Getting different perspectives, opinions, and insights almost always leads to better decisons.
That is the conclusion I have drawn from my professional experience. The best decisions I have made as the head of a department, or later as CEO of several organizations, was getting different points of view from a wide variety of team members. Each person who either was asked for their perspective or freely offered their viewpoint from their unique perspective added important data points as our team worked to an ultimate decision. It was a opportunity to collect various ‘data points’ that allowed numerous perspectives.
I have seen this viewpoint expressed by many association executives throughout a study just released by Vetted Solutions, a Washington, DC based executive search firm. I co-authored the research and was proud to be involved in this effort.
My biggest ‘takeaways are these:
1. 81% of respondents view diversity and inclusion as part of their association’s core values. This means it is ‘top of mind’ among association leadership and indicates even more forward momentum on diversity and inclusion issues.
2. Benchmarks for progress remain elusive. 73% of those surveyed have comprehensive diversity and inclusion policies within their organizations. However, 70% do not believe they have effective benchmarks or measures to evaluate the impact of their efforts. Measurement is hard and will take further thought and study.
3. 84% focus on diversity and inclusion because it is the ‘right thing to do’ - a statistic I interpret to mean that association leaders understand and appreciate that diversity and inclusion provides greater opportunities for all to be part of the American experience.
Many of those who participated in the research offered advice and insights on moving diversity and inclusion forward. In part, this resulted in a number of practical recommendations that can be taken by each of us, no matter our position or stature, everyday. The list alone can provide opportunities for leaders and those who expect to lead to further broaden their perspectives and make their enterprises stronger.
A complete copy of the report can be found here: Diversity and Inclusion - Core Values Among Associations