Over 200 years ago, British politicians put aside their differences to form a ‘ministry of all the talents’ with the aim of promoting national unity and defeating a common enemy, Napoleon Bonaparte. Of course, in 1806 British politicians were hardly the image of diversity – all white, all men, all elected by their upper class peers – but an important and long-lived principle was recognised: far more binds us together than separates us. Nevertheless, 200 years later, organisations across the finance sector and beyond are not yet giving full rein to all the talents harboured by their staff.</p> Admiral Michelle J Howard views the importance of diversity to the US Navy both in terms of access to talent and representation of the underlying population. The diversity of thought and perspective required to achieve mission or organisational goals is much harder to achieve in an homogenous group, she points out. Quoting renowned US scientist Dr Linus Pauling – the only person to win unshared Nobel prizes in two different fields – Howard adds, “If you want to have good ideas, you must have many ideas”.</p> Moreover, Howard asserts the need for a strong bond between a country’s armed services and the civilian population. “The strength of the US lies in its diversity. The military will not succeed in its objectives if it is isolated from and does not reflect the people it serves,” she says.</p> How does the US Navy attract, nurture and maintain a diverse talent pool? Step one, says Howard, is to ensure that the widest possible share of the population is aware of the various opportunities for career fulfilment that the US Navy offers. “We must ensure they understand the life opportunities, encourage them to apply, walk through the door and have a conversation.”</p> Long-term approach</strong></p> Finding and attracting talent from across different backgrounds is no easy matter, but consistent success only comes to organisations that can develop and retain that talent on an ongoing and long-term basis. Like many large employers, the US Navy has had to move with the times. (Indeed, when Howard was growing up in Colorado, the US Naval Academy wasn’t even taking on female recruits.) Today, fewer people are attracted to the idea of a ‘job for life’, many more are interested in the idea of re-booting their career after taking time out to start a family.</p> According to Admiral Howard, the US Navy is authorised to offer financial bonuses to incentivise staff with particularly prized skillsets to remain in the service, not dissimilar to established practice in the private sector. It also offers sabbaticals of between one and three years, which can be used for a variety of purposes, for example to take a degree course or to become a ‘stay-at-home’ parent for a period. Returning staff then compete for promotion with colleagues that have gained a similar level of experience, as opposed to length of service. “In terms of career progression, we’re looking to move from being a time-focused to a milestone-focused organisation. The programme has been successful so far, and other US armed services are looking into it as well,” says Howard.</p> Senior personnel in any organisation must bear responsibility for bringing through new talent, and the US Navy is little different from any bank in that respect.</p> With leadership responsibilities has come regular involvement for Howard with the US Navy’s mentorship programmes. Moreover, as the first African-American and the first woman to achieve her current rank as four-star admiral and vice chief of naval operations, she accepts the public profile that her position carries. Drawing parallels with the attention accorded Indra Nooyi when she became CEO of Pepsico in 2006, Howard observes, “If you reach a certain level and you are the first one, you become a de-facto role model.”</p> Chance to flourish</strong></p> More important to Howard, perhaps, is the part she plays alongside other senior officers in ensuring that talent is recognised, supported and given the chance to flourish at every step in the career lifecycle. “We have to make sure that opportunities are presented across the cohort,” she says.</p> This sounds easier said than done across an organisation consisting of 326,000 personnel on active duty, more than 100,000 ready reserves and almost 200,000 civilian employees, spread across the globe. Howard demurs, however, saying that the critical measurement of success in sustaining a diverse talent pool is a matter of ensuring that equality of opportunity is being offered, both in terms of attaining skills and being given the responsibility to deploy them. “It should be easy to track whether, for example, every lieutenant has been given the opportunity to become a department head,” she explains. “This isn’t about guaranteeing that there will be a certain proportion of staff at any particular level from a specific ethnic or gender group. It’s about making sure that everyone has the chance to develop their skills and pursue their chosen career path.”</p> In both the public and private sectors, much progress has been made on diversity since 1806. But as far as blueprints for recognising ‘all the talents’ are concerned, Admiral Howard’s has considerably more to recommend it than the expedient arrangements of 19th century politicians.</p>