How to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace | Janet Stovall | TED

Understanding Single-Mindedness in Combating Racism

The Concept of Single-Mindedness

• Janet introduces herself as the "single-minded friend" focused on racism, humorously illustrating her dedication to the topic.

• She emphasizes that single-mindedness involves not just caring but actively doing something about it—moving beyond thoughts and prayers.

Personal Experience at Davidson College

• Janet recounts her experience as a black student at Davidson College, highlighting racial segregation within the town and campus.

• Frustrated by the lack of diversity, she initiated "Project '87," aiming for specific goals regarding black student enrollment and faculty hiring.

Impact of Project '87

• The project set clear targets: 100 black students, 10 black professors, five Black Studies classes, and one black dean by 1987.

• The initiative sparked significant campus discussions and led to the formation of a task force under a new president committed to addressing these issues.

Outcomes of Advocacy

• Although Janet graduated before seeing changes, she notes that Project '87 resulted in increased diversity at Davidson with more black students and faculty.

• This experience taught her about the power of single-mindedness in effecting change.

The Role of Business in Dismantling Racism

Current Landscape in Business

• As an executive speechwriter in a predominantly white profession, Janet reflects on her unique position to influence conversations around diversity.

• She argues that businesses have a unique capacity to dismantle racism due to their large workforce compared to other institutions like colleges or churches.

Importance of Diverse Work Environments

• Janet posits that working alongside diverse individuals can transform perspectives outside work environments.

• She believes business must adopt a single-minded approach towards racism similar to Project '87's framework: real problems, real numbers, real consequences.

Data Supporting Diversity Initiatives

• Despite evidence showing ethnically diverse companies perform better financially (33% higher performance), there remains a stark lack of representation among CEOs in Fortune 500 companies.

Diversity and Inclusion: Are Businesses Serious?

The Urgency of Racial Diversity in Business

• Businesses will only prioritize racial diversity when faced with urgent problems that affect employees and customers, not just people of color.

• A diverse employee base should reflect the demographics of the population; for instance, 13% Black and 18% Hispanic representation aligns with societal statistics.

• It's crucial to differentiate between diversity (a numbers game) and inclusion (about impact); companies can mandate diversity but must actively cultivate inclusion.

Setting Realistic Goals for Inclusion

• Research indicates that a threshold of 30% minority voices is necessary for them to be genuinely heard within an organization.

• Companies often lack real consequences for failing to meet diversity goals; unlike sales targets, where failure leads to firings, accountability in diversity efforts is often vague.

Accountability and Consequences in Diversity Efforts

• True accountability means facing real consequences; losing one's job should be a potential outcome for failing to achieve set diversity goals.