Organizational Diversity Consulting

Overview

Organizational consultants from Salter McNeil & Associates work with institutions to develop a systemic and long-term plan to create a culture of racial justice and ethnic diversity. Salter McNeil & Associates understand the uniqueness of each organization or institution; accordingly, a customized approach for reconciliation is developed for each client. The services can include:

  • Academic Diversity Audit
  • Congregational Self-Assessment
  • Multiethnic Leadership Development
  • Strategic Action Planning
  • Cross-cultural Conflict Mediation
  • Ethnic Specific Focus Groups
  • Executive coaching and private consultation
  • Review of Institutional Diversity Documents

Multi-Ethnic Resource Team (MERT)

At Salter McNeil & Associates, LLC, we believe that those from within an organization or institution are best positioned to facilitate long-term change. Accordingly, in all of our consulting engagements, we create a guiding coalition consisting of individuals at various levels of the organization who are empowered by the organizational leadership to champion the goals of racial reconciliation, called a multiethnic resource team, or MERT.

A MERT is established by identifying key people from within an organization who are representative of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, genders, and ages who have a demonstrated concern for racial and ethnic diversity, and also have an ability to lead or influence others, while reflecting various levels of leadership within the organization.

The members of the MERT will assist the consultants at Salter McNeil & Associates in conducting the initial institutional assessment. Once the this self-evaluation is completed, the MERT, under the guidance of Salter McNeil & Associates, will prepare feedback and recommendations for the organizational leadership regarding the information collected; design training materials and resources to equip the organization for reconciliation; and participate in strategies as determined by the organizational leadership to pursue racial reconciliation.

The MERT Manual is a powerful tool designed to help each member of the Multi-Ethnic Resource team navigate through the various stages of the racial reconciliation process.

The Manual consists of seven sections:

  1. What is Salter McNeil & Associates?
  2. SMA and the MERT
  3. Team Foundations
  4. Strategic Planning
  5. Implementation
  6. Evaluation
  7. Continuation

The Manual includes team building activities, strategic planning tools, organizational change processes and bible study. The information and activities contained in the Manual serve to maximize the overall consulting experience. Through use of the Manual, MERT members are better able to create and sustain momentum around the reconciliation process and find it easier to communicate their work to the organization. The Manual also provides a powerful tool to document the team’s process.

The Manual works in tandem with visits by Salter McNeil & Associates and its use makes the time with the consultant more effective.

Assessment Process

The first step in all Salter McNeil & Associates, LLC consulting engagements is an institutional self-evaluation. The self-assessment process is foundational in the development of a comprehensive plan that will enhance the ethnic and racial diversity of an institution or organization.

Salter McNeil & Associates, LLC recognizes that each institution has its own culture (and subcultures), and accordingly, establishes a team of “in house” evaluators, a Multi-Ethnic Resource Team (MERT), to work with the consultant team to shape the full evaluation effort. It is the responsibility of the MERT to complete the self-study document, which will be available for general dissemination.

The completed document will include the self-assessment and will also outline specific actions that need to be taken as a result of the study. The consultant team will provide assistance to the MERT in the development of a comprehensive action plan and will assist in evaluating the action steps implemented by the institution.