“People aren’t belligerent about change. They are resentful of the way their bosses force it upon them.” Jim Woods
Sadly, diversity is impenetrable in organizational silos. Diversity and inclusion are too big for silos. Originality is too vital to be stifled by people, not policies, seeking to maintain their position in the hierarchy. Despite the constant barrage of new books on the subject, no one has mastered groupthink because failure and mediocrity in terms of inclusion become personal.
Why is it acceptable that 50% of employees left their jobs to avoid an autocratic boss? In a global survey, 79 percent of respondents said new ideas are met with skepticism or hostility.
For diversity and inclusion to work, an organization must understand success. Instead, they sling mud at the wall, hoping something will stick to appease the shareholders and the EEOC. Is it any surprise that diversity programs fail at the same rate as change programs? But the problem is that such programs are so bureaucratic that everyone shovels their manure downhill. No one dares admit failure because they are a redundant layer in the organization. What if we all became leaders?
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The aspiration should be to allow everyone to become their CEO.
We are a part of it. Human resources want to manage, while c-suite leaders prefer "my way or the highway" management.
Unless we are equally honest, we are the problem, not the solution.
We must first challenge ourselves to be inclusive before we can challenge others. Then we can stop supporting the bureaucratic alliance.
Our organizations change as quickly as we do when we abandon acceptance for outrage. Now is the time to admit what we've known for a long time: corporations' treatment of those whose lives they devour goes against our values.
Once we gain this confidence and abandon our desire to maintain the status quo, we will finally be able to create organizations as unique as the people who inhabit them.
About Jim Woods
He has worked in global diversity and inclusion since 1998. He advocates tying strategic interventions to financial outcomes. He has written numerous leadership books and contributed to strategic diversity, inclusion, and leadership solutions. As President and CEO of Woods Kovalova Group, he has worked with Whirlpool, the US Army, Homeland Security, Deseret Bank, Seimens, and many others.
Mr. Woods has a BS in management and leadership. Including an MS in organizational development and HR.