Hecht, B. (2020, June 16). Moving beyond diversity toward racial equity.
https://hbr.org/2020/06/moving-beyond-diversity-toward-racial-equity
Ben Hecht, President & CEO of Living Cities, shares his awakening about racial inequality in his own company. He shrugged off the frequency of BIPOC employees exiting his company as normal until faced with an ugly reality. According to Hecht, “It certainly made me uneasy when, six years ago, members of my staff told me that Living Cities was a hard place to work for people of color. They shared that, despite a racially diverse staff, our office culture dictated that people of color only contribute in ways that white people, including me, were comfortable with”, (Hecht, 2020, para. 3).
The idea of the dominant culture managing the way people of color participate in an organization is painful. That means that BIPOC employees are forced to edit their thoughts, realities, and opinions denying them the opportunity to work authentically. The revolving door of BIPOC employees was a warning sign left ignored by Hecht and his team.
This is the reason that organizations need people of color in decision-making positions. Leaders from the dominant culture may have blind spots due to their privileged experience from living in an inequitable society.
Hecht has committed to creating an anti-racist organization by fully understanding the impact racism continues to have on our country. Hecht points out that, “…it was quickly revealed to me throughout this process the ways that my Black colleagues, and colleagues of color more broadly, have long understood racism’s costs and impact, inside an office and out, as a matter of survival”, (Hecht, 2020, para. 9).
Hecht’s rigorous honesty and the willingness to conduct his own diversity audit will help him attract and retain employees of color.
L2: Demonstrate the ability to assess complex organizational environments and achieve communicative goals.
L4: Apply communication-centered scholarship to strengthen communication effectiveness.
D1: Iteratively develop inter-professional leadership competencies.
D4: Be equipped to influence change.
