The diversity light bulb came on for me three years ago when I discovered I was mono-cultural.
I was sitting on a panel at the Capital Press Club in Washington, D.C., a society for African-American communications professionals, when the discussion turned to hiring practices - and the overwhelmingly white face of the PR industry, particularly inside large agencies.
A black man rose from the audience and described himself as bi-cultural, as in able to move and work in both white and black business circles. The day would come, he predicted, when agencies would see the benefit of hiring people who were well-versed in multiple domestic cultures. These employees would be valued in the same way that agencies with international practices now value staff who can bridge cultural and language barriers across borders.
Reflecting Our Culture
For a decade, demographers have been proselytizing the shift from mass marketing to niche marketing (which now includes the niche of one). The few agencies that heeded this trend early and began focusing on ethnic niches were driven by business goals: to protect and increase their clients' market shares, thereby automatically leveraging their own worth.
The corporate side has been quicker to respond to the changing face of America, because it is closer to the consumer. Bell Atlantic bowled over an audience at Howard University last spring in a presentation highlighting the sophistication of its niche marketing strategies. By analyzing the long-distance calling patterns of ethnic groups, the telecom giant is able to tailor its communications to customers' specific needs. In addition, it has taken an aggressive approach to hiring a diverse staff, so that the company itself looks and thinks like its customers.
These are strategies that agencies could stand to learn from. Building a diversified workforce isn't a moral imperative. It's a sound business decision for any organization that wants to stay competitive. Consider the number of PR execs who pay big bucks to attend off-site retreats designed to encourage "out of the box" thinking. One has to wonder if the new perspectives they so desperately crave might be found much closer to - if not inside - company headquarters.
The Ultimate PR Challenge
It's surprising that so many businesses continue to resist the concept of a workforce that reflects our society. It's even more surprising that so many PR practitioners have failed to realize that diversity is, above all else, a communications issue. Interestingly, our profession has risen to meet other communications challenges, like learning to speak the language of Web surfers, Generation Xers, and the investment community. There was some kicking and screaming along the way, but these evolutions happened because there were sound business reasons to make them happen.
If anything, PR's foray into these uncharted territories offers further proof that we do have the skills to embrace diversity successfully and productively. It's a matter of building relationships. And that, of course, is a matter of communications.
Openness to knowing and understanding others is as critical to good communications as are technological savvy and responsiveness. Shaping the message you want to deliver is important, and so is generosity in interpreting the messages you receive. I've lost count of the number of times I've paused, mid-sentence, in a conversation about race relations to make sure I haven't given offense because my frame of reference is so completely white. Without fail, colleagues of a different heritage have encouraged me to go on in the conversation, choosing to believe that communication isn't perfect every time and that, without it, we will never come to understand each other. That generosity overwhelms me, and it's that understanding that lingers after the specific conversation is forgotten.
Too many white practitioners complain that it's hard to talk to people of color, that the conversation isn't worth the effort. They forget that, as knowledge and understanding grow, so will ease of communication.
Start with Similarities
The best way to start conversations across ethnic lines is to look for common ground. Ask a colleague for advice on a current project and listen closely to the answer. Compare notes on a professional development program. Brainstorm on trends in your client's or organization's area of interest.
In my opinion, personal initiatives are more useful than formal diversity training. First, because the conversations start from a point of common interest, not from the perspective of how different your skin color is. Second, if you make a personal effort, you're more likely to gain information you can use from a professional standpoint. And third, a safe and interesting topic will enable you to have an open conversation.
If your office isn't diverse, look for opportunities to network across racial lines at seminars and workshops, through mentoring programs with local universities, and in business or professional groups in your city. Learning about other cultures shouldn't have to be a sterile training exercise that takes place in a conference room; it can be an interesting journey.
The Internet is not the only frontier left in communications. We have yet to mine some of the greatest resources available to us. But these relationships have to be cultivated face-to-face, in accordance with the niche of one.
Paige McMahon is president of McMahon Communications in Bethesda, MD, and a past president of the National Capital Chapter of PRSA.301/320-8053, [email protected].