What’s Behind The Talk about Diversity Melvin Gravely, Ph.D. Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. www.EntreThinking.com © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

A new place to drape your ideas Our Objective Not stats Not advocacy Not even strategy I offer you… A hanger A new place to drape your ideas © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind the Talk The Driving Question What are we really trying to accomplish ? Story about working so hard at something you forget why you are doing it. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind the Talk Not a world where differences don’t matter Story about working so hard at something you forget why you are doing it. Not a world where differences don’t matter but one where differences make us better. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind The Talk Hurdles to Diversity Diversity is complex Legacy has an impact “People like things like they like” Diluted for acceptance Fear has diminished candor The promise has been tough to prove Education, opportunity, perception of opportunity, previous strategies like affirmative action, diversity training, etc. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind the Talk The Circle of Current Conversation “They” just need to do more Unclear about benefits No longer sure why We’ve been doing it for awhile Marginally convinced we should Story about working so hard at something you forget why you are doing it. Global perspective increases complexity © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

The Five Realities of Diversity What’s Behind the Talk Diversity is happening It is Not If but How you respond Story about something that is inevitible. Cemetary © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

Diversity is Happening What’s Behind The Talk Growing in persons of color Over 70, 20% Under 10, 70% 48% of largest cities are minority Growth rate of same sex households 80 million boomers set to retire over the next 20 years © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

Diversity is Happening Here Too What’s Behind the Talk in SE Michigan Growth in ethnic groups 1990 - 2000 Hispanic 52% Asian 84% Net increases in college grads comes from immigrants Boomers are retiring Too few X Y to replace them Southeast michigan. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

Diversity is Happening What’s Behind the Talk It is Not If but How you respond Fight & Fear Plan & Prosper Dump & Deny Open to opportunity Story about working so hard at something you forget why you are doing it. Pursue & Profit Blame & Bluster © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

The Five Realities of Diversity What’s Behind the Talk Diversity is happening Some people are OK with diversity but not actually for it. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind The Talk The Value of Diversity? What is the # 1 question in diversity? “What’s the business case?” This is the lead in to the next point. The upside is hard to quantify but difficult to ignore. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

The Five Realities of Diversity What’s Behind the Talk Diversity is happening Some people are OK with it but not actually for it. The upside is hard to quantify, difficult to ignore © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind The Talk The Value of Diversity More diverse companies do better Avg. sales 26% higher 63% more customers More likely to have higher than avg. market share Diverse groups are more innovative Simple logic University Illinois Chicago study © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

The Five Realities of Diversity What Behind the Talk Diversity is happening Some people are OK with it but not actually for it. The upside is hard to quantify, difficult to ignore Results are slow but perpetuating © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

The Five Realities of Diversity What’s Behind the Talk Diversity is happening Some people are OK with it but not actually for it. The upside is hard to quantify, difficult to ignore Results are slow but perpetuating We know “How-to” © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind The Talk We Know “How-to”…or we should 32,417 books on cultural diversity Over 700 “Cultural Diversity Consultants” and counting Hundreds of conferences Thousands of articles Studies, training, magazines, assessment tools But isn’t this the same process use when we do anything we really want to happen? © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind The Talk The Basics of “How-to” Actually be for it Plan for it to happen Purpose, goals, strategies, processes Allocate talent and resources Measure progress Improve Repeat But isn’t this the same process use when we do anything we really want to happen? © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

How Important is Diversity? What’s Behind the Talk Cost reduction On-time delivery Quality metrics Exploiting new market Research & Development But isn’t this the same process use when we do anything we really want to happen? <maybe this a question for the audience. Where does it fit in the presentation?> © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

The Five Realities of Diversity What’s Behind the Talk Diversity is happening Some people are OK with it but not actually for it. The upside is hard to quantify, difficult to ignore Results are slow but perpetuating We know “How-to” © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind Your Talk The Value of Diversity? Opportunity? Growth? A plan? Action? Commitment? This is the lead in to the next point. The upside is hard to quantify but difficult to ignore. © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.

What’s Behind The Talk about Diversity Melvin Gravely, Ph.D. Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. www.EntreThinking.com © 2008 Institute for Entrepreneurial Thinking, Ltd. ▪ All rights reserved.