Wed 23 Mar 2016 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Organisations with diversity policies must specifically spell out that those policies include glbti people so that we are not rendered invisible, according to a leadership expert speaking in Auckland this morning. Harold Hillman, who as a closeted gay man in the US Army was part of the team reviewing its then anti-gay policy regarding gays in the military, went on to become a prominent marketing and leadership executive in the USA. He has been at various times an executive or coach to a number of prominent New Zealand organisations including Air New Zealand, Auckland Council, Southern Cross Healthcare, Fonterra, TVNZ and several other businesses. Speaking to a breakfast gathering organised by Rainbow Tick and hosted by ASB Bank this morning, Hillman said when he asks organisations "Do you explicitly mention glbti people in your documentation?" the response he frequently gets is: "Do we have to mention them all the time?" Hillman says his answer is: "Yes, you do... because if you don't name us we're subsumed into some other category." Hillman told the business and HR executives present that successful organisations accept and embrace change, which is inevitable, and part of that is "being open to new ideas and diversity of thought." He said that if people employed to help create new directions for an organisation have part of their lives rendered invisible, or are asked to repress their personality or aspects of their character, they cannot contribute fully. "When people are working at holding something back they can't fully connect with other people," he said.
Credit: GayNZ.com daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 23rd March 2016 - 11:27pm