1.

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

The companies above have distinguished themselves by virtue of the

innovative approach they have taken to advance diversity in the work-
place and in the communities they serve. In almost all cases, their efforts
can be imitated and implemented by others who are still searching for
the spark to ignite their own programs.
We like the fact that there is so much, well, diversity, among the
initiatives described here. We sincerely hope you’ll read them carefully, and
then try to identify what you can do at your own business, regardless of
its size.
We congratulate these companies for their unwavering and creative
commitment to diversity and inclusion. They are making the world a better
place to live for all of us.
Profiles in Diversity Journal 2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
1 Dignity & Respect Campaign –
A Community Initiative
The Dignity & Respect Campaign is an awareness cam-
paign designed to join individuals, community leaders, com-
munity organizations, educational institutions, businesses,
and corporations under the common notion that everyone
deserves dignity and respect.
In November of 2008, The Center for Inclusion at UPMC
introduced the concept of Dignity and Respect to the employ-
ees of UPMC. Employees were tasked with taking a pledge
to demonstrate their commitment to treating others the
way they want to be treated and providing their opinion on
behaviors that represent dignity and respect in the workplace.
Based on their feedback, “30 Tips of Dignity & Respect” were
created, which highlight behaviors that can easily be incorpo-
rated into everyday activities.
Awareness about the campaign spread throughout the
Pittsburgh community, as the Center for Inclusion part-
nered with community leaders on efforts around commu-
nity unity, cultural competency, and multicultural awareness.
On October 1, 2009, the Dignity & Respect Campaign was
launched as a community initiative, with the Mayor of the
City of Pittsburgh declaring October Dignity & Respect
Month. The community campaign kicked off with the launch
of a city-wide pledge drive, which engaged over 50 communi-
ty organizations and awarded a day of service to the organiza-
tion that received the most pledges. The launch also included
the unveiling of the Dignity & Respect Campaign website.
To engage the community, several ideas were created to
ensure that dignity and respect are at the core of what UPMC
employees do every day:
The D&R Pledge and D&R Tips: Visit the Dignity &
Respect Campaign website and take the pledge.
The D&R Month: Organize a launch event, promote a
D&R pledge drive, and award a day of service to the organiza-
tion in your community that receives the most pledges.
The D&R Journey: Champion inclusion within your
organization by joining the D&R Journey. The Journey
enables organizations to highlight best practices and share
them with the D&R community.
D&R Campaign National or Local Sponsorship: Promote
inclusion in your organization and community while associ-
ating your brand with the Dignity & Respect Campaign by
becoming a national or local sponsor.
What began as a workplace initiative to promote dignity
and respect at UPMC soon became a local community effort
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has now become a national
initiative dedicated to driving inclusion. PDJ
2 Teaching Important Lessons
About Family Security
New York Life agents who work in offices across the
country are offered a unique model to engage the com-
munity around an important need: its Child ID initiative.
This initiative offers agents the ability to attend community
events and provide all children who attend a complimentary
identification card, complete with his or her photograph and
fingerprints. Parents can keep the ID card on file and share
it with police in the unfortunate case the child goes missing.
Child ID events are a unique way to align the families’ focus
on protecting their children with the services New York Life
agents provide.
The goal is two-fold. First, it is to give every family access
to a Child ID event. The second goal is for New York Life
agents to engage with local families around the topic of pro-
tection, offering them a way to build ties to potential clients.
These events are an easy, smart way to network and enhance
an agent’s professional reputation in selected markets.
The most important benefit New
Since the York Life achieved was their increased
connection to the Korean communi-
launch of ty. The community has embraced this
Child ID added step of protection and the peace
events in 2008, of mind it brings. Child ID events are
a way for agents to provide a valuable
life insurance service to families and businesses in
cases among the community. New York Life agents
agents serving have always been uniquely connected
to the communities they serve, but
the Korean Child ID has even further solidified
that connection. Child ID events have
community
increased the dialogue in the Korean
have increased community to be proactive about pro-
10 percent. tecting their loved ones. Protection
first comes in the form of a getting a
Child ID card and can also extend to
speaking to a financial professional to take the necessary steps
to protect their loved ones.
Since the launch of Child ID events in 2008, life insurance
cases among agents serving the Korean community have
increased 10 percent. In addition, agents in New York Life’s
New Jersey and Virginia offices have been given certificates
of appreciation from local schools, which were accepted with
great pride by our local agents and employees as another
validation of the safety and security that New York Life has
provided to families for 165 years. PDJ
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0 29
Profiles in Diversity Journal
3 Straight Allies Campaign
In June 2009, KPMG launched a firmwide Straight Allies
Campaign because they believe straight allies at work are
crucial in transforming and promoting an open and inclusive
workplace. Timed to coincide with the
firm’s annual commemoration of Gay KPMG
and Lesbian Pride Month, the initiative launched
introduced new resources designed spe-
cifically to inform and promote aware-
a firmwide
ness among its partners and employees Straight Allies
about what it means to be a straight ally, Campaign
and the important role allies play in
ensuring KPMG remains a great place because they
to build a career for all our people. believe straight
The new resources developed for
allies at work
the Straight Allies Campaign include
an internal Web site comprised of edu- are crucial in
cational resources, guidance on simple transforming
ways to be involved as a straight ally,
and KPMG employees sharing their and promoting
personal experiences as an LGBT pro- an open and
fessional or a straight ally. The initiative
inclusive
also enables members of the pride@
kpmg Network to register their interest workplace.
in finding a mentor, and helps the firm
identify a pool of professionals willing
to serve as mentors to their LGBT colleagues.
Firm leadership kicked off the campaign and set the tone
by serving as the “faces” of the initiative. Wearing t-shirts
that affirmed their very personal connections to the LGBT
community – the shirts stated emphatically “My sister is
gay,” “My daughter is gay,” and even, “My mentee is gay” –
KPMG’s vice chair of Tax, vice chair of Human Resources,
and national managing partner, Diversity and Corporate
Social Responsibility, joined by several other partners and
employees, appeared together on posters, in communica-
tions, and on the new Straight Allies Web site.
By “coming out” as straight allies to their own colleagues,
friends, and family members, these leaders brought the initia-
tive to life and sent a clear message that reaffirmed KPMG’s
commitment to their LGBT partners and employees, and
their allies. As a result of their efforts and the overall cam-
paign, to date, nearly 100 KPMG partners and employees
have signed up as straight allies. PDJ
30 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0
2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
4 Bring Your Whole Self To Work –
Gender Transition in the Workplace
WellPoint understands that the LGBT commu-
nity possesses notable purchasing power and consumer influ-
ence. In order to effectively attract, serve and retain the LGBT
market, WellPoint believes they must have members of the
workforce that clearly reflect and understand their needs.
In 2009, WellPoint partnered with several of its Associate
Resource Groups to include new questions on its annual
employee survey asking employees to self-identify under sev-
eral diversity lenses. Thirty-three of the 32,810 respondents
self-identified as Transgender individuals.
ANGLE (Associate Network for Gay and Lesbian Equality),
WellPoint’s Associate Resource Group for LGBT individuals,
has been actively involved in guiding the company’s corporate
culture towards greater inclusion of transgender expression.
In 2008, ANGLE was instrumental in having gender identity
added to the company’s EEO policy statement. In 2009, as a
growing number of transgender employees openly acknowl-
edged that they were transitioning on the job, ANGLE collab-
orated with WellPoint’s corporate Diversity & Inclusion team
to develop and launch new Gender Transition Guidelines and
Gender Transition Training for managers and employees.
Generally, employees can choose whether to disclose cer-
tain personal information at work. Transgender individuals
who plan to stay with the same employer while transitioning
do not have that option. Given that a transitioning individual
is obligated to “come out” to his/her employer in order to
satisfy the requirement to live full-time in his/her new gender
role for at least a year before irreversible surgery, employers
must become involved in the employee’s transition.
WellPoint and ANGLE worked collaboratively to ensure
that the gender guidelines and training provided managers
and employees enough information to understand the trans-
gender experience and to break down the fear, stereotypes,
and misperceptions that follow those who gender-transition
on the job. WellPoint’s gender training creates an opportu-
nity for managers and colleagues, with the assistance of the
transitioning employee, to ask their questions – from when
to use the employee’s new name, to when to engage using
the new pronouns, and how to address the bathroom issue
in an open environment. This initiative has clearly provided
greater understanding and awareness and fosters social sup-
port for transgender employees. PDJ
Profiles in Diversity Journal 2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
5 Sodexo Women’s International
Forum for talent (SWIFt)
In June 2009, Sodexo launched SWIFt to advance the orga-
nization’s global gender strategy by gaining consensus and
traction. Led by Adrienne Axler, General Manager, West
South Europe, Motivation Solutions; and Rohini Anand,
Senior Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer;
the primary goals of SWIFt are to expand representation of
women at the top levels of the organization and increase the
engagement of all women.
Comprised of 20 senior women executives, representing
12 nationalities, SWIFt is focused on identifying specific
actions and outcomes necessary for Sodexo to achieve a level
of between 23% and 25% female representation in its Top 300
by 2015.
Working together as a team, SWIFt meets quarterly and
has outlined a three-year strategy to advance Sodexo’s global
gender strategy. SWIFt members are broken into four work-
Working together as a team, SWIFt meets
quarterly and has outlined a three-year
strategy to advance Sodexo’s global
gender strategy.
streams or areas of focus. The workstreams meet more often
and are responsible for identifying specific actions to advance
SWIFt’s mission in their designated area.
The key objectives of SWIFt are to:
• Make recommendations to Sodexo Group’s Executive
Committee;
• Identify priority actions, targets and a road map to meet
goal;
• Identify best practices internally and externally;
• Communicate the strategic importance of diversity and
inclusion; and
• Develop a network based on cooperation.
SWIFt is helping to advance Sodexo’s global gender strat-
egy through  education, training and awareness building.
SWIFt is championing the business benefits of gender balance
as well as pinpointing some of the barriers that currently exist.
Through SWIFt, Sodexo is identifying which actions will
accelerate progress on gender balance. PDJ
6 The Program of Labor Inclusion for
Persons with Disabilities
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team
of ARAMARK Chile has created The Program of Labor
Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities as part of its focus
on employee advocacy, commitment to enhancing the local
environment, and respect for diversity and inclusion. This
program is a cooperative initiative between ARAMARK and
local organizations that develop rehabilitation and labor
intermediation initiatives for Persons with Disabilities.
ARAMARK’s CSR team first identifies the location where
a new employee will work. This new team member then
meets the rest of their team and begins the “practice process,”
or trial period, where they learn all of the skills necessary to
be successful. Throughout this three month period, the new
team member has bi-weekly reviews with the affiliated orga-
nization. At the end of the practice process, that organization
submits a final report to ARAMARK. If there is a good fit
between the new member and ARAMARK, then a job offer
is made.
The Program of Labor Inclusion for Persons with
Disabilities strengthens ARAMARK’s overall recruitment
process by promoting diversity and inclusion. This program
demonstrates ARAMARK’s value for candidates from all
backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences and provides
valuable employment opportunities and economic benefits to
a group that represents 12.9% of Chile’s population.
ARAMARK Chile has also created a School Training
Program to promote rehabilitation and increased autonomy
for people with disabilities. This program offers a basic culi-
nary education to young persons with disabilities who are
already a part of a regular education system. The aim of this
program is to contribute to the training of these young people
in subjects such as basic pastry making, hygienic handling
of food, and general gastronomy. Such training supports
autonomy, labor development, and future incorporation to
the world of work.
ARAMARK is proud to contribute to an improved qual-
ity of life for the Persons with Disabilities hired to work
in its various operations. Fifty-three employees have been
hired since the Program of Labor Inclusion for Persons with
Disabilities was implemented. PDJ
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0 31
Profiles in Diversity Journal
7 Leveraging ERNs to
Develop Emerging Leaders
In June of 2008, ConAgra Foods launched an initiative
to leverage their six Employee Resource Networks (ERNs) to
broadly develop the leadership capability within the diverse
employee population. The six ERNs include ConAgra’s
Asian Network, Black Employee Network, Latino Network,
Young Professionals Network, Illuminations (LGBT employ-
ees and allies), and Women’s Leadership Council (WLC). The
approach focused in four action areas.
Network Leader Appointment – The Human Resources
Leadership Team collaborates to identify emerging leaders to
fill ERN team leader roles, which rotate every 18 to 24 months.
To augment the development process, each ERN is assigned
a sponsor from the CEO’s team who collaborates with the
ERN team leader to develop and execute the annual plan. This
exposure increases senior leader engagement with emerging
leaders at lower levels in the organization, while providing a
unique opportunity for employees to engage senior leaders.
Knowledge and Nourish Sessions – Each network hosts,
plans, and executes quarterly development sessions over
lunch. Topics are determined through member surveys and
executive sponsor recommendations based on their observa-
tion of developmental gaps. The sessions, using internal and
nationally known facilitators, are open to non-network mem-
bers throughout the company. The latest in technology enables
the company to broadcast these sessions across all locations.
Mentoring – Each network has access to mentoring
circles to enable senior leaders to share insights and provide
coaching to small groups of employees. The WLC launched
a 12-month Mentoring pilot in 2009 with 220 participants
using an innovative computer-matching technology.
Annual Leadership Conference – In 2009, the annual
recognition dinner hosted by their CEO was expanded to
include a day-and-a-half Leadership and Learning Lab. One
hundred leaders across all ERNs were invited to participate
to increase their capability to lead through influence and to
develop strategic plans tied to business objectives.
Since the launch of this initiative, three of the six ERNs
have seen their team leaders promoted at least one career
level during their leadership tenure. Eighty-eight percent of
the Mentoring Pilot participants found it valuable in helping
them grow professionally, and as a result, ConAgra Foods
will launch the mentor matching tool for company-wide use
this summer. In addition, ERN participation has increased
exponentially during this period, from 100 employees to over
1500. PDJ
32 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0
2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
8 Inclusive Advocacy Program
In November 2008, Cisco launched the Inclusive
Advocacy Program (IAP), an innovative approach to leader-
ship development with the goal of increasing opportunities
for its globally diverse, high-potential
employees to advance to senior-level There are
positions. By deliberately matching and many pieces to
pairing diverse high-potential employ-
ees with influential Cisco leaders and the program,
creating close working relationships, but the heart
IAP increases the employee’s visibility
of it is the
and exposure, and helps to accelerate
their growth, recognition, and career relationship
opportunities. IAP leverages Cisco’s between the
collaboration technology, including
WebEx and Cisco TelePresence, to cre-
matched pairs
ate enhanced engagement opportuni- which is nur-
ties and facilitate the development of tured through
“advocacy” relationships with senior
executives outside of the employee’s regularly
existing work function, network, and scheduled pair
geography.
meetings.
IAP specifically addresses the chal-
lenge of helping high-potential diverse
employees in mid-level managerial
roles expand their networks, navigate, and advance their
careers without being limited by their current roles and loca-
tions. There are many pieces to the program, but the heart
of it is the relationship between the matched pairs, which is
nurtured through regularly scheduled pair meetings.
To date, 64 employees including 32 senior leaders, or
“advocates,” have participated in IAP. One employee was
promoted in Europe and another was given a new assignment
as a result of their participation in the program. The second
round of the program is currently underway with additional
participants, and Cisco expects to see an increased impact on
the participants’ careers.
A few unexpected benefits for both participants and advo-
cates included:
• Elevated & more strategic thinking;
• Improved ability to influence & communicate across
cultures;
• Increased insight into other parts of Cisco’s business,
resulting in better decisions; and
• Expanded and enhanced networks. PDJ
Profiles in Diversity Journal 2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
9 Diversity Leadership
Development Program
Kaiser Permanente’s formal mentoring process is
designed to last 18 months and focus specifically on facilitat-
ing development of people from diverse backgrounds who
are underrepresented in the leadership pipeline. All of the
participants who are selected as protégés aspire to higher-
level leadership positions and have strong performance
ratings.
To demonstrate full executive support and sponsorship
for the formal mentoring process, Kaiser Permanente execu-
tives volunteer to be mentors. Prior to beginning the formal
To demonstrate full executive support and
sponsorship for the formal mentoring process,
Kaiser Permanente executives volunteer
to be mentors.
mentoring program, all of the executive mentors participate
in a formal advancement training to improve their ability to
mentor others as well as expand their understanding of the
culture from which their protégé belongs.
Similarly, protégés receive training and information on
how to give upward feedback, how to dialogue and meaning-
fully exchange ideas with senior leaders, and how to create an
effective development plan. Protégés fully own and facilitate
the process with their mentors. This includes scheduling
monthly meetings, providing feedback to the mentor regard-
ing the effectiveness of the interactions, updating their indi-
vidual development plan, directly making requests and asking
for support, and educating their mentor on the cultural dif-
ferences and challenges they confront.
Kaiser Permanente found that the Diversity Leadership
Development Program makes a significant impact on both
the development of protégés and growth of their executive
mentors. The program has been implemented in four of their
eight regions and the Finance business function within its
National Headquarters. Results are significant in that 61% of
all participants in the program have had a job promotion or
job expansion. This is recognized as a fundamental program
in leadership development within the organization. PDJ
10 “P&T Jam” –
Building an Inclusive Global Culture
With the appointment of Peter Voser as Royal Dutch
Shell’s CEO in 2009, a major change was the creation of a new
Projects & Technology (P&T) business
which encompassed 8200 employees One aim of
across multiple global geographies. the P&T
One aim of the P&T leadership was to
build a truly inclusive global culture.
leadership was
To this end, Shell sponsored an online to build a truly
discussion forum running continuously inclusive
for sixty-five hours over a three day
period. It was a global interactive event global culture.
referred to as the “P&T Jam.”
The P&T Jam objectives were to:
• Create affiliation among P&T – to
be a part of building the new P&T;
• 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;
• Demonstrate the “new way of working” (i.e., focused,
fast, virtual, high tech); and
• Demonstrate 1 to 2 actionable results/successes prior to
the 2010 Shell People Survey.
P&T Executive Leadership Team members hosted the
forum throughout and formal handoffs between the execu-
tives in hub locations around the world occurred at scheduled
times to assure senior leadership was continually connected
and engaged. The Jam started with four predetermined dis-
cussion topics which were carefully selected to ensure they
were meaningful and relevant to participants and leadership.
Over the course of the three days, more than 9900 logins and
4206 posts were made by employees across 117 countries.
One business leader who hosted part of the Jam high-
lighted how he was struck by the diversity we have in the
organization and the richness of thoughts resulting from the
Jam. “It was fascinating to see how the discussions developed
over the three days – from simple opinion-sharing to joint
problem-solving. I very much appreciated the honesty and
constructive challenge brought forward by all participants.
We have seen many remarks on empowerment, and the
power of leaders who are giving clarity on what to achieve, as
well as trust and freedom on how to achieve this.” PDJ
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0 33
 Awards of Excellence Profiles in Diversity Journal is proud to
honor the following companies with our Award of Excellence for their innovations
in diversity. They are presented here in alphabetical order.
Award of
Excellence The Power of ERGs
In late 2009, American Airlines announced it would begin
service to Beijing, China from its Chicago O’Hare airport.
The company’s Asian Pacific-Islander Employee Resource
Group (APIERG) approached the company to help out in
positioning the new route for established success in the mar-
ket. With the assistance of Tom Del Valle, Sr. V.P. Airport
Services and executive sponsor for APIERG, they teamed up
with various departments at the company to determine where
they could focus their efforts and help with strategy.
With having an established employee resource group
(ERG) familiar with both the market being served and the
product serving the market, the food and beverage depart-
ment tapped into the knowledge of APIERG to create a menu
which would appeal to the customer demographic. After
reviewing marketing collateral for cultural relevance and sen-
sitivity, APIERG helped position American Airlines by:
• Participating in the 2010 NYC China Town Parade and
2010 Lunar New Year Celebration to provide visibility
and promote the market;
• Meeting with the Beijing sales team to provide insight on
strategy and help define focus areas;
• Obtaining sponsorship from American Airlines to the
United States of America-China Chamber of Commerce
(USCCC)—a not-for-profit, bi-national membership
organization dedicated to developing increased U.S.-
China trade and investment activities; and
• Developing training guides/resources and Chinese
phrases for frontline employees to educate and assist
them with our Chinese-speaking customers.
Utilizing a communication strategy, APIERG leveraged
the media by developing short videos for YouTube and a
Facebook page to promote the route. In addition, at least
three APIERG ambassadors will fly the inaugural flight to
create high-level engagement, and each ambassador will
video blog their experience. PDJ
34 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0
Award of
Excellence Unmatched Teams Initiative
One of Aon Consulting Employee Benefit Outsourcing’s
(EBO) three strategic imperatives is to “Engage [their] diverse
workforce—recognize talent, nurture it, and promote it.”
Essential to this effort is creating a culture that does not sim-
ply accept diversity, but values it.
Executive Vice President and Practice Director Ken
Haderer and his leadership team partnered with Novations,
a leading provider of employee engagement and diversity
training, to develop a learning curriculum to build awareness
of the need for and power of diversity and inclusion in the
workplace. To ensure an integrated approach, Aon merged
Novations’ Appreciating Differences program with Aon’s
own performance management tools and their Leadership
Model.
When the need for continued reinforcement and further
engagement became clear, Aon Consulting EBO selected a
team of Diversity Champions from across the business to
develop and drive continued education and learning. The
programs they developed included half-day follow-up ses-
sions, continuing education for managers, and a two-hour
program for non-managers and new colleagues.
Today, Aon’s Diversity Champions are developing a
continuing education program that requires every manager
to deliver their own on diversity and inclusion to colleagues
through team meetings, monthly management calls, brown
bag lunches, and newsletters. To symbolize and publicly
declare this commitment, teams of managers drew images
of their commitment to diversity and inclusion, and Aon
Consulting has them on display throughout their offices.
Haderer stated that due to these programs “the Aon jour-
ney has resulted in higher levels of performance across the
organization as measured by individual and team key perfor-
mance indicators of productivity and service quality.” PDJ
Profiles in Diversity Journal 2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
Award of Deploying Talent –
Excellence Creating Careers
In an initiative designed to expand the company’s diver-
sity by reaching out to members of the U.S. Armed Forces,
CACI’s President and CEO, Paul Cofoni, founded an inno-
vative diversity program to hire disabled veterans. Deploying
Talent – Creating Careers is a company-wide initiative
designed to provide meaningful careers for talented veterans
with disabilities. Mr. Cofoni recognized that the re-employ-
ment of wounded soldiers is a nationwide challenge and a
bold, fresh approach was required to welcome them back
into the workforce.
CACI works with veterans in transi- An internship
tion centers and military medical facili- initiative
ties to prepare them for civilian employ-
provides
ment. An internship initiative provides
on-the-job experience and training for
on-the-job
wounded soldiers interested in learning experience
new career skills before they transi- and training
tion out of the military. CACI also for wounded
collaborates with veterans’ organiza-
soldiers
tions to provide resume writing and
interview training, and has partnered
interested
with the Department of Labor to cre- in learning
ate semi-annual corporate immersion new career
events for wounded soldiers at Walter skills before
Reed Army Medical Center and the
they transition
National Naval Medical Center.  These
innovative events provide one-on-one
out of the
training in job fair and interviewing military.
skills to veterans, bringing together mil-
itary hospitals, private industry, and government employers
to create comprehensive employment training experience.  surveys of the Inclusion Change Partners and Allies and key
Participants are immersed in role-playing situations to prac-
tice interview techniques and receive immediate feedback
from interviewing employers.  Thus, the reach and impact of each Inclusion Change
CACI hired 210 disabled veterans over the past two years,
including 58 directly through the Deploying Talent − Creating
Careers program. PDJ
Award of The Power of a Grassroots
Excellence
Approach to Culture Change
In 2008, Ecolab’s senior management launched an initiative
to accelerate progress toward a more diverse, inclusive and
productive culture. Top managers worked together to define
the cultural characteristics that would be vital to Ecolab’s
success in the future. In 2009, with management’s support,
the seeds for grassroots action were planted and twenty-
eight employees, representing a cross-section of roles, busi-
ness units and functions, were selected to serve as Ecolab’s
Inclusion Change Partners.
Their mission was to dramatically accelerate the rate of
culture change by using the concept of peer-to-peer leader-
ship. Their role was to help create a “tipping point” by engag-
ing 10 other people, called Inclusion Change Allies, in the
change process. An extensive training program was offered,
providing the Inclusion Change Partners with knowledge and
tools to lead these teams and their departments in adopting
behaviors that contribute to an environment that empowers
employees to contribute their best.
Once trained, the Inclusion Change Partners began to
lead monthly meetings with their Inclusion Change Allies.
These meetings provided regular dialogue focused on learn-
ing together and applying new skills and mindsets to their
day-to-day work. In addition, the Inclusion Change Partners
introduced the eight key cultural characteristics to their
groups that senior management identified as critical to
Ecolab’s sustained success, including workplace flexibility,
empowerment, open dialogue and active listening, teamwork,
development, multi-cultural diversity and respect for all.
The pace of change will be measured in many ways,
including the company employee engagement survey, regular
performance indicators, such as sales growth, customer satis-
faction and associate retention.
Partner is multiplied. And the result is the inclusion effort
will survive leadership changes, difficult economic times, and
other business challenges. PDJ
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0 35
Profiles in Diversity Journal
Award of Job Selection
Excellence Training for Employees
In 2009, Georgia Power launched a review of the company’s
internal hiring procedures with a goal of improving trust in
the job selection process and managers who make hiring deci-
sions. A Job Selection Task Force made up of 33 employees
from across the company recommended that all employees
be educated on how the job selection process works and what
their roles and responsibilities are throughout the process.
The company responded by developing separate training
classes for managers and individual contributors with that
result in mind.
The Job Selection for Employees The company
Web-Based Training (WBT) course is
responded by
highly interactive and uses a combina-
developing
tion of three different types of media. It
begins with a videotaped message from separate train-
the CEO in which he expresses his com- ing classes for
mitment to increasing employee trust managers and
in the job selection process one person
individual
at a time. The workshop also uses pro-
contributors
fessionally-acted, videotaped scenarios
based on real events that occur within with that
the company. result in mind.
Its objectives are to increase employ-
ees’ understanding of the job selection
process, increase their understanding of their individual job
selection responsibilities, and enhance their ability to use job
selection information, resources and tools.
The expectation is that employees not only understand
the process and the role they play, but also apply what they
learned so that there will be improved trust in the overall
process. That, in turn, will help sustain an inclusive envi-
ronment where every employee feels valued, respected and
productive.
The course launched in the fall of 2009. To date, 4,700
employees have completed it. It is required training and all
current employees must complete it by the end of 2010.
Survey results from those who have taken Job Selection
Training are largely positive. PDJ
36 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0
2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
Award of Gibbon’s Diversity Initiative’s
Excellence Supplier Diversity Program
Supplier diversity programs have largely focused on the
procurement of goods, which, unlike services, are subject to
objective qualitative management standards like ISO 9000.
Recently, many supplier diversity programs have started
capturing spend in professional services, such as legal and
accounting. In these professional categories, corporate lead-
ers have established important workplace diversity objectives
to ensure that diverse professionals thrive and create oppor-
tunities for M/WBE vendors.
In light of the above, the Gibbons Diversity Initiative
(GDI) features a brand-new supplier diversity program, GDI-
123, that is responsive to the different objectives of the various
constituencies involved in the vendor/client relationship.
GDI-123 was designed to help Gibbons P.C. and their
clients realize a triple bottom line:
• Meeting diverse spend goals with qualified M/WBE
vendors;
• Utilizing diverse Gibbons attorneys with total quality
management of services; and
• Obtaining competitive blended rates for legal services
and/or optimum prices for other products and services.
GDI-123 is client-friendly: Gibbons directs the entire busi-
ness process to ensure that no administrative burden is placed
on clients. Diverse spend and resource utilization goals are set
with clients on a project basis. The GDI-123 Administrator
oversees the assignment process for both internal and exter-
nal resources. Gibbons also mentors the M/WBE providers
as required and generates periodic client reports on diverse
resource utilization and spend.
Positive Change Outcomes: Through GDI-123, Gibbons
also mentor suppliers and assists with certification. Despite
being in its infancy, GDI-123 has so impressed the clients to
whom they have presented it that they, in turn, have dissemi-
nated the program within their own companies and beyond as
an integrated diversity solution with a triple return. PDJ
Profiles in Diversity Journal 2010 International Innovation in Diversity Awards
Award of Diversity Learning
Excellence Partners Program
In support of the diversity and inclusion strategy, Nationwide
Financial re-launched the Diversity Learning Partners
Program with defined structure, roles, participant criteria and
a formal selection process. All members of the Nationwide
Financial senior leadership team are paired with associates
two to three levels below and across differences. Together the
pairs are tasked with meeting the following objectives:
• Increase their understanding, comfort level and appre-
ciation of differences.
• Establish a personal connection to create a level of trust
that encourages open and honest communication.
• Bridge the gap between personal views and workplace
perspectives to facilitate ongoing behavioral change.
• Present views to senior leaders that represent individual,
group or broader cultural viewpoints.
Introduced in 2009 through a communication from the
Nationwide Financial President, associates were invited
to self-nominate to serve as an associate learning partner.
Following an application screening and interview process,
associate learning partners were selected based on criteria
such as interpersonal savvy, command skills, managerial
courage, commitment to the organization’s diversity and
inclusion initiative, and ability to maintain confidence.
Resources were provided to help set goals, identify and plan
learning activities, and facilitate open communication.
Goals for each of the learning partners are unique
and based on their individual interests. Collectively they
encompass ethnicity, nationality, culture, gender, sexual
orientation, religious beliefs and thinking style. Through
a variety of activities including participation in cultural
events, discussion of academic and market research and
with support from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion,
the learning partners are expanding their individual aware-
ness and comfort levels around diversity and also exploring
opportunities to impact business processes. PDJ
Award of Imagine the Possibilities –
Excellence Measure the Outcomes
Recognizing that diversity issues are integral to the success-
ful and ethical functioning of higher learning institutions,
University of the Rockies, a graduate school specializing in
psychology programs online and at its campus in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, established an Office of Diversity. The
mission was to engage administrators, faculty and students
about what it means to be a world-class center of excellence
in diversity management.
An innovative, holistic Diversity Learning Map was cre-
ated as a platform to measure the university’s diversity initia-
tives, including institutional and programmatic outcomes.
Competencies – including vocabulary, meaning, reflection and
advocacy – are applied to Global Perspective, Organizational
Diversity, People, Legal Requirements, Scholarship and Social
Justice to gauge viability of each program.
From December 2009 through March 2010, manda-
tory training sessions were held with the objectives to
develop a shared definition of diversity and its application at
the university; create awareness about
what it means to be diversity chal- Seventy-five
lenged; and provide education about percent said
the complexity of intercepting value their knowl-
systems. Each activity comprising the edge and skill
course was purposefully aligned with
level increased
objectives and analyzed based upon the
Diversity Learning Map. Ninety-three at least 50
percent of participants said the training percent after
would improve their job performance. the training.
Seventy-five percent said their knowl-
edge and skill level increased at least 50
percent after the training.
Currently, more than 40 percent of students at the
university belong to an underrepresented group. Since the
Office of Diversity began utilizing the Diversity Learning
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
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l J u ly / A u g u s t 2 0 1 0 37