Once a month, I answer a reader-submitted question about navigating the intricacies of race in the workplace. If you have a question for me, email team@newdemographic.com and write “Ask Carmen” in the subject line.

I can’t guarantee that I’ll answer your question, but you always have a better shot by making your question relevant to other readers, and making sure it’s one I haven’t answered in the past.

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

Q: I work at a dental school and though officially I’m a Spanish interpreter, my role has morphed into an all-around “diversity” specialist, simply because I speak Spanish and English.

You talk a lot about organizations paying only lip service to diversity, but our school isn’t even doing that. If anything, many members of our faculty and administration are actively avoiding any attempts to address diversity. In some cases, they’re actually openly hostile to the idea.

Too many members of our dental faculty and administration regularly exhibit offensive (and even illegally discriminatory) behavior when they communicate with patients of color, setting a terrible example for their students. And there is rampant racial inequity in the workplace, with people of color almost exclusively in support roles.

I want to create change, but I don’t even know where to begin. It just seems so overwhelming. What would you suggest I do?

–“Roberta” in North Carolina

A: Although I’m not a big fan of threatening anyone into compliance, in this case I think a response you may have to consider is, “If you don’t wise up, you’re going to get sued at some point, probably sooner rather than later.”

Since the discrimination at your school is obvious and they’re not even pretending to care about diversity, it doesn’t sound like the people you’re dealing with will respond sensibly to a gentler approach. If you want them to get the message loud and clear, you may need to make a case about potential malpractice lawsuits due to discriminatory behavior and/or practices.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

1. Build a case for how the school is doing itself a disservice in failing to equip its students with the necessary diversity knowledge.

It’s quite likely that one of your school’s main goals is to train successful dentists who achieve profitable practices of their own.

If so, make this case: Dentists who display racist tendencies among patients and employees of color will fail in a nation that is quickly changing from a white majority to a majority of people of color. » Continue reading “How can I create change when my organization is openly hostile to diversity?”

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

“Why? Because… because… it’s just the right thing to do!”

Is that what you blurt out every time you try and convince your colleagues about the importance of diversity?

No wonder you’re not getting anywhere!

I wish it weren’t true, but the reality is this: Proclaiming that your organization has a moral responsibility to work on diversity is simply not an effective strategy.

If you really want your organization to take diversity seriously, you must learn how to think like a CEO.

(Yes, even if your organization is a non-profit, school, or government agency.)

Good news: I’m ready to share with you exactly what you need to know on this FREE, ONE-TIME-ONLY CALL happening on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at 5:00 pm Eastern time…

“The 5 Secrets You Must Know
to Implement a Successful Diversity Strategy
and Win the Respect of Your Organization”

On this lively, information-packed 60-minute call, you’ll learn:

• The 3 worst self-sabotaging behaviors that get in the way of your own success (and how to avoid them)
• 5 key strategies you can use to implement real, lasting changes when it comes to diversity at your organization
• 3 quick and easy methods to start positioning yourself as your organization’s in-house diversity expert

Whether you’re the Chief Diversity Officer or simply a volunteer in your organization’s diversity employee networking group, you won’t want to miss this teleseminar.

The call is chock-full of specific information that will show you exactly why you’re not getting the results you want. Then, I’ll give you the resources to change that around so that you can win your colleagues’ respect and trust, and gain the influence you need to implement real, lasting change.

You know by now that I’m not going to waste your time by giving you fluff information.

So, won’t you join me?

Reserve your line for this FREE teleseminar now!

Limited lines are available for this call, so you’ll want to make sure you reserve your spot right away.

Just click the link above, enter your information in the boxes on the page, and you’ll receive the complete call details via email.

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

Savvy meeting planners carefully sculpt both their advertising and their agendas to appeal to a culturally diverse population. But far too many planners still don’t understand the fundamentals of culturally-sensitive hosting.

Here, then, are the four biggest mistakes meeting planners should avoid, followed by their more appealing and appropriate counterparts.

Mistake 1: Use diversity as window dressing only

Don’t assume that providing ethnic buffets and displaying stock photos of smiling people of color in a brochure is enough to entice the unconvinced that you have them in mind, too. Especially if you follow up by publishing an agenda and inviting speakers who don’t know very much about the people of color in attendance and can’t speak to their concerns or interests.

The Fix: Step outside your comfort zone and call people of color in your industry to find out what issues are on their mind. Incorporate their concerns into your agenda.  Find knowledgeable speakers of color who have had success dealing with the issues raised and then advertise those who will be tackling and shedding light on the subjects that their constituents most want addressed.

Mistake 2: Wait until the last minute to reach out to people of color » Continue reading “The Top 4 Mistakes Meeting Planners Should Avoid If They Want Diversity and Inclusion At Their Next Conference”

by Carmen Van Kerckhove, originally published at CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 blog

A good friend of mine is an associate at a white-shoe law firm that just went through a major round of layoffs.

Workplace diversity is very much on her mind now because during the job cuts at her firm, it became glaringly apparent that people of color were massively over-represented in the pink slips department. If there are additional personnel cuts, she now wonders if she — a woman of color herself — will be among the next to go.

The current recession is already dealing a severe blow to the scant progress that has been made regarding racial diversity in the workplace.

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, blacks and Hispanics were twice as likely as whites to have reported being laid off or fired in the previous 12 months, about two-in-ten blacks (21%) and Hispanics (19%) versus one-in-ten (11%) among whites.

More African-American men are losing jobs than at any time since World War II, according to a report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University in Boston.

The trend is alarming. New research by Eden King, an assistant professor of psychology at George Mason University, suggests that workplace discrimination increases when people feel threatened by economic downturns.

According to King, “In good economic times, people know they are supposed to support diversity and will tend to hire a minority candidate to get affirmative action points. But when times are tough, people tend to look out for their own group and isolate outsiders, and that’s when discrimination can begin to rear its ugly head.” » Continue reading “How the Recession is Affecting Racial Diversity in the Workplace”

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

If you’re like most people, the idea of self-promotion makes your stomach turn. But in today’s business climate, the reality is this: unless you make your accomplishments known on a regular basis, you may find yourself with a pink slip because your managers don’t realize the value you bring to your organization.

Do you assume that your boss sees your every move and notices your every contribution? Think again. She’s just as worried about job security as you are, and focuses more on justifying her own existence than on tracking your accomplishments.

But how do you toot your own horn without coming across as an arrogant jerk? Here are a few suggestions.

1. Be sensitive to your environment

If your manager is scrambling to meet a deadline, or upset about a project gone awry, it’s probably not a good time to dazzle him with tales of your accomplishments. Instead, offer an encouraging word or some real relief for their situation. If you can find a way to eliminate or alleviate his immediate pain, he’ll remember it later on when it counts the most. » Continue reading “How to Toot Your Own Horn Without Sounding Like a Jerk”

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

Can I give you $100 OFF my brand-new program?

You see, the home study course version of my Diversity Career Success training course is almost ready, and I want to give our loyal readers here a BIG break on the price for expressing interest as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT: The only way to get your $100 OFF is to get on my special PRE-RELEASE NOTIFICATION LIST. So, even if you’re just thinking “maybe” about this home study course, visit:

http://www.diversitycareersuccesscourse.com/prerelease.htm

This live, first-of-its-kind training event titled…

Diversity Career Success:
How to Take Your Organization
From Culturally Clueless to Diversity Dynamo

…was a smash hit, and we recorded the entire 5-call course in crystal clear stereo.

During the course, I showed participants how to get their ideas taken seriously by senior management and I shared with them sensible, actionable solutions that actually work in the real world.

At the end of the course, they came away with a blueprint that they could customize based on their organization type, their organization’s needs, and their own role within the organization.

Here are just a few of the dozens of raving testimonials I got from attendees. (You’ll see more on the info page when the program is ready for its launch in just a few weeks.)

“I would definitely recommend this course to others — it was great bang for the buck!”

“This course has given me a burst of energy and new-found motivation to get the work moving to make changes happen. I plan to meet with the president of our organization to try and start these next steps in moving the organization forward.”

“I took this job because I am passionate about social and racial justice. When I ran into barrier upon barrier, I questioned my own abilities and talents. Now that I have a framework for what steps I can take to make change happen, I feel much more confident and capable. The level of detail and thoroughness of Carmen’s work, along with the practical recommendations she gives for starting out, make this telecourse one of the best workshops I have ever taken.”

There are dozens more like these – and I’m putting them all together today for you to see in a few weeks. But in the meantime, I urge you to read the following as this is the ONLY TIME I am announcing this to you.

IMPORTANT: The only way to get your $100 OFF is to get on my special PRE-RELEASE NOTIFICATION LIST. So, even if you’re just thinking “maybe” about this home study course, visit:
http://www.diversitycareersuccesscourse.com/prerelease.htm

One of the biggest problems faced by diversity professionals is that of isolation. There are few pre-existing spaces for them to gather and meet each other, especially across different industries. To help combat this, every month I will profile a different diversity professional. In the course of the interview, you’ll not only get to hear about the kind of work this person is doing, you’ll also be able to benefit from the resources, strategies, and tips they share with you.

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

Name:
Saleha Jalil Khan

Title:
Instructor

Organization:
Ontario Police College, part of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Public Safety Division.

1. Can you give us a broad overview of your organization and what it does?

Saleha Jalil Khan:  Ontario Police College is a post-hire basic training and professional development facility.  Every police officer across Ontario is mandated to successfully complete the Basic Constable Training program at the Ontario Police College within six months of their hire date.  Upon completion, they are deemed capable of carrying out their duties as police officers; they return to their police organizations to complete probationary training. The Ontario Police College also provides ongoing and continued learning opportunities for senior and executive officers across Ontario, nationally and internationally.
» Continue reading “Saleha Jalil Khan from Ontario Police College”

Once a month, I answer a reader-submitted question about navigating the intricacies of race in the workplace. If you have a question for me, email team@newdemographic.com and write “Ask Carmen” in the subject line. I can’t guarantee that I’ll answer your question, but you always have a better shot by making your question relevant to other readers, and making sure it’s one I haven’t answered in the past.

By Carmen Van Kerckhove

Q: I work in an organization that does great stuff to help those facing mental illness and their families: deal, learn and advocate.

That being said, I am one of only two employees who identify as people of color. We also happen to identify as queer. There are 21 people who work here. The organization has grown from a 2-person outfit to its present size in just 5 years.

We have funding to work in communities of color, but communities of color are reluctant to work with us. I have tried explaining that communities of color often don’t trust perceived white organizations, especially if the organizations haven’t done any cultural competency work.

It is an integrity issue to me: if you take money to work in communities of color you should know something about that group…but that is a whole other can of worms.

Do you have any ideas on how I can get my wonderful organization to see that by not doing work on race, they are contributing to the institutional structure of racism?

–RA in Minnesota » Continue reading “How do I convince my non-profit that it needs to improve its cultural competency?”