Diversity Woman Magazine

SUM 2014

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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Upfront > d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m S u m m e r 2 0 1 4 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 11 Energizing Diversity & Inclusion L aTonya King directs Diversity and inclu- sion strategies for Charlotte, North Carolina– based Duke Energy. In 2012, Duke Energy merged with Progress Energy and is now the largest electric utility in the United States. Diversity Woman talked with King about the challenges of fos- tering diversity and inclusion in the energy sector. DW: What common barriers to diversity and inclusion do you see? LaTonya King: One that I'm intrigued by is unconscious bias. We are just starting to explore how that may be afecting our employment decision making, workplace culture, and employee en- gagement. I'm excited to learn more as we con- tinue our work over the next few years. One area where we fnd barriers in the energy sector is in the recruitment, selec- tion, and hiring process. Our industry is predominantly white male, and we are having some difcul- ties diversifying our craft and technical workforce. For our line-worker classif- cation, we are addressing this by doing a deep-dive review of each step of the process to understand what barriers may exist at each step. Tis involves a detailed study of our sourcing strategies and analyzing the application, employment testing, and interviewing practices. We are challeng- ing our own status quo, and we're seeing positive results from changes made to some of our legacy practices. It boils down to having a culture that enables women of color to beneft from diversity and inclusion, but that has to be coupled with a concerted efort by women of color to courageously estab- lish and nurture relation- ships and networks that are essential to success. No one can accomplish what they want by doing it alone. So it's important to get to know your manager and other lead- ers across the company and build relationships so these leaders get to know you and your capabilities and you aren't overlooked for oppor- tunities. DW: As a diversity leader, what's the biggest challenge you've faced? LK: Recognizing the com- plexity and realities of where people are on their diversity and inclusion journey. Tat diversity strategy imple- mentation is not always as straightforward as we as practitioners would like. It can sometimes be tough get- ting buy-in from stakehold- ers, particularly on a contro- versial diversity topic. Tis speaks to my earlier comment about barriers driven by our own unconscious biases. It's impor- tant for diversity leaders to recognize and acknowledge where people are on their journey toward inclusion, so appropriate coaching can occur. DW: What keeps you going when things are hard? LK: Prayer is at the top of my list. I also have to remind myself that things do not change overnight. Creating a diverse and inclusive work environment is a journey, not a destination. DW: Recent research from Catalyst shows that women of color often do not benefit from diversity and inclu- sion initiatives as much as white women or men of color. What can be done about this? LK: It's important to establish and maintain a culture of inclusion. Te or- ganization's formal culture statement, supporting behavioral expectations, diversity and inclusion programs, and practices must all align. Tis should be routinely communicated from the top of the organization, reinforced through corporate messages, and visibly demon- strated by all company leaders. 5 Minutes with LaTonya King Upfront Written by Katherine Griffin

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