Keeping Your Diversity & Inclusion Career on Track After a Setback

When I was in high school, my best friends and I ran track. I was pretty fast and very competitive, but I hated practice because we had to run so far and then I would have to walk 2-miles home after practice. My first track meet was at the Woodbury Relays in New Jersey. My race required 2.5 times around the track. I was the front-runner after the first lap. At the second lap, I was second to last. By the time the race finished, I walked across the finish line and dropped to the ground! Whew, I realized that I was not prepared for the race!

My mind said, "Never give up. Keep pushing. Don't panic. Stay focused on winning." Yet, my body told me, "Girl, you better quit!"

Working in the field of diversity and inclusion can be likened to my first track meet-- especially after a career setback. Instead of encouragement, all you can do is think about the bills, your family, the lost opportunities, and your pride.

The reality is that too many of us professionals fail to consider that adversity can happen to us in the workplace. One minute, you are on top of the world and the next minute, it can feel like the full weight of the world, and all of its burdens, are on top of you. For example, there are many things that can reverse your upward career trajectory in this field such as:

EXHIBIT A

• Getting fired because there is new leadership, including a new President or CEO, who doesn't value diversity or inclusion
• Being considered (or not being considered) for a senior diversity and inclusion role, and ultimately getting passed over for the promotion
• Realizing that you were terminated because they never liked you from the beginning (here's how you know they didn't like you: someone else is hired for your position after you were told there wasn't enough money in the budget or they were "restructuring")
• Losing access to senior level leaders because your position just got buried further down the food chain (e.g., instead of reporting directly to the CEO, you now report to a VP who reports to the SVP who reports to the "Group" President who reports to the CEO)
• Receiving notice that your performance is unsatisfactory (and the next step is termination)
• Being forced to resign
• Finding out that D&I's investment value ratio is negative (i.e., you cost more than you contribute to the bottom line); therefore, your position has been eliminated

Unfortunately, too few of us plan for these types of career setbacks. In many cases, these situations come as a "surprise" (although in America, the current political climate for diversity and inclusion is clearly hostile). For this reason, I frequently receive emails and phone calls from hurt and disillusioned professionals.

The reality is that the field of Diversity and Inclusion has changed. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will retire from your current employer as THE Diversity and Inclusion "Go-To" Person if you are not Pat Harris, former Chief Diversity Officer at McDonalds; or Linda D. Forte, former Chief Diversity Officer at Comerica; or Steve Bucherati, former Chief Diversity Officer at Coca Cola; or Valerie Hampton, former Chief Diversity Officer at Binghamton University. Further, once these pioneers retired, there was almost a tacit acknowledge that their big shoes were impossible to fill; hence, one of the reasons why the position succumbed to Exhibit A.

To alleviate some of the distress, it may be helpful to anticipate some kind of setback during the course of doing this work. Think about how you can make yourself more marketable so that, if needed, you can land another position quicker, as well as maintain your status in the field. Peace comes with preparation. But in order to prepare successfully, there are some steps that you should take. First, start with a few questions: Where is my career heading? How have I invested in myself to make me more valuable to my organization? What should I improve about the way that I work? If I lose my job, what am I going to do?

Next, think about getting your employer to pay for certification and/or advanced education while you are still employed. Finally, be proactive about networking and advocating for the creation of more diversity and inclusion roles while you are in a position of power and influence. One of those positions that you helped create could make for a soft landing spot.

If you chose to do something else, but you still have a passion for Diversity and Inclusion, there are other areas where you could make an impact. Some of these opportunities include:

1. Running for office on the federal, state or local level
2. Consulting with companies that do not have formal diversity officers
3. Volunteering to serve on a nonprofit or school Board of Directors
4. Contacting a professional search firm or attending events held by the National Association of Corporate Directors so that you can secure a seat as a Corporate Board Member
5. Relocate or take on an international assignment
6. Teach K-12 or college students

Again, some of these things can be done while you are currently employed. Also, if you have credentials, the Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)? makes it easy to stay fresh and connected to the D&I network by volunteering to facilitate an online class, serving on the annual Diversity 4.0 conference planning committee, reviewing Candidate Projects, or contributing to the study guide. Every professional in this field needs to possess a certain level of urgency in this realm called career planning, as well as stay prepared for unexpected change. At the end of the day, you want to expand your horizons and get your career on track for a big comeback.

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Leah Smiley is the President of the Society for Diversity, the #1 professional association for diversity and inclusion. For more information about the Society for Diversity or its certification programs, log onto: www.societyfordiversity.org.