Ancella Livers
s the workforce becomes increasingly diverse, A well must come to terms with the racial and cultural conflict occasioned by this diversity. The conflict is not always, or even usually, overt, but it can have a profound effect on people. They may withhold their contributions or in some cases leave the organization. The effect on organizations is just as serious-a failure to realize the full benefit of the talent of a l l employees, a waste of resources that no one can afford.
A major element of this diversity is the relationship between blacks and whites. It is not an exaggeration to say that black-white relations in the corpomte world can be very difficult, with victims on both sides. Whites can feel that they have made an honest effort to get along with their African American colleagues, only to be rebuffed. Blacks can feel that the efforts of their white colleagues are shallow or disingenuous. Both may retreat into superficial relationships, with the former minimizing racial differences and not understanding the alienation that this creates, and the latter reading racial motives into almost every working situation but sup pressing their concerns, allowing them to simmer.
In order for blacks and whites to get along better in the workplace, they must understand each other's situation. Because racial dynamics are so often invisible to whites, in this article I offer two scenarios in which I emphasize the African American perspective. These are drawn from my experience, the experiences of my colleagues, and the experiences of managers who have attended The African-American Leadership Program at the Center for Creative Leadership. I want to emphasize that by taking this perspective, I do not mean to suggest that there are not other valid points of view.
After describing the scenarios, I suggest some simple strategies to help black and white leaders work together for better racial relations and for better personal and organizational performance.