Diversity Exchange

Truth or Dare (An Africa Business Travel Story)

White starched tablecloths are on a perfectly set table with Italian cutlery. I chose a grilled calamari starter with a slightly tinged orange curry dressing. My main course was a perfect sirloin steak with a brandy and peppercorn sauce served with fresh vegetables. As it was a lunch meeting I stayed on the mineral water. The service was quick an efficient.

The financial director I am trying to recruit arrived in her 8 week old white ML 350 Yengeni. (Mercedes Benz).  We spoke about the stock market that appreciated by close on 300% during the last year, and most of the growth occurred in the last month.  As I leave the restaurant we pass a school where all children leave in disciplined manner and in full school uniform. The landscape and climate remind me of a time when, as a child, we visited the Kruger Park in South Africa.

This could be the perfect world, however….

In my pocket I have a $ 250 000 000 note, (R 7,50 or USD 1.00). The inflation rate today is approximately 330 000%, and in our board meeting earlier we devised strategies to cope with an anticipated 1 800 000% inflation rate in August.  Our HR head explains to me that the entire healthcare system collapsed. She is 36 weeks pregnant.

On the one hand, this place is beyond help. Absolutely hopeless. On the other hand, I decided that I need to put some money in this stock exchange.

We had rigged elections and there are huge confusion about a presidential run off election between Morgan Tsvangerai and Robert Mugabe. On the outskirts of the city ordinary citizens are being beaten and tortured. (There is complete brain failure in some areas as people are being tortured in areas where ZANU PF won the election.) There is no food around and fuel is an luxury. Those who do not have access to foreign exchange starve, and those who have foreign exchange eat calamari and sirloin in restaurants with no prices on the menu.

But I am hopeful for Zimbabwe for the first time is a very long time. What the international media is missing is that ZANU PF is now the opposition in parliament. The MDC has got 109 of 187 seats in parliament. Bob can no longer change the laws to suit his style and run the country as his if is his hunting farm. His children of the revolution are now beginning to apply their minds.

With dramatic growth in global demand for natural resources, fuelled by a huge Chinese appetite, Zimbabwe is a warehouse full of opportunities. The agriculture sector will take longer to recover, but all the potential is there for Zimbabwe to become Africa’s pantry again.

A friend of mine reminded me the other day that nobody will give an honest view on our surroundings or circumstances if it will impact on our social stranding or financial wellbeing. I am trying to prove her wrong. Here is my wish-list for Zimbabwe.

1. Robert Mugabe chokes on a chicken bone and meet his ancestors before Monday.
2. No run off presidential elections as it can only escalate the violence.
3. A  Kenya style cooperation between the MDC and ZANU PF that both parties will run the country for a period of two years. This will require a third person to become president for a limited period.
4. The stock market to keep on performing above the 1800 000 % pa  level.
5. My own house boat on Kariba

Anton Roux
CEO: Sub-Saharan Africa

Who Wins the Diversity Race? Part IV: "Finish Line "

In conclusion, my assessment of race, diversity and inclusion is this: The problem with Corporate America's quest for enhancing diversity and inclusion will not easily be achieved because most "white" people living within middle-or upper class America have no need or reason to understand, not only black culture, but the cultures of other races which are now impacting the American corporate culture.

One could argue that it isn’t necessary for someone to spend time in a given community or country to grasp or learn about how that culture is different from their own. In my opinion, most Caucasians who live in more affluent communities would, most likely, want to avoid urban areas and the inner cities so that they aren't subjected to the level of crime and so-called lower status of living that occurs in these urban communities.

This mentality converts directly over to the workplace. Potential African-American job applicants are now judged and considered for hire based solely upon stereotypes, generalizations of their character, loose portrayals given via the media and whether or not a company has met its diversity quota. The result is that less and less African American's (particularly males) are being hired, promoted and given equal opportunities in Corporate America.
The EBO Culture Committee’s company motto is “If you want change, be the Change”.

I think it’s time for a change.

Craig B. Steele
CSR
Aon Employee Service Center
Rolling Meadows

Who Wins the Diversity Race? Part III: “Our Culture”

Most African-Americans, as we already know, are living and working on lower levels in comparison to their Caucasian counterparts.  We are living on a line, whereas our culture is a circle.  We define European and American culture as being a line.  Wherever you put your peg on that line, somebody is going to either be in the front of you, in back of you on top of you or below you, depending on whether that line is horizontal or vertical.

That is American and European culture. 

Our culture, African culture, is a circle. If you put your peg on the circle and I put my peg on the circle, then neither one of us is in front, neither one of us is in back, neither one of us is on the top and neither one of us is on the bottom. It is a community. It is a circle. There is complete equality on all levels.

African Americans working in this country are trying to adjust to, adapt, and live and work in a culture that is not conducive to their spirit.  In order for us to make changes to the corporate culture and for all employees to understand African-American culture, we must first study the history of this country and the enslavement of the African.  We must know the truth about slavery.  We must know the truth about the effects of slavery, because we are reaping those effects right now, in this century, in this decade, in this month and in this day! 

The final point is this, because we are so separated and because the line is drawn based on our cultures, we cannot come together and we cannot see one another.  Everything and everyone’s culture becomes a mystery.  Everyone needs to know African history because African history is the world’s history. Everyone must know Indian history, Latin history, Asian history and European history in order for everyone to understand everyone.

Craig B. Steele
CSR
Aon Employee Service Center
Rolling Meadows

Who Wins the Diversity Race? Part II: “Setting the Pace”

In order for us to understand a concept and grasp the meaning, we must know the definition of that concept. Wikipedia defines race as “race describes populations or groups of people as distinguished by various sets of characteristics and beliefs about common ancestry. The most widely used human racial categories are based on visible traits (especially skin color, facial features and hair texture), and self-identification.” Unfortunately, an individuals outer appearance or "looks" or the manner in which one conducts him or herself has everything to do with them being defined as, or typically stereotyped as, being white or black. Ones appearance can also determine how successful they are in business and in life. Due to ignorance, we tend generalize and make assumptions about the character of an individual. We also tend to place people into groups or classes.  We use clichés like "Never judge a book by one's cover", but that is exactly how most people judge others. We judge people based on our shallow perceptions and portrayals that we are given via the media.

To give better incite on the reality of how "race" affects jobs and career advancement in Corporate America, I will provide another excerpt from the National Urban League's 2006 State of Black America Report.   This is from Essay 2 entitled "Racial Composition of American Jobs".   The essay reads as follows:

"Thirty-five years after Barbara Bergmann espoused the theory that black males are systematically "crowded" into lower earning occupations, occupational crowding is still relevant today. White employers' refusal to hire blacks in certain types of jobs forces them to cluster and creates crowding in less desirable jobs, reinforcing a condition of lower earnings in those occupations.

Today, there is a general pattern of exclusion in the most desired management, professional and related sector even for blacks that have the requisite educational qualifications. In contrast, service occupations offer some of the lowest wages, and contain a disproportionately high concentration of blacks. Construction, extraction and maintenance, and production, transportation and material moving are occupation sectors that require less education and offer low wages. Given the relative proportions of blacks in these two less skilled sectors, it appears as though low skilled blacks have relatively greater access to production, transportation, and material moving jobs."

If you take the time to read and study this report, the factual data provided is not only alarming, it is outright frightening. The underlying truth to this report is that blacks and whites, who are living and working under the same conditions in this country, and who are supposed to have the same opportunities for a successful career, are far from being equal. The solution to this problem is one that we have not been able to find in over the last 50 years.

Craig B. Steele
CSR
Aon Employee Service Center
Rolling Meadows

Who Wins the Diversity Race? Part 1: “Take Your Positions”

Dialogue is the one thing that definitely assists with helping employers and employees alike to understand the importance of diversity within an organization. It is nice to see people within the organization who are actually talking about race, how it affects our workplace culture and how it influences our lives on a daily basis. I, like Larry Benjamin, who has also posted a blog on here, attended the Diversity and Inclusion Kick-off, right here in Chicago, at the Aon Center (Aon Corp Headquarters). Since then, I have been observing Aon's attempt to implement strategies and programs that will help the organization enrich their employees knowledge of diversity and it’s importance in today’s ever-changing corporate culture. Aon’s strategy is to ensure diversity is visible, valued and sustained throughout the organization. The reason for this blog, is to provide my viewpoint on how these strategies & programs have or have not helped to improve the level of diversity and inclusion over the last year. To answer one of the questions in Larry's blog regarding race and if it will become irrelevant, in my opinion, race will always be a relevant factor within our American society. The reason for this is because the concept of race in this country is based on one highly overlooked factor, Equality.

Is it solely skin color that makes you black or white?  Is it cultural?  What is Culture? What is Aon’s Corporate Culture? How do we define culture? How can we measure the effectiveness and impact that the diversity and culture committee's have on the corporate workplace?  Are these committees making a change?  Will any one company in particular eventually win the race to become the best diversified company? 

In order to obtain answers to these questions and several other questions that go along with understanding the importance of Diversity and Inclusion, we must study the term race and the concept of culture.

Craig B. Steele
CSR
Aon Employee Service Center
Rolling Meadows

“Ser Latina”

During this season of Hispanic Heritage Month, I have stopped to think what it means to be a Latina; and for me 2 very powerful words come to mind: Humble and Respect which combined they mean Pride.  This is what these words mean to me:

Humilde:  Translated to English, it means humble and it loses its emotional meaning and power.  Humildad is not just about modesty; it is about awareness of who you are and for where your place is.  It is not about accepting your position in life unquestioningly, but about taking responsibility for and pride in the life you have created.  Pride without humildad is arrogance.

Respeto:  This is another Latino concept and word for which the literal English translation respect can’t begin to convey its entire meaning.  Respeto isn’t just about what we do that merits admiration; it’s about whom we are in the context of our culture.  “We are a very matriarchal society, Latinos,” Mothers run the household, given this we are strong, we are able, we are powerful, we know how to run things, we know how to take care of the house, the family and any other place.  So when you put us in a work environment, we come with the same intensity. 

To me being Latina means: Pride, Respeto and Humildad and never forgetting who you are and where you came from.

Yara Vidal-Altamura
HR Director
Melville, NY

Shanghai, Where East and West, New and Old, Co-Exist in Harmony

Shanghai is my hometown, where I left behind so many childhood memories and adolescent dreams. In my heart, it is always home, no matter how far and how long I am away from it.

Early last May, Aon business brought me home again. (April/May is the best season besides October/November to visit Shanghai). Once more, Shanghai amazed me.

After three movies, eating, drinking, and a six-hour nap, the UA direct flight from Chicago landed in Shanghai Pu Dong International Airport. It is a giant airport where you never see a crowd – such a contrast to any other place in a city where population tops 20 Million.

The airport is about 70 miles from Pu Tu district where my parents live. China’s first Maglev train line “flew” the first 35 miles in blink of eye (at a speed of 500 kilometer per hour). The second half of the journey took me 1.5 hours (by a taxi). In rush hour, Shanghai streets are jam-packed with pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles and cars. To travel through the city, you not only need patience, but courage as well. Driving a car in Shanghai is not for a faint heart, just imagine you have to drive through many narrow streets where pedestrians, bicycles, cars are constantly inches away, side by side.

I was wide awake at 5:00 am the next morning. Mom, Dad and I went to nearby Zhong Shan Park. As with many other parks in the early morning, there are thousands of seniors dancing, singing or playing Tai-Chi and Qi-Kong in hundreds of self organized groups. The small group my mother belonged to had 25 grandmas (average age - 76). They were dancing, with a pair of red fans, to traditional Chinese music. 

We then strolled to an alley filled with street vendors, where we were soon buried in the mix of noise and a hundred kinds of smells. Mom filled the shopping basket with everything needed for dinner, and I picked up one of my childhood favorites – sticky rice ball – for breakfast.

Back home, it was time to go to the office, about 30 miles away.  But luckily, there is a subway route. Shanghai is trying to establish itself as a world-class city through expensive infrastructure projects, and the sparkly clean and fancy metro system is just another one of these projects.

Aon’s Shanghai office is in Jin Mao Tower, one of the most prestigious commercial buildings in Shanghai.  Aon China has a staff of about 70 with an average age of 27, it is a very young and dynamic office.

Standing at a window in Aon’s office on the 41st floor, I felt the whole Shanghai city rolled out like a water color picture, the skyline was telling a saga through youthful, modern skyscrapers and solemn, history-rich old buildings.

Under golden sunshine, they co-exist in such harmony.

Related Resources:
• Business Culture
• Greetings
• Business Attire
• Conversation Topics 
• Doing Business in China
• Aon NA China Group

Annie Wang,
Global Program Manager, Global Marketing and Communication,
Member of Aon North America China Business Group