How-to guide for developing a diversity initiative: Case study of Napa County HHSA By Janna Charles and Barbara Deane ***Editor's note: This article is fourth in a series exploring the status of diversity and inclusion efforts during the recession with interviews of both internals and externals.*** "Human Diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue; it makes it a requirement for survival." -- Rene' Jules Dubos, Pulitzer Prize Winner Nestled in the pages of a highly detailed Diversity Initiative Strategic Plan, this quote captures the sort of mentality the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) has about diversity and inclusion. The 96-page comprehensive plan includes 21 recommendations and was created in a collaborative effort between Agency internals and external consultants from Amistad Associates, a management consulting and organizational development firm specializing in diversity and inclusion. "The Napa County plan is a good model for how to craft a diversity initiative," says Julie O'Mara, one of the Amistad consultants. The Strategic Plan, currently in the implementation stage, has not only had a positive impact on the Agency's business culture, but has remained viable during the recession -- a true marker of success. A systems-change approach to diversity and inclusion, the strategic plan is an example of "what many organizations talk about but never get around to implementing because they don't know how to go about it," says O'Mara. We interviewed the primary individuals involved in the development and implementation of Napa County HHSA's Diversity Initiative Strategic Plan in order to create a step-by-step "how-to" guide for formulating a successful diversity initiative. Any organization could use Napa HHSA's processes as a template for developing their own diversity strategies. MOTIVATING FACTORS Part of the Agency's decision to get involved with diversity and inclusion can be attributed to changing demographics in Napa County. "Because we serve such diverse populations, a diversity initiative is a must," says Hannah Euser, diversity coordinator and chair of the Napa County HHSA Diversity Steering Committee. Recent estimates indicate that by 2010, about 40 percent of Napa's population will be non-white, with a 16 percent increase in those 65 and older. Government regulations on mental health programs are also a driving factor, as they require the Agency to put cultural competency programs in place. Says Euser of the regulations, "We figured that if we're going to implement an initiative for certain programs, we should be doing it for the whole Agency." But aside from these business-case related factors, Euser claims it was the passion and foresight of the Agency director, Randy Snowden, that truly got the initiative started. With past experience in diversity and inclusion, it was Randy who established the philosophy on which the Strategic Plan is grounded. Director Randy Snowden outlines their approach: "We have framed the diversity initiative in two ways: one is to reduce barriers that impede access to services and the other is to improve the effectiveness of services that we provide. It's also about health, productivity, ethics, etc, but it mainly comes down to doing our job effectively."   THE PROCESS Step 1: Establishing a solid foundation Having a set structure and solid foundation is key to a lasting diversity initiative. For Napa County HHSA, this came in the form of a Charter. Agency Director Randy Snowden and the executive team, including the internal person responsible for organizational development, determined they wanted to create a diversity plan that would integrate the "philosophy and practices of diversity into the core values of the agency." "In the past," says Euser, "our Agency tried to form ad hoc diversity related groups, but when something isn't formally structured, other priorities get in the way." The Charter, a three-page document, not only established commitment from the get-go, but also set up time-frame expectations. "Even having this small document will ensure the future of the initiative," she says.  Step 2: Selecting external consultants Next, the Agency began a solicitation of external consultants to aid in the development of the diversity initiative. They hired Juan Lopez and Julie O'Mara of Amistad Associates, whose services they believed were best aligned with the Agency philosophy. Step 3: Data gathering The consultants teamed up with Agency staff to gather data within Napa HHSA in order to gauge the workplace dynamics, the current understanding of diversity among employees and to determine what skills would be needed to develop diversity maturity. To accomplish this, they conducted interviews, online surveys and discussion or "focus" groups, making sure to control for diversity variables among participants. Identity-based focus groups operated under eight specific variables: Generational, Gender, Levels of Education, Latino, Caucasian, People of Color and Sexual Orientation. In addition to internal participation in these groups, Napa HHSA compiled numerous statistics about the changing demographics in the county, and got 8-10 of their community partners on board, which Euser says is important to the Agency goal of "instigating change in the community with the diversity initiative." During the data-gathering process, the consultants from Amistad Associates laid diversity groundwork, establishing core concepts and accepted definitions of cultural competence and diversity. Consultant Juan Lopez suggests that this kind of "diversity grounding" is an essential element of a successful initiative. "The importance of conceptual grounding and lexicon was carefully designed," says Lopez of the process at Napa HHSA. "We wanted to establish language that would help build a solid foundation for beliefs, norms, values and practices. Our goal was to ensure all the pieces were in place to guide their diversity and inclusion initiative." Step 4: Data synthesis Consultants Julie O'Mara and Juan Lopez stress the importance of synthesizing data in a way that is meaningful and relevant to diversity goals.  For Napa, this took the form of the two-and-a-half-day Diversity Futures Conference, designed by a committee of eight people with the goal of using the information to create recommendations for a strategic plan. O'Mara says the key to this part of the process is open-mindedness and creativity. "What they say about the human brain is that it can hold a lot of information if you allow people to play around and feel okay about it," she says. With this in mind, relevant information and key comments from the data-collection stage (about 500 pieces of information and a dozen posters of stattistics) were posted on the walls of the conference room in colorful and compelling displays.  The 35 participants representing various dimensions of diversity, including level and function, were asked to absorb the information in a data stroll accompanied by music and silent reflection. Afterwards, they were organized into task groups to discuss problems and formulate possible solutions. "Some of the participants were overwhelmed at first because a lot of the data and comments were not positive," says O'Mara. Often times the initial participant reaction is "I can't do this," or "I don't have the authority." O'Mara suggests putting these thoughts aside and using a more open and positive framework. "Step back from it and say, 'if we got rid of all the constraints, how would we address this?' Look at the business case, be creative and open to what IS possible and it may BE possible." With this kind of mindset, conference participants were able to come up with a strong set of recommendations. At the end of the two-and-a-half-day conference, participants presented their recommendations to the executive team who shared their reactions and willingness to go to the next step. Step 5: Editing, finalizing and presenting the plan For Napa HHSA, this process occurred over the course of about seven months and was undertaken by a new group of individuals (many who had taken part in the Diversity Future's Conference) under the title, Implementation Planning Team. After a thorough refinement process, the resulting plan was divided into five areas: Organization development and leadership Workforce development Standards and training Access to quality care Diversity infrastructure These areas are broken down into anywhere from one to five recommendations complete with action steps, budget estimates, and a prioritized project timeline for a three-year implementation of the various steps of each recommendation.  The plan was presented to senior management, who accepted it in full. Step 6: Implementing the Plan To oversee the multi-year implementation process, the Diversity Steering Committee (DSC) was put in place. Comprised of ten internal members and trained by Amistad Associates, the committee currently meets once a month for three hours.  In addition, Euser spends two days a week managing the implementation with DSC members and others in the organization also working on implementing the recommendations.  Euser notes that their first action as a committee was to re-prioritize the recommendations so they could get started on what was most pertinent to the Agency at the time. They began at Recommendation #3 -- providing structure for increasing communication on diversity issues. Hannah Euser notes, "We aren't a huge agency [approx. 400 employees], but structurally, we are housed in different buildings, so it is difficult to foster collaboration." One way the committee got started on this recommendation was by writing and publishing articles about culturally specific and often controversial issues in the monthly newsletter.  Employees can choose to voice comments or concerns about the articles, which the committee can respond to at both an agency wide or individual level. "It's a great way to keep the dialogue going," says Euser. "The diversity district is still very young and we have a lot of barriers to break down. We are starting to present sensitive issues. We want to keep our finger on the current pulse." IMPACT OF THE RECESSION In spite of challenges brought on by the recession, Napa HHSA's diversity efforts are still prevailing. In fact, Euser says that the business case for diversity and inclusion is stronger than ever. "We are dealing with issues that we've never confronted before," she says, referring to an increased number and variety of clients as a result of unemployment. "People who have never been out of a job before are applying for food stamps to feed their families,” she cites as one example. Euser suggests getting creative and thinking about innovative ways to implement goals. For instance, Napa HHSA has been relying on internals to satisfy its diversity needs as an alternative to external components suggested in the Strategic Plan. Euser's own position as the Chair of the Diversity Steering Committee emerged because the Agency didn't have the budget for a full-time external diversity officer. "They decided to put me in this two-day-a-week position because I work in administration and have a history of working with diversity initiatives," says Euser. Agency Director Snowden puts the imperative simply: "If you're serious about [the diversity initiative], you continue to prioritize and use whatever tools you have available. It doesn't have to be a financial burden as long as you're willing to devote staff and management time to it." He claims that it isn't about money, but rather how individuals within a company interact with each other and make decisions.  ADVICE TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS When it comes to creating a successful initiative, Euser says that it's all about "collaborating and listening to the voices in your organization." Finding creative ways of doing this, like the Diversity Futures Conference, will keep staff engaged. Agency Director Randy Snowden also emphasizes the importance of collaboration. Napa County HHSA's diversity initiative operates under a "collaborative management model," in which decision-making tasks and responsibilities are shared across the organization, instead of concentrated in the hands of a few individuals. "What the consultants said about collaborative management is that it puts a framework in place for a high level of trust and allows people to share a common goal," says Snowden. "Instead of an old fashion hierarchical structure, in which power is concentrated at the executive level, we make decisions collaboratively amongst us." He claims that this collaborative model in combination with a diversity initiative not only "makes people feel included and empowered" but also decreases absenteeism and improves employee satisfaction. Euser also suggests exposing staff to the primary and secondary dimension model of diversity,* which she claims will help them better understand and relate to the diversity initiative. Euser describes a recent encounter she had in a county-wide training, in which an older white man said, "I don't relate to anything, I'm not diverse." She explained that diversity has subtleties that extend beyond race into the realm of educational background, income level, age, etc, which improved his understanding and gained his support for the diversity effort. Finally, act whole-heartedly Euser encourages. Establish company-wide commitment from the get-go by getting people involved in the planning process and finding creative ways to engage staff in the conversation about diversity. Not only does it keep momentum going in the face of challenges like the recession, but also it keeps the initiative from being placed on the back burner. Director Snowden sums up the commitment.  "Rather than simply wait and see what the native yeast is going to do and what kind of bread we're going to be baking, why don't we instead make up our own recipe? Agree on relationships and processes and consistently work toward those. We have a longstanding culture of wanting to serve the community and diversity is very fertile ground in which to cultivate it." *The primary and secondary dimension model of diversity was originally published in the book, Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource, by Marilyn Loden and Judy B. Rosener, Business One Irwin, 1991. The model was further elaborated in Diverse Teams at Work by Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe (Irwin, 1994), and in Managing Diversity: A Complete Desk Reference Guide, Gardenswartz & Rowe, McGraw Hill, 1998. Janna Charles is an editorial intern and Barbara Deane is editor-in-chief for DiversityCentral.com. back to top

Home | Diversity Store | Diversity Events | Jobs | Consultants | Submissions | Customer Service | Search the Site

 

© 2009 The GilDeane Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Information on this site may not be reproduced in part or in full in any form without written permission from

The GilDeane Group, Inc.
13751 Lake City Way NE (Suite 210)
Seattle, WA 98125-8612.