Professional Documents
Culture Documents
UPMC 6. ARAMARK
2. New York Life Insurance Company 7. ConAgra Foods
3. KPMG LLP 8. Cisco Systems, Inc.
4. WellPoint, Inc. 9. Kaiser Permanente
5. Sodexo 10. Royal Dutch Shell
Awards of Excellence
American Airlines • Aon Consulting
CACI International Inc. • Ecolab • Georgia Power • Gibbons P.C.
Nationwide Financial • University of the Rockies
7 Leveraging ERNs to
Develop Emerging Leaders 8 Inclusive Advocacy Program
In June of 2008, ConAgra Foods launched an initiative In November 2008, Cisco launched the Inclusive
to leverage their six Employee Resource Networks (ERNs) to Advocacy Program (IAP), an innovative approach to leader-
broadly develop the leadership capability within the diverse ship development with the goal of increasing opportunities
employee population. The six ERNs include ConAgra’s for its globally diverse, high-potential
Asian Network, Black Employee Network, Latino Network, employees to advance to senior-level There are
Young Professionals Network, Illuminations (LGBT employ- positions. By deliberately matching and many pieces to
ees and allies), and Women’s Leadership Council (WLC). The pairing diverse high-potential employ-
approach focused in four action areas. ees with influential Cisco leaders and the program,
Network Leader Appointment – The Human Resources creating close working relationships, but the heart
Leadership Team collaborates to identify emerging leaders to IAP increases the employee’s visibility
of it is the
fill ERN team leader roles, which rotate every 18 to 24 months. and exposure, and helps to accelerate
To augment the development process, each ERN is assigned their growth, recognition, and career relationship
a sponsor from the CEO’s team who collaborates with the opportunities. IAP leverages Cisco’s between the
ERN team leader to develop and execute the annual plan. This collaboration technology, including
exposure increases senior leader engagement with emerging WebEx and Cisco TelePresence, to cre-
matched pairs
leaders at lower levels in the organization, while providing a ate enhanced engagement opportuni- which is nur-
unique opportunity for employees to engage senior leaders. ties and facilitate the development of tured through
Knowledge and Nourish Sessions – Each network hosts, “advocacy” relationships with senior
plans, and executes quarterly development sessions over executives outside of the employee’s regularly
lunch. Topics are determined through member surveys and existing work function, network, and scheduled pair
executive sponsor recommendations based on their observa- geography.
tion of developmental gaps. The sessions, using internal and meetings.
IAP specifically addresses the chal-
nationally known facilitators, are open to non-network mem- lenge of helping high-potential diverse
bers throughout the company. The latest in technology enables employees in mid-level managerial
the company to broadcast these sessions across all locations. roles expand their networks, navigate, and advance their
Mentoring – Each network has access to mentoring careers without being limited by their current roles and loca-
circles to enable senior leaders to share insights and provide tions. There are many pieces to the program, but the heart
coaching to small groups of employees. The WLC launched of it is the relationship between the matched pairs, which is
a 12-month Mentoring pilot in 2009 with 220 participants nurtured through regularly scheduled pair meetings.
using an innovative computer-matching technology. To date, 64 employees including 32 senior leaders, or
Annual Leadership Conference – In 2009, the annual “advocates,” have participated in IAP. One employee was
recognition dinner hosted by their CEO was expanded to promoted in Europe and another was given a new assignment
include a day-and-a-half Leadership and Learning Lab. One as a result of their participation in the program. The second
hundred leaders across all ERNs were invited to participate round of the program is currently underway with additional
to increase their capability to lead through influence and to participants, and Cisco expects to see an increased impact on
develop strategic plans tied to business objectives. the participants’ careers.
Since the launch of this initiative, three of the six ERNs A few unexpected benefits for both participants and advo-
have seen their team leaders promoted at least one career cates included:
level during their leadership tenure. Eighty-eight percent of • Elevated & more strategic thinking;
the Mentoring Pilot participants found it valuable in helping • Improved ability to influence & communicate across
them grow professionally, and as a result, ConAgra Foods cultures;
will launch the mentor matching tool for company-wide use • Increased insight into other parts of Cisco’s business,
this summer. In addition, ERN participation has increased resulting in better decisions; and
exponentially during this period, from 100 employees to over • Expanded and enhanced networks. PDJ
1500. PDJ
9 Diversity Leadership
Development Program 10 “P&T Jam” –
Building an Inclusive Global Culture
Kaiser Permanente’s formal mentoring process is With the appointment of Peter Voser as Royal Dutch
designed to last 18 months and focus specifically on facilitat- Shell’s CEO in 2009, a major change was the creation of a new
ing development of people from diverse backgrounds who Projects & Technology (P&T) business
are underrepresented in the leadership pipeline. All of the which encompassed 8200 employees One aim of
participants who are selected as protégés aspire to higher- across multiple global geographies. the P&T
level leadership positions and have strong performance One aim of the P&T leadership was to
ratings. build a truly inclusive global culture.
leadership was
To demonstrate full executive support and sponsorship To this end, Shell sponsored an online to build a truly
for the formal mentoring process, Kaiser Permanente execu- discussion forum running continuously inclusive
tives volunteer to be mentors. Prior to beginning the formal for sixty-five hours over a three day
period. It was a global interactive event global culture.
To demonstrate full executive support and referred to as the “P&T Jam.”
sponsorship for the formal mentoring process, The P&T Jam objectives were to:
• Create affiliation among P&T – to
Kaiser Permanente executives volunteer be a part of building the new P&T;
to be mentors. • Build cohesiveness through a foundation of global (vir-
tual) connections;
• Locate and brainstorm new ideas for cheaper, better, fast-
er and safer alternatives to existing methods of working;
mentoring program, all of the executive mentors participate • Demonstrate the “new way of working” (i.e., focused,
in a formal advancement training to improve their ability to fast, virtual, high tech); and
mentor others as well as expand their understanding of the • Demonstrate 1 to 2 actionable results/successes prior to
culture from which their protégé belongs. the 2010 Shell People Survey.
Similarly, protégés receive training and information on P&T Executive Leadership Team members hosted the
how to give upward feedback, how to dialogue and meaning- forum throughout and formal handoffs between the execu-
fully exchange ideas with senior leaders, and how to create an tives in hub locations around the world occurred at scheduled
effective development plan. Protégés fully own and facilitate times to assure senior leadership was continually connected
the process with their mentors. This includes scheduling and engaged. The Jam started with four predetermined dis-
monthly meetings, providing feedback to the mentor regard- cussion topics which were carefully selected to ensure they
ing the effectiveness of the interactions, updating their indi- were meaningful and relevant to participants and leadership.
vidual development plan, directly making requests and asking Over the course of the three days, more than 9900 logins and
for support, and educating their mentor on the cultural dif- 4206 posts were made by employees across 117 countries.
ferences and challenges they confront. One business leader who hosted part of the Jam high-
Kaiser Permanente found that the Diversity Leadership lighted how he was struck by the diversity we have in the
Development Program makes a significant impact on both organization and the richness of thoughts resulting from the
the development of protégés and growth of their executive Jam. “It was fascinating to see how the discussions developed
mentors. The program has been implemented in four of their over the three days – from simple opinion-sharing to joint
eight regions and the Finance business function within its problem-solving. I very much appreciated the honesty and
National Headquarters. Results are significant in that 61% of constructive challenge brought forward by all participants.
all participants in the program have had a job promotion or We have seen many remarks on empowerment, and the
job expansion. This is recognized as a fundamental program power of leaders who are giving clarity on what to achieve, as
in leadership development within the organization. PDJ well as trust and freedom on how to achieve this.” PDJ
Award of Award of
Excellence The Power of ERGs Excellence Unmatched Teams Initiative
In late 2009, American Airlines announced it would begin One of Aon Consulting Employee Benefit Outsourcing’s
service to Beijing, China from its Chicago O’Hare airport. (EBO) three strategic imperatives is to “Engage [their] diverse
The company’s Asian Pacific-Islander Employee Resource workforce—recognize talent, nurture it, and promote it.”
Group (APIERG) approached the company to help out in Essential to this effort is creating a culture that does not sim-
positioning the new route for established success in the mar- ply accept diversity, but values it.
ket. With the assistance of Tom Del Valle, Sr. V.P. Airport Executive Vice President and Practice Director Ken
Services and executive sponsor for APIERG, they teamed up Haderer and his leadership team partnered with Novations,
with various departments at the company to determine where a leading provider of employee engagement and diversity
they could focus their efforts and help with strategy. training, to develop a learning curriculum to build awareness
With having an established employee resource group of the need for and power of diversity and inclusion in the
(ERG) familiar with both the market being served and the workplace. To ensure an integrated approach, Aon merged
product serving the market, the food and beverage depart- Novations’ Appreciating Differences program with Aon’s
ment tapped into the knowledge of APIERG to create a menu
own performance management tools and their Leadership
which would appeal to the customer demographic. After
Model.
reviewing marketing collateral for cultural relevance and sen-
When the need for continued reinforcement and further
sitivity, APIERG helped position American Airlines by:
engagement became clear, Aon Consulting EBO selected a
• Participating in the 2010 NYC China Town Parade and
team of Diversity Champions from across the business to
2010 Lunar New Year Celebration to provide visibility
develop and drive continued education and learning. The
and promote the market;
programs they developed included half-day follow-up ses-
• Meeting with the Beijing sales team to provide insight on
sions, continuing education for managers, and a two-hour
strategy and help define focus areas;
program for non-managers and new colleagues.
• Obtaining sponsorship from American Airlines to the
Today, Aon’s Diversity Champions are developing a
United States of America-China Chamber of Commerce
continuing education program that requires every manager
(USCCC)—a not-for-profit, bi-national membership
to deliver their own on diversity and inclusion to colleagues
organization dedicated to developing increased U.S.-
China trade and investment activities; and through team meetings, monthly management calls, brown
• Developing training guides/resources and Chinese bag lunches, and newsletters. To symbolize and publicly
phrases for frontline employees to educate and assist declare this commitment, teams of managers drew images
them with our Chinese-speaking customers. of their commitment to diversity and inclusion, and Aon
Utilizing a communication strategy, APIERG leveraged Consulting has them on display throughout their offices.
the media by developing short videos for YouTube and a Haderer stated that due to these programs “the Aon jour-
Facebook page to promote the route. In addition, at least ney has resulted in higher levels of performance across the
three APIERG ambassadors will fly the inaugural flight to organization as measured by individual and team key perfor-
create high-level engagement, and each ambassador will mance indicators of productivity and service quality.” PDJ
In 2009, Georgia Power launched a review of the company’s Supplier diversity programs have largely focused on the
internal hiring procedures with a goal of improving trust in procurement of goods, which, unlike services, are subject to
the job selection process and managers who make hiring deci- objective qualitative management standards like ISO 9000.
sions. A Job Selection Task Force made up of 33 employees Recently, many supplier diversity programs have started
from across the company recommended that all employees capturing spend in professional services, such as legal and
be educated on how the job selection process works and what accounting. In these professional categories, corporate lead-
their roles and responsibilities are throughout the process. ers have established important workplace diversity objectives
The company responded by developing separate training to ensure that diverse professionals thrive and create oppor-
classes for managers and individual contributors with that tunities for M/WBE vendors.
result in mind. In light of the above, the Gibbons Diversity Initiative
The Job Selection for Employees The company (GDI) features a brand-new supplier diversity program, GDI-
Web-Based Training (WBT) course is 123, that is responsive to the different objectives of the various
responded by
highly interactive and uses a combina- constituencies involved in the vendor/client relationship.
developing
tion of three different types of media. It GDI-123 was designed to help Gibbons P.C. and their
begins with a videotaped message from separate train- clients realize a triple bottom line:
the CEO in which he expresses his com- ing classes for • Meeting diverse spend goals with qualified M/WBE
mitment to increasing employee trust managers and vendors;
in the job selection process one person • Utilizing diverse Gibbons attorneys with total quality
individual
at a time. The workshop also uses pro- management of services; and
contributors
fessionally-acted, videotaped scenarios • Obtaining competitive blended rates for legal services
based on real events that occur within with that and/or optimum prices for other products and services.
the company. result in mind. GDI-123 is client-friendly: Gibbons directs the entire busi-
Its objectives are to increase employ- ness process to ensure that no administrative burden is placed
ees’ understanding of the job selection on clients. Diverse spend and resource utilization goals are set
process, increase their understanding of their individual job with clients on a project basis. The GDI-123 Administrator
selection responsibilities, and enhance their ability to use job oversees the assignment process for both internal and exter-
selection information, resources and tools. nal resources. Gibbons also mentors the M/WBE providers
The expectation is that employees not only understand as required and generates periodic client reports on diverse
the process and the role they play, but also apply what they resource utilization and spend.
learned so that there will be improved trust in the overall Positive Change Outcomes: Through GDI-123, Gibbons
process. That, in turn, will help sustain an inclusive envi- also mentor suppliers and assists with certification. Despite
ronment where every employee feels valued, respected and being in its infancy, GDI-123 has so impressed the clients to
productive. whom they have presented it that they, in turn, have dissemi-
The course launched in the fall of 2009. To date, 4,700 nated the program within their own companies and beyond as
employees have completed it. It is required training and all an integrated diversity solution with a triple return. PDJ
In support of the diversity and inclusion strategy, Nationwide Recognizing that diversity issues are integral to the success-
Financial re-launched the Diversity Learning Partners ful and ethical functioning of higher learning institutions,
Program with defined structure, roles, participant criteria and University of the Rockies, a graduate school specializing in
a formal selection process. All members of the Nationwide psychology programs online and at its campus in Colorado
Financial senior leadership team are paired with associates Springs, Colorado, established an Office of Diversity. The
two to three levels below and across differences. Together the mission was to engage administrators, faculty and students
pairs are tasked with meeting the following objectives: about what it means to be a world-class center of excellence
• Increase their understanding, comfort level and appre- in diversity management.
ciation of differences. An innovative, holistic Diversity Learning Map was cre-
• Establish a personal connection to create a level of trust ated as a platform to measure the university’s diversity initia-
that encourages open and honest communication. tives, including institutional and programmatic outcomes.
• Bridge the gap between personal views and workplace Competencies – including vocabulary, meaning, reflection and
perspectives to facilitate ongoing behavioral change. advocacy – are applied to Global Perspective, Organizational
• Present views to senior leaders that represent individual, Diversity, People, Legal Requirements, Scholarship and Social
group or broader cultural viewpoints. Justice to gauge viability of each program.
Introduced in 2009 through a communication from the From December 2009 through March 2010, manda-
Nationwide Financial President, associates were invited tory training sessions were held with the objectives to
to self-nominate to serve as an associate learning partner. develop a shared definition of diversity and its application at
Following an application screening and interview process, the university; create awareness about
associate learning partners were selected based on criteria what it means to be diversity chal- Seventy-five
such as interpersonal savvy, command skills, managerial lenged; and provide education about percent said
courage, commitment to the organization’s diversity and the complexity of intercepting value their knowl-
inclusion initiative, and ability to maintain confidence. systems. Each activity comprising the edge and skill
Resources were provided to help set goals, identify and plan course was purposefully aligned with
level increased
learning activities, and facilitate open communication. objectives and analyzed based upon the
Goals for each of the learning partners are unique Diversity Learning Map. Ninety-three at least 50
and based on their individual interests. Collectively they percent of participants said the training percent after
encompass ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, sexual would improve their job performance. the training.
orientation, religious beliefs and thinking style. Through Seventy-five percent said their knowl-
a variety of activities including participation in cultural edge and skill level increased at least 50
events, discussion of academic and market research and percent after the training.
with support from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Currently, more than 40 percent of students at the
the learning partners are expanding their individual aware- university belong to an underrepresented group. Since the
ness and comfort levels around diversity and also exploring Office of Diversity began utilizing the Diversity Learning
opportunities to impact business processes. PDJ Map, the Diversity Task Force membership has more than
doubled. Although the university has grown exponentially,
proportionately there has been a decrease in diversity-
related complaints. PDJ