Initial Goals and Strategies--What are YOUR thoughts and feedback?

[ReginaDM]

Each of the working sessions was tasked to develop 1-4 goals and 1-4 strategies to achieve those goals.  The initial draft developed for the Advancing Diversity and Inclusion session is below. How would you refine these goals and strategies?  What would you add or subtract?

What are we aiming to accomplish?

•Achieve representation of staff and board leadership that will reflect the diversity of constituencies and communities we serve focus on equity.

•Identify, develop, and recognize emerging leaders from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in a systemic way

•Create and promote a sector that institutionalizes and embodies inclusive leadership

What are our strategies for making this happen?

•Fund to create a value around diversity and inclusion, plus incentives to reinforce investments

•Create more educational and credentialing opportunities accessible to diverse and underrepresented people

•Demonstrate commitment of dominant leadership to make change and actively develop new leaders

•Create and share public metrics to measure and connect representation, individual performance, and organizational effectiveness

•Institutionalize and share best practices for inclusion. Put real examples of inclusive leadership on a pedestal, foster competition and hold up best examples.

[samuelmahaffy]

It is an interesting and challenging strategy to seek commitment of dominant leadership to actively develop new leaders. In non-profits in conflict, we often find that a core issue around conflict is the reluctance of founders and dominant leaders to let go and let others...Often they need acknowledgment of their past or current leadership to let others step in.

[macarthur31]

This is a great list.

In terms of refining strategies:  Perhaps we should consider some type of "mentoring" or "buddy"-ing process.  This is based off of the leadership succession research I've done where mentoring (either capital "M" or lowercase "m") has been a significant accelerator for leadership development.  Possibilities could include:

• small affinity circles (4-6) of diverse emerging leaders
• small circles (4-6): one half advanced and one half emerging leaders
• one on one "partnering" between advanced and emerging leaders

There's a delicate tension here:  while creating groups of affinity by experience can be advantageous as it can be a "safe harbor", it needs to be balanced out with intentional shared spaces.

[Jimeka]

I agree that an affinity group for mentoring purposes that is composed of advanced and emerging leaders can enrich and refine the goals and strategies of this working group. I also agree that creating intentional shared space opportunities will balance out the affinity groups and allow for shared learning and growth between all participating leaders. 

[JeffPath12]

In cooperation with the Louisiana and Colorado Nonprofit Associations, Pathfinder Solutions conducted workforce and board analysis of how people find their way into the sector and their perceptions on workforce development and support.  The Colorado report  1300 + respondents will be released in January - let us know if you would like a copy.  The Louisiana report is available through: 

http://www.lano.org/news/77505/New-Report-Anticipates-Shortfall-in-Nonprofit-Leadership.htm

Both reports contain important information on diversity and inclusion.  And the data is analyzed with significance pertaining to Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations.  Additionally, Pathfinder Solutions has conducted direct analysis using Audience Response Technology of over 2000 involving practicing professional, youth and board members.  We have been deliberate about gaining insight on engagement of a robust and diverse talent pool. 

We completed a student-based research project with 1st years students in the Ethnic/Leadership/Chancellor's Leadership Program on students' perceptions of nonprofits, service, careers and barrier issues to engagement.   The students prepared a set of recommendations to both the university and nonprofit community to improve engagement strategies.  We hope to extend this effort to other universities.   

Finally, we have interviewed over 300 nonprofit/NGO people from across the globe on their motivations, barriers, recommendations and are in the process of developing recommendations on their collective insights.  This work was inspired by our patron, Desmond Tutu. 

Primary insight on diversity and inclusion:  The engagement process should be started early,  reinforced often, extend beyond the borders of single organizations into a collaborative approach and include other key stakeholder groups in the process (family, community, faith, educators, et al).  We are working with a number of communities to build specific strategy and invite opportunites to extend this work to other locations.

For more information - check www.PathfinderSolutions.org or contact us Jeff@pathfindersolutions.org

[JeffPath12]

This article may be of interest:  http://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/searching_for_jane_goodall

Let us know your thoughts!

Jeff

[BeckyD]

I think the concept of shared or inclusive leadership is fantastic but should only be implemented with several key factors already in place.  Things like trust, a solid organizational foundation, committment to change and good communication.  How can we prepare the current leaders for this switch in a leadership model?  How can we ensure that nonprofits are READY for inclusive leadership?  These seem to be pressing questions for me.