Check out Maddie Grant's Summary Post on this week's Association Chat
Diversity in associations is not easy!
by MADDIE GRANT
on SEPTEMBER 10, 2010 Last Tuesday’s Association Chat was on the thorny topic of diversity, following on from issues raised after #ASAE10 and our Sweetspot webcast from last week with DELP scholar Stefanie Reeves. An awesome thought leader on diversity and inclusion, Joe Gerstandt, joined the chat (as did Jamie Notter, who has a diversity background) and we had a really thought-provoking discussion.
The moderator questions were:
(Q1) What explains diversity and inclusion initiatives in organizations?
(Q2) How can we define diversity and inclusion?
(Q3) How might we launch sustainable diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the association community?
(Q4) How can associations recognize if they are doing a satisfactory job of supporting diversity and diversity initiatives?
(Q5) Thinking on messages from orgs & supporting diversity…how should we comm. to mems, how is messaging affected?
(Q6) How does an org get started when they want to support diversity? Tips! ?
(Q7) What can we do today to help support diversity in associations? What is one thing we can all do differently?
After the chat, Joe Gerstandt posted about it on his blog – and talked about how confusing the conversation was.
I just finished an online conversation about diversity and inclusion that was all over the place. Conversations about diversity and inclusion generally are all over the place, because it is a really big, dynamic, and complex set of issues that we are talking about. The conversation ended, as it commonly does, by focusing on “what to do” …and that part tends to be really all over the place. Some people want to focus on metrics, some people want to focus on strategy, some people want formal statements, some people want to focus on the board…etc., etc., etc.
Those things are all, potentially, part of the solution, but they are just a few of the tools that can be used to deliver results.
That’s just the beginning of his post – the rest is the important part.
Before you read it, though, I thought I would post pretty much in its entirety the Association Chat conversation so you can see what we were all trying to figure out. We actually noted during the conversation how hard it was to talk about diversity issues! This is pretty long and not necessarily very easy to read, but just skim through to get the gist of all the issues that came up.
Please share your thoughts on the topic either here or over at Joe’s post. Oh and just FYI, he’s be speaking at Great Ideas in March… we can pick his brains then!
| 6:06 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} Hi all! Let’s get started. We’re talking about diversity today… #assnchat |
| 6:07 pm | BillWalker7: | On #assnchat … excited about today’s topic: diversity in associations #assnchat |
| 6:07 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} (Q1) What explains diversity and inclusion initiatives in organizations? #assnchat |
| 6:07 pm | LindaChreno: | I am here – lurking #assnchat |
| 6:08 pm | toniraebrotons: | Hope EPetersonSHRM will participate today! #assnchat |
| 6:08 pm | ElizabethB: | RT @RvanHilst: Here but lurking. #assnchat – same here… |
| 6:09 pm | kgilnack: | RT @kikilitalien: {Moderator} Hi all! Let’s get started. We’re talking about diversity today… #assnchat |
| 6:09 pm | sepler: | #assnchat |
| 6:10 pm | joegerstandt: | hola #assnchat thanks for the invite! |
| 6:10 pm | sepler: | The need 2 reflect the larger community & the solid research suggesting diversity promotes innovation, creativity & engagement #assnchat |
| 6:10 pm | ltwhite: | first, what do we mean by diversity? Most focus on race/national origin or gender. I think it goes way beyond that #assnchat |
| 6:11 pm | kikilitalien: | @joegerstandt Thank you for joining! It is an honor and a pleasure! #assnchat |
| 6:12 pm | kikilitalien: | @ltwhite this is a good question…let’s define what we need to talk about today! #assnchat |
| 6:12 pm | DarthGarry: | What about Age Diversity too? #Assnchat |
| 6:12 pm | sjreeves: | For my organization, it’s a reflection of the world around us and the populations our members serve. #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | maddiegrant: | oooh @joegerstandt is on #assnchat right now talking diversity. Must Join! #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} (Q2) How can we define diversity and inclusion? #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | joegerstandt: | I think that before you can define initiatives/efforts you need to clarify basic language…diversity needs to be clearly defined. #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | sepler: | @twhite agreed. Big D=protected class. More significant little D=style, learning type,social class, generation, etc. #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | joegerstandt: | everyone is using the same word, but talking about something different #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | maggielmcg: | RT @kikilitalien: (Q1) Unfortunately I think there’s a lot of lip service about diversity but not much action in the assn world #assnchat |
| 6:13 pm | ElizabethB: | RT @sepler: Need 2 reflect larger community & the solid research suggesting diversity promotes innovation, creativity & engagement #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | joegerstandt: | initiatives end up being logically flawed because there is no foundation in place #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | kikilitalien: | RT @sepler: @twhite agreed. Big D=protected class. More significant little D=style, learning type,social class, generation, etc. #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | NathanVictoria: | Q2. We had this conversation in the Diversity Committee @ #asae10. Assns tend to focus on historically disenfranchised pops. #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | mgusek555: | RT @joegerstandt: everyone is using the same word, but talking about something different #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | BillWalker7: | The point of diversity is to have a broad range of ideas & inputs. “Looking” diverse is a starting point, but certainly not an end #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | johnricco: | Q1. Our landscape. I read somewhere that 6 of the 8 major metropolitan areas of the U.S. are “minority majority” #assnchat |
| 6:14 pm | NathanVictoria: | It isn’t bad to focus on specific populations. Just be clear who you are serving. #assnchat |
| 6:15 pm | kikilitalien: | @NathanVictoria What did the Diversity Committee come up with for diversity’s definition? #assnchat |
| 6:15 pm | joegerstandt: | I define diversity as meaning difference, inclusion as being the capacity to include difference… #assnchat |
| 6:15 pm | joegerstandt: | but organizations/associations need definitions that make sense to them and are clear…so that employees stakeholders understand #assnchat |
| 6:15 pm | maddiegrant: | I think the word “diversity” turns people off too, like that is someone else’s problem. Relegated to committees. #assnchat |
| 6:15 pm | sepler: | Q2 Efforts 2 ensure that participants R able 2 B themselves & each persons identity & attributes appreciated, respected, leveraged #assnchat |
| 6:17 pm | NathanVictoria: | @kikilitalien Still working on it. =). Though, established it is unique for each person and that it can change on context. #assnchat |
| 6:18 pm | joegerstandt: | I dont care if it turns people off, it is a big, beautiful, powerful word…we need to take it back. #assnchat |
| 6:18 pm | tammytilley: | Is the translation of diversity local? What it means for our group may not be what it means for yours? #assnchat |
| 6:19 pm | kikilitalien: | RT @joegerstandt: I define diversity as meaning difference, inclusion as being the capacity to include difference… #assnchat |
| 6:19 pm | sepler: | @maddiegrant unfortunately correct. Has been relegated to project status 2 often. Must be strategic and integrated #assnchat |
| 6:19 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} Let’s use @joegerstandt‘s def:diversity as meaning difference, inclusion as being the capacity to incl. difference… #assnchat |
| 6:19 pm | jamienotter: | RT @joegerstandt: I dont care if it turns people off, it is a big, beautiful, powerful word…we need to take it back. <word> #assnchat |
| 6:20 pm | joegerstandt: | a big part of the problem is that we focus on having the right intentions…we focus on not doing “bad things”… #assnchat |
| 6:20 pm | BillWalker7: | I think it’s less valuable to get caught up in the word. More powerful to decipher how it applies to ur assn & what THAT means. #assnchat |
| 6:20 pm | joegerstandt: | having the right intentions is not enough, inclusion is activist…all social groups are conformist and exclusionary by nature…#assnchat |
| 6:20 pm | johnricco: | 2009 Calif. study. The diversity of nonprofit staff mirrors the racial-ethnic diversity of Califs. pop.http://bit.ly/dayCrQ#assnchat |
| 6:21 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} (Q3) How might we launch sustainable diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the association community? #assnchat |
| 6:21 pm | joegerstandt: | we have to be actively pushing back on those tendencies and looking for evidence of success- relentlessly #assnchat intentions are overrated |
| 6:22 pm | sepler: | @tammytilley associations=network of ppl with common agenda/purpose. Diversity is the differences, not similarities amongst them #assnchat |
| 6:23 pm | NathanVictoria: | Q3 We have “minority” fellows for undergrads which diversifies the pool early on. Similar to ASAE’s DELP http://bit.ly/9OCSA6 #assnchat |
| 6:23 pm | kikilitalien: | @joegerstandt What might “evidence of success” look like? #assnchat |
| 6:23 pm | NathanVictoria: | @sepler @tammytilley But if the assn isn’t diverse, may turn away newbies. If don’t see yourself reflected, you leave. #assnchat |
| 6:24 pm | sepler: | @joegerstandt agree completely, action must be integrated across all parts of the strategy –not relegated or ghettoized. #assnchat |
| 6:24 pm | rootwork: | I think “diversity” as a goal for simply “different voices” misses the real point – cf. Tim Wisehttp://bit.ly/aOSvLY#assnchat |
| 6:25 pm | sepler: | @NathanVictoria good point, need to highlight the diversity that IS there and how its valued. Cant be Noahs Ark #assnchat |
| 6:25 pm | rootwork: | It’s not just about “including” different people, but compensating for those historically un-included and disempowered #assnchat |
| 6:25 pm | joegerstandt: | @kikilitalien depends on what you are doing and why #assnchat for example, cognitive diversity is very powerful, yet poorly understood… |
| 6:26 pm | tammytilley: | @sepler Right. *Translation* of what that means looks different for everyone tho. #assnchat |
| 6:27 pm | joegerstandt: | the evidence depends on what kind of difference you are talking about, and what you are doing to benefit from it #assnchat |
| 6:27 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} How can associations recognize if they are doing a satisfactory job of supporting diversity and diversity initiatives? #assnchat |
| 6:28 pm | BillWalker7: | Q3 – “sustainable diversity” is part of an org’s culture. that usually starts with the board. they could form mentor relations… #assnchat |
| 6:28 pm | sepler: | @rootwork think ur confusing aff acc, w/is compensatory w/ diversity w/is strategic. Don’t disagree with purpose of AA. #assnchat |
| 6:28 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} Sorry, that would be (Q4)…satisfactory job of supporting diversity and diversity initiatives? #assnchat |
| 6:29 pm | rootwork: | @sepler But if the goal of diversity in assns is to better represent constituency, then that is (usually) a compensatory process #assnchat |
| 6:29 pm | unhatched: | @kikilitalien if your mem base is 80% VP of Mktg peeps and you aren’t a marketing assn, it’s time to diversify #assnchat |
| 6:30 pm | rootwork: | Q4 – If yr trying to better represent different communities, then yr level of accountability to them is a good measure of success #assnchat |
| 6:31 pm | NathanVictoria: | Q4 Need to have goals set up because diversity is strategic initiative. Higher #s? More inclusive meetings? Different audiences? #assnchat |
| 6:31 pm | kikilitalien: | @unhatched Yes, good point! |
| 6:31 pm | sepler: | Q4 If inclusion initiatives are strategic must have metrics to measure. Will vary by desired strategic outcomes #assnchat |
| 6:31 pm | BillWalker7: | Q3 – another way to encourage sustainable diversity is to create listening venues. #assnchat |
| 6:32 pm | kikilitalien: | @BillWalker7 Ooh, please elaborate… #assnchat |
| 6:32 pm | BillWalker7: | diversity often starts w/being heard, then being included, then being the leader. it’s a process. not instant. #assnchat |
| 6:32 pm | sepler: | @NathanVictoria brilliant minds….#assnchat |
| 6:33 pm | christytj: | The same message won’t necessarily work for different audiences, whether print, email or web. What works for the audience you want #assnchat |
| 6:33 pm | kikilitalien: | That’s what I was thinking! I almost RT both posts and short-circuited! RT @sepler: @NathanVictoriabrilliant minds….#assnchat #assnchat |
| 6:34 pm | janellepeters: | RT @christytj: The same message won’t necessarily work for different audiences, whether print, email or web. What works for the audience you want #assnchat |
| 6:34 pm | sepler: | @BillWalker7 the listening had better happen before you formulate a strategy!!! #assnchat |
| 6:35 pm | DarthGarry: | #AssnChat – How do associations know that they need to support diversity? If no one calls them out on it… |
| 6:35 pm | BillWalker7: | listening is part of the strategy! #assnchat |
| 6:35 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} (Q5) Thinking on messages from orgs & supporting diversity…how should we comm. to mems, how is messaging affected? #assnchat |
| 6:36 pm | kikilitalien: | RT @DarthGarry: #AssnChat – How do associations know that they need to support diversity? If no one calls them out on it… #assnchat |
| 6:37 pm | NathanVictoria: | @DarthGarry That’s the problem. Preaching to the choir…if you will. #assnchat |
| 6:38 pm | kikilitalien: | @DarthGarry That’s an excellent question. If associations have no clue…how will they ever know there’s a problem? #assnchat |
| 6:39 pm | maggielmcg: | Whoops–sorry #assnchat peeps–got pulled away on something… |
| 6:39 pm | sepler: | @BillWalker7 perhaps parsing semantics. Assessment–>deep understanding—> strategy. Think we agree. #assnchat |
| 6:40 pm | christytj: | ASAE had some great articles about the need for diversity in associations, and I remember another one in the Washington Post. #assnchat |
| 6:40 pm | kikilitalien: | {Moderator} Association Forum of Chicagoland has this page on Diversity: http://bit.ly/cdGBA8#assnchat |
| 6:41 pm | kikilitalien: | @NathanVictoria What are the top 3 issues the Diversity Committee at ASAE is facing? Maybe our chat can help… #assnchat |
| 6:42 pm | sepler: | @kikilitalien monitoring who u retain & engage & whether ths matches customer/constituency=good biz. Get feedback from users #assnchat |
| 6:42 pm | sjreeves: | Messaging should explain how diversity and inclusion benefits assn members, leaders and staff. #assnchat |
| 6:42 pm | maddiegrant: | How about requiring that all boards and committees commit to diversity in terms of appointments? #assnchat |
| 6:42 pm | jamienotter: | How do they know? Back to Joe’s comment: All groups by nature are exclusionary. Of COURSE we have diversity to work on. #assnchat |
| 6:43 pm | ltwhite: | @kikilitalien&n |
