DiversityInc - Special Issue 2007

white employees away from corporate diversity programming, and avoidance of potential awkwardness that can lead employees of color to pass on informal social opportunities with white colleagues where alcohol often flows and the likelihood of discomfort increases.

These differences in experience and perspective could be brought into the open and understood through honest dialogue, but it is just such conversation that many people avoid. But what if we could get beyond our fear, our sweaty palms, our anxiety about saying the wrong thing or using the wrong words and have an honest conversation about racial issues? Not only would peer-to-peer relationships improve, but mentoring relationships, critical to career success, would become more effective for employees of color.

The Mentor’s Dilemma

Honesty is critical in any meaningful relationship. It is essential between a mentor and protégée, yet in cross-racial mentoring relationships, honest communication may be lacking. Consider this: A white supervisor is concerned about the performance of a new employee of color who clearly has potential but is in need of direct and honest feedback to improve. The supervisor hesitates to be as candid as necessary about the feedback for fear that it might be perceived as reflecting some racial bias. Afraid of being labeled “racist,” the supervisor holds back, ironically denying the employee something very valuable: honest feedback. In an effort to avoid being seen as racist, the supervisor inadvertently disadvantages the employee of color further by not providing the tools for improvement.

On the other hand, if the supervisor is candid and direct with the

employee about the need for improvement, the employee may indeed wonder whether the feedback can be trusted. Is racial bias a factor?

It certainly might be. We all carry a lifetime of socialization into any interaction we have, and it would be naïve to assume that our perceptions are never influenced by the race-related messages we absorbed growing up. But the interpersonal anxiety that emerges in cross-racial mentoring can be reduced for both the supervisor and the employee with some preventive steps. Social psychologists Claude Steele and Geoffrey Cohen have demonstrated that if a mentor takes the time to make explicit the criteria for evaluation and the expected high standard of performance as well as emphasizing the belief that the mentee has what it takes to meet that expectation prior to offering constructive criticism, trust between them increases. The criticism is likely to be well received by the mentee, viewed as a sign of the mentor’s care and confidence in the possibility of improvement, and the performance indeed improves.

Why Bother?

Cross-racial communication can be difficult. Is it worth the effort? Yes, if we want to change our organizations and ultimately our society. Relationships across lines of difference are essential for the possibility of social transformation. Change is needed and none of us can make that change alone. Genuine friendship and effective mentoring lead to caring concern and necessary action. We need to take our action from the position of strength that comes from self-knowledge and social awareness. Cross-racial relationships can be an important source of both. That is worth the effort. _D_I