Companies that are hesitant to embrace the diversity of thought that accompanies the increasing demographic diversity in the workplace are destined to lose their competitive edge, contends Jim O. Rodgers, diversity coach and president at J.O. Rodgers & Associates, in a column for The Chicago Tribune.
Diversity, when managed well, presents various points of view that can drive new ideas, innovation and better business results, Rodgers says. Businesses such as McDonald’s, where 40 percent of restaurant owner-operators are women and minorities, are experiencing the business benefits of diversity. However, some industries are still struggling to acknowledge and leverage the positive attributes embracing diversity.
Take the legal field as an example. Women are graduating from law school at equal rates as men; however, just 16 percent are equity partners in law firms—a number that is about the same as 20 years ago—according to the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women. Rodgers believes some companies have stalled because they refuse to address what he describes as “relevant diversity,” opting instead to pay lip service by hiring token minority employees without giving them an opportunity to express their ideas.
