Linking International Diversity Initiatives to Your Organization’s Business Imperatives
by Linda Gravett, Ph.D., SPHR

The U.S. business community is entering its third decade of diversity initiatives.  Corporate leaders today usually understand the significance of inclusion and the need to build positive relationships across race, gender, and personality.  The diversity discussion is not complete, however, until intentional efforts towards building relationships in today’s global society are included.  Key questions need to be addressed to expand efforts in U.S. companies:

• How is our customer base expanding?

• Who comprises our potential customer base?

• What competencies do we need across all employees to compete in a global marketplace?

• How does diversity education relate to our company’s financial performance?

• Are we using our employees’ talents to leverage resources and gain competitive advantage?

• Are we using our employees’ talents to achieve our business objectives and return value to shareholders?

I have found that my successful international clients align their efforts towards building collaboration across diverse customer and employee groups with core values, key result areas, and efforts targeted at differentiation in the marketplace.   For example, one organization I work with has decided to build a presence in Southeast Asia .  A critical component of their plan to achieve this presence is ascertaining what competencies their employees, both in the U.S. and in Southeast Asia , will require to ensure success.  Ex-pats will need to learn Japanese because that’s the target country for expansion.  They and their families will require an education around living in a country far different in culture and lifestyle than the U.S.  

When I lived in Japan , I made a cultural faux pas early on that spurred me towards educating myself about the country’s culture.  I attended the funeral of a Japanese neighbor, dressed in my best black outfit.  I attributed the stares I received during the ceremony to the fact that I’m a “round eye” who didn’t look like anyone else.  However, after the ceremony one of my Japanese neighbors pulled me aside and courteously explained that white is the symbol for grieving in their country.  I was truly embarrassed!  He went on to explain that black is their color for joy….so in essence I was saying, “I’m so glad he’s dead!”  This is the kind of mistake that can cause huge misunderstandings personally and professionally in other countries.

With my client example above, staff in the U.S. who support the ex-pats’ efforts will require an understanding of factors such as Japanese currency, their stock market, and labor relations laws.  The company’s ability and readiness to provide employees with these skill sets is a consideration when setting objectives such as international expansion.

From the employee’s perspective, many of us ask one basic question prior to expending time, energy, and effort for an assignment:  “what’s in it for me?!”  Whether you’re hoping to encourage a manager or an individual contributor to learn a different language, move to another country, or open their home to international business visitors, think about how you will foster their willingness to participate.  Tactics such as rewards, recognition, compensation and promotional opportunities that are tailored to individual employees should be considered to ensure employee buy-in.

The society presenting itself in this next decade is a global one.  Those who successfully meet the challenges of this society will be adaptable, open to different perspectives and approaches, and adept at collaborating across race, gender, age, and culture.

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Dr. Gravett is founder and Senior Partner of Gravett and Associates, an international organization development consulting firm headquartered in Cincinnati , Ohio .  Her email address is Linda@gravett.com