Chapter 1. What You Name It Matters, How You Do It Matters More

 

  • Inclusion embraces diversity in levels of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, country of origin and background. 
  • According to McKinsey Global Institute (2016), leading companies in gender inclusion at executive levels are 15% more likely to be profitable, growing into 21% in 2018.

 

Chapter 2. Clues to Inclusion

 

  • The practice of inclusion has a direct impact on the growth of businesses such as better access to talent, enhanced decision making, a deeper consumer insight and more engaged employees.
  • The McKinsey study showed a greater benefit when there was ethnic diversity at 35%.
  • In a 2018 study by NC State University, 3000 public companies were analyzed demonstrating a causative link between inclusive practices and performance in innovation, based on patents and NPIs. 
  • According to Gallup (2016), companies with a higher gender diversity show 48 to 56% better financial performance than those below the median.

 

Chapter 3. The Platform is Burning

 

  • Inspired by the famous quote by computer scientist Alan Kay “The best way to prevent the future is to invent it”, Jorge and Pedro state that the best way to get started is to understand where we stand now.
  • Change has its roadblocks and in terms of diversity, there is complacency, resistance to change and mistaking failure for success. 
  • Men are 30% more likely than women to be promoted from entry level to management. 
  • Employers are less likely to call candidates that submit resumes with African American sounding names than those with Caucasian names.
  • There are only 24 female CEOs in Fortune 500 companies and only 3 African Americans. 

 

Chapter 4. The Changing of the Guard: Evolving Demographics 

 

  • The different age segments differ in how they work, the leadership style they follow, the family structure they come from and what they are seeking.
  • 216 of the Fortune 500 companies were founded by an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. 
  • Today there is a verified wage gap between men and women.
  • The work environment and the employee training must be addressed due to its impact on the customers.

 

Chapter 5. Inclusion that Drives Innovation

 

  • According to the Wall Street Journal report “Economic Indicators that Really Matter” (2019), immigrants outperformed their native-born counterparts in tech innovation, even accounting to the fact that they are better educated.
  • In a study led by Stanford and the National Bureau of Economic Research, the contribution by high-skilled immigrants is large in patents and products. 16% of the group were immigrants responsible for 30% of the innovation. Also, 30% of US inventors are immigrants.

 

Chapter 6. Pipelines and How to Make Them Better

 

  • Most recruiting and resume posting sites use artificial intelligence in evaluation programs, but we must ensure not to “program” bias.
  • By being careful with the use of language in job openings, more diverse talent will apply.
  • Because bias is sometimes unconscious, one of the best techniques is making sure the interview team is diverse.
  • Businesses should build and exhibit corporate culture that is welcoming to applicants with desired skills and experience.

 

Chapter 7. Training the Trainers

 

  • There are ways to improve traditional training programs such as perspective-taking, goal setting and being aware of the language used.
  • Organizations should implement programs of coaching, mentoring and sponsoring.

 

Chapter 8. Politics and Policy

 

  • The intersection between the corporate world and public policy is problematic at best.
  • The immigration dialogue, especially for Central and South Americans, is a very sensitive issue.
  • Technological advances will displace workers by the millions in the medium term and it is important to address these upcoming challenges.

 

Chapter 9. Trading Skills and Experience

 

  • Personal relationships are key in a working environment.
  • Team building and mentoring should be considered an opportunity.
  • Inclusion works best when teams engage in effective communication, being careful with the use of idioms, gestures and body language.
  • The evolution in technology will displace certain types of jobs in the future, mostly held by minorities and women. It is imperative to re-skill this workforce.

 

Chapter 10. What’s Next?

 

  • The Guardian newspaper ran a poll to describe life in 2050 and key figures weighed in: 
    • Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist: Medical advances will increase human longevity. No only longer life, but also longer youth.
    • Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist: Space will not only be a tourist attraction, but a site for global commerce.
    • Faith Popcorn, futurist: There will be major advances for health in AI. She also addressed gender fluidity and racial changes. There will be a big difference in intelligence, natural and purchased.
    • Amy Zalman, strategist: It’s not that automation will change work, it’s that work will change so drastically that we will need to give a different name to what we do.
  • Entry level jobs and unskilled positions are the primary targets for disruption.
  • Those without a Bachelor’s Degree face 55% risk and those with only a Bachelor’s Degree 24%.
  • Organizations should build trust so it can weather economic and social change.
  • Stay on top of innovation to harness the power of technology to lead, not react.