The Business Case For Diversity and Inclusion

1. Why Should Anglo Males Champion Diversity and Inclusion? The Business Case For Diversity and Inclusion Tim Destri- Senior Forecaster/Meteorologist NWS-WFO New Orleans/Baton Rouge, LA Appreciation to the VA for allowing me to use information from “THE BUSINESS CASE FOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION”

2. Is NOAA Diverse? NOAA SES (124 people): 79% male 21% female • 90% White (88% male, 23% female) • 4% Black • 4% Asian Pacific Islander • 4% Disabilities • 2.4% Hispanic • 0% Alaskan Native • 0% American Indian Data from Charly Wells at NWS Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management.

3. Is NOAA Diverse? NOAA All Employees (12,229 people) 87% White 6% Black 3.5% Asian Pacific Islander 3% Hispanic 1% American Indian • 1% Alaskan Native Data from Charly Wells at NWS Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management.

4. Why DIVERSITY & INCLUSION? We know there is a legal imperative, but is there a… Business Imperative Does workforce diversity have a quantifiable effect on business/performance outcomes? Economic Imperative Is there a financial/economic benefit to workforce diversity? Human Imperative What is the human cost? How does organizational culture impact one’s contributions to the mission? What does the research show?

5. THE BUSINESS IMPERATIVE What does the research show? Diversity Research Network Workforce diversity is positively associated with higher business performance outcome measures. Racial diversity is positively associated with higher performance in organizations that integrate and leverage diverse perspectives as resources for product delivery. Gender diversity is positively associated with more effective group processes and performance in organizations with people-orientedperformance cultures. The Effects of Diversity on Business Performance: Report of the Diversity Research Network, October 2002.

6. THE BUSINESS IMPERATIVE What does the research show? Center for Creative Leadership Diverse teams are more creative and perform better in problem solving than homogeneous teams. Diversity in workforce and processes results in better decision-making. The effects of diversity are highly dependent on the presence of facilitating or inhibiting conditions in the organization Absent facilitating conditions, the aforementioned outcomes are reversed. Marian N. Ruderman et al. (eds.). Selected Research on Work Team Diversity. 1994.

7. THE BUSINESS IMPERATIVE “When you are surrounded by sameness, you get only variations on the same.” Kevin Sullivan - VP of HR of Apple Computers Conclusion Diversity enhances performance but requires facilitation.

8. THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE What does the research show? The Conference Board Racial and gender diversity are positively associated with higher establishment productivity, product quality, and economic benefits. Linda Barrington and Kenneth R. Troske. Workforce Diversity and Productivity: An Analysis of Employer-Employee Matched Data. April 18, 2001 National Urban League Diverse companies generated 18% higher productivity than the U.S. economy overall. National Urban League. Diversity Practices That Work: The American Worker Speaks, 2004

9. THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE What does the research show? Wall Street Journal Workforce diversity reflecting consumer/market diversity results in: New product development Consumer confidence Increased product/service marketability Carol Hymowitz. “The New Diversity,” Wall Street Journal, November 14, 2005.

10. THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE The Flip Side… UNCBusinessSchool Workplace conflict results in 22-53% lost productivity. EEOC 25-40% of workforce attrition rate and 5-20% in lost productivity can be attributed to poor diversity management. Turnover costs 75-150% of the replaced employee’s salary. Average EEO complaint costs approximately $60,000 (administrative process) up to $250,000 (including settlement/damages).

11. THE ECONOMIC IMPERATIVE Conclusion Diversity requires investment, but the return on investment outweighs the cost.

12. THE HUMAN IMPERATIVE What does the research show? Gallup Survey Employee engagement is a valid predictor of organizational performance. Diverse workplaces with culturally competent workforces have the highest employee engagement. Gallup Organization. Q12 Employee Engagement Survey, performed in the Food and Drug Administration, February 2005 Sirota Survey Key motivators for employees are equity, achievement, and camaraderie. David Sirota et al. The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Employees What They Want, 2005. .

13. THE HUMAN IMPERATIVE Conclusion Empirical data show a quantifiable link between diversity and employee engagement and performance outcomes.

14. THE HUMAN IMPERATIVE Observations By 2042 there will be no single majority demographic. Non-Caucasians will comprise more than 50% of the U.S. population. The majority of new entrants into the labor market will globally diverse. Our labor market, like our economy is irreversibly global. 46% of employees who experienced intolerance/discrimination indicated they would remain with the organization.* 71% of employees who had not experienced intolerance/discrimination indicated they would remain with the organization.* * The Gallup Organization. Employee Discrimination in the Workplace, Public Opinion Poll. December 8, 2005.

15. BEYOND THE EEO STIGMA AND TRADITIONAL DIVERSITY Pioneering Diversity Traditional Diversity Cognitive Diversity Identity/Physical Diversity • gender • ethnicity/race • sexual orientation • age • education • culture • experiences • personality • Purposive Diversity goals and values From Jeffrey Cupo “Diversity Beyond Diversity” Defining diversity solely as race and gender can have a detrimental effect; inclusion and multidimensionality are essential in defining diversity in order to gain acceptance. Stella M. Nkomo. “Identities and the Complexities of Diversity,” in Susan Jackson and Marian Ruderman (eds.), Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace, 1999

16. TAKE-AWAYS What does this mean for the NOAA/NWS? Diversity and inclusion in the workplace enhance performance and productivity; they are business, economic, and human imperatives. Diversity should be broadly defined, including but not limited to legally protected groups. Diversity and inclusion strategies must be strategicallyaligned with business goals. Diversity management strategies must be complemented with inclusion strategies and effective conflict management. Intolerance to diversity breeds costly results; agencies must first guarantee equity in the workplace before diversity can thrive.

17. EMBRACE AND PROMOTE THE BENEFITS DIVERSITY We must continually strive to make the NWS a truly diverse agency. We must draw fully on the vast talent and experience of our workforce. Empowering the employees of the NWS will allow them to guide and advance the mission of the NWS and meet the needs of our diverse customers.

18. WFO LIX, LMRFC Many diverse groups are represented above the NOAA average (?) Huge range of personality types, age, birth location, colleges Service area diversity (WFO)– two urban centers, suburban, inland vs. water, high dry ground/swamp, rural, MS/LA, large black population, Cajun, Creole RFC – much larger service area Office “throwdowns” conducted with diverse themed foods Outreach/tours for diverse groups Discussion/input (help)

19. TIM DESTRI and other ANGLO MALES AS DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS Personal relationships with staff, partners, customers Embrace and encourage positive energy, teamwork Respect, recognition of exceptional performance, encouragement Outreach Non-discriminating Discussion/input (help) THANK YOU