Editor’s note: Veteran entrepreneur and investor Donald Thompson writes a weekly column about management and leadership as well as diversity and other important issues for WRAL TechWire. His columns are published on Wednesdays.
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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – When I talk to executives and board members, I routinely get asked the same question: should I hire a chief diversity officer (CDO)? Almost universally, my answer is a resounding “No!”
At first glance, this response may seem counterintuitive, especially for someone who has built a technology-enabled products company to scale diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for clients of all sizes. But, let me explain.
Donald Thompson
If I am discussing DEI initiatives with a CEO or C-suite leader, I always pepper the conversation with questions. I need to know what the organization wants to accomplish. Just like a road trip (in the days before GPS), I can’t help you on your journey if I don’t know where you have already gone and the best path we can chart to your destination.
Recently, an executive seemed upset as we dug deeper into their company’s DEI programming. They had set up an Employee Resource Group (ERG) and sent a group of women managers to a leadership retreat. They thought the next logical step was hiring a CDO. They even put together a hiring committee to work through the job description.
I immediately hit the brakes, despite their shock. Then, I asked a few simple questions:
– Has anyone on the hiring committee ever led DEI at your organization?
– Is there anyone guiding this process who has run a P&L center?
– Have you created a DEI infrastructure so your CDO isn’t a department of one?
In each case the answer was “no.”
DEI IS NOT DIY
Have you ever had huge expectations for a DIY project, gone to the hardware store, purchased a bunch of tools and equipment, and gotten it all set up to later realize that you were in too deep? Sure, it looked easy on the home remodel show on television, but in the real world, our DIY projects often leave us frustrated or demoralized. We’re not experts, despite our natural inclination and optimism.
Sometimes, you are not supposed to do the important things yourself. In these moments, the critical decision is to find someone to help you.
This is related to what I wrote last week about strategically building your personal network, so you can reach out to experts for advice. If you have that network created, then use it to find the necessary specialist. A 15-minute conversation can help you avoid that DIY fatigue you get when your expectation outpaces your experience, regardless of the effort you exert.
EFFORT AND EXPECTATION
Let’s be honest, people are given bad (or incomplete) information all the time. In an environment where everyone is desperate to prove their expertise (and social media has given anyone who wants it a platform for carnival-barking), the leadership challenge is making the right decision about where to get help and how to turn it into a viable program.
Here’s what I learned in my conversation about hiring a diversity leader with the executive who asked for my counsel – a bit of advice other CEOs and C-suite leaders can apply right away – hard work does not pay off if the effort is derived from a weak foundation. All that happens in these instances is that the hard work leads to high anxiety and frustration – and eventually giving up altogether.
We see the alternative on athletic fields and in the best run companies: you need coaching that helps you learn how to practice better. I could advise that C-suite exec to not hire a CDO, because I have worked with hundreds of clients and talked to other leaders all over the world about DEI implementation. You don’t want to hire a CDO with no infrastructure for winning – I have seen that story over and over again. How can you expect success when you can’t even get your leadership team to sit through a one-hour DEI course?
Following bad advice – and therefore starting off on a shaky foundation – is most likely going to result in an immense amount of frustration and anxiety, precisely when employees are running from organizations who are not viewed as progressive in building workplace excellence.
THE OREO COOKIE DIET
If you type “Oreo diet” into Google, you’re going to get tens of millions of results (my search yielded 15.1 million). Given that figure, you might convince people that eating Oreos will lead to weight loss, but the fine print is always going to center on living a healthy lifestyle and exercising.
When I typed “diversity, equity and inclusion” into the search engine, I got 715 million results. That’s a lot of content to get through if you’re on a DEI journey, but rest assured, you’re going to find a lot of so-called experts pointing you in many different directions. If the expert is a dollars-for-hours consultant or trainer, then where is their accountability?
Here’s the big picture. Our tendency is to attempt to work harder, even if we don’t know if what we’re doing is the right thing or not. And, just as challenging, if we don’t get positive results, we lose steam and let fatigue take over. This is the death knell for so many organizational initiatives that come in and out of favor like the latest teen fashions…or fad diets.
There is no magic answer when it comes to DEI initiatives, just like eating a steady diet of Oreo cookies isn’t going to miraculously lead to a healthier you.
SO, NOW WHAT?
The truth is that trying something new and uncomfortable is the right thing to do, even if as a C-suite leader you happen to find it perturbing. Culture change is difficult, but the clock is ticking. Personally, I think you have less than five years to get your culture to a place where it’s excellent, or you are going to lose out to the competition (and its leaders) who understand that inclusive leadership is what will separate the winners from losers as younger leaders (and generations) move into critical roles.
As a reader, you look to this column for actionable strategies and tactics, so I am going to level with you: there is no magic potion when it comes to culture change. DEI programming is wrapped up in a lot of hard work and many uncomfortable conversations. Some organizations do need a CDO. They have put in the foundational work and are ready to take the next step toward greatness. Others need to begin the journey with the leadership team authentically leading the charge. In many cases, I tell execs that everyone in your company needs to start by reading The Inclusive Language Handbook by Jackie Ferguson and Roxanne Bellamy. Of course, the book is not the only source of information out there, but inclusive language is an essential part of the process, so a great place to begin.
Some aspects of business leadership are simply not effort based. You cannot give yourself an “A” for effort on DEI and workplace culture if you’re doing it mostly (or completely) wrong.
So, rather than worrying about whether you need to hire a high-flying CDO, find a DEI partner that will help you build the foundation necessary for winning. As an executive, that’s my focus – how do I win, how do I make better decisions, how do I help my people have a better career (and life)? A partnership is based on both sides having the same strategic direction and accountability for ensuring that the program works, then measuring the analytics that follow.
Everyone needs a coach, from Tom Brady and Scottie Scheffler to the board chair and executive team. Culture change and workplace excellence are too important – and difficult – to do on your own. You’re not going to mandate culture change.
As a C-suite leader, you expect results based on effort, but are you sure you’re even doing the right things? You want to get to the next level and you’re willing to put in the hard work to get there, but that slim line between good and great is much thicker than it seems. Find the partner that will work with you collaboratively to create a blueprint and roadmap for success.
About the Author
Donald Thompson is CEO and co-founder of The Diversity Movement. He has extensive experience as an executive leader and board member, including digital marketing agency WalkWest. Donald is a thought leader on goal achievement, culture change and driving exponential growth. An entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author, podcaster, Certified Diversity Executive (CDE) and executive coach, he also serves as a board member for organizations in marketing, healthcare, banking, technology and sports. The Diversity Movement has created an employee-experience product suite that personalizes diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) through data, technology, and expert-curated content. The microlearning platform, “Microvideos by The Diversity Movement,” was recently named one of Fast Company’s “2022 World Changing Ideas.” DEI Navigator is a “chief diversity officer in a box” subscription service that provides small- and mid-sized businesses with the tools, advising and content that leads to action and results. His leadership memoir, Underestimated: A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success, is available wherever books are sold. Connect or follow him on Linkedin to learn more.
