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I
make it a habit to meet frequently with a variety
of friends and associates, particularly since I
left corporate America in early 2000.
We meet in all kinds of environments, from
meetings to luncheons to golf outings.
People always seem anxious to share their
experiences, hopes, and frustrations.
Recently,
I’ve been paying special attention to comments
made to me by several associates that are minority
managers in large companies and organizations.
These individuals, and other minority
managers that they know, are unhappy with the
progression of their careers.
The reasons for their dissatisfaction
differ, but they all seem to revolve around
negative conditions seemingly created by the
organizations that they work for.
These
minority managers are especially concerned about
the lack of career planning and development,
recruitment and retention, promotion to senior
management jobs, and commitment to diverse markets
within their organizations.
They often describe to me a feeling of
being excluded or treated as if they were
outsiders. I
know what that feeling is like, having spent
nearly a quarter of a century in corporate
America. Work
is hard enough, especially in this economy,
without having to deal with the issues of equal
treatment and exclusion.
With
that in mind, this installment of The Relationship
Corner
will suggest ways minority managers can equip
themselves with tools to help chart their futures
and respond proactively to attempts to make them
“outsiders.”
First
let’s take a closer look at what people had to
say.
Treated
Less Than
For
years I served on diversity councils in corporate
America. We
often used the term “less than” to describe
conditions, situations, and behaviors that caused
individuals within the organization to feel that
were being discriminated against, or treated less than
the way other people were treated.
Here
are some composites of comments minority managers
shared that obviously gave them that “less
than” feeling:
|
We
seem to be reverting back to the ‘good
old boy’ mentality.
People have started to surround
themselves with others that look like
them.
It’s easier for these managers to
terminate people that don’t live in
their neighborhoods, go to their churches,
belong in their clubs, or have children in
the same schools as their kids. |
|
Minority
Senior Managers that we hire from the
outside are put through some type of
‘probationary period’ before they are
given a specific job assignment.
This is really different from the
way new majority hires are treated; they
are immediately given job
responsibilities, expectations, and
details concerning incentive compensation. |
|
When
I asked why we couldn’t spend more money
to develop the inner-city market, the
response was that there weren’t enough
of ‘our kind of customers’ there.
My performance in inner-city
markets still has to meet corporate
standards; even though I can’t get the
dollars and support needed to do it. |
|
As
soon as I gave my notice, everyone told me
how much they loved me. Senior managers
wanted to know what could be done to
convince me to stay.
Management, for the first time in
years, wanted to take action on the career
plan that I had put together on an annual
basis.
They finally wanted to help make my
dreams come true.
I only had one question:
Where was the love before? |
| I
have become accustomed to being the only
person of color attending meetings at the
company.
What irritates me is that usually
I’ve been invited to provide the
“minority perspective” or to “add
some diversity.” This is particularly
annoying when I am introduced in the
meeting as a person who can “provide
that unique perspective.”
People in these meetings then begin
to question my previous experience. I
wonder why my skills, expertise, and
knowledge are singled-out and minimized. |
It’s
easy to see why these managers are unhappy.
But are minority managers unhappy for the
same reasons others are?
Let’s take a quick look at what
researchers who follow these types of issues have to say.
Work
and Happiness
Minority
managers are not alone in their dissatisfaction
with work. The
Conference Board, a business-backed research
group in New York, recently found that only about
50% of households surveyed were happy with their
jobs, down from 59% in 1995.
The drop in job satisfaction occurred among
all age groups, income levels, and regions of the
country.
Workers
in the survey were less satisfied with bonuses,
educational training programs, fellow employees,
and promotional policies than in a prior survey.
Overall,
these reasons were very different from those
expressed to me by minority managers.
Although
current economic conditions have raised a chorus
of unhappy voices among employees everywhere, I
found my conversations with minority managers
unique. These
managers have specific gripes that relate to equal
and respectful treatment, recruitment, retention,
career planning, and the organization’s overall
commitment to diversity.
The
common element that appears to be missing for both
the survey respondents and the minority managers I
talk with is a lack of empathy and consideration
on the part of employers.
In today’s economy, people are working
harder and they are looking for corporate actions
that say: “you are important to the
organization” and “we care about you.”
However,
many employers are sending a very different set of
messages to their employees.
Many corporations have responded to
economic pressures by reducing or eliminating
salary increases and bonuses, while at the same
time significantly increasing workloads.
In addition, these organizations often fail
to grant promotions fairly, which further
alienates employees.
People become frustrated when they see weak
performers remain while stronger performers are
forced to leave. Another common source of
irritation is cutbacks in employee training.
Employees of all backgrounds tend to view
cuts in training as evidence of their employer’s
unwillingness to invest in their future.
You
may wonder if the dilemma expressed by my minority
business contacts exists on a broader scale.
Read further.
Challenges
for Minority Managers
The
difficulties faced by minority managers are
widespread. This
is documented by a couple of recently released
studies that focus on minorities in the workplace.
The
New York Times, in July 2002, reported that Alfred
and Ruth Blumrosen had released a study on
discrimination in corporate America.
The study was based on an analysis of
federal data on about 200,000 companies, and on
information collected from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1990 through 1999.
The authors of the study, both professors
at the Rutgers
School of Law, found that nearly two million
workers were affected by intentional
discrimination in 1999.
They noted that about a third of the
employers observed discrimination against women or
minorities.
Closer
to home, Chicago United, a corporate membership group that brings together
diverse business leaders to improve race relations
and increase opportunities for people of color,
just released its second annual “Measuring How
Chicago Works” report.
The report is based on surveys of 42 large
companies and organizations within the Chicago
area.
The
report notes that ethnic minorities comprise 36- percent of the Chicago area workforce, but occupy
less than 3- percent of chairs and CEO positions,
less than 7- percent of the Senior Executive Vice
President (EVP) and EVP positions, and less than
8-percent of the Senior Vice President (VP) and VP
positions at the organizations surveyed.
Minorities occupy less than 6-percent of
positions defined as “most highly
compensated.”
The report shows no significant changes
from last year in almost all categories studied.
In
its summary, Chicago
United stated the following:
| Apparent in the survey results is
a disconnect between any stated corporate goals to
achieve senior leadership diversity, consistent
with 21st century demographic and
market trends, and the implementation of effective
activities across the business that will produce
those results.
|
Translation:
companies have not
been able to put more minorities into senior
management, nor have they identified ways to get
this done.
The
Blumrosen Study points out the breadth and depth
of discriminatory conditions in corporate America
while the Chicago United study illustrates how the
landscape for minorities in senior management
looks as a result of these types of indiscretions
and illegalities.
Survival
Tactics for Minority Managers
The
aforementioned studies suggest large organizations move slowly when
implementing policy changes that advance the careers of diverse
managers. It is, therefore, crucial that
minority
managers and employees develop strategies to cope with and overcome the
conditions and practices that keep people “on
the outside.”
Below are some specific survival tactics
that will help:
-
Complete
a self-assessment.
Spend time getting to really understand
your strengths and weaknesses.
Before you are quick to blame others,
take a look at your own areas in need of
improvement.
Then do something about it.
Get feedback from those you respect and
from those who will be honest in telling you
the truth about how you perform and how you
are perceived.
-
Develop
a career management plan.
If your organization has a process for
this activity, be sure to get your manager
involved and committed.
Update your career plan on an annual
basis and make sure that it gets visibility
beyond your immediate manager.
Review your plan at least quarterly and
note progress made or not made to that point.
Be sure to develop specific action
points in your plan.
Don’t rely on someone else to make
sure that you have a plan in place.
-
Expand
and improve your relationships.
Get to know other people in the
organization, especially those who have
influence or insight.
Make sure that when you are not in the
room there are those present who know you and
who will speak accurately about your
performance, skills, and goals.
Volunteer for activities that involve
people beyond your immediate area.
Set specific goals to expand your base
of relationships.
-
Stay
aware of the job market.
Keep your resume updated and remain
involved in organizations and activities that
put you in front of other potential employers.
Look for information on compensation,
benefits, and programs provided by competitors
that serve as a benchmark for your current
situation.
Develop a network of people in other
firms that have jobs similar to yours.
-
Work
on an alternate career.
Understand that today or tomorrow your
job could end.
Your firm could be acquired, your
department could be downsized, management
could change, or any number of other things
could happen.
Make that hobby or interest a potential
career for you to fall back on.
-
Become
a diversity advocate.
Get involved in diversity activities,
such as those involving work associates,
customer markets, suppliers, and vendors.
Become a strong diversity advocate, but
don’t let it define you as a person, that
is, you still need to be known for your
performance in your area of expertise.
-
Promote
careers of talented diverse people.
Remember, you didn’t get to where
you are all because of your own efforts.
Help from superiors, peers, and friends
made your success possible.
You must do the same for others!
-
Be
a mentor (and mentee).
Not only must you serve as a mentor for
diverse people, but you also need to mentor
those that are not like you.
This is important for getting to know
those from other cultures, for getting others
to understand your point of view, and for
building a constituency of supporters relative
to your activities.
Never underestimate the value to both
parties of mentoring programs.
-
Recruit
others.
I am so tired of hearing that
same old excuse of “we just can’t seem to
find any good people.”
Good people, great people, are
out there.
Make sure that you help give these
individuals access to your organization.
Be sure that you document your efforts.
Managers can have bad memories when it
comes to recalling the number of great people
that they passed up.
Summary
Minority
managers need to help themselves and their
organizations by moving forward and not waiting on
their firms to make meaningful changes.
The tactics listed above can result in a more fulfilling
and rewarding career experience.
The End |
