A few weeks ago, President Obama issued an Executive Order designed to promote diversity and inclusion in the federal workforce. In the months ahead, federal agencies will figure out the best ways to do this.
A few suggestions to those agencies:
- Come up with a clear, concise, and comprehensive definition of diversity.
- Focus on diversity and inclusion. Too often, inclusion gets “lost,” and demographic diversity becomes the sole focus.
- Determine what skill-set federal managers/workers, both civilians and military personnel, absolutely need to carry out this initiative.
- Focus on the recruitment, development, promotion, and retention of talent.
- Ask the question; Does the plan address institutional sustainability? In other words, is it well integrated into the structure, management, and mission of the agency?
While the President mandated that this “Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan” be updated at a minimum every four years, agencies should assess and revise more frequently. Waiting four years is too long. The success of this plan will be determined “down the road,” not in the near future. Only time will tell.