Nine myths of diversity and inclusion

February 1, 2008

Myth No. 1: White men are the problem. The problem is white men don't understand the systemic advantage they have in being white and male.   

Myth No. 2: Women and people of color are less qualified. The real need is to have better qualified supervisors who can manage differences.  

Myth No. 3: People leave companies or organizations for better opportunities. People leave supervisors who are not trustworthy and do a poor job of giving and receiving performance feedback.

Myth No. 4: Diversity and inclusion initiatives only benefit women and people of color. These initiatives benefit everyone, including white men.  

Myth No. 5: Women and people of color don't have to build inclusion skills. Everyone has bias, prejudice and is in some position of privilege.  

Myth No. 6: The diversity corporate playing field is level. Legal standards do not create fairness. Mistrust more than likely comes from subtle behaviors that do not meet legal standards.  

Myth No. 7: The issues of race and gender have been solved in the workplace. The issues remain in covert fashion.

Myth No. 8: The youth of today and tomorrow will not be afraid of race and gender. No, because our society is more segregated today than we were prior to the civil rights movement.   

Myth No. 9: Faith in the workplace is a good thing. Everyone behaving our stated corporate values will achieve the same outcomes.

Source: Frank McCloskey, VP, diversity, Georgia Power