By Malcolm Foo
Leading companies in the United States are recognizing the positive business impacts of maintaining a diverse workforce. Yet minorities are not succeeding at the same rate as their non-minority peers in corporate America. Even at companies that pursue aggressive strategies for recruiting minority talent, keeping and growing that talent shows a gap between obtaining and retaining high-performing minorities—a gap that is most apparent among organizational leadership roles.
Meanwhile, having proportionately fewer minority individuals in senior positions perpetuates feelings of anxiety or resignation among high-talent minority employees at various stages of their careers. These individuals feel that they simply don't understand the tacit rules for succeeding in an environment that may not be in sync with their own cultural styles or values, and they ultimately vote with their feet. Or, as the Washington Post slogan goes, "If you don't get it, you don't get it."
This article isn't a macro view or demographic survey of the industry, nor is it another business case for diversity. It's the perspective of someone who is one of the different faces in the organization. Having grown up Chinese in Europe, the Middle East, South-East Asia and Oceania, I can say this is about the lessons I've learned—and that continue to learn—in adding value and being valued, while being yourself.
Keep your cultural customs (and lose your constraints)
I recently heard a panelist at a professional development event for the Asian-American community describe how her upbringing in a traditional Asian household was often at odds with behaviors that are rewarded in corporate America. She observed that a lifelong habit of obedience to authority had contributed to her reluctance to offer opinions or challenge the ideas of clients and more senior coworkers, which was misinterpreted as her being disengaged in meetings.
In Polynesian culture, avoiding eye contact denotes respect for elders or persons in authority, while too much eye contact could be seen as confrontational or disrespectful. Conversely, the same facial cue in the West generally precipitates negative inferences about the person whose eyes are averted. Indeed, in job interviews in New Zealand, Maori candidates may feel constrained by their cultural traditions to speak too highly of themselves—a possible step toward losing employment opportunities to other candidates who, unconstrained by custom, feel comfortable enumerating their achievements to potential employers. Similarly, Hispanics and Asians who are required to assess their own performance as part of the performance-appraisal process tend to err on the side of being more modest and self-critical than the organizational mean, with often predictable results.
Demonstrations of respect and personal modesty are absolutely integral to many cultures, but need not translate into career-limiting behaviors in the American corporate context. For example, instead of modestly understating your accomplishments in your self-assessment, a Deloitte partner, Hu Xihao, advises employees to regard these appraisals as an opportunity to provide leadership with accurate information about their performance. In fact, understating one's contributions to the organization could be seen as providing faulty information—a disservice to both the employee and employer. These are just a few examples of the potential influence of cultural mores on behaviors in the workplace. But it is possible—and necessary—to understand how to maintain your cultural values, while learning and demonstrating the behaviors you need to succeed professionally. And in doing so, it is essential to understand the value of your unique weltanschauung (world view) and leverage it as a personal strength, an advantage for your employer and an asset to your client.
Step beyond your comfort zone
In my first year of elementary school in Singapore, I faced a level of academic pressure that I had never experienced in other school systems. The Singaporean scholastic environment had redefined the meaning of failure; "failing" in this new context didn't mean getting an "F"—it meant getting less than stellar grades in assignments and exams. We students inferred that this would ultimately lead to poor employment prospects, a tougher life, and a "loss of face" for our families. The future would be grim if I didn't place well in the national exams. I was only 12 years old.
The premium some cultures place on success can lead to what psychologists and executive coaches call "performance orientation"—the need to ace whatever you're doing, and the concomitant fear of failing (or to be seen failing) in the attempt. This may influence those who originate from cultural backgrounds with a strong performance orientation to avoid situations that they would not immediately excel in—for example, in accepting assignments or roles with which they are unfamiliar. This limits the experiences and lessons that professionals could potentially avail themselves of, and which would be valuable in preparing them to advance to the next stage of their careers.
Instead, challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone. By doing so, you'll gain skills and experiences that will be valuable in both your professional and personal development. For example, if your accent or lexicon makes it difficult for you to be understood by coworkers and clients, don't minimize your interactions with them or avoid situations that would put you in the spotlight. Rather, consider signing up with your local Toastmasters chapter to develop your communication skills.
Build your network—diversity works both ways
Business is relationship driven, and all the more so in the consulting industry. Networking with peers, coworkers, clients and professional organizations builds the relationships needed to succeed in a consulting career. While this is no different for a minority professional than for anyone else, the additional challenge for minorities is that we may not share the same interests, experiences or even slang as many of our clients and coworkers. I recall hearing a consultant, who had recently moved to the U.S., say that her peers never invited her to baseball games because they assumed that she would not be interested in this consummately American sport. The interests you might have developed growing up may not be shared by others in your workplace while, conversely, you may not be as familiar with the interests and social conventions of the majority of people in your professional milieu.
It's easy under those circumstances to drift toward the people who look, act or speak like you—people like people like them. One way to make the most of this natural tendency is to actively participate in affinity groups of like-minded people. Deloitte Consulting, for example, has Business Resource Groups (BRGs) supported by the firm in its practices across the country, whose activities are planned by its employees. Employees who the BRGs represent include blacks, Hispanics, Asians, parents, gays, individuals with disabilities and members (past and present) of the Armed Forces. If your company doesn't have any affinity groups, consider starting one yourself. You could also participate with established national organizations like the National Black MBA Association (NBMBA), Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) or Out and Equal, to name a few.
Another important step is to find a mentor (or a few of them) who understands your background, and be a mentor to others wherever appropriate.
Networking is challenging to many people and particularly so for minorities of any race, orientation or ability. Yet this is a critical step toward professional fulfillment in the consulting industry. And remember that acceptance works both ways. So instead of focusing on differences, look for similarities; instead of waiting for others to meet you on your terms, be the one to reach out first; instead of waiting to be invited to the party, be the host.
Melting pots and salad bowls
I've heard diversity and multiculturalism described both as a melting pot and a salad bowl. Everything blends together in a melting pot while, in a salad bowl, each ingredient retains its own character but works well with everything else. I prefer the idea of the salad bowl. It is important to know yourself, your own value and your unique strengths, and bring them deliberately to your organization and clients. In doing so, challenge yourself to distinguish between your cultural mores and some of the habits they may have given rise to. Don't let the latter constrain you from realizing your aspirations and the value you bring to others, but hold on to the former. They make us who we are.
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