By Phyllis A. James

Chief Diversity Officer
MGM Resorts International

Amidst the shrinking budgets, workforce reductions and other adverse impacts of the recession, the halls of corporate America echo again the decades-old question of whether America can afford to continue diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives. Astute companies committed to D&I as a business imperative in our global economy—rather than a feel-good program for the prosperous times— answer that question with a resounding yes. Indeed, at MGM Resorts International we believe that the compelling business rationale for a well-managed D&I initiative only intensifies during harsh economic conditions.

“Being involved in diversity gives us a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining talent as an employer of choice across racial, ethnicity, gender, cultural, and generational attributes.”

From the establishment of our voluntary D&I initiative at MGM Resorts in 2000—we aligned D&I with the core identity of our company, and embedded this paradigm into our major business operations. D&I has played a vital role in maximizing our ability to weather the economic turmoil and emerge as a stronger competitor, because the economy has not altered the drivers of D&I.

Being involved in diversity gives us a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining talent as an employer of choice across racial, ethnicity, gender, cultural, and generational attributes. The ability to attract and retain top talent is a constant employer challenge, in tough and good economic times.

Perhaps most importantly, our initiative has fostered an inclusive work environment, anchored in the principles of integrity, mutual respect, recognition of the unique contribution of each and every team member to our mission, and excellence. These D&I values have united our pluralistic team members around a common cultural identity, and leveraged the diversity of thought, perspectives and experiences that are critical to collaborative problem solving, innovation, productivity and superior performance. Nowhere was the profound impact of our D&I investment more apparent than during the darkest days of the recession when our employees united to empower the company to overcome the many obstacles presented.

Furthermore, we have refused to retreat from our core diversity value in our procurement and construction programs. Practicing inclusion of diverse suppliers of goods and professional and construction services has promoted quality and price competition to our advantage.

As today’s consumers are increasingly making product and patronage choices based on their affinity with the perceived values of marketplace competitors, companies ignore at their peril the power of reputation among consumers in the marketplace. Our sales teams successfully leverage diversity to recruit and attract new customers. This targeted approach has resonated with diverse conventions and meeting groups that have selected our properties, not only for their superior accommodations and meeting spaces, but for our shared values related to D&I. Moreover, as we expand internationally in countries such as China, Vietnam, India and Dubai, our D&I competency better equips us to build new business alliances around the globe.

In conclusion, our diversity and inclusion initiatives remains a significant factor in our company’s success and going forward will be an important contributor to our competitive advantage in the new global economy.

Phyllis A. James is Executive Vice President, Special Counsel for Litigation and Chief Diversity Officer for MGM Resorts International. James is Chief Diversity Officer with responsibility for oversight of MGM Resorts’ Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, as well as the company’s philanthropy programs and Diversity and Community Affairs Department. She also serves as a board member and special advisor/counselor to MGM Grand Detroit, LLC. James joined MGM Resorts in March 2002 as Senior Vice President and Senior Counsel.

By Claire Theriot Mestepey

I was very interested to learn that in a recent news conference in Washington D.C., the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) shared a new proposal requiring that persons with disabilities have at least seven percent of jobs with federal contractors and subcontractors. Patricia A. Shiu, director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), called Dec. 8, 2011, a historic day for both the DOL and OFCCP. In the proposal contractors will take an active role in recruiting qualified applicant people with disabilities and training them. Contractors will be held accountable for their new employees and will be required to submit scheduled reports to the OFCCP. The OFCCP would assists contractors by showing them how to recruit qualified individuals by recommending different recruitment strategies, and encouraging them to expand their searches further than their usual employees pools contractors usually rely on for new hires.

“In theory, I think it’s a positive step forward as a way to get more people with disabilities into the workforce.”

The hopes of this new proposal are to continue and strengthen both the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Americans with Disabilities Act told contractors to “merely have to show good faith efforts to comply…but without a particular goal in mind.” This new proposal will hold the contractors accountable through reports and accounting. This proposal comes after years of not seeing significant increases in the workforce of people with disabilities. The government estimates that the unemployment rate for working-age individuals with disabilities is 14.8 percent whereas the general unemployment rate is 9.4 percent, which is significantly lower for those without disabilities.

I graduated from college in 1994 when the Americans With Disabilities Act was still fresh in everyone’s minds. I had high hopes that this single act would level the employment fields and by the time I reached my early 40s, I’d be at least halfway up of the imaginary ladder reaching for the glass ceiling. I recently turned 41 and even though I see an occasional glimmer of hope, I have yet to make any headway at the doors of corporate America.

As a side note I have to say the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) was wonderful in terms of Transportation and Communications, but in my humble opinion the ADA, in terms of employment, may have accidentally thrown a wrench in the hiring process. I think many employers were put off by the term “reasonable accommodations” when hiring people with disabilities and maybe shied away from hiring otherwise qualified individuals.

I am cautiously intrigued and optimistic about this new proposed rule. This morning I sent an email to the OFCCP asking for more information and offering my help in whatever positions they might need or have. In theory, I think it’s a positive step forward as a way to get more people with disabilities into the workforce. I’m a little leery whether employees will like being required to hire a certain number of minorities. I’m a true believer that in a perfect world, everyone, disabled or not, should be hired based solely on their qualifications. But since we do not live in the perfect world, I do hope this proposal is a positive step forward and I am anxious to see where it leads.

This article has been sponsored by:
Springboard Consulting

Claire Theriot Mestepey is a writer, teacher of disability etiquette, and motivational speaker.

by Tracy Edmonds

Director, HR Metrics and Analytics
WellPoint, Inc.

Innovation… adaptability… learning agility… These skills and abilities are required for success in a global economy. So why does the pipeline often come up short on the talent we so desperately need? It frequently lacks the diversity of thought, experience, and leadership style that help propel a company forward. What causes this gap? How do we fill the pipeline with diverse talent so we are prepared to lead in this new environment?

As a leader, I know that bridging the gap and filling the leadership pipeline is an accountability that I share with my peers. Leaders have a responsibility to identify talent and align it in ways that drive continued company success. To do this most successfully requires a culture of inclusion and a focus on career management.

“Leaders have a responsibility to identify talent and align it in ways that drive continued company success.”

What does a culture of inclusion look like when we’re talking about the talent pipeline? It’s not enough to say we have a good mix of diversity in our workforce or in our leadership ranks. We have to develop talent in a way that recognizes and highlights an individual’s unique skills and abilities. We have to give stretch assignments and take risks with diverse talent. We have to rethink what success looks like, focusing on skills that are critical in today’s world, and not on those of the past nor of those exhibited by past incumbents. It’s a matter of genuinely knowing your talent and proactively leveraging the value of diversity. It’s about overcoming risk aversion and making an investment in talent that may not look, think, or lead like the talent of the past. That’s how difficult problems get solved. That’s how breakthroughs occur.

As an associate who is racially diverse, I know that getting into the talent pipeline requires accountability on my part as well. Aspiring leaders are responsible for managing their careers and making the most of their opportunities. That starts with self-awareness—knowing what makes you unique and what value you can bring to the company. Aspiring leaders have to know what is happening within a company, understand the company’s strategy, and be aware of the challenges and opportunities in the marketplace. The next step is to align personal career goals with the company’s goals. Associate resource groups are particularly valuable for career management and the talent pipeline. They offer opportunities for networking, leadership, exposure to senior leaders, and development programs and workshops aimed at the needs of their constituencies.

Can your company afford for its pipeline to come up short? If not, ask yourself: Are you managing your talent in an inclusive way? Are you creating a culture that inspires your future leaders to step forward and proactively manage their careers? Don’t miss the breakthrough opportunity that diversity of thought, experience, and leadership can bring.

This article has been sponsored by:
Linkage’s Institute for Leading Diveristy & Inclusion

By Christopher S. Weiser

Senior Director Offer Management & Development
Sodexo, North America

I’ll begin by overstating the obvious: the world is changing around us at an exponential pace. Information moves at the speed of light and often, becomes outdated by the time it is fully socialized. We are 100 percent plugged in 100 percent of the time and we’ve developed the ability to pay “constant partial attention” to many things at once. But despite all of this, or perhaps because of it, sometimes we fail to focus on the simple act of effective knowledge transfer.

This can be especially true in large organizations where it is critical to pass along what we know and how we know it, to those who need to know, when they need to know it. Let’s face it—here are some things that just aren’t written in a book anywhere.

“Don’t create a communication plan; we should create a constant conscious thought process.”

Now let’s complicate things a bit further by adding that for the first time ever, not only do we have four generations co-existing in the workplace, but the work/life habits, communication styles, and attitudes of these generations continue to evolve on a daily basis. New team members are bringing new ideas and valuable lessons are in danger of departing with veteran leaders. Capturing both of these bodies of knowledge is critical to long-term success. So what’s an organization to do?

Consider this: picture an Olympic relay race. It’s a thing of beauty. The ease with which the baton is passed despite both runners being in fluid motion can be almost breathtaking. I believe there is a lesson to be learned within that exchange. The simple truths you can only master the hand-off with practice, and that means practicing with your teammates. You can train alone for speed and for stamina, but you can’t train alone to pass the baton.

In organizational terms, we have to create frequent opportunities to “practice” knowledge transfer. These opportunities can manifest themselves in a number of ways including traditional or reverse mentoring, mentoring circles, and employee network/resource groups. The point is, just as a sprinter has an unwavering training regiment, we have to display the same rigorous discipline in establishing and nurturing these chances to interact and grow.

We won’t get there by accident. It must be intentional. This also holds true for communication. With so many ways to communicate today, before we decide how to initiate a conversation or deliver a message, we have to ask ourselves who is on the other end of the exchange. Don’t create a communication plan; we should create a constant conscious thought process. It won’t happen overnight, but then neither does Olympic gold. Ready. Set. Go.

Chris Weiser began his career at the age of fifteen and worked through the ranks of the kitchen from dishwasher to Executive Chef. He has been with Sodexo for over 20 years in various positions including operations, marketing, and strategy, and offer development. As a passionate supporter of diversity and inclusion, Chris is an active member in each of Sodexo’s employee network groups. He currently serves as the National Chair of Sodexo’s intergenerational network group (i-Gen). He is a three time regional “Spirit of Sodexo” award nominee and a past winner of a Sodexo “Innovation” award. Chris is highly engaged in a wide range of community empowerment activities including his current service as Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

by Eugene Agee

Vice President, Procurement and Real Estate
Sprint

Many large corporations are challenged with raising awareness about supplier diversity throughout all levels of the business. Supplier diversity is often misunderstood as a government compliance issue, as opposed to the broader view of benefiting the communities we serve. Supplier diversity creates revenue, promotes economic growth, and increases brand recognition for companies both large and small. In addition, diverse ideas and an inclusive environment power innovation and creativity.

Sprint’s customer base is diverse, and in turn we want our supplier base to be equally diverse. Selling is largely based on relationships. It is imperative to continuously build relationships with diverse businesses to include in our pipeline. Our company actively seeks new opportunities to meet with suppliers and increase our external outreach activities.

“Sprint’s customer base is diverse, and in turn we want our supplier base to be equally diverse.”

Purchasing goods and services from diverse suppliers directly affects a company’s ability to grow revenue. Diversity spend and reporting is an embedded, core component of doing business, not just for Sprint, but for most Fortune 500 companies. Diversity requirements are often included in customer proposals and written into our contracts. The risk of not meeting the customer requirements could mean losing the bid, losing potential new business or losing existing business relationships, all of which are directly related to revenues.

There are a few techniques that have been very successful at improving supplier diversity at Sprint and can be transferred to other companies. First, make one of the responsibilities of the supplier diversity team to educate the enterprise about the importance of supplier diversity. The supplier diversity team should be cohesively aligned with sales and supply chain management. Regularly meet with executives to discuss supplier diversity and garner support, and recruit executives to work as diversity champions to help raise employee awareness.

Another idea is to have business units set supplier diversity goals, and have results released to the executive team on a quarterly basis for consideration of realigning non-diverse spend to diverse spend. A supplier diversity course should be available to all employees through an internal education program. Institute a recognition program to award teams for doing business with veteran owned businesses. Finally, hosting an on-site “matchmaking” event between major business partners and diverse suppliers is another successful tool for improving supplier diversity.

Diversity is a business strategy that impacts the growth of a company. A company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion can be seen through its community outreach, recruitment efforts, multicultural marketing and supplier diversity. Diversity has a significant return on investment and all companies should ensure that employees are aware of the importance of supporting diverse suppliers.

This article has been sponsored by:
Linkage’s Institute for Leading Diveristy & Inclusion

by Kara Yarnot

Vice President, Director of the Talent Acquisition Center of Expertise
Science Applications International Corporation

The first step in building a diverse and inclusive workforce is to ensure diverse pipelines of candidates in the recruitment process. At Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), diversity recruitment has always been a priority. However, our traditional recruitment methods were not resulting in significant improvement in our workforce demographics. With a need to hire over 7,000 people this year, job boards, both general and diversity-focused, career fairs, and print and online diversity advertisements were not generating enough diverse candidates to ensure a robust slate of candidates for each position. We needed new sources.

While developing our online and social media recruitment plans for this year, we discovered that social media sites have higher usage rates among women and minorities. A few studies that we referenced concluded:

“While developing our online and social media recruitment plans for this year, we discovered that social media sites have higher usage rates among women and minorities.”

• 76% of online women visit social media sites vs. 70% of online men.The 2010 ComScore study further reported that women spend a larger proportion of their online time on social media (16%) than men (12%).
• A 2011 Pew Research Center Study found that 25% of black internet users and 19% of Hispanic internet users use Twitter vs. 9% of white internet users.
• The same Pew Research Center Study indicated that 51% of Hispanic and 46% of black internet users use their mobile phones to access the internet vs. 33% of white internet users.

We considered these studies as we revamped SAIC’s online and social media recruitment strategy. The overall strategy is designed to increase our pipeline of qualified candidates, market to the passive job seeker, improve the candidate application experience, and reduce the administrative burden on our recruiters. The social media diversity data helped us to prioritize our plans, maximizing our exposure to qualified diverse populations.

To expand our recruitment advertising reach to diverse populations, SAIC took the following steps:

1. Focused advertising spend on social media sites dedicated to professional networking.
2. Increased the visibility of our career opportunities and engaged with users on Facebook and Twitter; we added a career section to our corporate Facebook page and we created a separate Twitter account, @SAICjobs.
3. Launched the SAIC Talent Community through a partnership with our recruitment marketing vendor, which allows potential candidates to opt-in to career communications from SAIC without having to complete a profile in our applicant tracking system.
4. Launched a mobile-friendly version of our career site to ensure a positive user experience for candidates searching for career opportunities via their mobile phones.

These steps caused us to invest our recruitment marketing budget differently. We recognize these kinds of changes are necessary in order to remain relevant and accessible to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

This article has been sponsored by:
Linkage’s Institute for Leading Diveristy & Inclusion

By Kymberlee Dwinell

Diversity & Inclusion, EEO/Compliance, Environmental, Health and Safety, and Corporate Citizenship
Northrop Grumman Information Systems

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is having the opportunity to interact with so many different kinds of people every day. I love being part of an organization that supports and nurtures 75,000 men and women whose backgrounds, characteristics and perspectives are as diverse as the communities in which we reside. Part of this commitment is understanding that diversity is not limited to any single criteria, but rather encompasses differences in culture, background, experience, thoughts, ideas and work. We also acknowledge that a diverse workforce must join together through inclusion and engagement in order to generate better ideas and better outcomes. The use of social networking tools have helped to reaffirm these benefits while creating a culture of sustainable performance.

An example of how employees benefit from the company’s diversity are numerous Employee Resource Groups (ERGs.) Among other opportunities involving networking and community outreach, these groups also participate in professional development workshops they create themselves. Taking advantage of their members’ expertise, employees teach classes on a variety of subjects and fields such as critical thinking, the role of a program manager, and understanding personal strengths. Not only does this benefit the employees who gain knowledge, it also provides the teacher with important presentation experience.

“Diverse thinking increases creativity and innovation, but only when combined with inclusion does it foster the passion and collaboration required for achieving top performance.”

These diversity initiatives, however, only reach their potential value if they are conducive to an inclusive work environment and help engage employees. Diverse thinking increases creativity and innovation, but only when combined with inclusion does it foster the passion and collaboration required for achieving top performance.

Our challenge has been to develop an environment of inclusion in a geographically disperse organization spread across all 50 states and even overseas. It is vital that all of our employees are part of a culture of inclusion where all individuals feel respected, are treated fairly, and are provided the opportunity to excel regardless of location.

Highlighting the benefits of diversity, it was through our ERGs that a solution arose in the form of social networking. We developed a means for wide-spread broadcast of the professional development workshops by leveraging a series of collaboration devices including video conferencing software. These social networking tools allow employees from across the country to benefit from the expertise of the teaching employee. Employees are able to watch the presentation and ask questions, just as if they were sitting in the same room.

By embracing new technologies and encouraging creative solutions, we have met the imperatives of diversity, inclusion and engagement by blending them seamlessly together. The result has been stronger team commitment and cooperation, allowing us to continue designing and building next generation products and services. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion are not extraneous attributes, they are fundamental characteristics that provide the competitive advantage necessary to achieve performance excellence.

This article has been sponsored by:
Communicating Across Cultures

Kymberlee Dwinell is director, Diversity & Inclusion, EEO/ Compliance, Environmental, Health and Safety, and Corporate Citizenship, a center of Excellence in Northrop Grumman’s Information Systems sector, a premier provider of advanced IT solutions, engineering and business services for government and commercial clients. In this capacity, as a Human Resources expert, Ms. Dwinell is responsible for designing and delivering solutions and partnering with human resources business leaders to deliver these solutions to employees.

By Fruqan Mouzon

Director, Business & Commerical Litigation Department
Gibbons PC

As a Director in a midsize regional law firm, I have noticed that many corporations, including Sara Lee and Wal-Mart, now wield their considerable leverage to encourage firms to adopt policies centered around greater diversity. Some have even pledged to limit business from firms that ignore diversity-based goals. Kenneth Frazier, general counsel of Merck, has stated, “We are in the fortunate position of having many highly capable law firms lining up to work with us… We found that diversity was something that would allow us to make that differentiation.”

The vehicle companies use to encourage diversity in their outside counsel is often the Request for Proposals (RFP). According to the most recent Altman-Weil survey, approximately 25 percent of all legal work is now based on RFPs. When firms respond to RFPs, they are usually, but not always, asked for diversity performance data, such as numbers of minorities and their seniority levels. Other corporate RFPs go further, seeking delineation of the roles diverse attorneys might play in the relevant matter. Still others ask to establish requirements for diverse attorney utilization, with a responding firm allocating specific attorneys from diverse backgrounds to work on company matters, and postengagement, submitting regular reports of hours worked by diverse attorneys.

“Guidance and strategy are necessary for corporations and law firms to apply consistent diversity best practices in the RFP process.”

While it is clear, then, that the importance of diversity has risen in my field, it has done so in an ad hoc manner. Certainly, because so many companies encourage diversity, law firms might immediately see a return on investment by simply having diversity best practices in place. But while some companies merely “encourage” diversity, others insist on it. The lack of uniformity concerning diversity metrics makes it difficult for clients to effectively compare law firm diversity performance in a fair and equitable manner. This highlights the need for uniform diversity standards.

Guidance and strategy are necessary for corporations and law firms to apply consistent diversity best practices in the RFP process. The organized bars could assist by promulgating standards for diversity metrics in the RFP process to facilitate more equitable comparison and evaluation of law firms. They could, for example, provide: sample RFP language clearly stating the intent to utilize firms with histories of hiring, retaining, and promoting minority attorneys; model diversity questions on performance metrics covering important issues like relative attrition rates for minority and female attorneys; and guidelines for companies to establish goals for specific participation by minority firms in addition to diverse attorneys in majority firms, and for joint ventures among minority firms and other law firms.

It is only through coordinated, strategic diversity plan implementation and goal-setting that corporations and their outside counsel can appreciate the full return on investment that a diverse workforce offers.

Fruqan Mouzon is a Director at Gibbons P.C., an Am Law 200 firm with 230 attorneys and five offices in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. He is an avid and capable litigator, having participated on all levels of trial practice, including significant state and federal appellate experience.

by Marie Y. Philippe, PhD

Chief Diversity Officer, Corporate Vice President
The Lifetime Healthcare Companies

Many still use the term “diversity internship” or “minority internship” when referring to the programs targeting high talent from underrepresented ethnic groups at colleges or universities. The intent of most programs is to provide the promising student an unforgettable corporate experience that will make that organization the employer of choice. Not all internship programs can be best in class. So what does make a world-class internship program?

“There is no debate that internships serve as an effective pipeline for future diverse entry-level hires.”

There is no debate that internships serve as an effective pipeline for future diverse entry-level hires. However in great numbers, interns indicate that their best internships are those that create a microcosm of the real world. Interacting primarily with other interns from ethnic minorities or predominantly from the same gender, although meeting the needs of the organization, does not provide them a meaningful experience, even when the projects drive good learning opportunities. Perhaps this suggests a shift from “diversity/minority” internship to “inclusive” internship.

A real world experience requires a population of interns from diverse dimensions: ethnic, religious, gender, age, sexual orientation and gender identification to name a few. That diversity aspect creates the basic qualifications.

Further there are a few characteristics of an internship that are a must for a superior grade:

1. Matching an intern with a department where the work ignites his/her drive to learn and explore. Taking the time upfront to screen interns for a great project or department “fit” is critical for a world-class experience.
2. Pairing the intern with an experienced coach or mentor who inspires, empowers and facilitates the cultural navigation. Relational encounters instill instant ease and trust, as sense of belonging in the firm is established.
3. Planning projects that provide a jolting learning opportunity to the interns. A degree of challenge in the work must stretch the intern’s mind beyond simplified book knowledge application.
4. Inserting in the work the ability to problem-solve or utilize creative alternatives. Allowing interns to explore how their brain works when facing complex, real-world issues in the safe environment of an internship can be the greatest corporate gift.
5. Building skills for life into the internship program. Adding to the internship curriculum formal learning sessions on public speaking, interviewing skills for self-marketing, enhancing multi-cultural competence, and self- awareness are paramount in the long run.
6. Offering competitive pay and non-monetary rewards. Competitive compensation does not necessarily imply same dollar level. A trophy that can be used as a display of pride at one’s first job can be of greater value than an extra $20 per week.
7. Allowing returning interns to mentor newer ones. For many interns, being able to serve as a mentor to others is priceless. Returning interns have their first taste at leading others through influence.
8. Creating an opportunity for interns to provide anonymous and open feedback. Internship programs can only improve through honest criticism. For most valuable answers, try asking open-ended questions and make name-sharing voluntary.
9. Fighting the stereotype of interns being “young and under 40.” Enhance the experience of generational diversity by seeking workforce re-entry talent such as retirees retooling and updating their skill offerings.
10. Ensuring senior leaders’ interaction with the interns. Not only do these interactions make lifetime memories for many interns, the experience alone serves as a catapult for the internship quality. The exchange can be fascinating for both parties.

We all pursue the talent elite in whatever human package that talent comes. By investing the time to imbed the characteristics above in your inclusive internship program, you can rest assured that potential interns will be following your website in the hope of their first or next job opportunity.

This article has been sponsored by:
WellPoint, Inc.

By David McLauren

Did you know that thousands of people from virtually every nation and ethnic group arrive on our shores? It has truly become a multi-cultural mosaic. Did you know that millions of North Americans don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday? This is because many North Americans are followers of non-Christian religions (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, or Jews to name a few) or they are individuals with no religious affiliation at all. Because many stores tap into the cash value of Christmas with Santa Clauses, ornaments, and Christmas fanfare at your nearby mall, we could too easily overlook the depth of diversity present in America during the holiday season. In reality, many different events, both spiritual and religious, are based on tradition, and are celebrated in many different ways during this time of year.

It used to be that being inclusive just meant sending out politically correct “Happy Holidays” greeting cards and changing office Christmas parties to “holiday parties.” Today, though, celebrating inclusiveness and diversity is about more than just changing labels and titles. Celebrating diversity and inclusiveness is about using the holiday season as a time to be with friends and family, and to build understanding and awareness about others.

“Be a giver! Plan to leave each person you talk to with something of value.”

• Take advantage of holiday parties to make new friends and grow your network, which in turn can lead to growing your business.
• View each holiday gathering as a networking opportunity. Go prepared with business cards, an attitude of giving, and a commitment to helping others.
• Reach out to those individuals who are alone in this country, invite them to your family gatherings, and make them feel special.
• During this holiday season consider placing a special ad in their community newspapers, such as, “McLauren Associates wish you Happy Holidays”.
• Read during holidays, and become an expert by researching and gathering interesting facts and stories about your target community.
• Get to know who is in your target community, who lives within their families, the places they hang out, the music stations they listen to, and so on.
• Hold an open house at your business centre, give away sweets, and distribute special post cards printed in the language of your customers and prospects.
• Always work during holidays (except December 25) when your community is busy celebrating.
• Don’t try to sell your products or services. Rather, ask questions to gain information about the person you are talking to, and learn about their interests and passions. Find out what’s special about them and how you can serve and encourage them.
• Wear something unique that stands out and makes it easy for others to ask questions and start a conversation. Pins, custom nametags, and embroidered logos can pique someone’s curiosity and bring a question.
• Be a giver! Plan to leave each person you talk to with something of value. This could be as small as a smile or as significant as a referral. Other “gifts” might include: information to help deal with an issue or situation they’re facing, a relevant and helpful article or book, or an introduction to someone they should meet and get to know.
• Avoid the challenge of trying to balance a plate and glass while you shake hands and talk with others. When you’re eating, focus on that, but when networking, give your full attention to the person you are talking to.
• Have a positive attitude about the event you’re attending. Let the host or organizer know how much you appreciate the hard work put in to making the event a success.
• Prepare to offer ideas for unique, affordable, and fun holiday gifts that people you meet could give to their clients, friends, and family members.
• Ask people what they enjoy about the holiday season and what they find challenging. Listen, and, if it’s appropriate, offer helpful suggestions.
• Avoid any negative comments or conversation and maintain an attitude of gratitude and joy. It will prove contagious!
• Make sure your holiday party isn’t a Christmas party in disguise. Decorations and food should be general, and not specific to any religion. Consider having a New Year’s party instead of a “Christmas” party. This type of event can also get everyone on board with your company’s mission and vision for the future.

This article has been sponsored by:
Women Worth Watching

David McLauren, Ph.D. is a diversity specialist who speaks five languages. He brings a wealth of education and expertise to businesses and brilliantly helps companies increase their profits and productivity through diversity. A highly sought-after keynote speaker, facilitator, and expert on diversity, inclusion, and multi-cultural issues, David consistently energizes, educates, and empowers his audiences.