Assignment Overview

Please watch the following Leadership Channel video, then read the instructions and complete your Case Assignment:

 

Joun, S. (2016). Implementing diversity & inclusion: Leaders and believers [Video]. Availablefrom Books24x7 in the Trident Online Library.

 

Video Transcript:

Implementing Diversity & Inclusion: Leaders and Believers

Su Joun

Go beyond holding them accountable with actual metrics and expectations, but also making sure that they’re educated, making sure they have the tools, the ongoing support needed.  For example, if they do take a risk and hire someone that may not have the background that they’ve been looking for, perhaps, and they’re taking a chance, support them.  Make sure they realize they’re not alone in that.  Nor is that person that they hired, but nor is the leader who took that risk.

And if it doesn’t work out, celebrate and say it was still worth that work, and try.  If it does work out, celebrate that because look how it worked out.  And the domino effect of that becomes contagious because everyone eventually does want to be on the side of what’s working and a success.

So always hold the leaders accountable, and make sure that they’re equipped and trained.  But at the same time, don’t rely on leaders alone to actually move the organization forward.  Because in some ways it is a very unreliable group, because they have many conflicting interests.  So the philosophy is hold the leaders accountable, make sure that they’re trained and equipped, but at the same time, do things on an organization level.  Have the programs that’s moving the talent.  Start doing little things like really taking a look at job descriptions and see if it’s too long and too complicated, and actually excludes many people.  As opposed to a lot of leaders think the longer the job descriptions are, the better candidates they’ll get.  In reality, they just get fewer candidates.

Little things like employee resource groups, like the different programs that we have that allows associates to be more empowered with their career.  You have to also do things on an organizational level.  All our recruiters, for example, have been trained on diverse recruiting, and has been trained on cultural competence, and coached individually on cultural competence.  So they’re going to recruit for a diverse pool of candidates whether the leaders ask for it or not.  So always hold the leaders accountable, make sure there’s something happening on an organizational level. 

The third philosophy that we have is, the best way I could describe it is I do believe, historically, diversity and inclusion has focused too much on changing the minds of people—trying to convince the nonbelievers.  Our philosophy is “empower the believers, they’ll push out the nonbelievers.”  And that’s what all the programs, and the communication we do, is really around that.  Because frankly, I could train someone all day.  I would never really know if they’re “converted.”  Really, you have to sort of empower, and give permission, and give platforms to the believers, and they will drown out the nonbelievers. 

 

 

In the Module 2 Case, we will examine ways in which the external environment affects the choice of strategy (creation of threats and opportunities), and how the external environment affects an organization’s chosen strategic direction, specifically through the lens of a diversity and inclusion issue.

 

Case Assignment

 

Conduct research on an organization that has struggled with a specific diversity and inclusion issue over the past year or so. Once you have selected the organization, apply a SLEPT analysis to critically assess the external environment of the organization. Determine the extent to which the company’s strategies should be adjusted based on the opportunities and threats you observed in the external environment, and explore ways to mitigate similar problems in the future.

Pay specific attention to the diversity and inclusion issue that has caused the organization to struggle and offer concrete solutions based on the SLEPT analysis to help move the organization forward.

 

Keys to the Assignment

 

In a 4- to 6-page paper, do the following:

• Describe the specific diversity and inclusion issue faced by your chosen organization.
• Describe the strategy (or strategies) followed by the organization.
• Use a SLEPT analysis to assess the external environment of the chosen organization to highlight and articulate the major opportunities and threats faced by the organization through the lens of the diversity and inclusion issue.
• What specific choices were made in handling the diversity and inclusion issue that should have been handled differently? Why should an alternative strategy have been used? What would the outcome have been had this strategy been adopted instead?
• What changes in procedures can the organization make moving forward to prevent the same issue from occurring or from causing the same level of damage?
• Support your work with credible sources.