November 1-5 Weekly News Brief: Diversity, Innovation, Leadership

Submitted by Natalia Castaneda on Fri, 11/05/2010 - 10:15

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On Diversity and Shared Experiences…

For the most part, the approach we take to diversity and inclusion work has not changed much over the past 30+ years. It is not that those in the field do not care about the work they are doing – on the contrary, they are extremely passionate – but the field has not progressed because people are not having new conversations. In his blog, Joe Gerstandt suggests ways that this field can evolve. To name a few, he believes that there needs to be more of a focus on social media, less talk about intensions, more focus on “honest, courageous, and authentic” workplaces, and a new way of leadership.

The 'Not in our Town' grassroots movement is an anti-hate campaign aimed at eliminating discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that has historically not been tolerated by hate groups. The movement developed over 15 years ago and has grown alongside (and because of) the internet. As the internet has grown, it has allowed people to become more personally involved in the movement and has encouraged more advocacy efforts.
Telling stories has always been a way that individuals connect with other individuals on a personal level. Storytelling is also a technique that large companies, like Walt Disney and large insurance companies, have started using as part of a training program to bring together “a disparate workforce, especially one from around the globe.” People of different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, and genders are able to connect in ways they would otherwise not be able to when they go through this training program.

On Innovation…

We hear the words “innovation” and “scale” a lot in the philanthropic world, but what do they really mean? And are they “just the latest fad”? Kathleen Enright argues that if these concepts are thought of as ends in of themselves, then skeptics have a right to state their concerns. However, if they are thought of “in service of growing the impact of important programs,” then these words should not be left out of the conversation. A number of insights generated by the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ community build a framework in which innovation and scale can lead to larger impact. Among those insights are: “innovation and impact are not synonymous” and the idea that collective, facilitative, and networked leadership is more effective than a single-person leadership model.
The relationship between innovation and effective systems is a tricky one because while consistent, well-defined systems are necessary for an organization to operate, innovation often means creating something new, and organizations many times don’t have processes for the “new.” Additionally, “good ideas can’t be commercialized if they can’t move through the organization effectively, which means innovation will rely to some extent on well-defined processes and systems.” Jeffrey Phillips discusses this relationship and necessary balance in a blog post.

On Leadership…

A recent article by the Boston Globe reports that a study by the University of Michigan found that young people today are 40% less empathetic than they were in 1979. The study finds that despite being more connected than ever before those connections are not as fueled by emotions as they once were. Cynthia Gibson dissects the findings and, while she is inclined to believe these findings are inaccurate, she concludes that more comprehensive research needs to be done on the issue. She also concludes that those people who do care about other people are in the perfect position to find clearer answers.
In a blog post, Jillian Vukusich summarizes the opportunities that young people have today, being part of the Next Generation. Among those opportunities are learning from the current leadership and their abundant body of knowledge and the networks and connections that are so accessible to us.