We all need to face the reality that diversity training alone is neither effective nor innovative.  Nor are lofty commitments from firm leadership.  If they were, after all the years of diversity training and commitments that so many of our firms have done, things would be different.  They’re not and we all know they’re not.

Please understand, training has its place.  It is excellent for raising awareness. Commitments have their place as well.  They provide a benchmark.  But benchmarks and awareness are not actions.  Actions are driven by beliefs and while training does impact thinking and commitments establish goals, they do little if anything to transform (whether that means change or deepen) beliefs.  Herein lies the challenge: what can you and your firm do when you know full well that more training and edicts from on high will be just as ineffectual as they’ve always been?

For years now, BridgeField Group has been doing something which we’re frequently told is both unique and innovative.  We’ve been helping firms and individuals with how to make the future different than the present by coaching groups of duo’s – one OWL℠ (Old White Leaders) and one diverse person – who already have a good but superficial relationship to build the genuine, powerful, real relationships that are critical to successful inclusion.  The kind of relationships that assure retention of diverse talent, advancement of the diverse to partnership and firm leadership, transformation of the OWL culture within the firm, and new/existing client revenue enhancement.

One HUGE caution.  This is not the time to bring in someone who was a diversity officer or a consultant until 3 months ago and has now magically become a diversity coach.  Coaching requires specialized skills that are different than those required for other, equally important, roles in the firm.  Coaching OWL’s℠ and the diverse to safely bridge the diversity divide is completely different from the business or professional development work you might have hired people to do in the past and, whatever you do, it should not be taken lightly.

Dominica McGinnis is a pioneer of diversity coaching and one of the rare professional coaches in the law firm space who has been providing diversity coaching since long before the issue finally began to get the attention it deserves. If you are seeking something that works, you should give her a call. 512-838-3078.