One can read almost any survey among executives across industry sectors, and they all cite talent attraction and retention and a lack of innovation as their biggest challenges. Revenue remains flat, and there have no fresh ideas for quite a while. One can easily picture a cartoon of boardroom full of white male baby boomers scratching their heads with a thought bubble containing a bold question mark. Therein lies the irony – the absence of diversity and inclusion is the reason that the answers elude them.
An April, 2014 article highlighted the inclusive efforts of Kimberly-Clark corporation. Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Huggies diapers and Kotex feminine products has a customer base that is 83 percent female. In 2009, leadership at Kimberly-Clark decided to increase the number of women within senior management as well as on the board of directors in 2009. Newly-implemented work-life balance initiatives allowed for top-performing working mothers to serve in more decision-making roles. Top performing women no longer feared making a decision between work and family. By 2013, the stock price increased from $63.71 to $104.46. Changing an organizational culture empowering diverse employees is Smart Inclusion™.
Kimberly-Clark proved that Smart Inclusion™ is ultimately about key performance indicators. These performance indicators can be economic, social, and environmental. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 37 percent of Americans are either African-American, Native-American, Asian-American or Latino. Furthermore, women comprise 50 percent of the American population. Smart Inclusion™ is not merely some feel good social imperative, it is a sustainable business practice. Sectors most needing to integrate Smart Inclusion™ for stakeholder engagement include:
- Government: The 21st century digital age and transformational demographic shifts in cities have changed the civic engagement paradigm forever. Transparency and cross-cultural collaboration are now fundamental to the new urban landscape.
- Public Utilities: Smart meters and other online water and energy management tools have empowered the customer with more knowledge. Customer engagement within a service territory made up of customers with diverse cultures and values has become an evolving science.
- Colleges and Universities: The international student population has increased dramatically at most institutions of higher learning. Increased competition to attract and retain such students require culturally-competent outreach strategies for each diverse student population.
Multiculturalism is the new normal. The infinite combinations of age, race, gender, class, and culture require nuanced value propositions. A recent Pew Research Center study also found that black women and Latinas use Instagram and Twitter more than any other social media platform. The convergence of changing demographics, globalization, and our everyday access to advanced technology has driven the need for Smart Inclusion™. Smart Inclusion™ for stakeholder engagement is fundamental to organizational sustainability.