• What level of individual courage do you see in your organization as people address difference? What would you like it to be?
• When employees think about diversity in your organization, who do they think of? Who don't they think of? What impact - positive or negative - does this have on teams and business goals?
• What struggle is showing up in your organization that is telling you that the diversity journey is not over?

Questions are powerful. They can spawn new thinking. They can challenge, or affirm. When coming from a place of inquiry, choose your question carefully, then listen and observe, allowing answers to emerge. 

(Excerpt from a letter to Nelson Mandela.)

In September 1990 I came to live and work in South Africa and Lesotho for almost a year, drawn by Nelson Mandela's freedom in 1990.  I spent the year facilitating interracial teambuilding Outward Bound courses in Lesotho for South African employees of banks, pharmaceutical and mining companies. Having just learned of my own unconscious racism from growing up in the U.S., it was a healing experience to facilitate such a powerful coming together of different races in South Africa.

Once back in the U.S., I spent four years studying, researching and completing a dissertation about how white men learn about diversity. I found we, as white men, are completely reliant on men and women of color and white women to teach us about diversity. But for others to carry the burden to educate all white men is unsustainable. Just as I completed my research, Bill Proudman, who saw the same pattern, piloted a 3.5 residential workshop for only white men called a White Men's Caucus on Eliminating Racism, Sexism and Homophobia in Organizations. We joined together with some amazing colleagues and for 13 years now we have taught white men and others to partner fully. Some day I hope to visit South Africa again to help seed a similar movement for white men to educate other white men.

It was several years ago when an African American woman in one of my client organizations heard me describe my journey into diversity. Later she told me how she felt it was my experience in South Africa that compelled me to work with white men. She really got me thinking over these past few years about my path. My time in South Africa was indeed pivotal in my life. It was there I felt my life's work with other white men was no longer optional. To read more, download a copy of Michael's letter to Nelson Mandela.