To The Next Level
Building BNI Diversity
By Len Rothman and David Alexander

When we started BNI in New Orleans, Louisiana, we were blown away by the power of diversity. We were told that BNI would not work here; the only thing that works here is the "good ole boys club." That was prior to meeting two people who were gatekeepers in the community. They introduced BNI to all the right people in several different communities and races. Through their introductions, the New Orleans area is one of the most successful BNI regions in the country. So how does diversity help us win?

What Is Diversity?
If your BNI chapter is virtually all male, female, white, tall, short, straight, or gay, there is still diversity in your chapter! That's because the broad definition of diversity includes differences AND similarities by age, education, occupation, management/non-management, and thought. In addition, race, gender, and sexual orientation constitute diversity.

One definition of diversity is "all the characteristics, whether inborn or chosen, that make one person both different from and similar to another person or other persons."

Another definition is "an inclusive team that recognizes and leverages each person's individuality (commonality and uniqueness) in the pursuit of individual and collective objectives." (This could be your BNI Chapter.)

How Does Diversity Benefit a Chapter?
By knowing as much as possible about diversity, and how to do business with people and organizations "similar and different" from you, you can tap into the huge buying power of markets according to gender, race, and sexual orientation.

A second reason is that you are competing with Fortune 500/1000 corporations that have been doing this for years. Corporations have developed their expertise through an approach called Affinity Groups (AG). AGs are employee groups identified by race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. While one directive for each AG is to address employment issues of a specific group, another directive is to develop marketing strategies to increase market share within that group.

A diverse BNI chapter can help serve the purpose of an AG for its members.

What Else about Diversity?
You may have already decided that diversity in your chapter can bring you more customers, revenues, and profits. The next step is to leverage the diversity. As mentioned, the Fortune 500/1000 companies have figured it out and are reaping the benefits.

They've had diversity initiatives in the form of training classes. One of the mantras of corporate diversity training is "We can change an employee's behavior, but we can't change his or her attitude." Another mantra is "If we can change behavior, it will work out." First, a person's attitude can change. Second, changing behaviors doesn't always result in minimizing or eliminating the "isms."

Getting into deep dialogues and being in environments with "others" can result in changes in attitude. Changing our attitude about any "ism" or stereotype can be accomplished. Our BNI chapters offer us the environment for such an opportunity. When attitudes shift, change happens at a greater rate. In a group setting, we begin to operate with synergy; the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

How Do You Diversify Your Chapter?
If you are interested in increasing the diversity of your chapter and/or leveraging the diversity in your chapter, let your chapter president and director know. BNI has a Cross Cultural Council whose purpose is to help BNI become more diverse. We are looking for chapters who will take the lead in moving us ahead.

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started. First, study your market; find out what diverse market segments are present. Then find a leader in that market segment and ask for an introduction. Invite some of the community leaders to your chapter to see what BNI is about. Based on our experience, they will be inspired by what they see and will want to be involved.

Second, make it a priority. One suggestion is to form a committee that can spearhead the chapter's effort to become more diverse. This committee can work with the chapter to become more culturally aware and inspire members to take action. By creating a diverse chapter, you will dramatically increase your connections, business, and profit. It just makes sense.

Len Rothman owns an executive and leadership coaching firm in Atlanta. His business coaching clients include small businesses owners, corporate executives/managers, and individuals. He includes matters of diversity in his coaching when applicable. With his own background as a Fortune 500 executive, he coaches minority and women business owners whose target market includes Fortune 500/1000 companies. He can be reached at (770) 998-7677 or LenRothman@ActionCOACH.com. Visit www.actioncoach.com/lenrothman.

David Alexander is an Executive Director for BNI in southeastern USA. David and his firm also provide customized corporate training using programs from the Referral Institute, Personality Insights, and Intensity Business Leadership. He is currently working on two books: Networking Like a Pro and Referrals for Life. He can be reached at (678)-888-0200 or david@referrals4life.com