45th Edition - March 29, 2012 Adaptive Leadership for a Better Bank Ronald Heifetz headlines Community of Purpose 67852 O n March 19, D&I coordinators, HR himself with a flattering first line: “I’m change so much as they resist loss. officers, and leaders of employee always moved that you are willing to take Sometimes innovation involves requir- resource groups came together as on impossible problems in the world.� ing people to renegotiate their loyal- a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) com- “The brain is designed to be a ties—oftentimes closely held values and munity of purpose for a session with pattern-recognition machine,� said social relationships. As a result, “you Harvard Professor Ronald Heifetz entitled Heifetz, who co-authored the bestselling have to do diagnostic work to under- “The Practice of Adaptive Leadership.� book Leadership on the Line: Staying stand the losses you’re asking people to SDN VP Rachel Kyte kicked off the ses- Alive through the Dangers of Leading. sustain,� explained Heifetz. sion, with her initial reflections on her first six months. She was struck by the lack of diversity among staff but impressed with their passion and commitment. “The first thing that struck me when I moved over from the IFC was how old this institution is. The average age of senior management is in the mid-50s. Second, the lack of diversity of thought and back- ground, despite the enormous national and ethnic diversity,� said Kyte. “Third, we have almost no churn. To hire new skill sets, one can’t recruit from the outside.� Rachel Kyte, SDN Vice President, said the real Harvard Professor Ronald Heifetz encouraged But we also have great strengths insight for her has been working with clients on participants to depersonalize marginalization the business case for diversity and focus on the issues. she said. “There is a true passion and commit- “It’s got to do that for survival. But it But what about those meetings ment to the original mission of the in- also means that we’re in the business where people are marginalizing you stitution. There is a tremendous energy of making quick assessments of each because you’re different—because you and a desire to take risks.� other. Every single one of us does that.� are a woman or a minority? “The real insight for me has been work- Heifetz pointed out that a homoge- “It’s a tactical mistake to focus on your ing with clients around the business case neous culture is more efficient. “The own marginalization, because people will for diversity. It is stunningly clear in the transaction costs go way down. People address that politely, but then marginal- way GLBT are treated in the workplace, share the same shorthand—language and ize you further,� emphasized Heifetz. The ethnic and racial minorities are treated, mindset. When the problems are known irony, he said, is that by depersonalizing and how women are treated in manage- and all you need is a production machine, the exclusion, you stand a better chance ment and boardrooms—the evidence shows homogeneity is a beautiful mechanism. of getting your point of view included. that diverse teams perform better for our But when you’re facing adaptive prob- “Your job is to keep your point clients,� enthused Kyte, who went one step lems, you need engines of innovation.� of view on the table, and don’t give further. “To develop that data set further Nearly everyone in the room raised a people a distraction by calling it diver- would be revolutionary to offer to our hand when Heifetz asked, “How many sity or inclusion.� board, our shareholders, and our clients.� of you have had an interesting idea in a D&I staffer, Pauline Ramprasad, Ronald A. Heifetz is the Senior Lecturer meeting but stayed quiet?� The primary concluded the event: “We do this so in Public Leadership and co-founder of mistake of an innovative person, he we all will have a common under- the Center for Public Leadership at the explained, is a lack of compassion. standing. Spread the word that this John F. Kennedy School of Government at Adaptive leadership involves engag- Community is going to be a real agent Harvard University. He quickly endeared ing people in loss. People don’t resist of change for D&I in the institution.� thE-Junction March 29, 2012 | page 2 Kahneman Urges Better Decision-Making D uring a leadership discussion on March 14, Nobel Prize-winner Daniel Kahneman challenged Bank Group managers to test themselves and their peers more before making important decisions. Before you make that big decision, Kahneman urged, leaders should ask themselves a number of questions (see box below). The questions help people recognize personal assumptions, evaluate argu- ments, and draw better conclusions. Kahneman’s best-selling 2011 book Thinking, Fast and Slow has drawn comparisons to Malcom Gladwell’s Blink for its capacity to help readers rethink the way they Daniel Kahneman presented 12 questions that staff and managers could ask themselves to help avoid bias and mistakes in judgment. think about thinking. “It is always a sublime pleasure Kahneman is the Senior Scholar and a true honor to learn with at the Woodrow Wilson School of you,� enthused Julie Oyegun, “so Public and International Affairs and thank you all for making the time Professor of Psychology and Public to come together to engage with Affairs Emeritus at the Woodrow yet another exceptional mind Wilson School & Eugene Higgins during the WBG March Celebration Professor of Psychology Emeritus at of Diversity.� Princeton University. To Managers and Leaders: “Before You Make That Big Decision…� Ask Yourself: 1. Is there any reason to suspect the team making the 7. Do you know where the numbers came from? recommendation of errors motivated by self-intersect? Can there be unsubstantiated numbers, or 2. Has the team fallen in love with its proposal? extrapolation from history, or a motivation 3. Were there dissenting opinions within the team? to use a certain anchor? Were they explored adequately? 8. Is the team assuming that a person, organization, or approach that is successful in one area will be Ask the Recommenders: just as successful in another? 4. Could the diagnosis be overly influenced 9. Are the recommenders overly attached by an analogy to a memorable success? to a history of past decisions? 5. Are credible alternatives included along with the recommendation? Ask About the Proposal: 6. If you had to make this decision again 10. Is the base case overly optimistic? in a year’s time, what information would 11. Is the worst case bad enough? you want, and can you get more of it now? 12. Is the recommending team overly cautious? thE-Junction March 29, 2012 | page 3 All People Want to Do Is Live Their Lives Contributed by Elizabeth Howton, World Bank South Asia Regional External Affairs Unit, SAR Vice President Isabel Guerrero chaired the event, which was or- “A ll people want to do ganized by GLOBE, the LGBT staff is live their lives.� Dr. association of the Bank, as part of Suneeta Singh made that the Bank’s Diversity Month. Other simple yet powerful statement during participants included Mariam Claes- a panel discussion on “Empowering on and Kees Kostermans of the Bank. Gender Minorities in South Asia� on Pant said definitions of gender and March 14, 2012 at the World Bank. sexual minorities differ from those in Dr. Singh, a former Bank staffer the West. A term commonly used in GLOBE President Fabrice Houdart addressing Kees Kostermans. and CEO of consulting firm Amaltas, South Asia is “third gender,� a con- spoke via videoconference from New cept that has deep roots in Hindu and As a result, he said, one study found Delhi, India, while Nepal’s first open- Buddhist traditions. Today, Nepalis can a 70 percent school dropout rate for ly gay elected official, Sunil Babu obtain national ID cards that say “third transgendered youth, affecting their Pant, dialed in from Kathmandu. gender� instead of male or female. ability to earn a living and driving Pant told the story of how he Another participant from India, many into dangerous sex work. built a grassroots movement of gay, lawyer Aditya Bondhopadhyay, That led Guerrero and other panel- lesbian, bisexual and transgendered talked about the ways anti-gay ists to ponder the ways the World people in Nepal, beginning in 2001. prejudice in South Asia is related to Bank can become more involved with A turning point was in 2007, when gender inequality. “Discrimination LGBT issues, as a convener, a knowl- the Supreme Court ruled that gay and violence here in South Asia is edge sharer, and a compiler of data. and transgendered people “are natu- gendered. It is more about gender Already, Pant’s group, the Blue Dia- ral� and mandated certain benefits than sexuality,� he said, explaining mond Society, has won a World Bank and an end to discriminatory laws. that because males are traditionally Development Marketplace competition Today, the country is drafting a more valued in South Asian societ- for a project that reduced HIV-related new constitution, and Pant said that ies, anyone who puts himself in a stigma and discrimination through a if passed, it will be one of the most female role risks reprisal. He said transgender beauty contest. progressive in the world with regard concepts of collective honor and Mariam Claeson talked about how to the rights of sexual and gen- shame play into the shunning and the Bank has been able to map the MSM der minorities. “We had to educate violence that many LGBT people (men who have sex with men) popula- people to feel pride,� he said. experience in South Asia. tion for HIV prevention using commu- nity-based surveyors. Even in closed societies such as Afghanistan and the Maldives, she said, they have been able to obtain an accurate picture of the size and location of the communities. GLOBE President Fabrice Houdart said there is still a perception in some quarters that “LGBT issues are West- ern issues and not relevant to our cli- ents.� Wednesday’s panel was a first step toward dispelling that perception. For an event video: http:// go.worldbank.org/FV54WDYAX0 For more on GLOBE: http:// At headquarters, Bank Group staff joined a multinational videoconference linking India and Nepal. go.worldbank.org/TW31Y4GO20 thE-Junction March 29, 2012 | page 4 Leveling the Playing Field Accessibility Fair Features Many Resources A t the Accessibility Fair, held March 20 in the Bank Group’s MC-Atrium, staff and manag- ers learned more about the resources available to people with disabilities, whether long-term or short-term. Booths included representatives from the Bank Group’s Office of Diversity Programs, Ergonomics, the Disability Accommodation Fund, GSD, Disability & Development, Assistive Technology, and Supplier Diversity. “We at the Bank Group think of people with disabilities in terms of Karen Austin, at the Supplier Diversity booth, At the Ergonomics and Disability Accommodation what we can do, not what we can’t,� is busy promoting inclusion in procurement. Fund, Saroja Moses and Leo Malca spread the word. said Accessibility Consultant Terri Youngblood, who was greeting pass- people with disabilities face … Address- assessment, and then we provide ersby at the Diversity Office booth. ing these barriers is within our reach.� solutions in terms of ergonomic “People should really check out the Nearby, at the Supplier Diver- keyboards and mice, sit-stand tables, online Disability Toolkit, which is sity booth, Karen Austin was busy or even magnification software for a one-stop shop that houses all the sharing how the Bank Group works people who have problems seeing, or resources available for staff with dis- to encourage task team leaders and speech recognition software for those abilities, injuries, illnesses, or need other individuals to do the extra due who need it.� some sort of accommodation so they diligence to find diverse sources of Very often, the Disability Accom- can continue working productively.� supply. “We encourage them to find modation Fund (DAF) will cover Over at the Disability & Devel- sources of supply that may be mi- relevant expenses, not only for staff opment booth, Karen Peffley was norities, women, or disabled-owned with long-term illnesses, but also for explaining the many links between business enterprises,� said Austin, short-term injuries, like a broken leg. disability and development: “Our who is a contracts officer for Corpo- “We have many solutions,� explained team works with team leaders to rate Procurement. “The end result is Saroja Moses, Program Assistant in integrate disability into projects,� promoting economic development HSD. “If somebody is wheelchair- said Peffley, who is an operations and inclusion in areas that have tra- bound, DAF will pay for a personal as- analyst on Sashka Posarac’s team. ditionally been overlooked.� sistant to travel with them on mission.� “In addition to social protection, Perhaps the busiest booth of all was If a staff member can’t drive or take safety nets, labor, and pensions, we manned by Ergonomics Team Leader public transport to work because of an get a lot of take-up from transport Leo Malca and Occupational Health injury, DAF will likely pick up the tab and education.� Analyst Sophia Woldemicael. “Most for a taxi. “Everything is work-based. The first report of its kind, a WHO of the time, people who come to see We don’t pay for things that improve World Report on Disability has been us have pain in their neck, back, or your home life. But every expense launched in 30 countries and is helping wrists,� explained Woldemicael. Her from an ergonomic chair and Sit-Stand operationalize disability in develop- team offers a free service during which Table to the means to arrive at work— ment projects. In the report’s Foreword, a consultant will conduct an assess- DAF is there to support that.� Professor Stephen Hawking writes, “this ment of how staff sit, and the position report makes a major contribution to of their chair, desk, and monitor. For more information on thE-Junction, our understanding of disability and its Marie Oben, in IMT’s Office of contact Pauline Ramprasad, 202-473-0821, impacts on individuals and society. It Assistive Technology, works hand pramprasad@worldbank.org. highlights the different barriers that in hand. “First, Leo’s team does the