Prevent Your Asian Talent From Walking Out the Door [by Sylvia Ann Hewlett & Ripa Rashid | Diversity Executive]

-By Development Network-   Why aren't more Asians getting to the top at U.S. companies? They ought to be: They're highly educated, graduating from top universities and graduate programs at rates exceeding those of their peers. They're also extremely ambitious, with 64 percent of Asians aspiring to top jobs, compared to only 52 percent of Caucasians, according to "Asians in America: Unleashing the Potential of the 'Model Minority,'" a recent research report from the Center for Work-Life Policy, a New York-based think tank.   Yet, while Asians make up 5 percent of the U.S. population, they account for only 1.8 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and barely 2 percent of board members. Furthermore, they're aware of the discrepancy - and they're not happy about it.   What elements build and reinforce the "bamboo ceiling" that blocks so many qualified Asians from senior leadership positions?   Among the nearly 3,000 Asian men and women surveyed by the Center for Work-Life Policy, 25 percent think they face bias in the workplace; a 2005 Gallup survey put the figure at 31 percent.   Rather than outright discrimination, Asian professionals encounter unspoken inequities that make them feel like they don't fit in, such as a team that routinely meets at a steakhouse despite the Chinese senior manager's suggestion that they try a Chinese or Indian restaurant. Thirty-seven percent of Asian men responding to the Center for Work-Life Policy survey reported that their colleagues seem uncomfortable asking about their personal life, more than double the numbers for their Caucasian or Hispanic counterparts and 14 percent greater than African-Americans.   There's a pervasive feeling of being "a square peg in a round hole," as one respondent put it, with 48 percent reporting that conformity to prevailing leadership models is a problem. For example, a female vice president at a major multinational was criticized by a boss for her Anglo-Indian accent, which he found "too stuffy." The comment left her hurt and confused. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked. "Go for language classes?"   Other tripwires are rooted in cultures that inculcate Asians with communication and networking styles at odds with the mainstream dynamic of assertiveness and directness. Asians are frequently criticized for being reticent, more hesitant than other cultures to advance new ideas at a team meeting or promote themselves to their manager. As a result of a deeply engrained deference to authority, Asians in the survey were also significantly less likely than other ethnic groups to challenge a consensus, let alone participate in the in-your-face leadership model rewarded in much of corporate America.   "In Asia, there's a saying that 'the loudest duck gets shot.' In America it's 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease,'" said Jane Hyun, a corporate consultant and author of Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling. "These things are totally different and at odds with each other."   Given their cultural inclination for holding back, combined with an uneasy workplace environment, it's not surprising that Asians in the study aren't comfortable engaging in the casual conversations and camaraderie that forge friendships and build relationship capital.   "I'm too busy to spend time on networking," declared an Asian scientist in a Center for Work-Life Policy focus group, illustrating what another focus group participant describes as a general "lack of recognition [among Asians] of why you need to network."   The result: Center for Work-Life Policy research finds that 63 percent of Asian men and 44 percent of Asian women feel stalled in their careers. Even more striking, many are actively looking to leave their current companies: 19 percent of Asian men and 14 percent of Asian women plan to leave within the next year, compared with only 9 percent of Caucasian men and 10 percent of Caucasian women.   Corporations can't afford to lose their Asian talent. Not only are Asians a vital part of the white-collar pipeline generally, they are also particularly well-qualified in science, engineering and technology. Furthermore, as American-based multinationals extend their reach in China and India, the cultural fluency of their Asian employees can confer a critical competitive edge.   Forward-thinking companies should look for solutions that don't just "fix the Asians," but also teach their non-Asian managers to recognize the richness they can contribute.   "The Asian community is a very large economic force both inside and outside of the U.S.," said Barbara Adachi, the managing director of Deloitte Consulting LLP's human capital practice. "The more you understand the impact that China and India are having on the world, the more you recognize the importance of having Asians be part of your leadership team."     [About the Authors: Sylvia Ann Hewlett is the founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy and the chairman of the Hidden Brain Drain, a task force of 67 global companies. Ripa Rashid is executive vice president at the Center for Work-Life Policy.] -For more articles and information:  http://www.developmentnetwork.co.nr/

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