Anslem Gardner
Daniels panel discusses diversity, overcoming bias and racism in the workplace
For Anslem Gardner (MBA 2016), representation matters.
It matters because marginalized and underserved children and teens need strong leadership role models and resources to help them climb out of the abyss of systemic racism and unconscious bias that still pervades today’s professional workplace.
But Gardner, national program director of Momentum Advisory Collective, which provides restaurant and culinary training programs to youth exiting juvenile detention facilities, also sees a strong business rationale for representation and diversity.
“Representation accomplishes two important things,” said Gardner. “First, a company can better understand and serve a diverse customer base if those views are already represented internally. It just makes intuitive business sense.
“Second, when they are working with people that look and sound like they do, it makes those employees feel more comfortable and they perform better,” he continued. “There is a statistic that says companies with above average diversity – especially on their management teams – report 19% higher revenue as a result of innovative products and services than less diverse companies.”
Gardner expressed his views as a panelist in the Daniels College of Business panel discussion “Why Race Matters in the Workplace,” held virtually October 20, 2020. The discussion was moderated by Anthony Holder, associate professor of accountancy.
Ivelise Zambrano-Herrera
In addition to Gardner, panelists included:
- Ivelise Zambrano-Herrera (MBA &MSF 2000)
- Strategic Workforce Planning Consultant, Charles Schwab
- Jordan Isom
- Manager, Financial Risk, Transactions & Restructuring, Deloitte & Touche
- Briana Jones
- Director of Product, Zayo Group
- Monica Williams (EMBA 2013)
- Executive Producer, The Equity Project, LLC
Williams delved deeper, explaining that diversity alone in not enough. Employers must breed an environment where diversity flourishes, to fully reap its benefits.
“It’s important to have a culture that embraces diversity,” Williams said. “It does no good to have all types of diversity, but the diverse voices are not heard or valued, and there’s not the inclusion that allows that to happen. The key piece of having diversity is being able to leverage it as a strength and not looking at it as a deficit.”
In turning to solutions, WIlliams and the other panelists acknowledged that achieving substantive workplace diversity and a supportive culture are not easy. The path requires difficult, often very uncomfortable discussions, which can be divisive – but don’t have to be.
“Conversations about race are difficult because everyone’s views are so closely connected and tied to who we are, our identity, how we’ve been socialized and how we were raised,” she said. “It’s difficult to separate that and not have it be divisive.
”It’s important to acknowledge that everyone comes into conversations on race with their own lived experiences and with their own lens,” she added. “But I’m challenging everyone to have these conversations, even if they make you uncomfortable. Because progress will only happen when we talk, ask questions and try to understand another person’s perspective.”
The “Why Race Matters in the Workplace” panel discussion was introduced in 2017 and has been held annually as a professional development opportunity primarily for undergraduate students in the Daniels College of Business.
The program was created to help students understand the kinds of issues that former Daniels students and other people in leadership positions are experiencing in the workplace, according to Ron Sidwell, assistant director of Undergraduate Student Services. Panelists include Daniels graduates and other experienced individuals in leadership positions with companies and in industries of interest to Daniels’ students.
Sidwell said that the group is planning a quarterly series of discussions on diversity, equity and inclusion, of which the “Why Race Matters in the Workplace” panel will be a part.
For more information, watch the full panel discussion.