Comments on: Why White Men Must Attend Diversity Training

By: Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:42:20 +0000

I’m sorry for your experience. I’m sure your white colleagues aren’t racist—most white people in general aren’t. Some might be situationally ignorant, but that’s easily changed.

I’ll bet if we could survey people who were the victims of incompetent diversity training (and most of it is) we’d find that the people most offended and resentful were not white. Guilt can motivate people to change, but it’s best used very, very sparingly—and only in the context of building a better future for all of us. When it’s used as a mental blunt-force-trauma instrument, it only builds resentment. And who needs that?

However, your comments underscore the need for everyone to be in an inclusive training program so we can all learn to work together productively. The problem is that most “diversity” training is garbage—I actually heard a well-known diversity trainer speak at an event and say that white men should never be on diversity councils. What a load of nonsense.

If your company is smart, it will use surveys, including engagement surveys, to assess the efficacy of training, including diversity training. Luke Visconti, CEO, DiversityInc

By: MC

MC — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 08:59:42 +0000

I just sat through a diversity training session a few weeks ago. I am a man, but not white, so I was mostly on the sidelines.

And to be honest, I found the entire exercise disgusting, dehumanizing, and full of racial guilt. Most of my white colleagues didn’t seem racist to me at all, even before the exercises. I know the problems with “colorblind” thinking, but honestly race did not have any sort of effect on our interactions at my workplace. I didn’t tell anyone my true feelings, but the whole thing seemed counterproductive and generated some unnecessary resentment.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:28:12 +0000

Luke, Your logic about missing out on both profitable minority segments of the market and strong minority workers who can make you money are important reasons for white CEOs to have a pro-diversity mindset. However, as a government employee, I am concerned that you are painting youself into a corner by stating that diversity training should be tied back to profitability. In the government, making money for our employer is a non-issue, yet I presume you would still find diversity initiatives useful in our arena. Also, as a white guy myself, I am not sure that the best way to win other white guys over is to point out what you believe to be their inherent biases (such as not trusting those not like them). I think that white people generally don’t experience that much racism when it comes to being promoted (perhaps because their bosses are also white) and therefore race issues don’t really come into play for whites. They become totally desensitized to the point where they believe they don’t need to pay any mind to race at all because it has always been a non-issue for them. I actually think that understanding that trust doesn’t come naturally, especially to those who have been discriminated against, is important for all white male managers to understand.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:19:45 +0000

It is easy to get lost in the semantics of words when speaking about a topic so inflammatory as “diversity.” I read all the comments and I can’t help but point out that even the author of the original questions states: “Attending will be several diverse” and female senior managers.” Does the classification “female” add anything to the discussion of “diversity.” Why not simply say there will be a diverse group represented at the training rather attempt to desinate minorities as the “diverse” group. Language is powerful and often comes out in a manner that truly enlightens one to the very soul of the person speaking. You can’t teach someone else until you have addressed your own barriers to understanding. As a multi-racial person in this society, I am always baffled to hear the kinds of things people say to me, but I also recognize that much of it is said out of ignorance and complacency. So, I take those opportunities to make difference, by honestly speaking to people who might say some of the most offensive things. CEO buy-in and support for diversity programs can be superficially prompted by a focus on the bottom-line, but day-to-day life experiences with people who are different from you, I believe is the most powerful in changing the constructs that have shaped our perspectives, and thusly, our realities.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:21:05 +0000

If you do not have white males along with other groups leading diversity and inclusion classes, white males will not associate with the training. Nearly always it is “diverse” groups and women who facilitate classes. Therefore white males will comfortably state that it is for minorities and women only.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:44:23 +0000

We are addressing perhaps the most important human capital issue in organizations today, the lack of engagement among many (most?) white males in relationship development. I support the profitability pillar, the re-framing (leadership, conflict, team) performance pillar, and would like to add the WIIFM pillar. I believe all training needs to appeal to self-interest. Strangely, I think it is through convincing majority members (usually white males) that their work success and satisfaction will improve when healthy, high-trust relationships can be developed with all members, that we will most effectively move the dial for creating more inclusive, less discriminating organizations.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:52:19 +0000

I can’t understand what Luke Visconti intended to say when he wrote “more people with ADA-defined disabilities have college degrees than people without ADA-defined disabilities.” What this means is that more than 50% of college graduates have ADA-defined disabilities–I can’t think of any other way to interpret it. I assume that can’t be true. Maybe he meant “a higher percentage…”?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:59:59 +0000

White people come to the table with a pre-concerned notion of people of color. Its a problem that come from their up bringing, in other words its passed down. Its a continuing pattern, that can only broken from the home. In other words don;’t teach your children that there is a difference based on the complexion. However, the problem goes deeper than that. As long as race is defined by law, it remains a legally defined reason and justification for separation. There will always be a need for diversity training, if we continued to legally create a division.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:24:15 +0000

what a racist thing to say -

“white men are the LEAST likely to have trusting business relationships with people other than white men.”

your admirable goal of encouraging diversity and cross cultural understanding is entirely destroyed by statements like this. To suggest that all “white men” are the same and that there is no diversity among such a large group is ridiculous. .

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:22:37 +0000

I attended a diversity workshop for college students funded under STEM in which the groups in the room wrote out their top 10 goals in life, and what they are willing to do to get there. Even though we were self grouping by physical characteristics, there was no way to determine which group wrote what. We all were humans: we all have family we dearly care for, we all know good things come with hard work, we were all striving to better ourselves and our future and we believed in working with others. The group that this hit the hardest as an eye opener was the majority male group. As I was growing up, our society did us a disservice to differentiate people into groups where there was no differences but what had been perpetrated upon minorities for centuries, but it was always “for the good of the country”. But power once held is hard to relinquish even though we will be so much better off when all can strive and work towards their goals. We all benefit.
These students will be the future designers, creators, employees and entrepreneurs.