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Diversity & Leadership. Patrick F. Bassett, NAIS President bassett@nais.org. Diversity Factor in the State of the Industry Ground Truth from the Front Line: What Diversity Practitioners Say Lessons from Still Aspiring (NAIS 2010 Research Report) Overcoming Resistance to Change
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Diversity & Leadership Patrick F. Bassett, NAIS Presidentbassett@nais.org
Diversity Factor in the State of the Industry • Ground Truth from the Front Line: What Diversity Practitioners Say • Lessons from Still Aspiring(NAIS 2010 Research Report) • Overcoming Resistance to Change • Cosmopolitanism & Global Cross-Cultural Competency • Elephants in the Room
Ground Truth from the Front Line: What Diversity Practitioners Say
Strongest Emotions Associated with Diversity Work in Independent Schools Mastery Purpose Autonomy
Executive Summary: Optimism • Diversity practice in independent schools is a source of both compassion and optimism on the one hand and of frustration or disappointment on the other. • Optimism: being charged with taking on challenging work that can lead to important change. • Six-in-10 practitioners report getting strong support for diversity efforts from either the head of school or the other administrators; half of these schools have a formal strategic plan for diversity in place. • Two-thirds of schools’ mission statements include diversity and inclusivity.
Executive Summary: Frustration • Frustration: difficulty of translating diversity objectives into true action. • One-in-five have received no formal diversity training. • Only one-third of diversity directors work on diversity full- time. • Getting their diversity roles clarified and validated is one of the leading short-term unfulfilled needs of practitioners • Getting their schools to design and implement a formal strategic plan for diversity is one of their primary long-term unfulfilled needs. • Absence of a clear vision of what the work of diversity directors should become. • Modest success so far achieving goals of equity, justice, and inclusivity when it comes to admissions, gender, class, sexual orientation, race, ability/disability or the hiring of faculty.
Lessons from Still Aspiring: NAIS Research Report (2010) on the seven cohorts in the NAIS Aspiring Heads Program
Factors for Under-Representation of Women in Headship Appointments • Women in the Fellowship program do share some of the characteristics of successful candidates for heads’ positions: older; many years of experience. But… • Less likely than the men to have risen to the rank of assistant head - that important precursor to getting the job as a head. • Less confidence in their connections and interviewing skills, the reputation of schools where they have worked, and their ability to fit into a school’s culture. • Demonstrate less urgency about finding a position, looking at a desired timeframe of five years or longer.
Factors for Under-Representation of Women in Headship Appointments • Less likely than men to pursue headships vigorously, foregoing such efforts as registering with multiple search firms and applying for multiple positions. • Express more doubts about undertaking the position as a head and sacrificing their home or personal life. • More likely than men to say that the time commitment associated with the head of school position is unappealing. • More apt than men to say that staying in their local area is an important factor, often due to children and working spouses. • When asked how their gender has impacted their job search, those women who are interested in single-sex schools say their gender has been an advantage, but others say that it is a disadvantage.
Factors for Under-Representation of People of Color in Headship Appointments • Candidates of color apply for more positions than their Caucasian counterparts and are interviewed and considered finalists in roughly the same proportions… • But they are often disappointed to be the bridesmaid rather than the bride • Compared to successful candidates who are selected to be heads, candidates of color are… • Younger. (Most candidates who are selected are over 40, and many aspiring leaders of color tend to pursue heads positions actively despite their relative lack of experience.) • Less experienced than current heads and successful candidates. • Less often had been assistant heads or division heads, the typical launch positions for headship.
Themes from NAIS’ Still Aspiring Study -2010 • What leadership can NAIS take? • Revise the NAIS PGPs for Head Searches to educate the community on how to make sure the semi-finalist pool is both highly-qualified and diverse • Include in the NAIS Aspiring Heads program coaching of candidates on how to prepare for the interview stage, especially how women and men should address stated or unstated stereotype threat • Encourage seated heads to promote people of color and women to senior leadership roles that are the most typical stepping stones to being selected as a head. • Encourage candidates to find not only references but promoters of their candidacy • Create local training and networks of women and people of color seeking to advance up the leadership ladder.
Themes from NAIS’ Still Aspiring Study -2010 • What leadership can school leaders take? • Make every effort to…
Robert Kegan’s Immunity to Change Intentions and Actions: The Gap -----------
Robert Kegan’s Immunity to Change Foot on gas……………………and on brake
Robert Kegan’s Immunity to Change Change: Identify drivers and assumptions. Test the assumptions.
One Traditional Norm Set Directness Ambition, aggressiveness, pride, initiative Independence Loyalty to job, institutions; volunteerism Strong presentation skills Seriousness Monochromic Timeliness One Multicultural Norm Set Respect, tact, diplomacy, avoid “losing face” Modesty Interdependence Loyalty to individuals, extended family Accents, body language Relaxed, playful Polychromic Whenever Cross-Cultural Intelligence(Source: Steven Jones, Consultant)
“The Cultural Iceberg” ~Dr. Else Hamayan
TWO PHOTOS: Assignment: “Create the most aesthetically pleasing shot.” (Two Photos Source: http://gonzophotos.com/wordpress/?p=333) Same subject, different photographers: Which photo is more pleasing to you? Which was photographed by an American and which by an East Asian? Culture’s aphorisms: US “squeaky wheel” vs. Japan’s “nail”
iPhone App based on Geert Hofsted’s research on national cultures, helps the user “deal with the differences in thinking, feeling, and acting of people around the globe…” • 98 countries • 5 dimension model: • Power Distance (PDI) • Individualism (IDV) • Masculinity (MAS) • Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) • Long-Term Orientation (LTO) Cultural GPS (“There’s an App for that!”)
Power Distance : Level of acceptance of unequal distribution of power • Low: little hierarchy, accessible superiors, belief in equity & justice, change by evolution. • High: inequality accepted; hierarchy needed; inaccessible superiors; privileged power holders; change by revolution. • Individualism: Level of self-reliance vs. collective reliance on clans and organizations • Low: “we” orientation; relationships over tasks; duty to family, group, society; penalty involves loss of face, shame. • High: “I” consciousness; private opinions valued; fulfill obligations to self; penalty involves loss of self-respect & guilt Cultural GPS
Cultural GPS • Masculinity: Femininity values of caring, quality of life, modesty, cooperation vs. masculinity values of achievement, success, heroism, assertiveness, competition, material reward for success. • Low: quality of life, serving others, striving for consensus, small and slow valued, intuition, empathy • High: performance, ambition, excelling, polarizing, work-orientation, big and fast valued, decisiveness, achievement. • Uncertainty Avoidance: Extent to which ambiguity and uncertainty are threatening: seek to control or ride the wave • Low: relaxed attitudes where practice more important than principle; hard work not a virtue per se, emotions not shown, dissent accepted, flexibility, fewer rules • High: anxiety and stress high, work-driven, emotions accepted, conflict is threatening, need for agreement, laws, rules.
Cultural GPS • Long-Term Orientation: Future-oriented perspective aligned with a society’s search for virtue vs. conventional, historical, or short-term point of view, normative thinking • Low: conventional, seek stability & absolute truth, need quick results • High: see many truths, pragmatic, change-adept, persevere
Cultural GPS: U.S. vs. Japan PFB… in Japan: Tsunami Headlines. Department Chair Selection …in China: Getting on the bus….
What’s the Cost of Lack of Diversity on Boards? (cf. Scott Page, Diversity & Complexity) 2011 Quick Survey of Boards of Schools with Significant Diversity Commitments: Do schools with the best diversity track records have more diverse boards? Is the giving by these board more or less generous than at school with less commitment to diversity? Board Statistics: Percent Male: 51% Percent Caucasian: 78% Percent Leadership Gift: 72% Average Board Gift: $5602 Typical NAIS Board: 60% 83% NA $4035 (All) $3715 (Day) $6520 (Boarding)
