10 common reasons diversity fails
- Boards appoint the first minority/woman/young/gay/disabled person they stumble across. The new recruit isn’t properly prepared and doesn’t have the right skills or commitment to the organisation. The face may fit, but the new appointee can’t make a contribution.
- Top leaders, including the board and high-level staff, don’t own the diversity agenda. They may pay lip service, but they are not really convinced diversity needs to happen.
- Boards do not actively reach out to individuals or groups that could serve as trustees. They sit back and wait for minority trustees to come to them. When they don’t, the boards blame the minorities.
- Boards lack an effective recruitment programme that can focus on finding the right skills in the target groups. Better recruitment means greater ability put together the group you envision.
- The Chair simply doesn’t have sufficient skill to facilitate a discussion in which diverse views are present. He or she doesn’t understand diverse communication needs and can’t get the group to work together.
- New trustees aren’t given an adequate introduction or support in the early days. They feel inept, as though they have nothing to contribute. The board process rolls on without them and other trustees take no notice.
- Minority trustees feel isolated. They do not mix socially with the larger group and feel their views are not welcomed. No one talks to them and they have no one in whom they can confide.
- Once on the board, minority trustees are only given the opportunity to influence “minority issues”.
- Despite a diversity drive, the board is still ruled by a small group of insiders: it is impossible for other trustees to influence decisions.
- Organisations give up on diversity. They fail to make it part of a long-term strategy. After an initial push, they let things slide back into the status quo.
Leading diversity for the rest of the organisation
Taking strategic steps toward diversity, the board begins to strengthen its governing practice and improve its responsiveness to the environment. To extend the impact of these changes beyond the boardroom, the board needs to turn its attention to the rest of the organisation. By using its role as organisational leader and steward, the board can encourage positive change in the rest of the organisation, too.
Consulting before you act
Stakeholder consultation is key to the success of all diversity drives, even one that mainly affects the trustee board. It provides information about the attitudes and views of others while offering an opportunity to clear up misconceptions about diversity. Staff, volunteers, service users, community members, funders and local council representatives are all groups that can be involved in diversity through a consultation process conducted by the board.
Communicating the process
As the diversity drive moves forward, keep others in the organisation up to date about your progress. Always inform the Chief Executive of changes to policy—better still, involve him or her in all your efforts to raise awareness of the change process. Use a newsletter, bulletin board, website or email update to let others know what the board is doing about diversity and why. Have the Chair give an account of board activity at the AGM, focussing on the drive for a more diverse governing body. Speak to funders about the changes and let programme directors know what the board has planned. You can usefully combine communication with efforts to publicise new trustee places.
Diversity and vision
The trustee board establishes organisational vision. Diversity, both in on the governing board and throughout the organisation, should form part of this vision. The board should make a written statement of its vision, including the role diversity will play in the life of the organisation.
Modelling diversity
The board should model behaviour around diversity that it would like to see throughout the organisation. Its own practices should reflect desired standards. Use newsletters, websites and other forms of communication to let the rest of the organisation know how the board is dealing with diversity.
Creating policy
Organisation’s need consistent policy in the area of diversity. The board needs to make sure a diversity policy is in place for the organisation and that it is being implemented adequately.
Holding staff to account
If the organisation has committed to inclusion and diversity, this should be linked as performance targets agreed with the Chief Executive. The board needs to evaluate how he or she is performing in the area of diversity alongside other key performance indicators. To implement this successfully, specific diversity-related targets and behaviours should form part of Chief Executive performance criteria. This has the effect of giving the executive a clear message about the importance of diversity and makes diversity a priority.
Supporting efforts to bring diversity in other parts of the organisation
As part of its efforts to promote diversity, the board can support the Chief Executive and other managers in their efforts to bring change to the rest of the organisation. Make sure board policies are in line with operational policies on diversity. Issue statements of support for what the executive is trying to achieve; link these changes to board vision. Approve financial backing for the costs associated with diversity, including diversity training for the Chief Executive and other staff.