Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/632328
64 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N W i n t e r 2 0 1 6 d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m Conversations with Catalyst O rganizations sometimes need to face hard truths. Imagine your company has an embarrassing lack of diversity in its upper ranks and is losing talent because of it. Or maybe you have pro- grams in place to advance traditionally mar- ginalized groups but they're not working. At Catalyst, we know that what gets measured gets done. If your workplace is lagging when it comes to including women of color—understood in the United States to be Asian American, Black, Latina, and Native American women—you should con- sider implementing a multilevel analysis of your overall work environment, includ- ing workforce statistics and performance management systems (particularly perfor- mance ratings). It is also a good idea to take a closer look at individual relationships between women of color and their non- women-of-color managers. Catalyst's Vital Signs, a comprehensive analysis of a company's workforce data, including representation of diverse groups, hiring, turnover, promotions, and time spent in positions, can help. Tis tool, which evaluates a company's talent deci- sions and provides valuable insights into who is being developed and advanced, will lead to a clearer picture of unique-to-your- workplace factors that may be preventing certain groups from reaching their full potential. For example, Vital Signs might reveal that women of color lag behind other groups in promotion rates. For organizations willing to root out potential biases afecting women of color, the next step is to examine performance systems, in particular performance-rating systems. Tis involves a content analysis of performance reviews to highlight the adjec- tives commonly applied to certain groups of women. For example, are adjectives like meek or passive being routinely applied to Katherine Giscombe, PhD Asian American women employees? Are black women typically being described as angry? Are Latinas' ac- cents being held against them? Taking your analysis to a deeper level often requires a close examination of the relationships between women of color and their managers. How often do managers meet with women of color direct reports as compared with other staf? How often are women of color being given useful, action- able feedback? Research at Catalyst has revealed that managers of women of color are often leery of giving those women frank feedback—and some organizations' norms reinforce that lack of candor. Trust is not easily established or main- tained between people who are dissimilar and/or who are working in a place that is, or is perceived to be, hostile to diverse groups. Non-women-of-color managers with women of color direct reports are often unfamiliar with the obstacles these women face at work. Many managers also feel they lack the time and resources to build under- standing and trust. For managers who are unaccustomed to interacting with women of color, social discomfort can impede manager-employee communication, and deadline pressures can make retaining diverse employees a low priority. Managers who are committed to increasing diversity can start by improv- ing their own relationships with women of color by avoiding stereotypes, educating themselves about obstacles, and taking the time to build trust. It's not enough to admit an organization has a diversity problem. Solving it requires deep analysis and a willingness to push outside comfort zones. DW Kathryn Giscombe, PhD, is Catalyst's Vice President and Women of Color Practitioner, Global Member Services. It's a good idea to take a closer look at relation- ships between women of color and their non- women-of-color managers. Point of View > ABOUT CATALYST Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonproft organization expanding op- portunities for women and business. With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, Australia, and Japan, and more than 800 member organizations, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. catalyst.org. Want to Retain Diverse Women? It's not enough to admit you have a problem