Leveraging ERGs (and Diversity
Councils) as Cultural
Competence Resources
September 24, 2013
1
Agenda
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The Business Case for Diversity
Engaged Employees
How ERGs Fit In
ERGs: Mission, Goals, Case Studies
The JBC ERG Progression Model
ERGs: Direction
ERG Best Practices
Executive Sponsors
Allies Are Essential
Talking / Training About Difference
JBC’s Work with Diversity Councils
2
JBC is an acknowledged
expert in the field of
diversity workplace
issues and building the
business case for
diversity and inclusion.
3
Who is JBC?
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NYC–based boutique consulting firm
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Global expertise and in-country experience
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Tech-savvy, lean, efficient team
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Subject Matter Expert course designers
and master facilitators
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Understand health and ACO organization
needs
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Work with the energy on the room
4
Our Commitment to Diversity
Jennifer Brown Consulting, a workplace consulting firm committed to
helping talent at all levels redefine leadership. We are in the business of
transforming human potential, and aligning individual performance with
organizational results.
JBC is proud to be a diverse supplier certified by both WBENC and the
NGLCC.
At JBC, we takes our status as a diverse supplier as a serious and important
commitment by speaking on the topic of Supplier Diversity alongside our
D&I offerings.
We provide expert analysis and education to potential and current clients
to include these efforts in broader initiatives. In fact, JBC follows through
on our commitment to diversity by delivering our Products and Services
primarily through our own group of diverse consultants, with nearly 75%
of our business delivered by experts who constitute “Diversity” members.
We are experts in translating the impact of diversity and inclusion to
organizational leadership and facilitating with the latest technologies.
5
JBC practice areas:
Consulting,
Assessment, Training
Coaching, Content and
Thought Leadership.
6
Full Inclusion Remains Elusive
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Only a little more than 1% of the nation’s Fortune 500 companies have Black chief
executives … At the nation’s biggest companies, about 3.2% of senior executive positions
are held by African-Americans
Barely 21% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. Women hold 14% of executive officer
positions, 17% of board seats, and 18% of elected congressional officials
There isn’t a single openly gay chief executive officer in the Fortune 500
Source: “Uncovering Talent, ” Deloitte University, 2013.
7
The History of ERGs
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ERGs were once perceived as social outlets and race and gender-based workplace
communities – event-driven and internally focused
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ERG value proposition has shifted slowly but steadily over the last decade; evolving as
critical strategic partners
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ERGs are models for organizations of the future and lead the way for next-generation
business – multifunctional, global, diverse and inclusive
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The untapped potential of ERGs is the real story
“Moving the needle on diversity should begin and end with [Employee
Resource Groups]. They create business value, employee engagement, talent
development and customer insights.”
— Steve Larson, Team Member Resource Groups, Program Manager, Wells Fargo
8
JBC’s ERG Benchmarking Study
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Interviewed 22 companies of various sizes, across industries and whose markets include B2B and
B2C
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Study methodology included 1:1 interviews along with general survey to gather basic information
about ERGs
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Participants were primarily CDOs and ERG leaders with deep knowledge of ERG activities in the
organization
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Participants’ ERGs ranged from well-established, deeply business-aligned to newer groups just
beginning to establish insertions into the business
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Key areas of focus:
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Product Development
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Professional Development
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Marketing to External Customers
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Global Development
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Marketing to Employees as Customers
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Community Outreach
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Government Relations and Policy
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Cultural Assimilation
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Human Resources
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Supplier Diversity
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Recruitment and Retention
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Study Participants’ Industries
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Participants’ Company Size
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Which ERGs does your
Company have?
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Which of the following areas
does your ERG focus on?
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The Business Case
14
The Business Case
Marketplace
Workplace
Workforce
15
The Business Case
Marketplace
Workplace
Workforce
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Company support for
legislation protecting
populations within the
community
Competitive advantage
Strengthen brand and
business alignment
Maximizing resources
Economic factors
Globalization
Company culture
Policies and programs
Initiatives and events
Career development
Mentoring programs
Rewards and recognition
Manager / team /
company care about
employees
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Engaged employees give
40-80% more
discretionary effort in
their jobs than low
commitment employees.
What is the workforce
demographic and how is
it changing?
What are the
generational differences
in the workforce?
Fewer Baby Boomers are
retiring
Leveraging professional
development
opportunities
16
The Business Case
3 – 5 things impacting each
Marketplace
Workplace
Workforce
17
How ERGs Fit In
18
Employee Resource Groups
Of the Diversity Inc. Top 50 Companies for Diversity,
development.
“I find it impossible to believe
that an organization can have
optimum diversity of thought
while maintaining segregated
talent development … Being
nimble in the marketplace
demands opening the aperture
for ideas.”
— Luke Visconti,
Founder and CEO of Diversity Inc
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94% of them rely on ERGs for talent
Use ERGs and their multiple aspects of diversity
(such as an employee’s visibility or invisibility,
experience, function, and geographic location)
as models for how to use diversity of thought to
service innovation
Increased opportunity to develop leadership
competencies in a safe environment
ERGs help to create a competitive advantage:
– Diversity of thought can lead to innovation
through collaboration
– Can share perspectives on small
efficiencies
19
ERGs Demonstrate Their Value
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Grant-making to key
community partners,
such as a Veteran’s ERG
spearheading a
campaign to support the
USO or Wounded
Warriors
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The Women’s network
might partner with HR
to recruit and retain
high-potential women
throughout their career
lifecycle
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The LGBTQ network
might position itself as
internal subject matter
experts to develop new
products or marketing
strategies that are
tailored to the particular
needs of their
community
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ERGs fuel the diverse talent pipeline
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Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) create
the opportunity to:
– Share knowledge
– Align resources and streamline efforts
– Leverage company-wide opportunities
– Create a more inclusive workplace
culture
– Improve support model, including at the
executive level
– Cultivate business-aligned focus and
engagement
– Develop the next generation of leaders
– Grow the business / the customer base
through capitalizing on the connections
among the internal stakeholders
21
Top Competencies for ERG Leaders
(indeed, any leader anywhere)
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Listen
– Forget about being the smartest person in the room. You may be, but that’s not going
to win support and commitment from your team.
Emotional intelligence
Build trust
Build skills
Set clear expectations
Address conflict immediately
Make a decision
Encourage risk-taking
22
ERGs: Mission, Goals,
Case Studies
23
Cultural Awareness
Network
Mission
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To raise awareness of the broad diversity of
cultures within the organization and our business
presence around the world, to foster an
environment that leverages the cultures of our
members, and to provide a forum to promote a
cross-cultural understanding among all
employees
Objectives
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Promote cultural awareness
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Provide networking opportunities
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Contribute to professional development
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Facilitate communication
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Assist the organization in
becoming / remaining an
employer of choice
LEAD
Mission
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LEAD (League of Employees of African Descent)
Network was established to strengthen diversity
within THE COMPANY by helping members grow
professionally through training and development,
career management, advancement and
recruitment of employees of African descent
Objectives
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To promote a vibrant and strong membership,
resulting in an inclusive environment which
nurtures cross-functional relationships and the
efficient leverage of knowledge
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To assist members in managing their
careers, by providing opportunities to
organize, facilitate and lead events and
initiatives, and mentoring opportunities
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Pride
Mission
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To maximize all employees’ contributions by
creating and sustaining an LGBT-friendly
environment where people are comfortable
being open and honest about their individuality.
Objectives
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Position THE COMPANY as an employer of choice
by facilitating recruitment and employee
retention
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Support collaboration across products, teams and
business areas by functioning as an internal
networking group
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Provide a safe, comfortable and confidential
outlet for employees to reach out to LGBT
colleagues
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Increase sense of inclusion for group members
Women’s
Network
Mission
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The Women’s Network aims to promote the
recruitment, retention and advancement of women at
THE COMPANY
Objectives
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Facilitate networking and career development
opportunities
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Facilitate partnerships and informal mentoring
opportunities between senior managers and junior
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Sponsor professional and personal development
workshops, seminars and lectures featuring
distinguished speakers
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Act as a resource for THE COMPANY to recruit and
retain high potential women
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Recruitment & Retention
Fostering a Female Leadership Pipeline
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Col-Pal utilized the Women’s Network to help recruit and retain female leaders
around the globe
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ERG is charged with ensuring that female representation consistently increases
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Women’s Network developed an initiative to globalize the network by creating a
portal that can be accessed by any member around the world
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Women can log on and share information and resources
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20 new women’s ERGs have been launched around the world including in
markets that typically present many challenges for women, such as Pakistan
26
Professional Development
Leadership Stretch Assignments
Full-Time Affinity Group Leadership Model
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GE is committed to developing leaders from
within the company – many of the 600 top
leaders are promoted from within
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GE recognizes that ERGs help create
leadership exposure and development
opportunities
Wells Fargo has a unique ERG leadership
structure which is defined internally as a
‘stretch assignment’ — demanding a high
level of motivation and skill, often
exceeding what is required in a standard
functional role
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ERG leaders are selected through a talent
identification process and Wells Fargo
encourages high-potential employees to
take on these stretch assignments
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GE’s ERG leaders are people who have been
chosen in the ERG succession planning
process and are believed to have leadership
potential and runway
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The goal of this strategy is to ensure that
the best talent is being developed and
utilized and that Wells Fargo is creating a
diverse leadership pipeline
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This process has led to a dramatic increase
in representation of women in leadership
and executive levels at GE
27
Workplace Culture
Impacting Federal Legislation
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The workplace has always been ahead of government when it comes to equality for LGBT employees, making
corporations a powerful force in influencing legislation for these issues.
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Now, with an influx of ‘‘Generation Y” employees who are demanding increased transparency from their
employers, companies must do more than just talk about inclusiveness.
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Intuit’s Pride Network made sure that the company supported important non-discrimination legislation, the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act. This proposed U.S. legislation would prohibit discrimination against
employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. At the urging of the Pride Network, Intuit
corporate affairs got involved in backing the legislation.
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More employers, like Intuit, are beginning to understand that discrimination against LGBT employees will
ultimately hurt their ability to compete in the global marketplace. Largely thanks to the efforts of the company’s
LGBT ERG, Intuit is reinforcing its position as an employer of choice that values diverse talent.
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Business Strategy
Innovation through Collaboration
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The Cisco EmERGing Technology Group (ETG) works to identify the next billion dollar businesses for the
company.
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The Business Development leads from the Cisco iCON (Indians Connecting People) ERG had approached the
ETG about establishing a partnership to work together to encourage product innovation. ETG and iCON moved
forward with their partnership.
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ETG and iCON expanded the opportunity to the remaining Cisco ERGs, with the goal of working collaboratively
to promote innovation.
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This collaboration was guided by the belief that the best or most innovative ideas are derived from a large
group of diverse contributors, rather than one single expert. As Cisco continues to grow, there is a consistent
need to focus on new creative ways to innovate and build business. Cisco is leading what the future will look
like regarding technology. Every day, Cisco needs to focus on evolving customer segments and markets,
consumer and customer needs, and product requirements.
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Community Outreach
Pride Kiosks
Latino Parade and Mobile Upgrade Marketing
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Pride Network partnered with multi-cultural
marketing team to create a national identity
and a marketing strategy to reach LGBTQ
markets nationwide
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Best Buy has identified strategies to utilize
their ERGs to reach their target markets to
combat the challenges they face from the
economic downturn
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At Pride events through the U.S., the
network launched a full-blown ad campaign
including branded T-shirts for all Macy’s
employees who volunteered at Pride
parades
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Latino network has focused its efforts
around Puerto Rican and Dominican Day
parades where coded coupons are
distributed and sales can be tracked once
they are redeemed
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Campaign included Pride kiosks from which
people could access Macy’s online Pride
registry for wedding and commitment
ceremonies
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Tracking metrics from this initiative was
challenging so Macy’s created coupons that
were distributed at the events and were
coded to track back to the ERG
Event attendees also can use the Best Buy
Mobile Upgrade Check to determine
whether they are eligible for a free phone
upgrade – also measurable as Best Buy can
track whoever performed a check
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The JBC Progression
Model Framework
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The Employee Resource Group (ERG)
Progression Model
Is:
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Is not:
A living, breathing framework that
supports increased competencies of
ERGs to meet their objectives and to
align with Johnson Controls’ enterprise
as well as D&I goals and targets
A framework that facilitates best
practice sharing and collaboration
between internal and external ERGs
Developmental in approach, to guide
and accelerate progress and
incremental success
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A process to expand control of ERGs
A replacement for an ERG’s strategies of
their individual mission or goals
A score sheet that minimizes the
development of contribution of any
individual ERG
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Progression Model Exercise
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Initial reactions to Progression Model approach:
– What stood out to you?
– What did you like?
– What are your concerns?
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How could the identification and tracking of progression related to business
alignment and impact support the Company’s objectives?
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Progression Model Exercise
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What are the core business drivers for your company?
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How does the D&I strategy support the alignment to the business drivers for the
organization?
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How may they align with current or potential Network objectives or activities?
34
ERG Progression Model Framework
Foundational
Formalized
Operational
Integrated
Dynamic
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Progression Model Phase Description
Overview
Foundational
Coming together ad hoc
Formalized
Formalizing our intentions and actions
Operational
Making everything operational
Integrated
Integrating everything we intend and do with what the organization
intends and does
Dynamic
Dynamically adapting to and being a versatile resource and aligned
resource for our organization ecosystem
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The ‘What’s in it for …’ Spectrum
The ‘What’s in it for…’:
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Encompasses mission/vision, purpose, objectives, and value proposition
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Is a spectrum defined from the individual, group, organization, and community at large (i.e.,
ecosystem)
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Evolves in progression to serve the ecosystem of the affinity network
WIIFM
WIIFT
WIIFU
WIIFA
What’s in it for me?
What’s in it for them?
What’s in it for us?
What’s in it for all?
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ERGs:
Direction
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Setting a Direction
Vision
Mission /
Strategy
A Simple
Structure
Goals /
Objectives
Measures
Deliverables
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Where we are heading in the long term
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Where we are heading in the medium term and how will we
reach our vision
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What will be delivered in general terms and what specific
‘outcomes’ will be achieved
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How we will measure progress toward the outcomes
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What will be done to deliver the goals & objectives and when
will they be achieved
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Every ERG Should Have Specific Goals
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Recruitment & Retention
Professional Development
Community Outreach
Workplace Culture
Business & Product Development
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Goals: where are you now?
Goal
Workforce
Workplace
Workplace
Culture
Metrics
 Support Veterans
hiring goals
 Participate in veterans –focused
career fairs
 Help hiring managers better
understand military background
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 Address impact
of cultural
stereotypes on
leadership ability
 Partner with HR , L&D, other
ERGs on cultural competencies,
knowledge gaps (narrow to seven
competencies to address)
 Develop Lunch & Learn or
training programs
 Product output: what did you
create?
 # of participants
 Critique of pilot program
 Attendee survey
 Support the
employee
population to
build an inclusive
workplace
 Work with other firms to develop
self-identification best practices
 Co-sponsor pride events with
other firms
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Recruitment
Professional
Development
Activity
# of career fairs
# of ERG participants
Are you talking to hiring managers ?
Are conversations happening? With
whom?
# of participating member firms
# of event attendees
# of internal participants
Event evaluation forms
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Goals: where are you now?
Goal
Marketplace
Business
Strategy
Community
Involvement
Activity
Metrics
 Support bankwide efforts in
achieving DoddFrank, §342
diversity
compliance
 Assist in crafting inclusive criteria
to utilize women and minority owned business suppliers
 Partner with procurement to
implement
 Approval of criteria by Legal &
Compliance
 Participation in procurement
process
 # of diverse suppliers
 Support and
sponsor GLSEN
(local high school
chapters)
 Sponsor fundraising event to
support a particular high school’s
chapter
 Mentor LGBTQ high school
students
 Achieving fundraising goals /
participation in fundraising event
 # of student mentees
 # of employee mentors
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Developing High Impact Action Plans
Working with your ERG members:
Part 1
 Brainstorm suggestions for activities, projects, programs and/events that are outcome
based and will:
– Build awareness and increase understanding and respect for diversity and inclusion
– Align with one or more ERG strategic areas of focus
– Demonstrate the benefit and value your ERG brings to the company
Part 2
 Build an outline of the project plan for the activity, project, etc., that will have the greatest
impact at your company
– Identify vision (mission, purpose/goal, impact/WIIFM’s)
– Establish process, communication methodologies and timelines and metrics
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Goals
Goal
Activity
Metrics
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Metrics
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What do you know?
How do you know it?
– Focus groups, client assessments,
employee surveys, ERG members
feedback…
How does it help you to set goals?
Recruitment Example
 Is there a diverse slate of candidates?
 Are there internal referrals for open positions?
 How many referrals come through the ERG?
 Is HR talking to your ERG?
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Developing Sound ERG Metrics
Multiple ways to measure ERG progress:
 Event attendance & number
 ERG Membership (active, inactive)
 External Awards
 Levels of Structure and Governance
 Revenue and Business Aligned Targets, ROI
 Business Partner Collaboration (internal and external)
 National, Regional and Global Representation
 Cross-ERG Collaborations (internal and external)
46
ERG Best Practices
47
Critical practices as ERGs evolve:
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Position ERGs as core to
the cultural competency
required for
globalization and new
market expansion
Use ERG leaders as
subject matter experts,
coaches, and mentors
for international
executive leadership,
and as network builders
in the new local
economies and cultures

Think beyond executive
sponsor support, to
important stakeholder
support
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Invest leadership
development resources
in ERG leaders and
members
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Consider raising the
importance of ERG
leadership positions,
including that of the
executive sponsor
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Make sure that a
percentage of ERG
strong performers are
regularly included in
talent reviews, as well
as intentionally
mentored and
sponsored

Evolve non-profit
partnerships, from
writing a check or
attending a dinner, to
strategic alliances that
provide mutually
beneficial business
impact
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Critical practices as ERGs evolve:
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Use ERGs and their
multiple aspects of
diversity (such as an
employee’s visibility or
invisibility, experience,
function, and
geographic location) as
models for how to use
diversity of thought to
service innovation
Establish a healthy
balance of current and
future metrics in every
ERG’s strategic plan

Explore including
‘diversity and inclusion’
competencies in
performance appraisal
criteria, from the
highest-level of
employees on down

Work to re-brand ERGs
as groups that can help
increase business and
profitability

Continue to strive for
ways to count those
with invisible diversity
affinities (such as LGBT,
disabilities, veterans,
and more)

Look into a company’s
entire ecosystem for
strategic partnerships,
including customers,
vendors, and industry
competitors
49
Executive Sponsors
50
What Executive Sponsors Are Saying
Right Now

“I assumed the role of the vision-setting person, and demanded a review of initiatives against
goals. When I played that role, people became better focused,” Greg Akers, Cisco

“In my opinion, members of our community accept the message of not being valued, and this
plays out in a variety of ways, including not living up to your career potential. I want to internally
and externally help break that for folks,” Michael Cox, Walmart

“Given our vision to connect Latinos, and that we call ourselves Conexion, it became about
connecting people, broader than the 4% of talent at Cisco who identify as Hispanic,” Guillermo
Diaz, Cisco

“We have to get our leaders to understand how this is good for the business – for our associates
to be engaged, for our customers to know we take this seriously – and that it’s good for the
marketplace. That’s why we’re doing this,” Janis Egelberg and Sheila Murphy, MetLife

“I repeat this in every meeting, and members smile because I say it all the time: I keep pushing
them to be business relevant, to move up the maturity curve,” Angel Mendez, Cisco
51
Attributes of Extraordinary Executive
Sponsors
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Passionate storytellers
“Hunger to leave things better than you found them”
Great listeners, willing to be vulnerable
“In my first meeting, I shared that I am not familiar yet with their challenges, and
asked to be taught.”
Diverse backgrounds
– Experience in different geographies and functional areas
True love of showcasing emerging talent
“I have identified a few folks who don’t show up on so many radar screens”
Motivated by energy of others
52
Success Factors and Real Challenges
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Knowing when to step back, when not to provide tactical support
“I had to be vigilant and push work back to the ERG leadership.”
Balance of direct oversight and letting development happen organically
– Don’t dominate the discussion
“Chapter leaders are all motivated by what they’re motivated by — we cannot be
prescriptive.”
Need for more mid-career, Gen X ERG leaders
Funding challenges
Negotiating multiple value propositions
“Helping our leaders balance chapter / local needs and activities with commonality
that can be achieved on the global level. Doing both well.”
Helping the group to “speak with one voice” when there is such diversity within the
diversity
53
Allies Are Essential
54
Allies are a key ingredient
An ally is any member of a ‘majority’ group who uses that position to further equality
for ‘non-majority’ populations.
Allies are a hotbed of potential just waiting to be tapped.

We are living in a time when non-LGBT-identified public figures in media, music and
business are proactively stepping forward to indicate their support of LGBT rights.

Just as LGBT employees have made great strides in creating more inclusive policies and
practices at the corporate level, allies have quietly — and not so quietly —been laboring as
well, bringing their influence as well as sweat equity to create organizational change.

How do we define an ally? In the LGBT community, an
ally is a heterosexual who publicly declares support for
and advocates on behalf of LGBT rights.
JBC recently released a white paper, Allies Come Out;
you can download a copy of the paper at
http://jenniferbrownconsulting.com/
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Allies Are Changing the Face of
Workplace Diversity and Inclusion
In 2012, JBC led a webinar to talk about our
ongoing investigation of this powerful resource,
as well as emerging best practices in both the
corporate and academic environments
 Highlight role of senior executive allies in
major corporations
 Take a look at where Allies can be utilized in
the future of the workplace
 Audience to gain a better understanding of
how to identify and leverage allies, in your
organization and community.
56
Diverse Talent: The Alcoa Advantage
The Alcoa Advantage is created and driven by the collective talent, focus and effort of our
employees working together as a high performance team, and is dependent upon a diverse,
inclusive environment for success—an environment that considers new ideas, embraces
change, respects the individual and fosters equal opportunity.
As part of our strategy to achieve an inclusive work environment, we currently have three
company-wide employee resource groups:
 African Heritage Network
 Alcoa Women's Network
 Employees at Alcoa for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Equality (EAGLE)
57
EAGLE: Active Network of LGBT and Ally
Employees
Mission:
To create a safe and affirming work environment where all employees are
empowered to reach their full human and career potential
Membership: All Alcoa employees may join EAGLE
Actions & Progress
Represents a large community:
 855 self-identifying LGBT employees in U.S. workforce
 Over 60% of Executive Council members are Allies
 70% of EAGLE members are Allies
Landmark Policy/Program Changes:
Inclusive EEO, Transgender Transition Guidelines, Benefits Parity, LGBT content in training materials, LGBT-specific
recruiting, Support for LGBT friendly public policy
58
Talking / Training
About Difference
59
Welcomed, Valued, Respected and
Heard

People want to feel welcomed, valued,
respected and heard in their various
capacities at work, but effectively and
consistently connecting to clients, staff,
members and colleagues can present
challenges.

When stakeholders in an organization feel
connected, that organization has access to
the discretionary effort that can propel it
forward in ways not currently accessible.

Organizational cultures improve when
individuals and leaders become self-aware
and develop an awareness of the similarities
and differences of others.
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Welcomed
Employees feel welcomed when managers and colleagues:
 Actively invite diverse perspectives
 Demonstrate curiosity
– Example #1:
I was asked about myself beyond my role and years at Cisco, OR
As a manager, I can ensure that I get to know people first before starting a task
– Example #2:
I can solicit the opinions of colleagues outside my department or line of business, to
broaden the depth of understanding
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Valued
Employees feel valued when managers and colleagues:
 Discuss the importance of different opinions
 Solicit and respond to input
– Example #1:
Others asked for my opinion and input because of my experience outside of Cisco , OR
As a manager, I can make a conscious effort to understand and leverage a person’s
breadth of experience, both inside and outside of Cisco
– Example #2:
I received acknowledgment and recognition from
my colleagues and manager on a job well done, OR
I can be the one to recognize the efforts of my
peers; I don’t need to wait for a manager to do it
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Respected
Employees feel respected when managers and colleagues:
 Show comfort in discussing difference
 Offer thoughtful and constructive feedback
– Example #1:
A colleague spoke up when they observed disrespectful behavior among others and
toward others
– Example #2:
I can consider people’s time zones when I schedule a meeting
– Example #3:
Regularly discuss interest in the impact of similarities and differences among people.
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Heard
Employees feel heard when managers and colleagues:
 Actively solicit their opinions
 Restate input and demonstrate an openness to clarification
– Example #1:
My manager is open to hearing ideas even if they
may be contrary to his or her opinion / Rather than
defending a position, I can openly listen to other’s
points of view
– Example #2:
My colleague acknowledged that s/he heard me before replying
– Example #3:
My manager follows up on perspectives and ideas and discusses their specific value and
usefulness to team outcomes.
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LGBT 3-Day Training Initiative
Three-day LGBT Leadership development program designed to strengthen the leadership
development and effectiveness of emerging LGBT leaders.




Develop and enrich leadership development of high-potential, emerging LGBT leaders
Provide leadership enrichment and development tools at a critical career juncture
Develop and facilitate networking and relationship building skills, critical for enhancing
visibility and influence
Expose participants to overall business, culture, and senior leaders
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Manager Feedback on Participants
“
Seeing other LGBT leaders boosted my
manager’s confidence, that she is just as
important as anyone else, and that being a
diverse leader, she can move in the
organization and the company supports
that.
“
”
“
She was absolutely energized by the
experience. My participant felt so
comfortable in the room with others in the
room. The experience opened her eyes to
how the company she works for actually
stands behind her.
”
He came back extremely enthused, and
couldn’t say enough about how valuable it
was as a leadership experience. We actually
had a new team member join our team, and
Tim stepped forward to mentor him without
being asked. This was a remarkable
transition for him, to take this step.
”
“
From a leader perspective, it’s critical that
we support the team member who
attended the conference. I think it’s really
easy to sit down with them when they
return, for lunch, for example, and then not
do anything with it.
”
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Participant Feedback
“
Brand messaging was most powerful for me;
I had many conversations with my manager
about how are we showing our brand. I have
a contagious energy level that has rubbed
off on others in my branch.
“
”
“
I reached out to my diversity council, and
got a group together to meet with a local
community ‘camp’ as a partner, and
investigated what a partnership might look
like between our organization and the camp.
I’m proud of myself that I grabbed the bull
by the horns; I would have not shown this
initiative before. I was so energized that
she couldn’t sleep that night.
”
I not only shared about the program, but
put myself much more ‘out there’; the
response has been very positive. So many
people have reached out to ask the ‘silly
questions’ they’ve hesitated to ask in the
past, and it has opened their eyes.
”
“
I loved discovery of how we’ve turned skills
we developed b/c of adversity (being keen
observers/listeners, for example) into a
positive. I have shared this widely, and it
has prompted professional and personal
conversations.
”
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Diversity Councils
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Diversity Councils




A 2011 SHRM workplace practices report indicated that just a little more than 1 in 10
organizations had staff dedicated exclusively to diversity
– 79% of the organizations had a CEO as a member of the DC
– 90% were funded
A funded DC with an CEO champion is more resourceful and credible in creating institutional
inclusionary change than individual diversity officers and managers can be
CEOs are often unaware that their involvement is critical for offering the DC authority and
legitimacy within the larger organization
Companies that have an integrated diversity strategy will find it easier to drive cultural
change through using a wide range of councils, including:
– Executive
– Supplier
– Global
– External, and
– Regional
– Business unit
Source: “How to Develop a Killer Diversity Council,” Diversity Officer Magazine, November 2011.
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Create a Powerful Diversity Council
Here are five movers and shakers you need to onboard to create a diversity council
powerhouse:
 CEO or President
 2-3 mid-level managers
 HR officer
 One employee who has expressed displeasure with D&I initiatives
 Cross-section of staff from each organization unit, demographic group
Source: “How to Develop a Killer Diversity Council,” Diversity Officer Magazine, November 2011.
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Rotate that Squeaky Wheel



Getting the most resistant voice among
employees at the tables is imperative for
developing a credible resource group
That indiv will know you are serious about
inclusion and will have legitimate critiques
that add value to decision-making
The risk?
– Eventually that person will become a
champion of the diversity initiative and
you will need to recruit another critic!
Source: “How to Develop a Killer Diversity Council,” Diversity Officer Magazine, November 2011.
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Diversity Councils
JBC client engagements with diversity councils have included:
 Strategizing with councils on Next Practice actions
 Increasing the efficacy of measurement and monitoring systems
 Developing specific actions to increase senior management and middle management
support and involvement
 Conducting research through focus groups and individual interviews to substantiate and
validate approaches based on climate, opinion or engagement surveys
 Providing executive coaching to senior leaders, HR or CDOs on increasing council and
network group effectiveness
 Conflict management interventions to resolve organization wide or specific diversity related
disputes
 Developing strategies to transition to a global diversity
council or employee network group
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Insights into Action:
One thing that became clearer for me today was….
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Next Steps
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