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postsSwedish Diversity Consortium
Last week, I attended roundtable meeting in Stockholm, comprised of diversity leaders from major companies across Sweden. I led a discussion on the link between Diversity, Leadership and Innovation and in turn, what companies can do to create forward-thinking diversity initiatives.
We had a very rich discussion around these issues. Here are just a few key learnings:
In a Swedish context, “Gender Equality” and “Diversity” can be two very different discussions, and in turn two different movements within an organization.
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Gender Equality looks to diminish the power difference between men and women – and create a more equitable society and business culture for all. Typically, in the Nordic region, a “diversity initiative” (as an American might reference) would start with a focus on Gender.
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Diversity, on the other hand, often refers to race, ethnicity and nationality differences. These would often be addressed as a second step in Swedish corporate “diversity” initiatives.
Additional diversity dimensions, such as age, sexual orientation, etc. have been more widely addressed in the public sector (with many inclusive laws both nationally in Sweden and across the EU), but they have not been explored as deeply in the Swedish private sector.
Secondly, the concept of public recognition is often culturally bound. In a US context, calling out differences is often a celebrated act, and instrumental in career development; differentiating yourself from competitors is key to success. On the other hand, in a Swedish context, calling oneself out as different is not as culturally appropriate. Swedish culture encourages people to remain similar to others, and not “hog the spotlight” (so to speak). This is closely linked to the Swedish word “Lagom” – meaning “Just Enough” or “Just the Right Amount.” This sentiment is seen in concrete ways, such as decoration (think about the last time you were in IKEA; rooms are decorated well and with “just the right amount” of accessories); a dinner (it would traditionally be inappropriate to have an excessive amount of food – you should have just the right amount); or even the amount you work and the recognition you receive from your work (work just enough – not 24/7; and receive an appropriate amount of recognition). Excess in each of these contexts would create imbalance.
Therefore, when rolling out diversity initiatives and praising work, external rankings for diversity initiatives, internal recognition and awards can often have a US flavor. It is true that people like to be praised for a job well done, but be careful as to how public this praise might be – cultural context can affect this.
Stay tuned for more insights into European Diversity from JBC!
David Megathlin, Senior Director of Research for JBC
Translation – Key to Geographic Success
In order for diversity initiatives to be successful, their impact needs to be adeptly articulated, whether across the globe or in your own backyard. We have seen that diversity initiatives have greatly advanced societies, workplaces, and businesses. These impacts need to be appropriately translated both within businesses and across geographies.
JBC’s work always has “translation” in mind – translating successful diversity initiatives to local markets.
Take Diversity in Europe, for example. In Europe, cultures change when moving kilometers in one direction, and with that, languages, laws, customs and ways of doing business change as well. Therefore, developing national and European-wide diversity initiatives that address the needs of all employees can be a challenge, but translation to these different cultural contexts is vital for initiative success.
Additionally, much of the diversity work in US corporations has been developed from the “ground up” – fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, looking to change the status quo and provide meritocratic opportunities for all employees. In contrast, Europe (and we speak broadly, across the continent) has not had the same type of entrepreneurial approach – although this is slowly changing. JBC works to effectively develop and implement diversity initiatives in a way that makes sense for the all business communities.
David Megathlin, Senior Director of Research for JBC reports from Europe
New blogger: David Megathlin
The arrival of 2010 has brought many changes at JBC. Our company is expanding at an exponential rate. Not only are we taking on new clients and tackling new industries, we have also increased our expertise and thought leadership.
Let me introduce myself. I am David Megathlin, and I lead the research work at JBC. I also help to translate JBC’s extensive diversity and leadership expertise to other contexts and cultures.
Through recent meetings and conversations with diversity leaders in Europe, I have gleaned many insights on European approaches to diversity. Please join me as I share diversity and global business insights from a European perspective on the JBC blog. I look forward to your comments and questions!
Cisco’s Executive Mentor Protégé Program
Jennifer with mentor Carlos Dominguez from Cisco.
It was recently announced that Jennifer Brown, President and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, was selected to participate in Cisco’s 2010 Executive Mentor Protégé Program. This program indicates that Cisco has made a commitment to a small handful of woman- and minority-owned suppliers who currently do work with Cisco on a client basis, with the intent to invest in growing the relationship between each supplier and Cisco. In JBC’s case, this growth will mean a continuation and expansion of the well-known leadership development, executive coaching, and diversity and inclusion programs we’ve delivered to the Cisco community.
One of an elite handful of partners chosen, and the only human capital consulting company to be included, JBC has enjoyed a multi-year consulting partnership with many Cisco clients, building cutting-edge team development and leader coaching programs. Jennifer is also considered a subject matter expert in the arena of inclusion and diversity, and her pioneering employee engagement strategies, as well as her work with Employee Resource Groups, were featured as part of last year’s Cisco Inclusion & Diversity Symposium, broadcast company-wide on Cisco TV.
Jennifer and the JBC team are already leveraging the EMP2 program to broaden their business with Cisco, and with Cisco’s partners and customers, as well as spread the word generally about the opportunity of programs such as the EMP2. Jennifer was quoted recently on the relationship between supplier diversity initiatives such as these, and building more inclusive organizations generally:
“We are so honored to be chosen to participate in Cisco’s program, and be invested in as one of Cisco’s minority-owned small business partners. Programs such as the EMP2 program demonstrate how companies can proactively drive diversity in all its forms, including the diversity of CEOs of Cisco’s company partners and suppliers. Leading companies are increasingly investing in incubator programs such as these, which encourage the participation of more diverse voices from the company’s existing supplier base.”
JBC has been assigned a key executive-level resource to enable the company’s exposure at Cisco, Carlos Dominguez, SVP, Office of the Chairman and CEO. Carlos is an ideal mentor for the effort, as he shares many of the same passions as the JBC team for collaboration, new innovation strategies, and the role of technology in enabling a more engaged workforce.
To find out more about JBC’s unique approach to developing leaders, harnessing the power of teams, and channeling the energy of diverse workforces towards real impact, please contact us, at www.jenniferbrownconsulting.com.
Tech + Diversity scoop: How would you use this technology?
At Jennifer Brown Consulting, we love innovative practices. We love developing innovation strategies with our clients, listening to what’s out there in the field, and providing guidance based on what we’ve seen. We keep our ear to the ground to see what’s coming, and we’d love to start sharing some cool stuff we see that may just change the way you think about aligning your business strategy, and even reaching out to your clients!
What if you could have a device that did all of these things?
- Pre-load the device with the best books of 2010.
- Share an executive reading list.
- Provide links to your favorite online resources.
- Build a product that is web-based where your team could tap into a network of diversity champions.
- Build a web-based company-wide platform to share ideas.
- Hook up each reading device with a blog reader that accesses expertise feeds.
- Develop a network vetted and determined by our team via the Jennifer Brown Network.
- Highlight different diverse populations within your organization: Ask a Chief Diversity Officer, Ask a Gen Y!
- Highlight what are people doing in their Employee Resource Groups in a news feed or calendar function.
- Share info on where the best conferences are.
In a dream world, these are JBC’s top five uses for a Kindle or iSlate of the future. Read on…
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