“Barriers to Diversity: Overcoming Hurdles to Success“

Nobody ever really believed that diversity was easy. Those few who did quickly discovered that creating, sustaining, and valuing a diverse membership is hard work which requires diligence, knowledge, and, most of all, a great deal of courage. Now that I have frightened you, let me add that pioneering associations such as ASAE, the American Association of Museums, the American Physical Therapy Association, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, have all learned that the goal is achievable and that the end result is worth every effort, every penny, and even every uncomfortable moment. This article is intended to help your association learn from the experience of others and move forward as rapidly and appropriately as possible. Most important, it is designed through the examination of the most commonly encountered emotional and systemic barriers to diversity, to minimize the number of uncomfortable moments you and your staff will have to experience.

Barrier I: Fear

More than fifty years ago, a man who spent much of his time in a house in your neighborhood was heard to say, "All we have to fear is fear itself." This applies as much to diversity efforts as it does to anything facing the nation during Franklin Roosevelt's presidency. I am not naive enough to say that there is nothing to fear, but merely that we cannot allow that fear to paralyze our efforts. One of the ways in which fear can interfere with diversity programs is by causing us to spend too much time at the preparation stage. Through the years, I have sat in on several diversity committees who simply could not move past the step of defining diversity and constructing a diversity statement. In some cases, it was taking them as much as two years of monthly meetings to complete these preliminary tasks. It does not take two years to define diversity. What is does take is the courage to examine your association's needs carefully and move ahead knowing that there are no guarantees that you will not misstep.

Of course there is always the danger that you might offend an individual or group, initiate an ineffective strategy, or even set an inappropriate goal. Each of these fears is understandable -- they probably will even come true from time to time. The key to success is not to deny the reality of the danger, but to find ways to minimize the risk and proceed despite it. Fear, for example, of offending individuals or groups is probably the most debilitating concern faced by diversity committees today. The danger of this happening can be minimized by focusing, less on the needs of a particular group -- be it women, Asians, African-Americans -- and more on designing approaches that will benefit all potential members regardless of background. Assigning greeters for first time attendees at meetings, implementing mentoring programs that are available to anyone who needs extra assistance in accessing and understanding your industry, educating your staff and memberships in the value and principals of diversity are all approaches which address the challenge in a practical way without singling out a particular population to the exclusion of others. Anyone who has ever worked in the diversity field has also worried that they will address the needs of a particular group insensitively or inaccurately. If it is necessary to focus on one population, this risk can be minimized by taking the extra time and effort to consult with many people about what the needs of that group might be. Any one individual is not qualified to speak for an entire group. Consult with a variety of people from various parts of the country and remember to include diversity consultants who have had experience designing diversity programs or training in the area.

Barrier II: Unrealistic Objectives and Goals

The second barrier to effective diversity efforts is the temptation to set unrealistic objectives. This can happen in two ways: Setting objectives which are inappropriate to your association, and setting objectives that are too ambitious in terms of scope or time-frame.

Benchmarking with other associations is invaluable. There is much to learn in terms of strategies and policies from trend-setters such as those mentioned above. There is a danger, however, in taking practices from an association that does not share your demographics, your culture, and your goals. Large trade associations in the manufacturing industries, for example, are apt to have very different needs than the small philanthropic group or engineering association. Just as diversity teaches us to be who we are and that difference is to be valued, your association needs to remember that it is unique and will be best served by learning from, but not imitating, others. It is your obligation to your group to design a program that is specific to your needs, members, and concerns. Another error made when setting objectives is attempting to move too far too fast. One of the biggest barriers to success of diversity efforts within the corporate world has been to set goals that are unobtainable. When those goals are not reached, critics of the program are given fuel and people become discouraged. Err in the direction of setting goals that are short term, conservative in scope, and as measurable as possible. Take a look at these examples

1. "By the year 2000 ABC Association will have increased its membership of minorities and women by 25%." Whereas this objective is measurable, it also sets ABC Association up for failure. Here is an alternative.

2. "By the end of 1997, ABC Association will have included images of diverse people on the cover of 6 of our monthly journals, included articles on diversity twice throughout the year, set up a mutual diversity task force with 3 minority associations in our industry, and had one program on diversity related topics at each of our national and regional meetings." The specific tasks will, of course, vary for your association. The idea is that it is better to set task-oriented objectives which do not set your organization up for discouragement and criticism.

Unfortunately for all of us, we are currently experiencing a season of backlash to diversity efforts. It is beyond the scope of this article to go into all of the reasons for this negative climate -- for our purposes, it is enough to know that resistance to diversity, affirmative action, and immigration have permeated and shaped the approaches taken by corporations and associations alike. Although much of this attitude is destructive, it is important to keep in mind that some backlash is justified and in fact is a reaction to some of the excesses to which the diversity industry has gone in the last twenty years. The reason I point this out is to emphasize the importance of avoiding this excess in the future. Political correctness, quotas, and the exclusion of white males have, for example, done a great deal of damage to a movement that is otherwise designed to ultimately benefit all Americans. What can be done to minimize backlash within your organization so that you will be able to achieve full support and participation from membership and staff alike? The following tips are based on the careful study of mistakes made in the past:

1. Include all groups on your diversity committee. Do not exclude the dominant group in your industry just because the committee is focused on diversity. If you wish to obtain the all-important buy-in from all members of your association, you must empower and invite everyone to participate in the effort.

2. Avoid the temptation to indulge in the excesses of political correctness. It is one thing to eliminate clearly exclusionary or offensive terms from your vocabulary, but quite another to trip all over yourself to indulge individual idiosyncrasies. At a recent convention, for example, a presenter was reprimanded by a female audience member for using the innocent phrase "bang for your buck." This case is, unfortunately, not that unusual and is just the sort of thing that feeds the fire of backlash and creates skepticism about the value and intentions of diversity efforts.

3. Never lower your standards and/or always avoid the appearance of lowering your standards. The Society for Human Resource Management discovered that 70% of the reason for the failure of diversity programs in the corporate world was the real or perceived lowering of standards to accommodate diverse employees. Whether it be in hiring a diverse association staff, encouraging leadership responsibilities, or recruiting members, it is imperative that you avoid the appearance of lowering standards of expertise and ability. Not only is this patronizing to diverse groups, but it provides yet another excuse for the un-convinced to resist what you are trying to accomplish.

Those of you who are just beginning your diversity work are in a good position. The mistakes have already been made and you can learn from them. Journals and bookshelves are rich with material and colleagues are willing and anxious to share of their experience. The rest is up to you. If you have the courage and willingness to overcome the barriers mentioned here, along with the dedication to take on one of the most important tasks you will ever undertake, there is little doubt but that you can succeed in creating a membership that is rich in diversity, talent, and enthusiasm.

Sondra Thiederman is a speaker and author on diversity, bias-reduction, and cross-cultural issues. She is the author of Making Diversity Work: Seven Steps for Defeating Bias in the Workplace (Chicago: Dearborn Press, 2003) which is available at her web site or at www.Amazon.com. She can be contacted at:

Sondra Thiederman, Ph.D.
Cross-Cultural Communications
4585 48th Street
San Diego, CA 92115
Phones: 619-583-4478 / 800-858-4478
Fax: 619-583-0304
www.Thiederman.com / STPhD@Thiederman.com

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