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This report is based on 10 one-on-one executive interviews conducted with key leaders within the City of Tempe workforce. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions, attitudes and concerns of leaders as they related to the findings of earlier phases of the Diversity Audit and to action planning and implementation issues involving diversity programs and systems of the COT.
The reader should note the individuals interviewed for this project were selected through a purposive sampling methodology and included key COT leaders both among management and among employee organizations. Each interview lasted 1 ½ to 2 hours and each was conducted in private conference rooms of the Tempe Public Library, located at Southern Avenue and Rural Road. The interviews were conducted in March, 2002.
Each interview (save one) was also audio recorded and the tapes and/or notes from all interviews were transcribed and used to form the basis of this report. Per our commitment regarding anonymity, all tapes from this project were destroyed once the transcription process was complete.
The discussion guide for this project was designed by Joel Wright and Janell Youtsey and it was reviewed and signed off on by the J&G DAT.
This report represents all the findings germane to the basic research objectives of this project. If, however, additional data or inputs are needed, we stand ready to provide them.
Jamieson and Gutierrez
Diversity Audit Team
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
v The City Manager is the single, driving force identified with the cultural transformation involved in building a diverse workforce. Executives, managers and employees throughout the City need to own this effort, too.
v The City may be trying to do everything at once, so to speak. The numerous efforts noted above, in addition to the observations below, indicate they must have a strong, well-understood implementation strategy in order to keep moving forward.
v The City must ensure the ownership, expectations, attitudes, behaviors and practices involved in this effort are proliferated down to all employees. By design, building a diverse and innovative workforce values and involves all employees.
v A comprehensive understanding of diversity concepts and practices and a fundamental appreciation of the complexity of making diversity a positive force in the workplace may be lacking. We note comments about some key diversity issues were minimized or unnoticed by respondents in these interviews. An example: some were overly optimistic that simply spending time with employees is an end, the answer, to addressing diversity issues and employee concerns.
v It will be imperative for the City to address the issue of inclusion and how to create it in the workplace. There still appear to be patterns, practices and norms of exclusion, particularly regarding women and minorities. There will need to be methods, procedures and norms developed that create an inclusive environment.
v Which brings another critical concern to the fore. It may be that simply training the workforce is perceived as the only method necessary to address diversity. It is not. All employees must be able to translate diversity training and concepts into daily norms and practices. This means there must be formal follow-through and institutionalized criteria that support this.
v A final issue we note is that of accountability. Accountability for implementation, progress and achievement of goals must permeate the City system. This involves all employees, including the City Manager. In our humble opinion, we suggest the Mayor and City Council consider ensuring the City Manager is accountable specifically to them on the issue of building a diverse and innovative workforce.
Tempe’s Definition of
Workplace Diversity
“We are here to provide service to a diverse community,” explains one manager, “We have an increasingly diverse community with different languages and cultures. Our diversity focus is very pragmatic. Our citizens need to feel comfortable, for example, if they don’t speak English, and every citizen needs to be represented and served. This is the most basic level of how we need to approach diversity.”
Respondents emphasize that Tempe’s definition of workplace diversity goes beyond traditional criteria such as ethnicity, race, gender and sexual orientation. An executive staff member explains the prevailing perspective, “Our concept of diversity is extremely broad encompassing diverse backgrounds and different ways of thinking. As I see it our biggest challenge is to get diversity of thought to broaden our perspective, skill and knowledge base. Simply hiring based on gender or race does not ensure that you are getting employees with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. This was the biggest complaint about previous administrations, the minorities or women that were being hired thought just like the hiring manager.”
Clearly most respondents understand that their City organization is gaining new insights, perspectives, skills and abilities as it becomes more diverse. Several see diversity promoting creativity; others stress it as a means of providing better service to an increasingly diverse community. Fairness and equal opportunity are another strong theme. One staff member summarizes the group perspective, “Everyone must have the opportunity to move up in the organization regardless of their gender, racial or ethnic background. Our job is to create a culture that promotes equal opportunity and that recognizes the value of employee diversity.”
Diversity Benchmarks
Respondents agree that one of the most important diversity benchmarks is to mirror the diversity of the surrounding community. To this end the Human Relations Department is developing a ‘diversity map’ of their City organization using census data and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) information on gender, ethnicity, race and age. As one staff member sees it, “Our diversity database will be shown to each department so that they know where they stand with respect to their own departmental diversity. This will enable each group to set appropriate goals and develop plans to increase their diversity whether it entails community outreach, promotion from within, coaching and mentoring talented diverse employees and the like. Each department will have different challenges. Establishing a baseline and tracking our progress will allow us to understand our community needs and plan for the future.”
Others say that establishing a diverse employee base, tracking placement and retention levels and assessing employee satisfaction indicators can be used to assess how the organization is doing with respect to diversity. A few admit that they are unclear as to the most appropriate diversity benchmarks and expect the diversity assessment to suggest meaningful measurements and indicators.
How Employees See
Diversity
The City of Tempe does not have a formal definition of diversity or a specific vision statement per se. Instead, Tempe has focused on building an organizational culture that embraces and supports diversity. Managers believe that continually reinforcing their mission – To make Tempe the best place to live, work and play – and their organizational values is integral to creating an environment that promotes and sustains diversity. They believe that focusing on these basics and reinforcing behaviors that support these core values is a highly effective way to promote diversity.
Most respondents are gratified to hear that employees say that the City has a vision of diversity and clear guidelines for how employees are to be treated. In their view, this means that their efforts to focus upon the City’s mission and values have been effective. One staff member explains their approach; “We have focused on the Tempe Mission and Values for the past several years. We have used screen savers as visual reminders and have made our values and expectations part of the daily dialogue as well as part of our reward and recognition. I’m very glad to hear that employees are getting the message. We believe that creating a positive culture is critical to supporting diversity.”
Most agree that Tempe employees have a good basic understanding of diversity. Respondents posit that most employees equate diversity with fairness and equal opportunity. In their view, diversity goes beyond tolerance and fairness; it includes appreciating employees for their unique contributions. Many acknowledge that managers are still working to communicate this broader understanding of diversity. According to one staff member, Will’s Weekly, which is an employee newsletter published by the City Manager, is a very effective way to communicate key topics that affect the organization including the importance of treating one another with respect, providing equal opportunity and similar diversity themes.
A few agree that a stated diversity definition or diversity credo might be helpful to employees. One respondent admits, “Personally, I try to operate by the golden rule of doing unto others. Employees have a common understanding of our philosophy but they lack a clear definition and understanding of diversity.” A few acknowledge that some employees probably equate diversity with quotas, reverse discrimination or other issues and concerns. One respondent advocates developing a formal statement to ensure a common understanding of the City’s approach. He suggests, “Most employees would benefit from a general statement that clarifies what diversity really is and why it is important. It should be a motivating statement, not one with lots of red tape or one that varies with every group or situation.” Others agree. The value of a formal diversity statement would be to align the organization and to clarify expectations.
At least one organization is developing it own specific vision and values statement. One manager describes the process, “Our top priority in Public Works is to create a positive organization culture. Managers and employees are working together to develop our own values and guiding principles. We recently had a contest to develop our own motto. Employees really got into it and we have four or five finalists working together to draft a statement. The one many of us really like is the logo that shows hands of many colors and has the motto, ‘Many Hands, One Voice.’” This manager is involving his entire department to create a positive workplace and he is coaching his staff on how to work with their employees’ one layer at a time. He says, “As we continuing moving through the organization every employee is involved and we are ensuring that our organization is consistent and aligned with how we treat employees. Creating a family focus and making it a safe place to work are part of our core values.”
Top 2 or 3 Diversity
Goals
Respondents agree that over the past year Tempe has been focused upon creating a new participatory management culture. In their view, this is the single most important thing the City is doing to support diversity. In addition to training, the City is focusing on diversity through their ongoing recruitment efforts, by working on executive focal areas and by revamping some of their human relations systems and processes. Progress and plans for each of these key areas is described below.
Respondents agree that increasing Tempe’s workforce diversity is part of Tempe’s philosophy and mindset. Tempe does not use quotas or set sides, but they have discussed the need to diversify the workforce and to mirror the diversity of their community at all levels of the organization. One manager explains, “Every department in the City is working on this by looking at their job requirements and recognizing the value of recruiting those with different skills and backgrounds. In our group we use someone outside of our department to help with our selection and interview process.” Another manager adds, “We’ve had to get creative in our recruitment process. We had a position that really needed a Hispanic employee with good Spanish skills and we were having trouble filling it. We took a closer look at the job and re-titled it and changed the job requirements. We didn’t lower standards or anything, we just realized that the job description and title didn’t really match what we wanted and needed in the position. The good news is that we were able to fill the position and the new employee is a rising star in our group.”
Many managers had stories to tell and specific examples of what they were doing to increase diversity in their groups. For example, the police are doing an outreach program next month with high schools and other interested parties to encourage women to come into the law enforcement field. Human Relations outreach efforts include working with various community groups to encourage minority candidates to consider careers with the City.
Much of the City’s recruitment focus has been internal given the policy of promoting from within. Toward this end, the City’s goal of diversifying the workforce is being widely communicated at all levels. As one manager describes it, “We are openly seeking to provide opportunities to all employees. This has been widely communicated and employees know that our focus has shifted to hiring and promoting diverse applicants. Recruiting diverse employees will enable us to better serve the community and it is part of our ongoing commitment to creating a level and fair employment field.”
Respondents agree that they have seen a positive change in mindset and practice over the last several months. One manager explains, “The fact that employees are seeing well qualified, diverse people being hired establishes a positive cycle. As more diverse candidates enter the workforce and are promoted, employees become more accepting of diversity. Employees are seeing that increasing our diversity creates value and alleviates their fears about reverse discrimination and quotas. ”
Tempe management attributes some of the problems that surfaced in Public Works as a lack of regular direct contact and interaction between top management and employees. The City Manager sees his job and that of his staff as working to bridge the gap between employees and managers. Toward this end he has asked his management team to work on improving communication and recognition in their groups and to spend at least 10% of their time in the field working directly with their employees.
Managers say that they are focusing on these three areas. Many emphasize that they are working with their own staff to implement these same principles throughout their organizations. One manager has even developed a formal tracking system to help him meet this commitment. He explains, “I use a formal tracking system to make sure I am seeing everyone out in the field.” Another manager adds, “Will really believes in management by walking around and has made it a priority. He’s out in the field taking to our people and it puts pressure on us if he knows our own people better than we do; suffice to say, managers are getting out in the field.”
Most agree that time in the field is time well spent. One manager contends, “We’re seeing a real shift in regard to department heads working in the field with their staff. Staff members are beginning to feel that their department managers are genuinely interested in them and we are seeing a sea change in the workplace atmosphere.”
Others agree that managers and employees are really beginning to connect in positive ways. As one employee representative sees it, “The former disconnect between top management and employees has dramatically improved under Will’s leadership. Management has shown a willingness to bring employees into the decision making process in a variety of areas. For the first time employees have a real voice and supervisors and managers are being held accountable for implementing top management goals and directions.” Another respondent adds, “I have seen more managers out in the field trying to implement Will’s style of management. There is room for improvement, but I see them trying.”
Numerous comments and observations from respondents indicate that they see the critical connection between building a positive workplace environment and diversity. In their view, establishing a positive dialogue with employees and soliciting employee feedback and input is critical to creating an environment that accepts and values diversity.
Supervisors and managers, including the City Manager, have attended a three and a half day Mandatory Supervisory Training (MST) program. 400 supervisors and 100 non-supervisory employees will have been trained at the conclusion of the training this spring. MST presents the City of Tempe’s new philosophy of management, which emphasizes a participatory management style rather than the traditional top down management style. According to respondents, MST provides a good mix of philosophy, policy and procedure and basic skills and knowledge.
Respondents say that diversity concepts are woven throughout the program. Diversity specific aspects include how to create a positive environment and training to instill concepts of fairness and civil behavior. Related topics include guidelines for how to treat employees, legal obligations and issues, supervisor dos and don’ts, and similar themes. Recommended guidelines and processes for interviewing, hiring and promotions are also discussed.
Respondents say that this training has been extremely effective in creating a more positive work environment. Most managers are working regularly with their work groups. Managers say that the quality of communication is improving and that and they are seeing more openness in their groups. Equally important, this is the first mandatory management training implemented in the City of Tempe. The fact that it is mandatory ensures that all managers from executive staff to first line supervisors know how they are expected to manage and work with employees. Respondents emphasize that establishing this clear baseline is critical in their efforts to build a positive culture that values diversity.
Representatives from the Unions and Tempe Employee Council say that there has been a very marked change in how managers and employees work with one another. One respondent stresses, “MST is a great training program. There isn’t a diversity segment per se, but it focuses upon how to treat employees and there is some training and role playing on gender.” Another admits, “The MST philosophy and goals have great promise but it will take time to really see the results. Line level employees need to go through a similar program so they we all know the new rules of the road.”
Managers cite the tuition reimbursement program as one of the ways they are creating a level playing field for employee advancement. Employees can spend up to $5,000.00 per year on training within or outside their current job field so long as the training can be applied to a City job. The program has been expanded to include technical job training and certification. (In the past it was focused on traditional college level coursework.) One manager sees this investment in employees paying off, “We had 50 graduates in our tuition reimbursement program and 17% have been promoted in the last year.”
Tempe has eliminated their traditional employee evaluation system. In their view most of their employees are very effective and the traditional employee evaluation is negatively oriented. In its place they have established a separate disciplinary system for the relatively rare ‘problem employee’ and have implemented Individual Development Plans (IDP) for all employees. One manager explains the organizational perspective, “We want to focus on the positive – developing our employees and helping them advance in their careers. We need to get started now to prepare for dramatic turnover in our workforce, i.e. 25% of our workforce is eligible for retirement in the next five years and 50% is eligible in the ten years. We need to start now to prepare for this opportunity.” Several managers see the aging of the Tempe workforce presenting an excellent opportunity for increasing diversity at all levels.
The Public Works issues and allegations has resulted in a change in leadership and focus for the Human Relations Department (HR.) Respondents – managers and employee representatives – agree that HR has made important and effective changes over the past year. One manager emphasizes, “Bill has done a great job ensuring our hiring process is fair. Diverse interview panels are just one way we have improved our selection process.” Respondents stress that hiring is being done based upon merit and that this has alleviated some employee concerns about diversity hires. Others agree. In their view HR is playing an important role in overseeing hiring and recruitment to ensure fairness and to promote diversity.
The Human Relations Department has changed how it supports each department and has expanded the role of the HR specialist. Each department now has two HR specialists that support their group. In their view, this team approach enables HR to deploy specialists with different backgrounds and skills to better support each group. Additionally, HR specialists have all received mediation training in the last year to give them additional skills in handling and resolving employee conflicts and grievances.
Most importantly, employee representatives have positive things to say about the Human Relation Department. All agree that historically HR has been viewed with distrust and suspicion; in the past HR has been seen as a tool of management, not an employee advocate. In the last year they see this changing. They say the new HR manager is very visible, like the City Manager, and is working much more closely with employees and employee groups. One employee acknowledges that there is residual distrust of HR and sees the challenge as changing perceptions. He says, “There still is a bad feeling about HR for some employees because of old baggage; HR was the evil empire. This isn’t likely to change overnight.”
Another employee representative admits that things are better, but his group still experiences what they see as ‘foot dragging’ when it comes to getting information they need. He explains, “Things have improved with Bill, but HR still is not employee oriented. There is still a bias toward supporting management in my experience. We have to call the City Manager to get him to tell HR to give us what we need. We should be able to work directly with HR without having to go to Will for support.”
Missing Diversity
Elements
Respondents have many different ideas about missing diversity elements and/or opportunities that should be explored in the future. Several agree that MST training for employees needs to be provided and the City of Tempe plans to conduct a condensed phase two employee training once all supervisors and managers have been trained. A few managers say that they are waiting to review the assessment data before beginning any major new diversity initiatives or goals.
One manager sees the biggest challenge for the future as proactive management recruitment. He stresses, “The City is not really very diverse and the policy of promoting from within creates a major challenge.” Others stress focusing on improving internal systems of communication and feedback as being most helpful. In contrast, one manager argues that the City needs to be thinking about focusing more diversity efforts in the broader community. He explains, “We need to focus some of our efforts outside of the City to prepare for the future. We are no longer the football community and we need to position ourselves as an innovative, diverse community to attract new business. Tempe is already very diverse, just look at our schools. We are increasingly diverse in our languages and cultures and we need to become more cosmopolitan, like San Francisco, as we become more diverse.”
Employee representatives have a variety of suggestions for future action. One emphasizes the need for Human Relations to become more employee service-oriented. He says, “Distrust of HR seems to be the point many employees agree upon. Providing prompt, responsive service to employees that need data would do much to demonstrate that HR is changing and supporting employees.” Another advocates making the hiring process more data based and visible to employees to counter perceptions of bias. Finally, one suggests implementing diversity dialogues for interested employees. As he sees it, “The City has made good progress in helping employees have a voice in areas that affect them, but we still need a process for discussing diversity issues in a comfortable and safe environment. We could model our process after the community diversity dialogues. We could start with employee volunteers and other employees will join in once they see the benefits.”
Managers agree that the City of Tempe has a good system for identifying and managing change. One manager says, “The process we used for dealing with medical costs and rewriting our rules and regulations worked very well and would be the model for how to deal with any diversity issues or goals.” Respondents say that the high level of employee involvement at all levels, from identifying problems to implementing solutions, is a major strength of the Tempe change process. An executive staff member describes the change process, “We have implemented what I call the 4-Sided Partnership. We utilize our regular Tempe Employee Council (TEC) monthly meeting as a place to raise concerns, ask for help from employees, gather employee feedback and discuss issues of mutual concern.” The City Manager has monthly meetings with TEC board members who then follow up with their individual employee work groups. A similar process is used to meet regularly with the Fire Union and the Tempe Officers Association (TOA.) The City Manager works with his management team on a weekly basis to discuss issues and disseminate information. Ultimately, he see this process evolving into each department head working directly with his or her management team and employees in this interactive process.
Managers and employee representatives agree that the 4-Sided Partnership Model, which brings the Tempe Employee Council, the Fire Union and the Tempe Police Association and senior management together to work issues, is very effective. The City Manager facilitates key meetings and the Human Relations Director is intimately involved in the entire process. The review process entails gathering feedback from outside groups as necessary depending on the issue at hand. For example, most recently employee groups are helping rewrite rules and regulations for the City. Their draft has been taken to the Human Relations Committee for review from a diversity and fairness standpoint. Once necessary changes and revisions are complete the final draft will go to the Mayor and Council for review. The City Manager gets input and support from Mayor and council as needed. For example, the City Manager uses the Mayor as a sounding board and works with Council to clarify policy expectations and to obtain the resources for implementation.
The City Manager has made some changes to increase organizational accountability. He now has the HR Director report directly to him and has taken personal responsibility for working with HR to oversee personnel and organizational development issues. The City Manager approves hiring and promotions. He explains, “I have questioned some hiring and promotion decisions and have asked staff to widen the net or otherwise change the process to improve our candidate pool. We are also working on charting our internal promotions to see how we are doing in regard to our goals of increasing diversity at all levels. If are goals are not being met, we will get in there and find out why so we can rectify it.”
Everyone agrees that the existing process is very good; however, some enhancements have been discussed. The one group that has not been formally brought into the process is supervisors. Toward this end, the City plans to develop an electronic bulletin board for supervisors. In their view this will facilitate real time information exchange and provide the input that is needed to ensure that supervisors have a voice in the change process. Additional suggestions include making more time for TEC and the Unions to meet and discuss issues of mutual concern, identifying more ways for intact organizations to meet and discuss issues (retreats are suggested for this purpose) and similar ideas aimed at expanding and improving ongoing organizational dialogue.
In sum, respondents strongly agree that diversity goals and initiatives can be handled very effectively using the 4-Sided Partnership Model of change. They advocate using the Human Relations Commission as part of the formal review process. A few suggest identifying a high level champion to drive implementation and to keep the organization focused and aligned. The only concerns expressed involved making sure that change was not mandated top down. Respondents expect diversity issues to vary by area and recommend that each department work on group specific issues and priorities. Equally importantly, they stress that employees must be actively involved in the process in order to buy in and commit to the change.
Respondents are asked to share what they believe is the top issue for most employees based upon their personal insight and observation. The most frequently mentioned area involves perceptions of fairness, particularly as it pertains to promotion. One employee representative explains, “In my group employees question fairness in terms of discipline, career opportunity and promotions. Promotion is the biggest issue and there are definitely questions about reverse discrimination, quotas and set asides.” Another employee representative admits that concerns about qualifications of diverse candidates and fears regarding reverse discrimination have been discussed in their groups as well. Managers recognize that fairness in promotions in a big concern for many employees.
Several managers expect that management style and communication to top the list of employee concerns. One manager explains, “The top issues I’d expect include communication with employees and supervisory styles especially micro-management. Micro-management has come up on our radar in group discussions of late and I’ve asked employees to come back with some examples of what they mean by micro-management so that we can begin to address it.”
One manager sees gender as the top issue in the City of Tempe. In his view, “Gender communication and opportunity is a big issue in my area. Men and women have a very different way of communicating and looking at things. I recently had a situation where a male group came up with an idea that my predominately female staff went ballistic over. They were ready to lynch the male manager who made the suggestion because in their view, it was absurd. In addition to gender communication issues, I think we have glass ceiling issues that need to be addressed. And as we become more diverse, I expect gay issues to be on the radar for the future.”
Finally, an employee representative contends that unfocused change is probably a big issue for employees. He explains, “Managers are getting the message things must change. I see middle managers running around, knowing that they need to do something, but not knowing exactly what to do or how to do it. Supervisors and managers need help in understanding how to change the atmosphere and culture to support diversity.”
Everyone expects to see specific department level data as part of the diversity assessment and most expect significant variation between departments. One respondent voices the group sentiment, “We expect to see differences between groups so a one size fits all approach will not be effective. “ Differences between people and organizations do exist,” adds another, “and department level data will be needed to target change and to leverage resources.”
One manager voices his expectation, “I see the City Manager sitting down with each department manager to develop a participative process to examine issues and plan change. Each department will have specific focal areas and there may be some system wide initiatives supported by specific department goals. I have a good feel for each department and some will have more challenges than others for a number of reasons. For example, size is one factor; increasing size breeds problems.”
Most agree that managers and employees are anxious to see the assessment data. One of the challenges managers see is to make sure departments and their people view the data in a positive light. It is information that they need to know in order to improve. Nevertheless, there is some anxiety about getting evaluated and what the data might say. One manager explains, “Some employees were shocked when they were surveyed and specific names were used. Using names feeds the fears of a witch-hunt. Many were taken aback. We have to reassure everyone that no one will lose his or her job over this before we can more forward. I see this data as a baseline that enables us to improve.”
One respondent articulates the group sentiment, “We need a thoughtful, concise rollout of the data including an understanding of the process used to develop key findings and recommendations. A controlled flow of information is critical so that the information is fully understood in context. What we need and expect is a focus upon next steps and recommendations. The fear is that the emphasis will be on the problems and that we will become reactionary rather than focused on the positive steps we need to take to improve.” Others agree. Tempe has experienced much change and has made good progress in the last year. Respondents hope that the assessment data helps them move forward, not backwards.
Favoritism/Good Old
Boy Network
Respondents agree that issues of favoritism and the good old boy network primarily revolve around issues of fairness in promotion. One manager emphasizes the complexity of the problem, “We have had problems with promotions. The merit council selection (where an employee is chosen without any formal selection process) is a highly visible example of a situation that fuels perceptions of favoritism. Even where favoritism does not exist there are concerns regarding perception; for example, if you coach and mentor willing employees, will you be charged with favoritism? It is a difficult challenge, especially with our policy of promoting from within. We haven’t developed a formal program as of yet because of the complexities involved.” Another manager agrees, “Is favoritism real or is it perception? This is the first question that must be answered.” Another adds, “The biggest thing is to ensure a fair recruiting process and to communicate this to employees. The good old boy network can become a self-fulfilling prophecy if employees think someone is a shoe in for a position and they don’t even apply.”
The problem of favoritism is very complex and as such presents some difficult challenges. One manager explains a problem he has observed, “Some employees who are not the most competent blame their lack of promotion on their ethnicity. How do we deal with this type of problem?’ Another observes, “A young go getter may move up in the organization based upon hard work, yet other employees who have been there for some time see it as favoritism or discrimination. Some how we need to communicate what it really takes to advance, but that still doesn’t solve the problem of the employee who see everything through a particular lens whether it be gender, race or ethnicity.”
Another manager contends, “Favoritism has been a problem historically. In the past when women or minorities have been hired often they have been just like the hiring manager. People who don’t listen come in all sizes and shapes. In my opinion, we’re not always savvy about what diversity really is and how to support it with our organizational goals.” An employee respondent agrees, “Traditionally managers like, value and promote people just like themselves. We’re in a transition period. This was touched upon in MST training – the value of diversity and of hiring people with different backgrounds and skills. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the future. We’ve seen what happened in the past. In Field Services, the six-foot plus body building biker clones that ran the place are now gone.”
One employee representative describes how the issue plays out in his group, “Some of our perceptions of favoritism and the good old boy network are fueled by not sharing information about hiring, promotions, job assignments and the like. This lack of information creates a vacuum that feeds the rumor mill and results in negative perceptions. It’s frustrating to me because I’m privy to more details than I am allowed to share with fellow employees. They might see things differently if they had more accurate information. We have good reasons for not sharing much of this information, legal and otherwise; however, I think we could figure out some better ways to communicate with employees such that they have a better understanding of many situations.”
One manager sees favoritism and the good old boy network as primarily a gender issue. He suggests, “I think this relates to gender particularly with respect to upper management opportunities. We are making more visible progress with race and ethnicity than we are with gender. We are addressing this issue by changing our promotional and hiring practices; for example, HR is more closely involved with monitoring and guiding the process than in the past. There is closer scrutiny of the entire process and we are trying some new things. For example, we started conducting orientations for job candidates to help clarify the qualifications and requirements. The pilot went extremely well. We gave an overview of the selection process that would be used including sample questions and told them a role-play would be involved. One very interesting thing came out of it. We discovered a problem in Field Services that we had never thought about before. We now let Field Services personnel go home to shower and change before they go to an interview so that they can come in with a clean shirt and tie instead of hot and sweaty. Simple changes like this help create a level playing field for job applicants.”
Managers strongly agree that effective policies and procedures are in place and that they are applied fairly across the board. In their view, this may not have always been true in the past, but they believe that mandatory supervisory training has addressed some of the past problems. One manager explains, “MST training has covered this thoroughly and it should be well understood by all. Additionally, HR has developed the employee Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) which provides a four-step process for dealing with issues.”
Most managers say that supervisory discretion is not a major problem. One manager shares his point of view, “HR personnel mediators have been trained and oversee the process to help ensure that employees get fair hearings and representation when issues arise.” An employee representative agrees, “Supervisory discretion is not a factor in my opinion. It was true under the previous HR Director, but I don’t believe it is happening today. I don’t hear any charges or issues coming from employees in my group.” One manager disagrees, “You may be dead in the water if your supervisor says so. I’ve seen it in my department. I had a ‘problem female’ transfer into my group. She was floored when I told her to implement the very idea that had caused her to be labeled as a troublemaker in her previous group. It was a good idea and she is a good employee. I’ve seen employees who work very hard that do things differently not be recognized and rewarded.”
Respondents suggest a number of ways to address issues of favoritism and good old boy network as summarized below:
Some respondents are surprised that employees perceive department managers as ‘rigid and unbending.’ Two of the employee representatives say that they don’t see this as a major issue in their groups and a few managers say they don’t see this in their groups or among their peers.
One manager is not surprised. He says, “I think this perception is likely to be part of our old baggage and our previous management style. One of the problems you must deal with in large organizations is the development of fiefdoms. I try to deal with these issues by becoming highly visible and accessible. I don’t just represent the management team, I represent everyone and an important part of my job is to keep in tune with what is happening and to increase management accountability.” An employee representative also sees this perception as relating to management style and practice in his group. He says, “The emphasis in our group is discipline and our structured chain of command isolates managers from employees. Employees may begin to wonder if management understands what is happening in the trenches and what the employee challenges are. The management style and focus in our group does not project an attitude of caring about employees. It is impersonal and bureaucratic. The focus seems to be upon following the rules and chain of command. Sometimes the reason or logic behind why we are doing something gets lost in the translation from top to bottom.”
Another manager believes that this may occur in some organizations, but that it is hard to detect at the senior management level. He observes, “All organizations have the type of individual who curries favor with the top and stomps on the people below him or her. They are ‘closet snobs’. They are always extremely pleasant to you, but is may be a very different experience for the people below them. It’s particularly challenging for a senior manager to see what is really happening below.”
The majority of respondents are not surprised that prejudice or stereotypes exist, but most were unclear whether any patterns exist and cannot give any examples based upon personal experience or observation. One manager expresses the group sentiment, “I can’t deny that prejudice exists. I can only say that management does not condone it and I don’t believe that it is widespread. No recurring areas have emerged other than the specific areas we discovered in Development Services. We have made drastic changes based on what we’ve learned in the past year, but we still need to make sure that we have eliminated the problems. We need to find the pockets where prejudice exists and deal with it.”
Another manager adds, “There is some prejudice based on level, ethnicity even age. For example, we see real difference between younger and older generations. But stereotyping is a two-way street. Some employees limit and stereotype themselves creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is why we have placed so much emphasis on the IDP and why coaching and mentoring is so important.”
Asked about stereotypes of blue-collar workers, many respondents believe that this probably does occur to some extent; however, a few point out that the stereotypes regarding level go both ways. One manager explains, “It’s true that people can be treated according to cultural stereotypes rather than as individuals. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve also seen blue collar workers stereotype management as a bunch of ‘suits.’” Others agree that these and other types of stereotypes need to be identified and discouraged. One manager observes, “The only way these types of stereotypes are sustained is when there is no regular interaction between people and groups. If we are getting out and in field working with people, these types of stereotypes fade away.”
Demonstrating
Understanding and Respect
Many managers say that the new management philosophy and spending time in the field are the primary ways that they are connecting with employees. In their view using a personal touch and giving employees real-time feedback are effective ways of demonstrating understanding and respect. Employee representatives say their groups are seeing more efforts on the part of management and that things are getting better.
One of the employee representative shares his insight into how some employees feel that they are not being treated with understanding and respect. In his view work group meetings are an area for improvement. He observes, “There are lots of meetings going on but not always effective meetings. Many are steered by managers and are top down rather than interactive. Sometimes it is clear that a decision has already been made prior to the meeting and employees feel manipulated.” Another respondent agrees, “Employees get very frustrated when they give supervisors feedback or input and he or she totally changes it or misinterprets it.” Similar comments indicate that supervisors appear to be trying to working with their employees, but that there are many disconnects that contribute to feelings of frustrations, being misunderstood and being manipulated.
A few respondents contend that empowering employees and involving them in decision making is not well understood by supervisors. One respondent explains, “We have formed all of these committees to do work only to find out after the fact that employees have no real decision making power or they find out that they weren’t given the information they needed to develop a reasonable recommendation. I think supervisors need help in learning how to work in groups and how to involve employees in decision making.” According to several respondents, these types of issues are surfacing in the organization and are being discussed in employee work group meetings. One manager explains, “This issue has come out in TEC meetings and is on the City’s radar. In fact, we are considering putting together some type of training to help us run meetings and work in group.”
Respondents agree that Public Works has been ‘studied to death.’ None are surprised that most Tempe employees are aware of the allegations and issues. On the positive side, the say it has resulted in the MST training and has elevated the visibility and importance of diversity. As one respondent sees it, “The Public Works situation is very important; it resulted in this diversity assessment and has created positive change. It also provides an incentive for taking diversity seriously.”
On the negative side, it has caused some resentment and embarrassment for many employees. A manager explains, “I expect some employees to feel as though they are being punished because of the Public Works issue. A continued, undue focus on Public Works will hurt the credibility of the assessment and affect our ability to move forward.” An employee representative agrees, “Future action planning will be viewed as a negative outgrowth of Public Works if goals are mandated across the board that don’t apply to employees. Future action needs to be department specific and seen as relevant by employees, otherwise, it will create animosity and resentment.” Finally, another manager admits, “I worry about headline makers in the public document. I fear my organization being wounded again and our progress thwarted. I see us as healing organization and am concerned about sustaining the progress we have made and continuing the forward momentum.”
Respondents acknowledge that there are gender issues in the City; in fact, several managers predict that gender will surface as the top issue in the diversity assessment. In their view, a lack of women in top management positions and under representation of women in traditionally male-dominated areas such as Fire, Police and Public Works are the two biggest problems.
Managers say that the ‘glass ceiling’ is a problem that needs to be addressed. One manager readily acknowledges, “Our biggest issue is the lack of females at the top. At the highest level we only have one woman; however, as you move into the deputy level you begin to see more women in leadership positions.” Another argues, “Addressing the glass ceiling means dealing with hiring, promotion, recognition and reward factors. It includes addressing the negative stereotypes and male resistance that creates barriers to females entering certain fields and advancing into upper management positions.”
Others agree that stereotypes and male resistance to women is a challenge in the City of Tempe. One manager shares his view, “Our previous HR Director and our Public Works Director both created problems. The Public Works Director got her position through favoritism rather than merit and the HR Director promoted the ‘bitch’ stereotype.” In his view stereotyping women in leadership positions as ‘’bitches’ is a common problem in many private and public organizations. He adds, “Another problem we’ve see is resistance to working with women especially in blue collar and other male-dominated areas. Many municipalities are battling these same issues. We see these types of issues in our organization in Fire, Police and Public Works.” Another manager agrees, “Gender is a huge issue. PD has a gender focus and is doing an expo next month to recruit women interested in a career in police. We definitely have our problem areas. Fire is terrible. There is a lot of resistance to bringing in women because of safety concerns and the physical requirements of the job. We are aware of these issues and are dealing with them through active recruitment.”
One respondent emphasizes that the City is making good progress toward closing the gender gap. He notes that the City of Tempe has substantial female talent in the second level management tier. He says, “ We are filling the organizational pipeline with qualified women who can be promoted into higher levels of responsibility. For example, we have some very talented women at the deputy level we are grooming to take top leadership positions. We do have some good role models at the top; for example, our presiding judge is a woman and does a great job and our head of Economic Development is female. Another manager adds, “The good news is that we have many slots that will be opening as white males reach retirement age in the next five to ten years. We realize that the next level needs to be groomed to fill the slots. We’re one generation away from solving the gender gap.”
Several respondents believe that sexual harassment and hostile work environment are issues that have been addressed through training and education. A few problems may occur, but most agree that these issues are not widespread. One respondent expresses the group perspective, “In the past we have had some issues with sexual harassment. It has mostly taken the form of inappropriate comments, jokes, emails and even Internet porn. We’ve had similar issues with race and ethnicity too. However, much of this type of behavior has been eliminated or reduced because of our intensive training and visible focus.” An employee representative agrees, “I’d be very surprised if hostile work environment or sexual harassment emerge as a big issue. We’ve been given the message loud and clear, engage in this type of behavior and you get fired.”
One manager suggests that the City’s male-oriented norms and practices may inadvertently create a hostile work environment for women. In his view, “There is so much testosterone in some groups that it is difficult to participate if you’re female. I’ve seen it. For example, women are interrupted and cut off in meetings. This happens a lot, even with very strong, vocal women. We need to be more respectful of women and give them an opportunity to be heard. We have communication issues and I’ve pointed them out when I’ve seen them. Frankly, I think our atmosphere could be very intimidating for some employees, especially women.” Another manager agrees, “Many of our diversity issues really boil down to communication. Men and women communicate differently and we need to be more aware of this.” These managers advocate taking a closer look at the area of communication to determine ways to improve the tone, quality and effectiveness of the City’s communication dynamic.
Another manager sees the City making real progress in regard to the problem of a hostile work environment. He says, “Over the last year we have seen only one EEOC complaint and this was the second time this employee had an issue. The EEOC reviewed the case and dismissed it. The other trend we are seeing is more employees coming to HR directly. This is a big change from the past. I think it shows that we are making progress with employees. The fact that employees are working with us to resolve issues internally is major progress. The nature of the issues has also changed. We’re not seeing hostile work environment or harassment issues, we’re seeing more problems with getting along with their supervisor or co-workers.”
Respondents agree that there are some negative stereotypes regarding gender and sexual orientation. Strong women, especially those in leadership positions, can be labeled as a ‘bitch’ and women in traditionally male groups are sometimes labeled as ‘butch.’ An employee representative explains, “When women enter into non-feminine type roles, questions about their sexuality come up. The stereotype is that they must be lesbian or butch. I’m not sure if other types of discrimination occur because of this perception, but there is talk and speculation.” Another adds, “In our group there are questions of reverse discrimination when a female is promoted. Employees wonder is she was promoted because she is lesbian and will claim discrimination if she isn’t given the promotion.” A manager agrees that that questions or charges of favoritism may come up when a woman is promoted in some groups.
Employee representatives are less likely than managers to see gender as a major issue. None expect gender to be the top issue in the City of Tempe. One explains that PD doesn’t have glass-ceiling issues; in fact, PD has several female sergeants. Another admits that in Fire, some are concerned about women meeting the physical demands of the job. And one says that there have not been any gender specific issues raised in the TEC. They agree that there may be some jokes, language or stereotypes related to gender, but they do not see these types of issues as pervasive. One acknowledges, “Harassment is not tolerated period; however, hostile work environment should be looked into especially in areas where women are the minority. There may be issues that male employees are not aware of and women may feel uncomfortable or stereotyped.” Another says, “The glass ceiling is hard to identify. It is true that we lack females at the top, but we do have them at the deputy level. Only time will tell whether we have serious issues or not.”
In sum, respondents see gender issues in the City of Tempe as involving traditional problems such as differential wages and status, communication differences, stereotypes and the like. Most do not see blatant sexual harassment or hostile work environment as a major issue, although they acknowledge it may occur in some groups. Managers agree that the City needs to address the glass ceiling and to remove barriers to women entering male dominated fields. In their view, these are the two most important gender issues to address.
One manager believes that ethnicity and race is perceived as a problem largely because of Public Works. In his view, “This perception is baggage from our Public Works issue. We’re making good strides in Field Services, where we got most of our EEOC complaints. We’ve hired a black male superintendent, a Hispanic male sanitation supervisor, a Hispanic male residential supervisor and a Hispanic female management assistant. As a result we are seeing higher morale although some thought we went too far in hiring minority candidates.” In his view the City is making progress elsewhere as well. For example, the Human Relations Department is currently compiling demographic statistics to establish a measurable baseline. An employee representative agrees, “The biggest problem regarding race and ethnicity has been in Public Works. The main issue I’m aware of in intimidation of minority employees. Racial slurs and language has been a problem as well.”
One manager takes a broader view. He argues, “Our biggest problem is the strata that concentrates minorities at the bottom and white males at the top from the City Council on down. Part of the solution entails getting minority role models in upper levels of management.” Another manager points to issues occurring within work groups. He observes, “I see racial and ethnic issues playing out in my group with buddies referring to one another in racial terms. They don’t see anything wrong with this and use inappropriate language and terms as a form of bonding and camaraderie. We’re working hard to educate employees that this is not okay and that these types of jokes and bantering can offend employees.” Another manager agrees, “I’ve been with employees that are joking and bantering especially in the blue collar culture. Managers don’t want to be viewed as stuffed shirts, but they need to address this problem and eliminate it. It will take continuing education and consistent enforcement to change the existing culture.”
Another respondent suggests, “I see this problem as battling stereotypes and educating employees. I won’t deny that prejudice exists, but I think the more prevalent issue is lack of knowledge and sensitivity to other cultures. Some employees or managers may intentionally engage inappropriate behavior out of prejudice, but most do so out of ignorance.” He argues that most important group to educate is supervisors because they have the biggest impact on employees. He sees a critical role for senior managers as well, “This is a delicate issue. Managers need to trust their supervisors when they tell them things are going well in their work group; however, department heads are responsible for what is happening in their areas. Being out of touch was part of the problem that occurred in Public Works and there is no excuse for this. Managers need to know what is happening in their areas of responsibility. Their job is to ensure that things are going well and that issues are being dealt with appropriately and effectively.”
Employee representatives have few firsthand insights to share when it comes to issues of race or ethnicity. One representative explains, “All I know about is what happened in Public Works. We really haven’t had any racial or ethnic issues in our group. Our only diversity issue has been gender and that’s because of the physical demands of the job.” Another adds, “I haven’t seen any racial issues in PD; however, we don’t have a lot of diversity. I can’t think of any Hispanic officers and our black sergeant recently retired. The running department joke was that he couldn’t do anything unethical or illegal because he’d stand out like a sore thumb as the only black sergeant.”
Employee representatives agree that they employees are not coming to the TEC or Unions about race or ethnic issues. Asked about possible issues of exclusion, one respondent asserts, “If exclusion and not being heard are diversity issues, then I guess I’m a minority too.” He explains, “Many employees don’t feel heard or respected. Personally, I think many employees may feel excluded and I don’t see minorities as being singled out for this.” A manager asked about the problem of exclusion suggests, “It happens on occasion, in fact, it has come up at Will’s management meeting as an area for improvement.”
Respondents agree that training and education is an important part of the solution. The City plans to expand upon the MST training that has been delivered to managers and supervisors. Specific topics such as how to conduct work group meetings have been identified. Lack of computer skill is another area that has been identified as potentially holding back employees. One manager explains, “We have been very concerned about making sure that blue collar employees, many of which are also minority employees, are not left behind when it comes to critical job skills. That is why we decided to make computer training mandatory, to ensure a level playing field for all employees. This is a formal training program, not something we ask employees to do own their own time.”
Respondents view minority recruitment is as another part of the solution. One manager articulates the group perspective, “One of the best ways to combat stereotypes and labeling is to seed minority roles models throughout the organization at all levels.” Managers emphasize that this philosophy is prominent in their thinking when they have opportunities to hire and promote employees. They are widening the recruitment net, using diverse hiring panels, conducting job orientation sessions for employees and developing and piloting new techniques to improve their hiring and promotional practices.
Managers see power and control issues as part of the old management style and culture that they are in the process of changing. Few are surprised that a certain number of employees feel like they are ‘under the thumb’ of their supervisor. In their opinion, this is a problem that will take time to solve. One manager explains, “I expect there are pockets where there are still issues with respect to how employees are managed. Some of our old school managers may not agree with the new approach, but they know what it is and are being given an opportunity to get on board. Further, employees are being trained so they know what is and is not appropriate and can flag issues.” Another manager agrees, “The controlling style of management is definitely still out there. MST presents the new approach but is insufficient. Phase two will provide facilitation skills and look at how to encourage employee participation.”
Employee representatives corroborate the management point of view. One says, “We see the City working hard to overcome this problem. There are factions that are more comfortable in the old military management style and are resisting change. Others really don’t understand how to implement the new approach. Some supervisors think being more people-oriented means allowing employees to do whatever they want. We have more work to do to get everyone working together in the new approach.” Another employee representative agrees, “We still see managers who are too heavy handed with employees. These are the ones employees complain about because they continue to work top down and try to manipulate employees in meetings. Some supervisors and managers still have more faith in their own personal vision that they have in the process.”
Respondents agree that change of this magnitude takes time. Some additional training is planned to help, but ultimately, those who do not get on board with the new direction will not prosper. As one manager sees it, “We are happy to help employees and managers learn how to work in a participative management system. We’re giving managers and supervisors time and training to get on board. However, those who do not will find themselves left behind. They will not be the ones getting raises and promotions.” Another manager adds, “MST is level one and sets the new management expectation. The second level is rewarding and recognizing outstanding managers that are able to develop and diversify their organizations.”
One manager is not surprised that employees see more diversity issues between levels than within their work groups. He explains, “This is consistent with perceptions of favoritism and the old top down approach.” Further, he indicates that the City has identified problem supervisors who are receiving additional training and coaching from management or in other cases, who have been eliminated. An employee representative agrees that issues between levels may be more prevalent in some groups. He says, “There’s no surprise here. We see major power struggles and resistance to participative management in some areas.”
Another manager isn’t sure how employees view levels and what is shaping this perception. He posits, “I’m not sure about if there are more issues between levels. I’d have to think about it. The thing that comes is mind is ineffective work group meetings. Employees and supervisors see the tone and quality of the interaction very differently. This is an issue that has been raised by the TEC and we are working on in my group. I’m struggling with this myself. I don’t want to run things top down without time for discussion but so much time is taken with passing down information that it’s a challenge.”
Some question the contention that more diversity issues occur between levels. An employee representative expresses this view; “I disagree based upon my own observations. I see lots of problems between employees in terms of language, jokes and racist attitudes. I recently heard two employees talking about ‘wetbacks’ in the employee lunch room.” He emphasizes that many of the employees engaging in this type of behavior don’t see it as a problem. In his view, training and education has eliminated some of the problem, but it is still out there. He clarifies his position further, “This is not to say that issues between levels don’t exist, but it’s harder to pin down. Is it poor management or is it a diversity issue? We have e have issues between and within levels that need to be understood and addressed.”
In sum, those managers who see this perception as pertaining to management style agree that there are probably issues between levels that need to be addressed. Others emphasize that diversity issues can be found in all part of the City within and between levels.
Managers believe that they have developed a very good system for helping employees elevate and resolve issues. Yet they are not surprised to learn that some employees distrust HR or perceive TEC as a powerless group. One manager expresses the group sentiment, “We have an open system. Employees can go to HR or as high as the City Manager. We’ve taken a hard look at the role of HR and the grievance process and have made necessary adjustments. We need to publicize the options available and be patient. Building trust takes time.” Another manager agrees, “TEC perceptions will change because they are visibly involved in a number of important issues such as rules and regulations. TEC does have input and is taken seriously by management. Similarly we are working on changing perceptions of HR. The historical baggage is difficult to overcome, but we are doing it.” Managers believe that new programs such as the mediation process that is being rolled out in 2002 will help employees see HR is changing how it conducts its business and providing new ways to support employees.
An employee representative is not surprised that there are safety concerns and fears about raising issues among some employees. In his view this is one of the reasons the TOA was initially formed. He explains, “Employees in PD couldn’t get issues resolved one-on-one and it was not perceived as safe to raise issues. The Fire Union and TOA are very effective compared to other groups because of the formal power structure. TEC has power today because Manley supports it. But what happens under a different manager? This is the clear advantage of being part of a union. It provides a formal power structure to support employees and it is a safe place to raise issues and concerns.”
Asked about the possible problem of too much supervisor discretion in handling employee complaints, one employee representative says, “Supervisors need some discretion in how they work with employees and apply policy. I don’t think we’d want to change this. What we need is a back up system to help employees pursue issues that there supervisor may be unwilling to address. In our current system there may be cases where there is nothing an employee can do. We’ve faced stalemates in our union and haven’t had a way to elevate the issue. Realistically this can be a problem.” A manager strongly disagrees, “Frankly I don’t see safety as an issue, especially given the changes that have been made in the last year. We have active employee groups, managers are in the field talking to employees, HR is providing mediation and overseeing each group and the City Manager and Staff have opened their doors to employees. I think we need to continue educating employees about their options and give things time to work.”
Respondents agree that employees have been given a stronger
voice and more options as to resolving issues and conflicts. A couple of managers express some frustration
that employees are still fearful or concerned given the many improvements that
have been put into place in the last year.
However, most believe that it will take time to build trust and to see
the benefits of training and other change efforts.
Respondents are asked to share any final thoughts or recommendations that they have regarding action planning and implementation. One employee representative shares his view, “Given everything we’ve discussed, I recommend continuing to work on improving the Human Relation Department and on building employee trust. HR needs to help departments and employee group examine their own areas and see what needs to change or improve. They have a critical role as an information source and a facilitator, but they can’t do their job if employees don’t trust them.” In his view, HR has made progress, but needs to continue building trust and demonstrating that it is safe and effective to go to them to resolve issues.
Another employee representative says that there is tension and stress in his group. As he sees it, “We are walking on eggshells in our group because we’re unclear about what is allowed and what is not. We need to work on improving the work environment and on establishing clear expectations in a number of areas including the role of the supervisor and diversity.”
Several respondents emphasize the importance of continuing MST training. They say that there needs to be follow through with some of the changes and programs that have already been put into place. Most see training as an ongoing, evolving process. Work groups will be used to surface issues that need to be addressed and if training is indicated, it will be developed and placed in the curriculum. One manager adds, “We’re looking forward to a July rollout of diversity information because we are in the process of developing our phase two plan which includes looking at what we need to do to reinforce sound management principles established in MST. And we will use baseline diversity data to identify additional focal areas for action planning.”
Asked how the City of Tempe would ‘rally the troops’ to support diversity objectives, one manager advocates appealing to employees’ sense of pragmatism. He explains, “The Tempe way is to be one step ahead of other cities. We need to appeal to their pragmatism. A focus on diversity is necessary for us to move into a global economy and to maintain organizational strength and competence.” Others stress appealing to Tempe values that support and promote diversity. As one manger sees it, “The Tempe culture supports diversity. Fairness and creativity are two big factors in our focus on diversity. We don’t use the word ‘diversity’ per se, but we highlight the factors that support a diverse culture.” Another manager stresses, “Tempe is a special organization and community. This is a theme we can utilize. We are open to new ideas and have a tradition of wanting to be great. We’re proud of being ahead of the curve. Taking on a diversity project like this is part of our being innovative and progressive.”