Talking about diversity and inclusion is not enough. corporations need to act

Corporate American talks a good game, but when it comes to diversity and inclusion, they need to do more than talk. Talk is cheap. We need some action.

When executives at Fortune 500 clients were asked how they are addressing the Asian American leadership gap at their companies, their common response is, “What gap?” And therein lies the problem.

Despite research showing that Asian Americans are underrepresented in executive ranks, and are the least likely group in the U.S. to be promoted to management, according an opinion piece published the Nov. 7 issue of  Fortune Magazine co-authored by McKinsey’s senior partner and chief diversity and inclusion officer Lareina Yee, McKinsey’s senior partner Michael Park, and McKinsey’s engagement manager Adrian Kwok.

In 2017, Asians made up 13% of the U.S. professional workforce, but an unpublished review of the roughly 1,200 senior-most executives of 2019’s Fortune 100 companies, privately conducted within McKinsey, shows that only 7% of business leaders are Asian. 

Among CEOs, the difference gets even more stark —across this year’s entire Fortune 500, there are only 16 Asian CEOs (3%).

Why are there so few Asian CEOs despite the high proportion of Asian Americans in college and in 2017, represented an eighth of the professional workforce?

The problem is not lack of ambition. Asian American professionals, both men and women, are the most likely of any ethnic group to report that they are looking to be promoted to the next level, the most likely to say they want to be a top executive, and the most likely to think they will get there one day. Asian Americans are determined to be leaders in their organizations, writes Fortune.

Part of the problem is the perennial conundrum: which comes first, the chicken or the egg. There is a lack of role models and mentors for ambitious Asian Americans in corporate America. But how can there be role models and mentors if middle management employees can't get their foot in the door?

There's also that old Asian belief that good work will eventually get recognized -- so put your nose to the grindstone and you will get rewarded.  What Asians are bad at is bragging about themselves. Self-promotion goes against the value of humility that is ingrained in Asian cultures in a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

The Fortune article says that when "Asian professionals report that they have not asked for a promotion in the last two years, the data shows that they are more than twice as likely as non-Asians to say it’s because they 'didn’t want to be seen as too demanding' and are nearly twice as likely to respond, 'I trust I’ll be promoted when my manager thinks I’m ready.'

As too many of us have learned. The real world doesn't operate that way most of the time. How many times have you seen people get promoted not because of expertise but because they they have a loud voice, attractive, tall, backslappers or kiss-asses?

While there is plenty of work that can be done individually to develop those characteristics admired in so-called "leaders," corporations can also take steps to break down those barriers. Execs tend to hand out with people who look, sound, hold the same values and goals as themselves and laugh at the same jokes, especially the racist ones. 

Corporations need to get out of their own comfort zone and include their Asian American developing leaders at the corporate lunches, out on the golf course or those exclusive dinners at the boss' mansion.

The corporations who are aware of their customer base and the changing demographics of America will take those steps because -- its good for business.

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