Question: I was hired to take charge of diversity and inclusivity initiatives at a higher education institution. Because of politics, I resigned a few months ago and am now having difficulty securing another role. What do you suggest?
Answer: There seem to be at least three strands to your questions. First, you mention the diversity portfolio. Second, you reference politics. And, third, you talk about your resignation. I will address these individually.
For starters, while diversity has evolved quite a bit over the past decade or so, sadly, many organizations have mixed feelings (no pun intended) about what it means. In the meantime, the nation has shifted and changed. Demographics have moved toward diversity at least in terms of ethnicity. Yet, the most senior levels of many outstanding corporate and philanthropic organizations remain fairly uniform. Why is this still the case?
There are many cited reasons for this uniformity. Frankly, many organizations resist the kind of change that would make inclusivity the watchword and, when they are not actively resisting, they lack the know-how to make the desired inclusivity a reality. Also, there is a counter-productive tendency to make the Diversity Officer the sole point of contact and accountability on diversity issues. Diversity is an organizational mandate, and, for it to be successful, everyone has to buy in and do a part of the heavy lifting.
As to the politics, this may be continuing to play a role in your own personal career development. Were there many hurt feelings/thwarted expectations when you resigned? If so, these may be haunting you in the form of luke-warm recommendations and “buzz.” Did you burn any bridges or alienate those most likely to be of assistance in your career search? If so, you may need to retrace your steps, and do some bridge-building to refuel the job search process. If not, you may need to actively enlist these folks in your career planning so they can offer referrals, be solid references and generally support your efforts.
Finally, resignations can be tricky to manage. Did you resign at your own volition, or were you asked to do so? This distinction can have tremendous impact on your job search. If you left on your own, prospective employers make one set of inferences – everything from you are principled to you might be difficult to work with, strong-headed and/or rash. If you were asked to resign, this will be interpreted by most to be the equivalent of a firing — with all of the consequences that come with that designation.
Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.
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