By Joe Forward, Legal Writer, State Bar of Wisconsin

Bill Proudman

Aug. 18, 2010 – Many employers would not argue that inclusion of diversity in the workplace can improve business and employee satisfaction. In the legal field, a profession dominated by white men in leadership roles, the road to workplace diversity depends largely on participation by all diverse groups, including white men.

At least that’s the philosophy of Bill Proudman, founding partner and chief operations officer of White Men as Full Diversity Partners, LLC (WMFDP) in Portland, Ore.

WMFDP counsels law firms, corporations, and other organizations to leverage the value of diversity, and to engage white men as “full diversity partners” in the effort. Proudman, a facilitator of team effectiveness and leadership development, is the featured presenter at the Diversity Outreach Committee’s Oct. 1 Diversity Counsel Program.

“The goal here is to provoke thought and deepened curiosity about diversity inclusion in the workplace,” Proudman said. “We try to help people recognize the impact of cultural differences, and increase self-awareness to shift the way people think about diversity. Our service is designed to help employers engage employees and vice versa.”

Proudman began his diversity inclusion work in 1996, though his interest in the subject dates back to 1987. In working with organizations, he noticed that white men tended to be unintentionally excluded from discussions, or disengaged from them.

“White men often step aside or defer diversity issues to others. That’s not a sustainable practice,” said Proudman, who formed WMFDP in 2000. “Diversity requires participation from all groups. I wanted to bring white men into the discussion, help drive different tactics and strategies for addressing diversity, and make them part of the partnership.”

Benefits and challenges

It’s no secret. The legal profession is dominated by white men in leadership roles. For instance, of the 17 Wisconsin law offices listed on the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) directory of legal employers, 78 percent of partners or members are white men.

However, the number of women and minorities attending law school has steadily increased over the past 20 years. And younger generation attorneys, with different values than lawyers three generations ahead, continue to enter the fold. With more diverse attorneys, diversity inclusion increasingly becomes an important aspect of law firm success.

A recent American Bar Association report concluded that workplace diversity, both cognitive and cultural, “often leads to better questions, analyses, solutions and processes.” It also stated that a diverse bar and bench can lead to increased public trust in the “mechanisms of justice.”

Law firms recognize the benefits. In fact, 14 of the 17 Wisconsin law offices listed by NALP maintain a diversity program. But Proudman says law firms often stop diversity efforts at the recruitment stage, and adding diverse attorneys is only half the journey.

“Retention rates will tell you that lawyers don’t stay where they aren’t happy,” Proudman said. “Diversity inclusion can help firms retain talented and diverse attorneys who place value on more than billable hours. I think firms that recognize this will have a leg up in the future.”

Diversity inclusion

According to Proudman, the dominant “white male culture” of a law office can negatively impact other diverse groups like female and minority attorneys who may feel isolated or forced to “fit the mold.” Changing or modifying behavior to assimilate can be stressful and exhausting over time. In Proudman’s view, white men are often unable to comprehend how certain white male traits can impact other individuals or groups outside the “white male culture.”

On the other hand, workplace diversity involves issues of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and national origin, among others. White men may feel hesitant to enter a dialogue about diversity for fear that misunderstanding will lead to reprimand, discipline, or induce alienation.

According to Proudman, workplace diversity requires that white men and other diverse groups “partner” to highlight social and cultural differences. That partnership requires practice and a willingness to accept that all diversity partners will make mistakes.

With practice, the diversity partnership can lead to improved working relationships, greater job satisfaction, and ultimately, a more profitable business. Proudman challenges all leaders, white men in particular, to be active leaders for diversity inclusion.

Proudman’s organization teaches the skills to be active participants, but cautions that diversity inclusion is an exploration that demands patience and introspection. There is no quick-fix.

“Some client’s will say, Bill, tell us what to do,” Proudman said. “But diversity inclusion is a personal journey that requires patience and understanding. Like safety issues in a manufacturing plant, it must be ingrained into an organization’s daily operation.”

Proudman will talk more about the issue of diversity inclusion Oct. 1 at the Diversity Outreach Committee’s 2010 Diversity Counsel Program entitled “Diversity in the 21st Century: Whether You Lead or Follow – Be a Champion for Change” in Milwaukee.

The Diversity Outreach Committee supports and encourages a diverse State Bar and a legal profession that respects and values its members’ differences, focusing on those arising from race, disability, ethnicity, gender, and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered identity.