Regrettably, diversity resides in the impenetrable silos of human resources. Conceptually, diversity and especially inclusion are too large for silos. It is also too important to originality, to be limited by people, not policies, attempting to solidify their ranking in the hierarchy. Groupthink continues to permeate every team despite the constant barrage of new books on the subject, which, truthfully, no one has mastered. Because failure and mediocrity in terms of inclusion become unhinged at the personal level, and all things are personal.   

Why is it acceptable that 50% of workers state they have changed jobs to escape an autocratic manager?

Why is it alright that 79% of respondents said new ideas are met with skepticism or hostility in a worldwide survey?

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For diversity and inclusion to work successfully, it implies that an organization understands what success is. Instead, most throw mud to the proverbial wall hoping something might stick to appease the shareholders and keep the EEOC at bay. Is there any wonder diversity programs fail at the same rate as traditional change programs? But, the problem is such programs are mired so profoundly in bureaucracy that everyone shovels their manure onto another downhill. No one dare admit they are failing because no one will admit they are another layer the organization does not need. What if everyone learned to be a leader?

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Haier’s CEO, Zhang Ruimin, once quipped, “Our goal is to let everyone become their CEO.”

We are part of the problem. Human resources want to manage, while c-suite leaders default to the management style, “My way or the highway.”

Unless we are willing to be comparably honest, we’re the problem, not the solution.

Before challenging others to be inclusive, we need to challenge ourselves to be so behaviorally. Perhaps, then we can stop paying allegiance to the bureaucratic alliance.

Our organizations change with the same expediency we change; when we trade acceptance for outrage. Now is the time for us to admit what we have known for a very long time: corporations are at odds with our values in how they treat the people whose lives they devour.

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Once this confidence becomes secured in our hearts and we have abandoned our interests in defending the status quo, we will finally build inclusively friendly organizations that are as remarkable as the people who occupy them.

About Jim Woods

Jim Woods has been a global diversity and inclusion expert since 1998. He advocates linking strategic interventions to bottom-line business results. He is a D&I innovator and respected thought leader, having written numerous leadership books and contributed to many publications on the subject of strategic diversity and inclusion and leadership solutions. As President and CEO of Woods Kovalova Group, he has had the privilege of working with clients that include Whirlpool, the U.S. Army, Homeland Security, Deseret Bank, Seimens, and myriad organizations and individuals everywhere.

He has taught fifth-grade math and science along with teaching human resources and leadership on the university level. Mr. Woods holds a bachelors’ degree in business administration and leadership. Including a master’s of science in organizational development and human resources.

He delights crowds as a speaker and is an accomplished children’s book author. Mr. Woods landed his second Fortune 1000 client while homeless living in his car. Work with Jim.