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Building Sustainable Diversity – Delineating Form and Substance

Building Sustainable Diversity – Delineating Form and Substance. President’s Retreat Minnesota State University, Mankato August 14, 2012 Robert A. Colbert. Benefits Of Diversity and Inclusion. Ability to relate to larger population

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Building Sustainable Diversity – Delineating Form and Substance

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  1. Building Sustainable Diversity – Delineating Form and Substance President’s Retreat Minnesota State University, Mankato August 14, 2012 Robert A. Colbert

  2. Benefits Of Diversity and Inclusion • Ability to relate to larger population • Increased working relationships and communications among group • More contributors and participation to enrich perspectives • Greater talent pool from which to choose • Better reflection of community served

  3. Moving Toward Sustainable Diversity Paraphrased – “Usually when someone believes in a particular system, ideology or religion, their attitude becomes more and more a sharp angle pointing away from themselves. In our way, the point of the angle is always toward ourselves.” ShunryuSuzuki

  4. Outline – Building Sustainable Diversity • Benefits of Diversity and Inclusion • Questions to Ponder • Redefining Diversity • Hurdles to Diversity and Inclusion • How Does Change and Variation Affect Us? • Human Struggles with Change • Differentiating Form and Substance • Human Nature – Labels and Judgments • A Deeper Look: Who’s Making the Mistake • Enriching the Diversity Discussion – Assessing Goals • Examples of Simple Diversity Steps • Diversity Take-Aways and Concluding Comments

  5. Questions to Ponder From where does inhumanity toward one another primarily stem – human wickedness or weakness? Would an end to racism, sexism, or xenophobia end our inhumanity toward one another?

  6. Redefining Diversity • Diversity = Change • Things differ; they are not the same • Life is Change, Growth is Optional • Karen Kaiser Clark • Diversity is change, progress is optional!

  7. Diversity & InclusionHurdles Exclusion and Intolerance Ignorance and Indifference Challenges of Power Dynamics and Pressures Distress with Change and Variation

  8. How Does Change and Variation Affect Us? Human Perceptions and Interpretations Diversity – Things differ; things are not the same; things change

  9. Human Struggles with Change Large-eared Human (with tail) Pressures Limited Time and Resources Anxieties and Insecurities Vulnerabilities ever-present in the workplace

  10. Opening Exercise - Differences Question 1: Think of one quality that makes you unique from everyone else. How has it helped you in your profession or social life? Question 2: • Think of one unique quality or personality traitthat you admire about someone in the room. What makes this quality or trait so admirable? Question 3: • Think of a circumstance or situation in which you felt separated from co-workers or friends?  What caused this feeling? What does it rekindle now?

  11. Differentiating Form and Substance • Form – external (appearance, quantifiable characteristics) • Identifiers – race, gender, sexuality, nationality, culture, age, size, religion, political affiliation, class • Substance – internal (essential nature, qualifiable characteristics) • Impressions – values, inspiration, character, compassion, convictions, disposition, experience, talents • True diversity incorporates form and substance

  12. Complementary Polarities Substance Form

  13. Along the Continuum Concrete Abstract Form Substance

  14. The Challenge: Appreciating Substance

  15. Complementary Polarities Symbol of Yin and Yang Substance Form Substance Form “Both and” versus “Either or”

  16. Along the Continuum Form Substance Labels Judgments

  17. Human Nature – Labels and Judgments • Humans apply labels (form; quantifiable characteristics) • Neutral • Humans apply judgments to labels (substance; qualifiable characteristics) • Non-neutral • Biased

  18. Along the Continuum Form Substance Labels Judgments Relationships Perceptions

  19. Labels and Judgments:Relationships and Perceptions

  20. Human Nature – Labels and Judgments • Humans apply labels (form; quantifiable characteristics) • Neutral • Humans apply judgments to labels (substance; qualifiable characteristics) • Non-neutral • Biased • Judgments become detrimental when human dignity and virtue are doubted (i.e., “better/less worthy than”; “more/less righteous than”) • Polarizing • Establishes insiders and outsiders

  21. Labels and Judgments – (Excerpt from 2010 Freakonomics Documentary)

  22. Things that Bother You When Driving or Traveling in a Car

  23. Things that Bother You When Driving or Traveling in a Car • Driver makes turn without using turn signal • Driver moves into your lane without using turn signal • Driver weaves in and of traffic lanes • Driver is unaware that turn signal is active • Driver stays in passing lane but moves more slowly than surrounding traffic • Driver tailgates too closely • Driver does not notice when traffic light turns green • Driver appears distracted in car (e.g., cell phone use) • Driver stops first at 4-way sign, but waits for others to proceed thru intersection

  24. Who’s Making the Driving “Mistake”? • Driver is unaware that turn signal has been active for blocks • Driver: helpful neighbor • Driver is in passing lane but moving more slowly than surrounding traffic • Driver: reclusive community member • Driver does not notice right away that traffic light has turned green • Driver: person who appears of foreign descent

  25. Enriching the Diversity Discussion – Quantifiable and Qualifiable Goals • Quantifiable goals and expectations (form): • What outputs do you anticipate? • Increase of historically disadvantaged groups • Qualifiable goals and expectations (substance): • What outcomes do we anticipate? • Increase of human values inherent in diversity and inclusion

  26. Diversity – Outcomes Sought

  27. Balancing Diversity Goals and Outcomes

  28. Building Sustainable Diversity –Examples of Simple Steps • Periodic recognition and rewards to those who champion diversity and inclusion within the organization (risk sharing) • Regular communication of benefits to the organization from implemented diversity and inclusion steps • Regular sharing of testimonials that celebrate personal benefits from diverse relationships and cross-cultural experiences within the organization

  29. Sustaining Diversity & Inclusion Take-Aways More forms bring difference; but, they do not necessarily expand meaningful diversity. We cannot be satisfied with form as the outcome. To cultivate diversity, we must dig deeper, … aligning form and substance.

  30. We must acknowledge the human condition. By understanding our shared limitations, we gain compassion and appreciation for others. • We must minimize our human tendency to accept or reject others based on labels and judgments. • We must create and use tools that safeguard our ability to take risks with others: reaching beyond the familiar to embrace change and variation. Concluding Points

  31. End of Presentation

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