Senior-Level Endorsement

Diversity experts often point out that in order to be effective, a diversity program must be endorsed by an organization s senior leadership. The leadership team then needs to make all employees aware of the real importance of diversity to the success of the business as a whole. Leaders need to model what s expected, provide a clear vision, and hold others accountable - all the roles they would play in any other initiative important to the organization s goals. 

Firms that make a commitment from top management to actively search out and include a diverse workforce in positions of responsibility - and to be held accountable for the results - are in a better and stronger position to keep the workforce diverse and the firm successful in the future. 

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Top-level support is often most valuable when it is highly visible. Perhaps the most useful role senior management can take on behalf of PSM is to endorse it explicitly—both inside the company and externally. Senior managers active participation in communications about PSM lends cred -ibility and generates awareness of PSM as a company priority in ways that not even the most dedicated staff team can achieve. 

Just as you presented a preliminary plan at the outset of the PSM initiative, you may want to think in terms of a formal presentation to your company s management when the detailed plan is complete. Remember that senior management s buy-in will be essential to successful implementation so will the endorsement of line managers at the operating level, who will be directly affected by your plan. 

People at the top have to make decisions to force change, says Delon Hampton. I think the big reason for perceived frustration on the part of minority engineers is the lack of opportunity at senior and top levels. If you want to change, you have to show there is opportunity by having senior management in the company endorse diversity. ... 

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