The Elephant in the Room: The Courageous Yet Uncomfortable Conversation

As Michelle A. Avon, a Supervisory Executive in Wealth Management said, “It is not easy being the only African American woman in an executive meeting, but it is important to be myself and be the one to bring up issues of diversity.”

Open conversations can also help employees handle traumatic events, pointed out Michelle Fullerton, a diversity and inclusion executive with Bank of America. “Following the tragedy in Orlando, it helped employees to talk about what had happened and how it affected each of us. Even though it happened outside our workplaces, we couldn’t turn off our reactions.”

Carol Denning, a marketing executive, first experienced the situation of being “the only one” as a female in the Marines when there were very few women. “You have to be realistic about what you can and can’t do, but you have to believe that you have a right to be where you are, and you have the right to express your opinions – as long as they are educated, informed opinions.”

“You always want to bring the best of yourself to the workplace,” said Tim Atwell, Senior Vice President, Technology Executive, Bank of America. “We also have to realize that people who are in the best position to advocate for diversity and inclusion may not look like us.”

Moving the needle on diversity and inclusion requires a combination of recognizing that you must speak the same language – focusing on creating ROI for the company and helping the organization realize its mission, suggested Maurice Coleman, Senior Vice President/Sr. Relationship Manager at Bank of America. In his role with the commercial real estate division, Coleman has led efforts to revitalize areas but he has done so by demonstrating the value that these projects provide both Bank of America and the community. If someone has proven their value and commitment to their company, there is room to take a risk when recommending a new direction or promoting diversity, he said. “Don’t let your job title or job description define your self-description," he said. "When it is time to take a calculated risk, when it is time to pull someone up, don’t be afraid to make the effort.”