Workplace Diversity

Jill Dutt , assistant managing editor for financial news at The Washington Post, was online to discuss workplace diversity. An article she wrote examining Lockheed Martin's efforts to create a more diverse company is part of the Post 200 , the annual report on the Washington area's top companies.

A transcript follows.

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Jill Dutt: Hi, everyone! Thanks for participating in this chat. I am in *sunny*, actually rainy, Minneapolis today attending a convention of business editors and writers. My Internet connection is a little funky, so please bear with me if I drop out for a couple of minutes if my connection goes down. But I'll keep my fingers crossed that won't happen. So, onto your questions

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USA: I am a patent examiner - I've been one for almost a decade. When I started out, everything seemed good - however, as I got promoted up the ranks and entered law school, I noticed that I started being treated differently and unfairly. I notice that the Patent Office does not seem to value a diverse workforce, and mistreats especially it's African-American patent examiners with law degrees. There are almost no African-American employees in top level management positions. I don't believe that all African-Americans are unqualified and that this is the reason why they have not emerged into these ranks. What advice could you give to me and other African-American employees at the USPTO in terms of braving the environment there? What advice could you give to US Patent & Trademark Officials themselves in terms of how to handle workforce diversity?

Jill Dutt: First, let me say that I'm a reporter and editor who just published a story today about how one company, Lockheed Martin, approaches the challenge of managing a diverse workforce. I am NOT a diversity expert, so I can't really give advice about what companies and agencies should be doing, but I can tell you what experts and managers told me.

So, first to the specifics of your question: you see few role models, people of color in authority at your agency. Second, you don't feel your ideas are valued.

Smart companies today recognize that they have to do more than just hire people of different race and ethnicity. They have to make sure their management chain of command inspires and acts on the diverse ideas and approaches that come up from a diverse workforce. So, one thing some companies do is conduct 360-degree evaluations of their managers to see if they are inspiring and acting on good ideas, or are stuck in their old ways. Companies are also requiring managers to come up with more specific succession plans, so if a mid-level manager is leaving his or her post,the more senior manager has assessed all available candidates and has a good pipeline of diverse people to choose from. This is an attempt to get away from just the "old-boy network" and going to the go-to person.

Tying a manager's bonus to these metrics seems to focus the mind.

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Baltimore, MD: How does an organization/business get past the lip-service concept of internal diversity? Moving from saying it's important to actually instituting policies that make a difference? Lessons learned?

Thanks.

Jill Dutt: Take a look at three stories we published in the Business section today. Lockheed, for example, took a system engineer's approach to your question. It broke down all the management steps needed to create a more inclusive environment and now ranks each business unit on how "mature" its diversity programs are. These include not only recruiting strategies, but also management succession plans, leadership training opportunities, etc. I spent four days at Lockheed watching two very skilled executives doing their things and it was instructive to watch how they integrated their business decisions with their personnel management issues.

One specific thing is thinking about diversity as diversity of ideas and experience, not race and gender. The manager's role is to apply that wealth of diverse experience to current business opportunities and find more creative ways to get that business.

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washingtonpost.com: Here are the three articles Jill mentioned: Taking an Engineer's Approach at Lockheed Martin ; Big Companies Widen Their Networks ; Multicultural Marketplace Shows Need For Diversity

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Washington, D.C.: More of a comment than a question. Lockheed Martin, and many other companies, offer domestic partner health benefits to their employees as part of their diversity efforts to recruit and retain the best talent. The federal government is really behind the ball on this and other issues important to the gay and lesbian community. Obviously, there are political reasons for that, but I imagine that as the government's policies ignore this facet of diversity, Agencies will have a hard time competing for talent with companies like Lockheed Martin.

Jill Dutt: As skilled employees look for places to work, the policies and benefits being offeredby possible employers are becoming increasingly important. People are looking for places where their ideas will be valued and that they will be comfortable.

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Bethesda, Maryland: Do you think Lockheed Martin will be able to change the definition of "diversity" outside their company?

Washington Post writers, like most people outside Lockheed Martin, are almost always referring to race and gender representation when talking about a political "diversity appointment" or a business making a "diversity hire".

Lockheed Martin seems to be fighting an uphill battle to redefine the word diversity to mean "an inclusive culture" rather than "diverse representation of races and genders".

Jill Dutt: Bob Stevens, Lockheed's chief executive, has focused on changing the notion of "diversity" within his company. As more people learn about Lockheed's approach, I'll bet he will be asked to share his perspective with other Fortune 500 companies.

A key insight, I think, is that hiring "diverse" employees is not enough. Corporate cultures need to find a way to allow those diverse ideas filter through and reshape a company's approach to its core business.

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Burke, VA: Do you know of any plans (at Lockheed or anywhere else) to ensure that the so-called "corporate culture" does not discriminate against those of us who come in from different cultures and may exhibit behaviors that are culturally-rather than performance-based? One example could be sustaining eye contact during interviews, another showing an inordinate level of respect for figures of authority, or even frequently touching others.

Jill Dutt: I talked to managers about these cultural differences and what I heard back is that these are things people need to be talking about within their workplaces. When people notice these little things, sustaining eye contact or, the inverse of never making direct eye contact, there should be a way of bringing up these different styles, to understand the cultural influence behind them. Too often, people make assumptions about what these small differences mean, seen only through the prism of their own personal experiences.

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Washington, DC: Dear Ms. Dutt:

I have a question about the definition of "workplace diversity." It appears that the term has come to mean diversity only in terms of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

I happen to believe that "workplace diversity" should also refer to employees having myriad opinions and perspectives. For example, on the surface, my agency is very diverse. However, my officemates are ALL Democrats. As a moderate Republican, they'll often dismiss my perspective by saying "I don't know anyone else that thinks like you." Since when is hearing different opinions a bad thing?

My point is that diversity has to go beyond the surface to include our thoughts and minds. Groupthink is never healthy for any organization and I fear that, in our politically correct world, in seeking out diversity, we are missing the forest for the trees.

Jill Dutt: You make a key point about "groupthink." Over and over again, when I talked to senior executives, they say they fear this. Smart companies recognize that they will lose their edge if everyone approaches topics from the same experience and cultural base. This is a key reason that "diversity" is taking on a meaning much broader than just race and sex.

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Washington, DC: Hi Jill. I am an interior architect who worked in Alexandria VA until last August and now works in DC. Is this diversity thing inclusive of gay & lesbian employees? Is the diversity drive also inclusive of us? I worked for a nation-wide firm until last August in Alexandria since May of 2003. Until December of 2004, I'd worked in a tightly-knit group who worked on a major government project. Everyone on that project was aware that I was gay and seemed to not care. AI&E firms are notoriously gossipy and my status leaked into the rest of the office. When I went to work on projects that were part of the rest of the office, I found that, although my previous project managers had praised my work, none of the non-government project managers wanted to use me, even though there was a need on their projects. After about 7 months of forcing my way into projects, getting told I wasn't working up to speed and even being accused of making a pass at a client (which was a complete fabrication) I put in my notice. When I asked to project managers whom I'd worked on the governmental projects with advice on what was my downfall, they quietly confided that the male project managers (architects) were uncomfortable with me because I was gay.

Jill Dutt: It sounds like that Alexandria firm lost a valued employee because it was not an inclusive environment. I did sense that top executives at big companies recognize the business imperative in bringing out the best in everyone, but I am not so naive as to think that every company, every manager is going to change overnight. I wish you the best as you look for the right place to succeed.

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Burke, VA: I'm glad to hear that! However--is any of these employers being proactive and ensuring that these discussions actually take place--i.e., the effect of cultural differences on the day-to-day workplace. As you so well describe it, my concern is that people do notice the little things (such as sustaining eye contact or never making direct eye contact), and that an organization's leaders need to take it upon themselves to bring up these different styles, to help their employees understand the assumptions we make. Do you know whether anyone is doing anything about this aspect of managing a diverse workforce? Thanks!

Jill Dutt: Some companies, like Lockheed and Marriott, do extensive employee surveys. Issues like this should be captured in questions about how comfortable employees feel with their work environment. If a manager comes out of a survey appearing to be tone-deaf about such matters, that could be part of their annual evaluation, in which they receive encouragement to have more open conversation about such things. As our moms said, it's the little things that count.

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Annandale, VA: Yeah, groupthink, that's a good term. Like when a corporate boss told me he couldn't hire me for a position in 1975 because he "had to hire Black." When I told a Black co-worker that story year's later she said, "he shouldn't have told you." I guess that's an example of groupthink, if you are a white male take it on the chin because you don't matter.

Jill Dutt: That sounds like short-sighted thinking from someone who doesn't get what diversity really means. White men, I know plenty of them, and they are incredibly diverse.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you foresee any changes for the positive in the field of Diversity Management within the Federal Government, despite the poor track record shown by most agencies so far?

Jill Dutt: I didn't talk with anyone from the federal government in preparation for this story. I know that Steve Barr, our fabulous Post columnist who writes the Federal Diary, delves into this topic a lot. Perhaps you could direct your question to his next chat? I'll be very interested in his answer.

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washingtonpost.com: Federal Diary Column Archive

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Washington, DC: I'd just like to make a plug for including people with disabilities in corporate (all) "diversity" programs. It's amazing how often race = diversity. With a staggering 70% unemployment rate among people with disabilities, companies, needing to address workforce shortages in the coming years, should be looking, now, at this under employed, yet extremely talented group of Americans. People with disabilities have so much to offer and with just a little foresight from companies in terms of accommodations, which often benefit their entire workforce, they can be reaching out to a group ready and willing to work. They obviously need to be paid a living wage (as do all workforce groups, including immigrants), but employing people with disabilities could offer a double benefit by removing their dependency on social security and thus potentially helping decrease the coming crisis in that public program (in 2030 only 2.2 workers per beneficiary will be contributing compared to 42 workers per beneficiary in 1945!!)

Jill Dutt: Good point.

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DC: Jill,

Is there any concern in the diversity field that evolutionary psychology will show real difference in average intelligence and/or professional inclinations of people of different genders and ethnic groups/races, and that the cause may be partially genetic?

Jill Dutt: I didn't hear anything about that. But, you know, what does average intelligence really have to do with business success. You can have a company full of people with outstanding IQs and the company can fail spectacularly. There is book smart, social smart, strategic smart, tactical smart, and lots of other smarts. Top companies are looking for ways to capture all those different intelligences to improve their bottom lines.

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Woodslawn, Maryland: In your article of Workplace diversity, you state that there is confusion with the term "diversity". Some people believed that workplace diversity means your race, culture, and sex.

Are you making the point that diversity is really the learning styles of individuals in the workplace?

Jill Dutt: Different learning styles is certainly part of it. Age is also part of it, especially at big companies like Lockheed, where top jobs are dominated by people over 50. It's great to have so much experience and wisdom, people there say, but they need to encourage the younger generation to come forward with meaningful ideas. Especially folks who have graduated in the past few years, the kids who grew up with the Internet, cell phones, instant messaging and, yes, Nintendo. They have lived an "always-on," "total information" environment and could have very good ideas about how to tie together our communication networks and what privacy and personal issues arise.

Diversity in perspective seems to be increasingly important to managers.

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Arlington, Va.: So at all these companies that are strategically pursuing diversity, aren't a lot of the middle- to upper-level managers -- the ones who have to carry these policies out -- likely to be people who have political misgivings about any kind of diversity imperative? Doesn't that create a disconnect that undermines the end result?

Jill Dutt: Middle-management jobs are TOUGH. Managers do need to make their numbers, to fulfill the company's commitment to shareholders. How managers make those numbers is the key: good managers can inspire their team, can bring out creative ideas that make people say, "wow" and win new business. Global competition is constantly bringing new ideas to the fore and companies need to stay ahead of that change with their own new ideas. Tapping a rich pool of diverse employees is an increasingly important way to stay ahead, experts say.

Also, if managers have a portion of their bonus tied to their success at managing an inclusive environment, they will be incentivized to push on this.

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Annandale, VA: You might not print this, but it's one story. I graduated a poor white male with a BA college degree in 79 and have found myself the low guy in the workforce hierarchy with affirmative action since then. I worked hard and all I saw is how diversity is more important than promoting a hard-working white male with medium intelligence. I got out of the Federal work force in the 80s because of it and worked for many minority-owned 8A firms (which I couldn't create). I did well in those small firms but didn't realize the capital gains that they created for themselves. There are many like me who see diversity as being "anybody but you." I gave up a long time ago trying to climb a management ladder. Good luck to the next generation--maybe it will be less discriminating.

Jill Dutt: There are plenty of workplaces out there that are clueless about good management. If someone is hard-working and has good ideas, there ought to be ways for their ideas to be valued, their talents to be recognized. Unfortunately, that's not always the case. I wish you luck as you pursue your career.

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Bowie, MD: As much as companies try to diversify their workforce, an old boy network still exists. I used to work for Northrop Grumman, and it was that way. People set in their ways and thoughts. As much as companies try and market themselves as being diversified, most of the company doesn't care because the bottom line is there's still work to be done regardless, and work is what pays the bills, not diversity.

Jill Dutt: I hear what you're saying. Diversity consultants and corporate executives say the best corporations now get that the bottom line is directly connected to increasing diversity of the workforce. Tom Watson of Strategichire notes that in the Washington region, we're going to be a majority minority area within the next 5-10 years. If customers are increasingly diverse, a company would be foolish and its CEO derelict (Tom says) if they don't change their approach and really embrace diversity. In my story today, I noted how Lockheed was able to shape a contract to track "deadbeat dads" for the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, by relying on a female manager who could see the big picture of how to help single-mother households. Linda Gooden, president of Lockheed Martin Information Technology, said she believed a man could have done a good job directing that contract, but the woman did bring a certain level of passion and creativity that made the work Lockheed did special.

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Orange, CT: What have you seen are characteristics of companies that are good at promoting an inclusive work environment?

Jill Dutt: Good question. First, the mandate comes from the top, from the chief executive, and even the corporation's board of directors. Second, there are clear policies and even written instructions for managers to follow. The more managers know, specifically, about what is expected of them, the better they perform. Third, there is a robust feedback loop, in which employees either by name or anonymously, feel comfortable telling managers whether their tactics are working or not. Fourth, add measurement tools. Benchmark where a company is today vs. best practices, and then set goals for improvement that are measured regularly.

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Jill Dutt: Looks like time is up. Many thanks for all your good questions.

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