Giving Notice

The following are a few pertinent themes discussed at the recent J.B.C. Institute Chief Diversity Officers Forum that tie into the work of diversity practitioners and most of which are addressed in Giving Notice:

- Diversity ties into companies’ bottom lines, and therefore it should be embedded into core business strategy and processes.

- Cross-industry collective action is necessary to shape the future of diversity and inclusion.

- Preliminary internal work (i.e., self awareness and examining personal values and biases) is necessary for credibility in the diversity context.

- Let’s not skirt taboo issues- it is important to discuss and engage “undiscussables, intractables, and untouchables” in our organizations.

- Diversity is no longer a U.S. centric focus, but rather an increasingly global challenge- Are we ready to take on a global diversity approach?

- Maximize the talent pipeline by improving education at middle/high school and college levels and increasing graduation rates and marketable skills (especially for people of color).

- How do we best address cross-generational challenges in the workplace?

- Who are we excluding that may enhance our diversity efforts?

- Let’s leverage the national excitement around Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to encourage impactful and productive dialogues around race and diversity.