Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Anita Polite-Wilson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dr. Anita, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
A particular problem I see in various industries throughout corporate America is the challenge of creating inclusive workplaces that foster a deep sense of Belonging.
In the last few years, many companies say they are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. However, while many may believe that a commitment to diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do, they may also believe it will not drive business success. Let’s really examine that, based on research into the ROI of successful diversity, inclusion and belonging approaches.
There is a growing body of research that highlights the positive impact of successful diversity and inclusion efforts on a company’s bottom line. The financial benefits of investing in these initiatives have been demonstrated in many different situations:
1. In the tech industry, companies with more diverse management teams have been found to have higher returns on equity and better stock performance compared to their peers. For example, a 2020 study by McKinsey & Company found that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity are 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry median.
2. In the financial services industry, a 2019 study by Morgan Stanley found that companies with more diverse leadership teams delivered better financial results, including higher return on equity and improved price-to-book ratios.
3. A 2020 study by Deloitte found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 21% more likely to outperform on profitability and 27% more likely to have superior value creation.
4. In the retail industry, companies with diverse leadership teams have been found to have better customer relationships and improved employee morale, which can lead to increased sales and profits. For example, a 2018 study by Accenture found that retailers with more diverse leadership teams had 2.3 times higher cash flow per employee compared to those with less diverse leadership.
5. Companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion have been found to have a more engaged and productive workforce. For example, a 2018 study by Bain & Company found that companies with more diverse teams were 1.7 times more likely to be innovation leaders in their market and 1.8 times more likely to capture new markets.
These are just a few examples of the many studies that demonstrate the positive impact of effective diversity and inclusion efforts on a company’s financial performance. Many companies do “check-the-box” diversity activities (e.g., “sensitivity training”) which have been shown to NOT impact the bottom line and, in some cases, even create more tension among employees. But by investing in effective and successful initiatives, companies can tap into a wealth of benefits that range from improved employee morale and engagement to increased profitability and market share
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
When I established my practice in 2018, my primary focus areas were Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, and Team Dynamics Strategies. Over time, I saw a lot of evidence that said people of color were assimilating to the expectations of corporate America and still being set aside when it came to being invited into the succession pipeline and receiving promotions.
Based on my lived experiences as a Black woman in corporate America, I decided to choose the path of least resistance for my soul and strike out on my own as an entrepreneur because there was a greater chance of working with people who saw my experience, education, and expertise first, and my color and gender second. Of course, who I am as a person informs my practice and I’ve evolved an approach that prioritizes real relationships over race relations, embraces knowing and growing over shaming and blaming, and promotes change-the-culture behaviors over check-the-box initiatives.
As a C-Suite trusted advisor and board director, I help other members of the C-suite reframe diversity conversations from being difficult to being different. This reframe requires a willingness to be vulnerable –which requires bravery and courage — to get comfortable with the discomfort that initially comes with diversity conversations. But, it is so well worth the investment of time and effort. My approach meets people where they are: as individuals who happen to hold executive titles.
I am most proud of the fact that I help executives personally situate themselves in the diversity, inclusion & belonging space by acknowledging that a sense of belonging is a crucial factor in successful diversity and inclusion efforts because it drives employee engagement and satisfaction. When employees feel like they belong in their workplace, they are more likely to be invested in their work, bring their fullest self and talents to work, and perform at a higher level.
Studies have shown that a lack of belonging can lead to negative outcomes such as decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and high turnover rates. On the other hand, employees who feel like they belong are more likely to stay with their company for the long-term, to be more engaged in their work, and to be more innovative and productive.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lesson I had to unlearn was that there is security in a corporate job. No, there isn’t. People are being notified en mass about job losses via emails and in group webinars. So, when my entire department was “reorganized” in 2018, I took a long view approach to my next opportunity.
After more than 30 years in corporate America, I realized that I no longer wanted to be on that path. So, I began the journey from the “no longer” where I was as an employee, to the “not yet” where I want to be as an entrepreneur.
In my approach, I find the courage to raise people’s awareness of self and others. I find the courage to remind people that everyone is packaged with potential for purpose. I find the courage to reflect people’s greatness back to them in ways they don’t see in themselves. I find the courage to reinvent myself in a way that reinforces my belief that everyone is gifted to shift into new levels of success by finding answers from within. I find the courage to practice what I preach: I must change my frame and change my focus to change my future.
We all have blind spots when it comes to realizing just how courageous we are. You demonstrate courage by being transparent with others. You demonstrate courage when you decide to be “all in” every day, in every way, with everyone. You demonstrate courage when you encourage someone else to stretch in ways they never imagined for themselves. You demonstrate courage when you tell yourself “I got this” before you see results. You demonstrate courage when you decide to be committed to discovering, developing, and deploying the best that you have to offer of yourself.
As I share these thoughts, I remember a time when my nephew, Marcus, was young. One day, my mother-in-law recounted to my husband and me Marcus’ experience learning to swim one summer. He specifically stated that he “gathered his courage” before jumping into the deep end of the pool. We were tickled and impressed because even though he did not fully understand what gathering his courage meant, he jumped into the pool with the confidence that he would enjoy it as being refreshing on a hot summer day. In a sense, I’ve jumped into the deep end of the pool. And it’s a pool that refreshes my soul 5 years into my entrepreneurial journey
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I discovered how resilient I was in 2020, like most people. An analogy I like to use a lot when I’m facilitating leadership workshops is when children are cutting their teeth. No matter how you try to soothe a child, they are going to cry during the process of their adult teeth growing in. It’s uncomfortable. Sometimes, it hurts to the point of tears. And unless they go through that process, the adult teeth they will need to help them chew food and receive the nourishment that baby food can’t provide, won’t come to fruition. As children, cutting teeth is part of the physical process of adulting. And without that process of growing their adult teeth, they’ll never be able to continue to develop into a strong, healthy, well-nourished person. Parent and child need to trust the process.
To borrow an overused pun, hindsight is 2020 vision. I think the one thing we might all be able to agree on is that the process of adulting doesn’t stop when you find your life partner, buy a house, or start a family. While those are significant milestones as an adult, they are by no means indicators that you’ve arrived as an adult. If nothing else, we all did a lot of adulting in 2020, no matter our age or generation. What does that really mean?
The dictionary defines “adulting” this way: the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks. I italicized and underlined the last part of that phrase for emphasis. Mundane but necessary tasks are foundational to adulting. Like deciding how you will show up every day, with everyone, and be your best self in every situation which isn’t always easy.
After a lot of reflection in 2021, I finally realized how I made it through and perhaps this will resonate with you: Every day, I had to redefine what resiliency looked like, acted like, sounded like, and felt like… for me.
On the days that resiliency looked look relocating myself from upstairs to downstairs, it was as if I removed myself from my self-erected “I got this” pedestal and allowed myself to be human enough to admit “I don’t got this at all.” I had to be okay with that.
On the days that resiliency acted like being there for my mother as she came to terms with daddy’s passing, it was an opportunity to focus on her needs as a way of coming to terms with my own need to grieve differently from her. I had to be okay with that.
On the days that resiliency sounded like, “Are you sure you’re supposed to be out here on your own?” I had the courage to silence that voice and stay the course on the path of least resistance for my soul. No matter who else believed in me, I had to come to believe that the gifts I had been entrusted with would make room for me even if I had no idea when it would happen. I had to be okay with that.
And on the days that resiliency felt like, “I don’t even want to be here anymore” the next morning I would sometimes wake up frustrated because I opened my eyes. Sometimes I’d be glad for another day to start over and try again. Even facing the real possibility of nothing changing for months. I had to be okay with that.
How okay are you with redefining resiliency for yourself every day? I hope it’s liberating. It was for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.doctoranita.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-polite-wilson-ph-d/