The Other 1%

Posted on November 15, 2011 | 1 Comment

“They left kicking and screaming from the Theater” as told by General James Amos; Brave men and women that were injured in the act of protecting our country’s freedom often arrive home with the guilt of leaving others behind.  More than that, they are denied a sense of closure and are faced to reconcile memories of war with the relative normalcy of life back home.

Last week, I had the fortunate opportunity to hear General Amos speak at the Wounded Warrior Hiring and Support Conference organized by NAVSEA.   This remarkable (free) event offered a roster of inspiring speakers urging employers to support our returning heroes in securing gainful employment.  Much was said about the “invisible wounds” of war.  In fact, it is mostly the scars of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that are common among returning service members as opposed to the burns and amputations most people associate with “wounded warriors”.   Additionally, many have associated PTSD with the military when, in fact, it is a concern that affects approximately 7-8% of the U.S. population.

Most of the people that attended the Wounded Warrior Conference likely understood the business case for hiring Veterans.  Aside from loyalty and teamwork, employers get access to leaders that have global experience, are adaptable, and can infuse their enthusiasm for work within the workplace.  Considering the profile of those that serve in the military, they are people who wanted to get involved and contribute to the best of their abilities.  In HR speak, that means high employee engagement and the Veteran population brings the elusive concept of discretionary effort into the forefront.  In financial terms, high engagement has been correlated with high financial returns with one study citing a 19% increase in operating income and 28% growth in earnings per share.

America’s Heroes at Work, a Department of Labor project, addresses the employment challenges of Veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).  In their employer support section, they cite a finding by the National Council on Disability that people who regain employment following the onset of a disability report higher life satisfaction and better adjustment than do people who are not employed.  If employers needed a call to action to hire a Wounded Warrior, this is certainly one that can be heard loud and clear.

As for the Wounded Warriors that General Amos was referring to, it seems that a program has emerged to meet those needs as well.  Rick Kell, founder of Operation Proper Exit, was interviewed last week about his innovative program to bring closure to Veterans.  Kell explains, “They were taken from Iraq. When they arrived home last time, there were no homecomings… And they have to put those pieces back together. And they do, many do. And– but the one piece they couldn’t put back was the piece of exiting and leaving the way they thought they would leave with their team, with– with their battle buddies.”  A total of 68 soldiers and Marines have taken part in this specialized program and returned to the battlefield to confront their memories.  This time, they regain the control they were not previously afforded and, when it’s all over, finally leave the conflict on their own terms.

My parting thought for today questions the common excuse for not hiring Veterans: they are hard to find.  Considering only 1% of the population serves in the military, it could be true if not for the abundance of resources available from each branch of the military and several other private organizations.  Employers can start with the National Resources Directory and also tap into a number of free services resulting from a quick internet search.  After Veteran’s day last week, employers should feel motivated to act as President Theodore Roosevelt once advised: “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for the country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards.”

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Posted in Disability, Veterans

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The Choices We Make

Posted on October 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

There are scarier things than ghosts and goblins this Halloween.  Last week, CNN reported that students at Ohio University were speaking out against ethnically and racially stereotypical costumes.  The message?  “We’re a culture, not a costume.”

Of course it’s easy to say this is a temporary controversy – the effects of which may not be considered detrimental in the bigger picture.  After all, everyone knows that Halloween costumes are innocent, even ironic at times.  If women want to dress up as a sexy (fill-in-the-blank profession), many would share the mindset that it’s their choice.  However, if we consider the compounding nature of such small acts, they may be manifesting as a pervasive problem in today’s society.

Miss Representation, a documentary exploring the media’s misrepresentation of women, shared a report from the American Psychological Association on the negative effects of women’s self-objectification.  Studies found that college-aged self-objectifying women were less likely to be able to concentrate on certain mathematical activities and had greater incidences of eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.  Researchers felt this could also be applicable to younger girls who are still forming their sense of self as well as young men in their ability to reconcile with the image of an “acceptable” partner.   Society-at-large loses in this equation with fewer women pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers even though they are the earning the majority of bachelor’s and advanced degrees in this country.

Halloween aside, there have been many examples where “politically correct” tolerance has been tested by the marketplace.   Let’s start with commercializing religious icons.  Who approved putting an image of Jesus on a lunchbox or Lord Shiva on a t-shirt?  As it is unlikely that the intent was faith-based, many retailers have been complicit in reducing much revered figures into a passing trend.  The good news is that consumer activism works.  Through the medium of social networks, consumers have launched campaigns to pressure companies to stop selling products that reinforce culturally offensive or gender-based stereotypes.

I hope at some point we can come to a realization that there are better choices for costumes than a burqa, sexy nurse or SS officer.  By all means, have fun on Halloween.  Just realize that as this country becomes more ethnically diverse, the novelty of caricaturing an entire group will become less and less appealing.  Once the groups start changing, we’ll have a better sense of how to balance innocent fun with the trivialization of such issues as being politically incorrect.

My parting thought for today: People make silly choices in college and Halloween costumes are just one example.  I can only talk about myself when considering one question: if I knew then what I know now, would I have made a different choice?  In my own case, absolutely.  In the words of Dr. Maya Angelou, “when you know better, you do better”.


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Pieces of Me

Posted on October 24, 2011 | 4 Comments

I heard the saddest thing today. The conversation started with coaching new graduates for their careers when I was presented with a dilemma: “how would one hide their dreadlocks before an interview?” That prompted a discussion where I was disappointed to hear about young Black women being discouraged from wearing their hair naturally. Ranging from a look of disdain to a career limiting move, young women are being explicitly and implicitly told they need to avoid looking “too ethnic” for fear of making others uncomfortable.

A recent article in the Howard student newspaper discussed the dichotomy of being nurtured by free expression while on campus but being persuaded to conform in the workplace. For all the companies that have been recognized for diversity leadership, have we, as a society, really made any progress? Do companies know we are stifling the individualism of potential recruits before they even enter the door?

It is unfortunate that for many women, the world where they can dress in their own version of “professional attire” isn’t real. If you want to get ahead, you have to dress the part. Still, there is some silver lining. Companies that have strong inclusive cultures work hard to value differences and such examples are often evidenced by having visibly diverse leadership. Now, that isn’t to say that those leaders may not have needed to conform at some point in their career. One can only hope they did so on their own terms.

Getting in the door seems to be the largest problem. Recent studies have shown that looks aside, individuals with African American names were less likely to receive an interview. So, to conform or not to conform? As with many diversity dilemmas, the answer is not simple. Knowing that perception is reality, individuals need to reconcile how much their outward appearance is tied to their identity. If the personal costs aren’t too great, there is no shame in adapting to a “traditional” style.

On the other end, companies should be committed to training their recruiting teams to see beyond superficial differences. Focusing on bias-aware selection allows Recruiters to understand, and eventually avoid, the unconscious decisions they make that may ultimately exclude a really great candidate.

My parting thought for the day: Once you get to the interview, your skills and experience should shine and if all is right with the world, you should get the job. Ideally, the place where you choose to spend at least 33% of your day should allow you to show up with relaxer, extensions, or no hair at all. In the end, we must decide how much of ourselves we are willing to give up. For my part, I follow the philosophy of India.Arie: “I am not my hair”.

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Posted in Gender

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What If Women Made the Rules?

Posted on October 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

Sara Blakely had been told “no” several times before she heard a “yes”.  When she finally got the call that changed her life, she asked why they had a change of heart.  The man responded, “I have daughters. They said, ‘Dad, it’s brilliant, it makes sense, help this girl do it’.”  Sara Blakely went on to create Spanx, the multi-million dollar company that changed intimate apparel for both women and men around the world.

Unfortunately, Sara’s experience is not unique for women entrepreneurs.  1 in 3 small businesses in the US are owned by women and their growth has been stagnated by the lack of access to capital.  The credit crisis has only made things worse with women-owned business getting just 14% of SBA backed loan funds in May 2010.  At a time when large businesses are laying off employees and small businesses are being asked to put people back to work, should we really be limiting their opportunities?

Of course, if you ask the lenders, they will say that there is nothing intentional in their actions and they are simply managing risk.  Let’s explore Sara’s story a little further.  Suppose more mill owners in North Carolina were women; would the idea (cutting the toes off pantyhose) have resonated more with a woman?  Suppose Sara did not have her own start-up money and had gone to the bank to seek a loan.  Who would she have found there to take a risk on a business that clearly appealed to women?

Of industries that have strived for gender equality in the representation of their workforce, the financial services industry has fared much better than average.  In 2009, the EEOC reported that females represented 51% of the workforce in Commercial Banking.  In fact, women were employed at the same rates if not higher at every level except one – Executive Management.  Especially for the small regional banks, the Executives are often involved in lending decisions and most of them are men. 

Furthermore, women tend to start businesses with less capital than men and rely more on their own financial resources (according to a report from the US Department of Commerce).  They are also less likely to take on additional debt to expand their businesses.   However, when women do seek loans, they are often approved at a lower rate (if they are approved at all).

Perhaps if we had more women making decisions, we would see more commercial lending, more small businesses innovation, and more job growth.  With potential revenue out there to be made, is running a bank without women at the top really worth the risk?

My parting thought for today:  American innovation is not dead, it’s just hidden.  I think we all have a responsibility to live up to our potential and help others to do the same.  I heard a great quote about Oprah that sums it up: “While she’s pulling herself up with one hand, she’s pulling other people up with the other hand”.   Help others as you help yourself - what a novel concept.

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Is there a Mr. Ganz?

Posted on October 15, 2011 | 2 Comments

I was watching Law and Order as I often do – checking out the daily TNT mini-marathons is one of my favorite pastimes.  So, I’m at the part where Briscoe and Curtis first arrive on the scene and after hearing about the unfortunate way Shelly Ganz met her end, Briscoe asks, “is there a Mr. Ganz?”

Why did he assume that she was married to a man?  Do we chalk this up to a sign of the times?  This particular episode originally aired in 1997 and here is what was happening back then:

  • Ellen DeGeneres came out on Oprah and her character followed suit on her sitcom Ellen
  • 850 people had been discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in fiscal year 1996
  • Hate crimes continued without protection for sexual orientation with the death of Matthew Shepard happening one year later

Things have definitely changed since then with Ellen enjoying enormous success, DADT being repealed and the passage of the Hate Crimes bill (aka Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act).  Yet, many things have not changed.  The assumptions we make, however innocent they may seem, still tend to marginalize our friends, colleagues and family members. 

Take something as benign as asking someone what they did on the weekend; quite often it can incite a reaction of someone needing to hide who they are. Will they remember to say “he” instead of “she” in their stories?  Do they dare mention the “friend” in their pictures?  People pick up cues from their colleagues’ behaviors letting them know how they should act.  As you can much imagine, the interpreting, dodging and ultimate deflection can get exhausting.  For companies, it means that they should be concerned with the type of environment they are cultivating.  Allowing people to bring their “true” selves to work can lead to healthier, happier and ultimately more productive employees.

So to end my maiden post, I will close by paying homage in my parting thought.  But first, let us strive to be more conscious of our actions and remember to constantly check our assumptions.  Change can start with more inclusive conversations in the workplace and can lead to better employee relations overall.  

Thanks for reading and stay tuned.  As Ellen always says at the end of every show, ”be kind to one another”.

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Posted in LGBT

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