IMPACT ON LEGAL DEPARTMENTS LaVergne notes that because his role is to oversee all of the programs and initiatives designed to promote diversity and inclusion at New York Life, the scope and reach is wide. “Broadly speaking, our work touches on the employees of the company, the businesses in which we engage, and the communities we serve.” New York Life’s Offi ce of Diversity & Inclusion works
closely with its legal department. “T ey ensure that the programs and initiatives we put in place help achieve our desired goals, while meeting all legal standards of fairness,” says LaVergne. “T ey enjoy some of the greatest gender and ethnic diversity of any group within our company and that appreciation for diversity extends beyond the person- nel of that department. Our legal group also holds our outside counsel to high standards of diversity and inclu- sion. In fact, they have instituted initiatives to increase the diversity of the outside counsel that we use. For example, we established an Interpleader Program with the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF). NAMWOLF promotes diversity in the legal profession by fostering the development of long- lasting relationships between preeminent minority and women-owned law fi rms and private/public entities.”
36
“NON-BELIEVERS” AND OTHER CHALLENGES Being a company’s strategic diversity specialist isn’t without its challenges. “Diversity initiatives, diversity departments, and CDOs
are only as successful as the chief executive allows them to be. If he or she doesn’t really embrace it, you can’t be successful,” explains Crawford, who reports directly to university president Karen Haynes. He believes if an in- house diversity professional doesn’t report to the CEO or one of the seniormost positions, it is very diffi cult to move the needle. “You have to have buy-in at the highest level,” he says.
“And it has to be clearly communicated throughout the organization. T e CEO must communicate that it is the right thing for our business, our customers, and for main- taining our competitive advantage. If you don’t have their full support, it will be diffi cult to be successful.” LaVergne agrees, noting that in his experience two of the
most important elements of success for any diversity initia- tive are senior-level support and business relevance. “Both are essential to the success of any change eff ort. Diversity and inclusion are no exception,” he says, adding that New York Life’s genuine and committed leadership from the senior management has been a key factor in the success of its diversity program. Crawford notes that another obstacle faced by diver-
sity professionals is that the idea of devoting resources to diversity and inclusion isn’t always embraced by employees
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2012
of an organization. It can be a controversial concept simply because many people don’t understand it. “Some people think it’s a euphemism for affi rmative action,” he says. “But it’s not. “Affi rmative action is a remedial program that was
designed to address past discriminatory practices, whereas diversity and inclusion isn’t a legal remedy, but more of a philosophy that seeks to promote a diverse and inclusive work/business environment. Diversity and inclusion is a philosophy that recognizes the diff erences within our society, while at the same time emphasizing our collective strengths. It’s a new way of thinking about the makeup of our country and what it will look like in the years to come.” Crawford adds that while some “non-believers” are
openly hostile to the concept of diversity and inclusion, the majority is simply uninformed. “T ey don’t understand the diversity that’s going on in this country. T ey don’t know the data,” he says, which makes it more diffi cult to imple- ment diversity strategies. “T e role of a diversity professional is often that of an
agent of change and with that comes all of the challenges associated with change,” adds LaVergne. But even so, he says, he believes the future is quite promising for in-house diversity professionals.
THE FUTURE OF THE CDO It is evident that the role of the in-house diversity profes- sional will continue to gain importance. As the country’s demographics continue to evolve, businesses are recognizing the importance of adapting to these changes. T ose looking to have a competitive advantage will likely look to diversity specialists to pave the way.
Kara Mayer Robinson is a freelance writer based near New York City.
1 Hewlett, Syliva Ann (Oct. 16,2007). The Rise of the Diversity Offi cer. Retrieved
from
http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hewlett/2007/10/the_rise_of_the_chief_diversity.html 2
Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010 (March 2011) and the Black Population: 2010 (Sept. 2011). Retrieved from
http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52