Searching for the next level of diversity: A book review

By Kyla Meyers and Barbara Deane

Building on the Promise of Diversity: How we can move to the next level in our workplaces, our communities, and our society by Dr. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr., New York: AMACOM/ American Management Association, 2006, 238p, ISBN 0814408621

That Dr. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. is searching for the next level of diversity is not unusual considering his stature as a respected guru in the field. But when Dr. Thomas says diversity has become a politicized "code word for affirmative action," and we — meaning organizations and society — are going to have a hard time getting to any next level because we're stuck in muddle-headed thinking about diversity, well, that is unusual! (He defines affirmative action as "the recruitment, promotion and retention of members of 'protected classes'" in the United States.)

Thomas believes most organizational leaders, as well as society, have accepted the politicized definition of diversity, which positions it as a win/lose power struggle. We understand diversity through the lens of struggle because that's how we understand differences. The power struggle is a legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and of affirmative action, and we would argue it is also a legacy of other institutions which the United States has used to approach differences, such as Indian reservations, slavery, segregation and Jim Crow laws, Japanese internment, to name a few).

Will the definition of diversity be liberated from the power struggle any time soon? Not until there is substantial incentive for doing so, states Thomas.

How can we redefine diversity?

"...the craft of diversity management..."

Thomas views diversity as something beyond the lens of struggle. Diversity doesn't have to be "approved of" or "promoted," he writes. "It already exists. It simply is."

Even though Thomas levels a harsh critique of the status of diversity efforts, he is not ready to give up — far from it. What Thomas' book is really about is helping readers unmuddle their thinking so that they can manage it effectively using what he calls, "the craft of diversity management," or Strategic Diversity Management (SDM)®. Before we delve into the craft, let's clarify his definitions.

Thomas defines diversity as "the differences, similarities and related tensions that exist in any mixture." Notice, he left out race and gender, those being only two kinds of similarities and differences. Also notice he included the word, tensions - not a word we usually associate with diversity, although we know it's there. Thomas describes diversity management as "making quality decisions" in the midst of these "differences, similarities and tensions." What business leader, individual contributor, government leader, community leader or parent wouldn't like making quality decisions?

How do we get unstuck?

If we're going to move to the next level in our response to diversity, Thomas says we must engage in deep thinking about it, as well as how we approach it. Any of the approaches we develop must not only apply to organizations (to which he refers as "micro level") but also to society (the "macro level"). And "everyone," yes, everyone must be able to use these approaches —individual contributors and leaders at work, as well as anyone in their daily life.

How can you argue with his premise? The current debate about immigration is a case in point. Listen to any examination of the issue and you will hear the micro level (business interests, employers' interests, immigrants' interests,) as well as the macro level (the communities' interests, the governments' interests). In our view, Thomas is right. Making progress with diversity efforts inside organizations in the United States will need to be accompanied by similar progress with diversity issues in communities.

Thinking deeply

I guess the first challenge for many of us would be to think deeply about diversity (isn't it just race and gender, for goodness sakes?) But Thomas doesn't let the reader slide by. Instead he guides the reader gently into thoughtful analysis with three stunning chapters: the United States as a diversity experiment, Civil Rights and affirmative action (Chapters 2, 3, 4). How can you effectively learn the craft of diversity management if you don't first unmuddle your thinking about the key concept?

The United States: A diversity experiment

"...all you have to do to become an American
is to believe in our ideals..."

Diversity is "as American as apple pie," and it has "existed at our country's core from the beginning," writes Thomas. Thomas says issues of diversity have been embroiled in this country's major events, including the writing of the United States Constitution, the Civil War, and today's "cultural wars."

The first questions our founders grappled with were questions of diversity, writes Thomas, such as who would be citizens (and who could vote), how to encourage tolerance and understanding of differences, and what form of government would empower all citizens.

This chapter offers an extraordinary analysis of the decisions the United States has made regarding diversity. What Thomas adds to this discussion are what he calls the five conditions that must exist if our country's diversity decisions are to function.

For example, the first condition requires "consensus about the ideals that bind us," because it makes it easier to create an environment that we all can live with. Thomas believes the United States, as a country, currently "lacks consensus about the ideals that bind."

In an interview, he elaborated: "...all you have to do to become an American is to believe in our ideals — ideals are the glue. If we are still bringing anyone over here and we're not clear about what the glue is, we have a problem."

Thomas argues that none of the five conditions necessary for the American Experiment's success are being met, and the country "is paying the price." Compromising the conditions not only escalate diversity tensions, but threaten "contentious divisiveness," he believes.

So what do we do? Return to the original settler's culture? He doesn't think so. He favors a multicultural culture proposed by several authors, but they offer little in regard to implementation.

This chapter could serve as a wake-up call to civic leaders. Thomas says leaders should be encouraging us, as citizens, to affirm our ideals, and be helping us to understand the conditions necessary for our experiment with diversity to succeed. At the same time, he urges civic leaders to "support the development of a diversity management capability" for the population, for without the ability to make quality decisions amidst differences, similarities and tensions, the American experiment will be hard pressed to fulfill its promise as the population changes.

The contribution of Civil Rights

While most books on diversity steer clear of any mention of Civil Rights and affirmative action, Dr. Thomas charges right into them. As he should, for how else to disentangle diversity from them. Dr. Thomas argues that diversity mixtures predate the Civil Rights Movement, and so it is in no way "an outgrowth... a successor, or a descendant" of the Movement.

Many people still focused on the Civil Rights Movement have difficulty unmuddling their thinking about diversity, according to Thomas, because they cannot separate it from social justice, or racism.

In this chapter, Thomas provides extraordinary insight into what he sees as the still unrealized "ultimate goal" of the Civil Rights Movement: the "integrated community or organization." He says this ideal of an enlightened society was symbolized in what Dr. Martin Luther King vaguely referred to as the "Beloved Community," although he wrote few details about it.

Thomas traces the evolution of the ideas and actions toward achieving integration. Extremely important to this evolution is a 1962 speech by Dr. King in which he describes integration as "the positive acceptance of desegregation and the welcomed participation of Negroes into the total range of human activities." Thomas emphasizes that Dr. King's three ethical demands (the "worth of individuals, life's demands of freedom, and the unity of humanity") legitimized the need for integration. What was required was not just "racial mingling" but "quality race relations."

Unfortunately, Dr. Thomas notes, how to implement "quality race relations" for the Beloved Community was sorely lacking. Again, he advocates a diversity management capability as a tool to advance the basic principles of integration.

Next phase, affirmative action.

"...individuals, organizations, communities must develop a diversity management capability..."

The primary reason that the Civil Rights did not achieve integration, according to Thomas, is that people and organizations did not know how to "manage racial diversity." It wasn't expressed this way of course. Thomas says that not only did they lack "diversity skills," they also lacked the required "diversity maturity."

To bring about the promise of Civil Rights in a speedy manner, something else was needed. "Affirmative action was that something," writes Thomas. Affirmative action had its supporters and its fervent opponents from the beginning, says Thomas. The tensions turned into a power struggle that continues today.

In a helpful section, Thomas outlines the case for and against affirmative action. He reminds us that its original intent has gotten lost in the debate; it was a "vehicle for increasing the representation (i.e. presence) of African-Americans in the mainstreams of U.S. life or the benefit of society, not organizations." Thomas argues that "all of the proposed solutions" for "fixing" affirmative action fall short because they fail to address this fundamental requirement: how to "obtain the desired racial representation within America's institutions without resorting to race-conscious tools."

For Thomas, there is only one way out of this maze. Everyone — "individuals, organizations, communities must develop a diversity management capability," he argues. Without the ability to make quality decisions in situations where differences, similarities and tensions exist, he sees little progress being made, with or without affirmative action.

Where to now?

In the next two chapters, Dr. Thomas explains why the diversity field is "just plain stuck," and his own personal journey to gaining clarity of the subject. Both are helpful. He discusses the refinements he has made with both of his definitions, diversity and diversity management. He began using the term, Strategic Diversity Management (SDM) because he realized it was necessary to focus on "strategic" mixtures and the quality of decisions. He defines SDM as "the craft of making quality decisions in the midst of strategic (critical) differences, similarities, and tensions."

This definition helped him explain that neither organizations nor individuals "can, or even should, address all diversity mixtures." They should focus on the ones that are strategic, meaning mission or vision critical. He sees the craft of Strategic Diversity Management applying universally to all kinds of diversity. He ends his journey chapter with a list of 10 questions that readers may want to ask themselves to get a better grasp of their perspective of diversity.

The craft of diversity management

"Strategic Diversity Management is a craft that enhances decision making. It's a capability. It's not a solution; it's a solution generator," says Thomas. Five basic concepts and five fundamentals constitute SDM. After one learns the concepts and fundamentals, Thomas believes SDM can be applied to any tangible decision making process. He emphasizes that SDM is a craft that anyone can learn.

One of the most important concepts of SDM is that tension naturally accompanies diversity. Thomas says a normal amount of stress and anxiety occurs when differences and similarities interact. Too often, he says tension is viewed as a lack of progress, but in reality it can be the stimulant that leads to change. The goal, he says, is to learn to live with the tension and make quality decisions in its midst.

Diversity — neither good nor bad

After understanding each of the five concepts of SDM, mastering the fundamentals is next. One of the surprising fundamentals is keeping diversity neutral. Whether diversity adds value or not depends on the context, according to Thomas. Both the positives and negatives must be effectively managed. Thomas reminds the reader that avoiding the politicized definition of diversity is necessary to applying the fundamentals of SDM. Using what he calls the "universal definition" of diversity allows a person to see it as race and gender, or as the synergy between product lines.

Who participates in SDM?

"...Issues may not be the same everywhere,
but their issues are important..."

Dr. Thomas says a common belief is that diversity management starts at the top and works its way down, which couldn't be further from the truth! If diversity management means making quality decisions, then it is everyone's responsibility to manage diversity in their own lives. In an interview with us, Thomas offered this example. "At one company, we had a blue-collar worker (in overalls) there with the CEO. After the presentation, this person hung around to ask me a question. He said the company had a lot of contract people, but this one contract person was not allowed to be on the bowling team. 'Is that a diversity issue?' he asked. Contract people vs. non-contract people is a big diversity issue in some organizations. Issues may not be the same everywhere, but their issues are important," Thomas emphasized.

Personal assessment

Dr. Thomas provides a measurement tool in the back of the book to help readers determine their level of being "diversity challenged." If individuals can determine where they are in understanding diversity, then he believes they are on the road to making effective, quality decisions. He has found, however, that the measurement tool can ignite rage and frustration on the part of some people who think they have a grasp on diversity. He recommends that facilitators position the measurement tool at the correct time in a learning process in order to get the most effective response. Thomas cautions that measurement tools are not effective if they demotivate people. He advises facilitators to make the point that there is always room to improve.

How long will it take to get to the next level of diversity?

Dr. Thomas explains that most Americans do not want to talk about principles and values — they want to-dos. The concepts and fundamentals of SDM provide individuals and organizations the platform to experience success in diversity management.

Thomas says his next step is to develop user-friendly measurement tools for organizations and communities. He says he isn't going to give up on diversity. He will continue to work for as long as it takes for people to catch on that diversity management is about making the best quality decisions for themselves and their organization.

If you are looking for a book to clarify your thinking about diversity, the legacies of Civil Rights and affirmative action, and how to improve people's ability to manage diversity, this book is essential reading. If you are looking for a thorough description of what the next level of diversity is, you won't find it. If we understand Dr. Thomas correctly, we have to master the craft of diversity management in order to discover what the next level is. Care to join us?

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