Learning Diversity from the U.S. Government

Powers is ending her brief tenure on a high note: the release of a comprehensive diversity report. It compiles all the data, insights and best practices that have been developed by the federal government since President Obama signed the August 2011 Executive Order announcing a government-wide initiative to promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce. Nothing like it has ever existed before in the public sphere.

The report, Raising the Floor: Sharing What Works in Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, was co-authored with Megan Smith, the U.S. Chief Technology Officer. It’s a tremendous gift to the business community. “As we come to the end of the administration, it was really important to us that we got everything we’d learned into the hands of the people who could really execute against it,” Powers says. “So many [executives] say, ‘I’m on board, but what do I do?’ And we felt like there are actually answers out there.”

For their report, Smith and Powers conducted dozens of interviews and examined the research and data collected by all the federal agencies as they sought to diversify their own workforces. The result is a detailed list of recommendations that touch on every aspect of talent development from hiring to leadership training, mentorship, accountability measures, feedback and beyond. “We believe that everyone could and should be doing these basic things,” she said. “They may be slightly different across industries, but by all means, iterate and customize.”

With the incoming Trump administration, these are uncertain times for the diversity and inclusion crowd. Powers offered some advice for raceAhead readers who may be feeling discouraged. “The facts on the ground haven’t changed from yesterday to today,” she said. “The business case for diversity hasn’t changed – it’s better for your bottom line, it increases innovation, all of that is still true.”

Powers says leaders need to show some courage around the subject of inclusion. “The rise of hate speech, yes, it’s scary and threatening.” The pushback is real. But people don’t do – or abandon – diversity work because the government tells them to. “You do it because it’s the right and profitable thing to do for your workforce, company and customers.”

On Point

The UC System plans to defy federal immigration agents wherever possibleThe University of California announced widespread changes to protect its undocumented students, saying that it would refuse to assist federal agents, turn over confidential records without court orders or assist in any way with any national registries based on race, religion of national origin. UC President Janet Napolitano said the university planned to “vigorously protect the privacy and civil rights of the undocumented members of the UC community.”Los Angeles Times

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