking them to Argentina. "They may look at what's polite, what's impolite; what's the economy like; learn some phrases in Spanish. Rarely do we ask ‘Who am I?'

"Our world view has been shaped by our religious, socio-economic and cultural background," Tapia said. "We have to understand it as a subjective world view. When most people walk into a situation it is with the attitude that ‘I am the norm,' when the reality is ‘I am as bizarre, strange and curious a creature to them as they are to me.' The key is navigating those differences."

By achieving sustainable diversity and inclusion, it makes everyone in the company committed to its mission and goals from bottom to top, resulting in more effective workers and leaders. Products and services get more creative and more innovative.

"The result will be that companies become most powerful, most productive and most profitable when they take into account our differences," he said.

"The Inclusion Paradox" is available through Amazon for $24.95.