Comments on: Ask the White Guy: Why Do People Get Tired of Diversity?

By: G

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:42:05 +0000

From my experience; the people who view diversity as another thing to check off the list do not get tired of diversity because they have no emotional connection or any other true connection to diversity. Diversity is another checkbox like marking items off a grocery list. The people who really “get it” have some sort of emotional tie in or other connection to diversity that motivates and inspires. Those people try to push diversity forward in thoughtful ways but can get tired of carrying the diversity torch when they constantly have interactions with people who view diversity as a checkbox. It’s often the people who view diversity as a checkbox who are the major influencers regarding diversity policies, culture… and they can be in those positions for a long period of time without ever getting tired of diversity because of no perceived real connection to diversity.

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:46:23 +0000

DiversityInc uses DiversityInc Top 50 data to provide benchmarking and consulting to almost 80 companies (under current contract). We have nine people on our consulting team and draw from our 14 years experience in studying data and diversity, engagement and inclusion best practices. You can email lukevisconti@diversityinc dot com. Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Jose

Jose — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:35:19 +0000

Luke,

Some good responses to the posts! And I agree with your assertion that top companies who value diversity win when their HR people know how to herald and chart success that is linked to diversity growth.

By: MPL

MPL — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:57:56 +0000

The older generation thinks they have been preached to long enough. The younger generations – those born after the civil rights movement – question the need for it in the first place.

It is set up to be difficult nut to crack, so it shouldn’t be surprising that when it is done wrong, workers get tired of it.

To bring a stereotype, in the federal government, EEO offices have the reputation of being a dumping ground – a place that you go to when you can’t do anything else. As long as this remains true, and EEO offices have a hard time attracting talent, the federal sector will continue to suffer.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:16:08 +0000

I am sick to death of never getting hired because I am extremely white, a little older now, and super talented. I sat in a room full of candidates that did not want to speak English around me as they stared at me. I was the first to be sent home as not qualified, too. Really? Arranging flowers for Valentine’s day rush? What happened HERE?

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:08:21 +0000

All the worry that white people put into affirmative action, and guess
what? You missed the point that the top of the federal agencies are still
disproportionately white—and, in my opinion, disproportionately (to the
money they consume) ineffective at what they’re supposed to be doing. Any
connection? I think there is.

On the other hand, you and I couldn’t agree more with your last two lines.
Many people regard diversity as a sham—precisely because most chief
diversity officers and chief executive officers don’t know how to present
“real results.” This is not uncommon. There’s a 50 percent turnover on the
Fortune 500 list every 10 years; bad business includes bad diversity
practices. The only difference between the private sector and the
government sector is that the market can’t speak in regards to the
government sector—so it just keeps rolling along, regardless of actual
results. Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: D People

D People — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:01:08 +0000

“they’re all once-a-year dog-and-pony-show sops to nonwhite people in an effort to distract them from what “talent” looks like at the top of each agency.”

You could not have been more clear. “Diversity fatigue” is a result of people seeing through the thin veil of affirmative action disguised as Diversity.

I apologize if this offends anyone, but this is the true perception of the many people I have talked with in this regard.

Show them the real results of Diversity efforts and you may get some stamina.

By: IJS

IJS — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:41:52 +0000

I would add to seek out best-in-class examples of companies that can demonstrate a positive impact diversity efforts have had on their company; both from a culture and sales/revenue perspective. Having a benchmark helps anyone understand that they have to start somewhere and perhaps a clear roadmap on how to get there.

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:58:31 +0000

Everyone feels the impact of a lack of diversity on a personal level. For example, the exclusion of women and nonwhites from science could not have led to better technology, could it. What could we (as a society) have cured had there been total inclusion of all the intellect in the process of discovery? Do you really think that our military spending—which is more than the next 16 highest countries added together—would be necessary if women were 50% of government officials and leaders? I don’t. As Lyndon Johnson said, “The guns and the bombs, the rockets and the warships, are all symbols of human failure.”

But that is not the point of this column. I am connecting global trends to diversity management. My point, which may have been too subtle, is that “diversity fatigue” is related to how boring and out of touch most diversity efforts are in corporate America. I’m not going to out you or your federal agency, but your agency is one of the worst offenders I’ve ever seen in this regard. That said, I haven’t seen a single effective diversity program in any federal agency—they’re all once-a-year dog-and-pony-show sops to nonwhite people in an effort to distract them from what “talent” looks like at the top of each agency. It gets boring really quickly. Was that clear enough? Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: Fed

Fed — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:21:18 +0000

Why people get tired of diversity? First, some people get tired. Second, those who do do not experience the negative impact of the lack of diversity, at a personal level. That means: they do not Experience any “lack” of job opportunities, awards, trainings, promotions, etc; therefore, they do not understand what’s the big deal about diversity. They refuse to accept that is precisely “people like them” that keep benefitting “them” First and Most of the time, thus perpetuating the lack of opportunities for “others that are not like them or look like them.” Those who get tired of diversity act as: if they don’t “experience” a problem, it doesn’t really exist.