Launching a Diversity Initiative in Your Chapter

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Launching a Diversity Initiative in Your Chapter
Presenter Shirley Davis, Ph.D. Director of
Diversity Initiatives
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Todays Discussion
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
Before You Get Started
Building the Business Case
When You Get Started
Elements of a Comprehensive Diversity Plan
During the Entire Journey
Questions/ Comments
After You Launch
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Session Objectives
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Provide participants with an update on SHRMs
  Diversity Initiative.
• Discuss the rationale for launching a diversity
  initiative.
• Describe the necessary steps one must take in
  order to successfully launch a diversity
  initiative.
• Describe best practices and lessons learned in
  starting, implementing, and sustaining a
  diversity initiative.

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The Projected Timeline Remains on Track
Diversity InitiativeResearch Project
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
The Projected Timeline Remains on Track
Conduct at least 30 Key Stakeholder Interviews
Design launch 5,000 member survey
Strategy developed and approved (Nov. 07)
Design and launch new products/services that
position SHRM as leader in the diversity space
Analyze all data compile report Preliminary
findings to Board in June
Create RFP Solicit proposals
Director of Diversity Initiative hired
Finalize vendor selection
Build Experts list of 300 Design launch
survey
Refine finalize plan with vendor
Present final report and plan to Board (Aug
07) Obtain Approval

• Key Milestones
• 2006 Vendor selected research begins
• 2007 Analysis complete final report to Board
  strategy developed
• 2008 First new products/services rolled out to
  membership

Not started yet
In process and on track
Task completed
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Research Project
In Addition to the Research Project, Many Other
Efforts Are Underway
Diversity Scorecard
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Diversity Expertise Panel
• Act as staff leader/liaison to panel of 18
  Diversity Experts in an effort to provide thought
  leadership, strategic direction, design,
  development of products/services for SHRM
  Members.

• Internal Support
• Ensure integration of the Diversity Initiative
  into organizational processes and culture (staff
  training, employee relations support, DAC,
  professional development).

• Advance the Profession Campaign (ATP)
• Support this initiative by being visible, vocal
  and engaged with members and the public on behalf
  of SHRM. Leverage opportunity to increase
  awareness and support on SHRMS Diversity
  initiative as well as the field of Diversity at
  large.

• Communication Strategy
• Identify tactics (key messages/timeline of
  milestones) to raise awareness and increase
  visibility of the Diversity Initiative.

• New Product Development
• Identify and lead the design, development and
  implementation of the new diversity products and
  resources.

• Core Leadership Area/Diversity
• A a staff leader provide leadership, expertise
  and support to Chapter Leaders and Diversity
  Directors to assist them in bringing the
  diversity initiatives in their state
  council/chapters

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How to Get Started
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Meet with your Chapter President to obtain
  support in starting a diversity initiative.
• Work with chapter leadership to outline purpose,
  vision, mission, and scope of the diversity
  initiative.
• If no Diversity Director is in place, someone
  should be designated to lead the effort
• Refer to the appendix for job description of
  Diversity Director
• Consider establishing a Diversity Task Force or
  Committee.
• Start to answer the questions on the following
  slides.

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Before You Launch a Diversity Initiative
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Consider This
• Do you have support and/or commitment?
• Why are you doing it?
• What will you be doing?
• When will you do it?
• Who will be doing it?
• How will you do it?
• What does success look like?
• Will it be a strategic initiative tied to your
  chapter goals and SHRMs Diversity Initiative, or
  will it be a project with a start/stop date?
• Has this been done before?
• Successes
• Failures
• Learnings

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Before You Launch a Diversity Initiative
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Consider This
• Will a SWOT analysis be done?
• Are the right people in the right positions (on
  the bus) to make the right decisions about the
  Diversity Initiative? To support and drive it?
• Is your chapter/organization ready for a long
  term change management effort?
• Board of Directors
• Sr. Leadership
• Culture of your chapter
• External community
• YOU
• How will you leverage your Diversity Advisory
  Council?
• Budget for the initiative?

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When You Get Started
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Build the Business Case for Diversity
• It will vary from chapter to chapter
• Consider demographic shifts, cultural norms,
  community landscape
• Determine how broad or how narrow youll define
  diversity
• Assess current state of the chapter and the
  profession in your area
• Recruiting and Retention Trends of Your Chapter
• Survey data
• Benchmarks/best practices (similar orgs., other
  SHRM chapters, etc.)
• Cultural/chapter auditassess readiness and
  competency
• Obtain Buy-in to the Plan
• Execute the Plan

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Key Elements of a Successful Diversity Plan
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
Commitment from Top
Measurement Accountability
Vision Mission
Supplier/Vendor Diversity
Strong Business Case
Integration Innovation Implementation (flawless)
Community Outreach
Attraction, Recruitment, Selection
Strategic Alliances Partnerships
Retention Strategy
Onboarding
Training, Education, Development
Communication
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After You Launch the Diversity Initiative
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Keep the vision/mission visible
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Measure/Track/Report Successes and Learnings
• Make enhancements/adjustments along the way
• Celebrate Successes

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During the Entire Journey
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Get the right people involved from the beginning
• Hold people accountable
• Expect resistance
• Be inclusive
• Stay business focused, not compliance driven
• Ensure commitment along the way
• Take baby steps
• Approach this as a change management effort
• Be willing to be adaptable and flexible
• Acknowledge and celebrate key milestones

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The work that we do is critical
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
According to Jim OToole and Ed Lawler If
workers are not committed, motivated, engaged,
trained, and appropriately supervised, they will
under-perform with disastrous consequences for a
nations global competitiveness.
OToole, J., and Lawler, E., The New American
Workplace, 2006.
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Mark Your Calendars!!!
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
SHRM 2007 Diversity Conference will be held in
Philadelphia, PA October 18-20,
2007 www.shrm.org/conferences/diver
sity
Featured Keynoters
Special session on The Current State of the
Diversity Field featuring
Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.
Dr. Shirley Davis
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Leading People. Leading Organizations.
Questions/Comments
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Thank you for your participation in todays
session
Leading People. Leading Organizations.
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Leading People. Leading Organizations.
Appendix
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2007 SHRM Chapter State Council
Goals
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Diversity
• SHRM Goals
• Collect input from volunteer leaders on how we
  can support success.
• Increase communication with volunteer leaders to
  share SHRM objectives, define goals and identify
  support opportunities.
• Coordinate a diversity successful practices
  networking teleconference once each quarter for
  2007.
• Revisit roles and responsibilities of
  state/chapter diversity directors for clarity and
  to be more value-added.
• Identify and develop additional diversity
  resources to support state and/or chapter
  diversity Core Leadership Area efforts.
• Chapter and State Goals
• Assure that diversity leadership is represented
  on all state councils/chapters.
• Encourage at least one diversity
  presentation/program per chapter.
• Establish a diversity successful practices
  sharing opportunity across chapters and/or
  states.
• Increase diversity of state council boards,
  chapter boards and membership.
• Participate in at least one webcast and one
  teleconference for Diversity.

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Role of Diversity Director
Leading People. Leading Organizations.

• Function
• Monitors and evaluates on a continuing basis
  state and local activities concerning diversity
  issues, and works with chapter diversity
  directors to encourage involvement at the chapter
  level.
• Responsible To The State Council Director
• Responsibilities
• Serves as a voting member of the state council
  and is expected to attend and participate in all
• meetings of the council.
• Encourage the appointment of a diversity
  director at the chapter level within the state.
• Develop and work with the chapters diversity
  directors to ensure they have information and
  materials
• to promote diversity.
• Develop and distribute information to the state
  council and chapters within the state on
  diversity.
• Be available for presentations if and when
  appropriate, or help to identify programs or
  speakers for
• conferences or chapter programs.
• Coordinate efforts in developing diversity
  initiatives that can serve as models for other
  chapters.
• Work with chapter diversity directors to
  identify minorities and other diverse members in
  the state who
• might be interested in additional volunteer
  leadership opportunities.
• Requirements
• Must be an SHRM member in good standing. HRCI
  certification highly desirable.