Profiles in Diversity Journal Fourth Quarter Magazine 2021

Page 52

BL A C K

2021

Member

LEADERS Worth Watching

TM

AWARD

Venroy July

Education: JD, Duke University School of Law; BA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Company Name: Dickinson Wright PLLC Industry: Law Company CEO: Michael C. Hammers Company Headquarters Location: Troy, Michigan Number of Employees: 874 Your Location (if different from above): Washington, DC Words you live by: Hard work always beats talent. Who is your personal hero? My Mother, Marcus Garvey, and Reginald F. Lewis, Jr. What book are you reading? The Business of Nation Building: Excerpts from the Selected Speeches of Douglas Orane by Douglas Orane What was your first job? Sales Associate at The Gap Favorite charity: Associated Black Charities Interests: Boxing, wrestling, hiking, and canoeing. Family: My mother, older sister, and younger brother

Will Work-from-Home Hurt Diverse Professionals? In the wake of the global pandemic, with companies and employees alike embracing a new reality, the work-from-home model, or some hybrid thereof seems here to stay over the short term; however it is yet to be seen how this new reality will affect the professional growth and advancement opportunities of diverse professionals. While in the short term many organizations have continued to thrive as adjustments were made to reduce costs and businesses continued to transact, over the longer term, the new reality could have detrimental impacts on diverse professionals, particularly younger professionals entering the workforce. It has long been true that due to various diversity efforts, the professional work day is where diversity thrives, as after work, individuals return to their segregated realities. Those work hours are prime opportunities for

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diverse professionals to interact with many of their white colleagues. The chance interactions in the hallways or at the “water fountain,” which are instrumental for the advancement of the careers of many diverse professionals, will be less frequent with the work-from-home reality. This could prove to be to the detriment of diverse professionals, who oftentimes do not otherwise have access to networks that would assist in advancing their careers. As a young attorney, I remember mentors advising me of the necessity to walk the halls and not just stay in my office, under the false belief that working hard was sufficient to advance my career. I have subsequently given this advice to younger attorneys who similarly often operate with the misguided premise of the pure meritocracy of law firms and professional spaces. Particularly, when professionals are junior and

not as familiar with the subject matter of their practice, opportunities for mentorship and occasions for learning are crucial. For diverse professionals, the necessity of having a sponsor, who will make the effort to advance your career when you are not in the rooms, is often discussed. With the new work-from-home model, it is unclear how those relationships will develop between diverse and non-diverse professionals. It is also unclear whether diverse attorneys will continue to receive training in a virtual world, which was already difficult to come by in the in-person world. While the new work-fromhome reality, or at least a hybrid model, seems here to stay, companies and professionals alike will have to adapt and put greater emphasis on ensuring that learning and sponsorship opportunities are fostered throughout their professional spaces.

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