What Does Diversity Mean to You? “Employing people that represent the geographic landscape of our customers. Hiring people from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, work experiences, etc.”
Dec 25, 2015
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Employing people that represent the geographic landscape of our customers. Hiring people from
all different backgrounds, ethnicities, work experiences,
etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Respect and consideration for different world views and
cultures.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“A group of individuals that reflects a representation of the
larger community or environment of which it is part. This includes
race, gender, age, ethnicity, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity is about recognizing – and celebrating – the different
life and professional experiences that people can bring to an
organization like NiSource.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Differences and similarities between
people in the work place.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Bringing together people from different social, racial, gender, cultural, backgrounds,
and with different opinions and ideas.
Diversity means inclusion.”
“Bringing together people from different social, racial, gender, cultural, backgrounds,
and with different opinions and ideas.
Diversity means inclusion.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“A broad base of perspectives, ethnicities, and experiences that reflects a company’s customer base and, ideally, its employee
population.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“A mixture of backgrounds,
experiences, thoughts, ideas, expertise, etc.”“Access for and
acceptance of all people across the
enterprise.”
“Access for and acceptance of all people across the
enterprise.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity means having a variety of types of people at many levels
of an organization. Primarily, different sexes, different races, and different ages.
But it can also mean other things like different backgrounds, different
types of education, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity means both recognizing the need for and
respecting the value of a wide variety of different views, talents, backgrounds, and personhood as represented in the community
and our workforce.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity means assuring varied perspectives,
backgrounds and experiences are being combined to
find the best overall solutions.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity is the grouping of different backgrounds, experiences, skill sets, perspectives, cultures,
ethnicities, ages, principles, and values.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity to me means having the ability to receive opinions on a
particular subject from a group of individuals with a diverse set of experiences and backgrounds.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity includes the differences that make up the workforce, whether that is gender and race, or sexual
orientation, religion, economic status,
educational background, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
““Diversity means understanding Diversity means understanding that each individual is unique and that each individual is unique and
recognizing and respecting individual recognizing and respecting individual differences such as talents, beliefs, differences such as talents, beliefs,
backgrounds, and capabilities.”backgrounds, and capabilities.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Diversity means to encourage and promote the continued development of an
organization which values the various cultural, social, and ethnical
attributes of existing and future employees.”
“Diversity means that our employee base and our
management group reflect the community that we work in.”
“Diversity means embracing and encouraging all of the differences in people
(such as gender, ethnicity, age, backgrounds, experiences, sexual
preferences, beliefs, ideas, management/leadership styles,
learning styles, family dynamics.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“To me, diversity means the attempt to include, and having respect for, different
backgrounds, points of view, philosophies, cultures, races, genders, heritages, etc. as part of
the organization’s team.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
““Teams with different genders, Teams with different genders, cultures, backgrounds cultures, backgrounds
and experiences that keep a and experiences that keep a good balance within our good balance within our
organization.”organization.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
““Inclusion of diverse Inclusion of diverse backgrounds, experiences and backgrounds, experiences and
opinions opinions in all that we do. Much in all that we do. Much
broader broader than just race, gender, etc.”than just race, gender, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Inclusion and respectful consideration of divergent points of view
from all team members. Respecting others’ abilities and differences,
regardless of race, sex, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
? “For me here at NiSource, it means having co-workers who come from a
variety of backgrounds and bring different work/education/life experiences to the
table. I feel we are a better, richer company if we have employees of
different race, gender and religion.”
Wha
t Doe
s D
iver
sity
Mea
n to
You
?
“Including, accepting and respecting people of different
cultures, races, socio-economic levels, sexual orientations,
religions, national origins, beliefs, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Enabling of all view points, regardless of gender, race, religion,
sexuality, etc.; inclusion further enables diversity…”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Being included in something; feeling like a contributor. When you are
included in something/anything, you tend to take more ownership and pride
in the results. Being included means getting to sign your name to success.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“A culture that is open to new thoughts and new ideas, where innovation and different ways of
thinking about issues/problems/opportunities is
encouraged and welcomed, from all team members – regardless of race,
sex, etc.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Being heard when offering input and having it weighed equally
with members of other segments of the population (including
geographic).”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“An inclusive culture is one where individuals can be open, honest and genuine about themselves and their
life – inside and outside of work.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Inclusion is the welcoming of people to draw on their diversity to
contribute to a solution.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Inclusion facilitates the exchange of new perspectives, creates a respectful and accepting work
environment, and improves problem solving by
inviting different ideas.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Including, listening to, understanding, doing our best to ‘see things through
others’ eyes’ or ‘walk in their shoes’ as the cliché goes. Thinking of the opposite
is also helpful. It is not exclusion or leaving out.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
““Including and understanding Including and understanding of differences – respecting of differences – respecting
differences.”differences.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“To be true inclusion must come from a core value of the leader driving
the inclusion that recognizes that inclusion is both the right thing to do and also the best thing to do from a business
value perspective.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Inclusion means listening to others’ perspectives/convictions,
engaging others’ opinions, creating a safe environment where people, ideas, and opinions are valued.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
““Inclusion means listening to, Inclusion means listening to, understanding, and respecting understanding, and respecting
employees from diverse background employees from diverse background and helping the team work together and helping the team work together as a whole towards common goals.”as a whole towards common goals.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Inclusion means (1) having the knowledge needed to effectively complete job duties,
and (2) having the opportunity to participate and be a part of issues,
meetings, and social networking activities that will bolster your ability as an
employee to effectively complete job duties and feel good about the work
environment.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“To be included in decision-making and opportunity. I suppose we could be diverse without being inclusive.
Or, we could go out of our way to be inclusive even though the population
is not very diverse.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
““No barriers that prevent No barriers that prevent people from having the people from having the
opportunity to reach their full opportunity to reach their full potential.”potential.”
Wha
t Doe
s In
clus
ion
Mea
n to
You
?
“Integrating diversity throughout the companies,
organizations and teams rather than having pockets of a
diverse workforce.”
“Inclusion, to me, means the attitude and behavior that
promotes and reflects diversity.”
“Inclusion means not only being inviting to others,
but also accepting.”
“Because it provides broader perspectives and balance to the
way that the organization is managed.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“Because everyone gets an opportunity and it
brings into play a variety of thoughts and ideas.”
“Diversity and inclusion can open eyes to otherwise
unseen solutions to problems built on differing
perspectives.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“It goes to the idiom ‘Two heads are better than one.’ We need a workforce that
thinks broadly and differently. We need perspectives that are unique, not uniform.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion as an integral part of
their business strategy can positively impact productivity, organizational
effectiveness, and sustained competitiveness.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“Through inclusion and diversity we gain the talent of a culturally
balanced workforce and glean the value that comes from
understanding the opinion and perspective of those cultures.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess? “Success depends on the ability to generate new or
good ideas. No one person or group has the market cornered in terms of knowledge, talent or ability. The best ideas and people should ‘win’ and if they do, that
will be good for our company. By ‘win’ I don’t mean get promoted to the top of the organization – some innovators are terrible leaders. I interpret ‘win’ to mean ideas that are pursued and people that are
recognized and rewarded for having generated, developed and
implementedthem.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“Employees are at their creative and productive best
when they work in a diverse and inclusive environment.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“Different points of view, different cultural backgrounds,
different ideas.”
Why
is I&
D g
ood
for o
ur B
usin
ess?
“Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion as an integral part of
their business strategy can positively impact productivity, organizational
effectiveness, and sustained competitiveness.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Leadership at all levels has to make it a priority and seek it out. We need to practice it in our daily lives
and add it to our processes.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
? “Time. As leaders in our organization our plates are so full we get lost in the day-to-day transactional work and lose site of our biggest asset…our employees. Driving inclusion and
diversity forward takes a proactive approach; we tend to always be reactive.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“We all need to stop saying ‘this is the way we have always done it.’ If
we want to make NiSource the Premier Natural Gas Company, we need to get busy with inclusion and
diversity.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
? “It is human nature to be more comfortable interacting with persons of a similar background and life experience. The NiSource executive management
team will be critical to moving this initiative forward and it is questionable as
to whether they have the aptitude or personal desire to build on diversity.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Finding diverse applicants with the necessary skills that we need.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
? “I don’t pretend to know. I would imagine attracting those with diverse backgrounds might be difficult if we
are perceived as not having welcomed them in the past.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Finding qualified candidates, the desire to find the best person for the job, and the current mind set of long
term employees.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Few hiring opportunities, and centralized work
locations.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Being able to listen to employees and understand
what they are saying.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
? “A mindset of the old way of doing business.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
? “Inclusion is about culture change. We need to continue to build a
culture that understands and values inclusion as a business advantage
and a necessity.”
“Culture change requires time and effort
that probably means time away from something else, either work
or personal; and individual willingness to open up to others.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“People who are not open to others unlike themselves.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“I think the term ‘diversity’ still tends to be viewed as
Affirmative Action—there’s a negative connotation that it’s
a numbers game.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Limited number of opportunities to add
new employees.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Incorporating it into our day-to-day culture.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“I think that understanding that diversity goes beyond race and gender will be one
obstacle. Also, it will be a challenge for some people to understand the benefit of diversity,
and perhaps overcoming some prejudices (people may not even be aware that they
have prejudices toward others—which can be an emotional
thing to discover).”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“Within my business unit I believe one of the biggest challenges is simply lack of
opportunity, be it a new hire or internal promotion. Our organizational spans of
control are becoming more broad, mitigating internal opportunities and the hiring of new
employees is few and far between.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“The lack of confidence to speak up with ideas that are not ‘like-minded’ of
those at the helm.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“The biggest obstacle will be whether this becomes just lip service or
if we will truly follow through in this effort. Also, there may be some
unspoken criticisms of this effort which may hinder its full benefit.”
Wha
t is
the
bigg
est o
bsta
cle
of d
rivin
g I&
D
forw
ard
at N
GD
?
“The biggest obstacle in achieving Diversity and Inclusion in NGD is that people inherently want
to surround themselves with like-minded people.”
“Resistance to change.”“Potentially a thin pool of
qualified ‘diverse’ candidates from which to select when positions are available.”
“The perception of reverse discrimination.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Keeping lines of communication open with employees by
holding regular open-discussion meetings.”
“Inclusion by opening communication channels with all staff members. Asking for their
input and support.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Recognize the differences in people and try to include them in efforts that will help
them develop as well as benefit the organization through team participation
or positions.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I create a meaningful environment demonstrating to my employees that
they are all valued, seen, and truly recognized for the differences they
bring to my organization.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Asking, valuing and using employee ideas and solutions to
solve business problems.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Good question. Sadly, I can’t come up with any examples at
this time.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?“Fostering a more open and honest working environment in my group.
Working to show how even though we have many differences, we can still
respect one another, and we can find similarities
that we do share.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Don’t work on it specifically.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
? “Diversity, not enough. Inclusion on the other hand is part of the
daily routine on my small staff. They are involved in most all decisions on a
daily basis.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“As a hiring manager I am sensitive to job applicants as it applies to promotion and new
hires. It is my desire to maintain a diverse workforce that represents the customers
we serve.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I am supportive of local multi-cultural initiatives.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I am not on any committees or anything, I can only say I live both everyday and teach my children
to do the same.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I am inviting individuals into
discussions/meetings/topics that in the past would not
have been invited.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I actively coach members of our business group to develop
their skills.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
? “Having an open mind and hiring and promoting based upon ability and qualifications without being
predisposed based on race, gender, or age.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I treat everyone fairly, regardless of race or gender.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I grew up in a city that is among the poorest in my area – I continue
to volunteer my time to organizations that help those who are less fortunate than I am and quite frankly, don’t look anything
like me nor have the opportunities that were presented to me.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?“I create a meaningful environment
demonstrating to my employees that they are all valued, seen, and truly recognized for the differences they
bring to my organization.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
? “I am totally committed and welcome this. I will support it
wholeheartedly. Let’s stay committed. This is a real
opportunity.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Living by the same set of morals and ethics that guide me through
my entire life – honesty and fairness in how I treat others.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“In the context of succession planning, consideration of potential candidates who
may fit future opportunities within the organization. Continuing to foster contacts and relationships related to this objective.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“In my department, there is not much I can do as I only have 1 direct report. Outside NGD, I have tried to treat all
other individuals as I want to be treated.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“I treat everyone the same. I recently obtained an MBA and
studied inclusion and diversity in a Human Resources Management
class.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
? “I’ve recently had the opportunity to hire staff, all of whom come
from different walks of life, religious affiliations, and
professional experience.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Working with HR to attract diverse talent.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
? “Working with external stakeholders to encourage
diversity in hiring practices.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“When we have job openings or leadership
opportunities I encourage both minority and female employees to consider applying for the position.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
? “When moving forward on strategic initiatives I pull in all different parts of the organization to ensure they
have a voice and share their thoughts on the
approach/direction.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“We include employees on internal department teams and LISTEN to what they bring to the table, i.e. Employee Engagement
team, Safety team, etc.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“We evaluate outside firms on the basis of diversity.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Treat people with respect and judge them
on their merits.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Recognize the differences in people and try to include them in efforts
that will help them develop as well as benefit the organization through team participation or positions.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“My staff is diverse – from religion to race to gender to backgrounds.
They all bring their own perspectives and are encouraged to draw from what makes them
different.”
Wha
t are
you
cur
rent
ly d
oing
that
sup
port
s I&
D in
side
or o
utsi
de N
GD
?
“Making sure to travel to offices across the territory to meet with people to work on initiatives. Focused efforts to bring together
our virtual team so that each member appreciates their peers.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“I believe diversity for diversity’s sake can be counter-productive if the reasons for and objectives of
the sought after diversity cannot be expressed and demonstrated to be beneficial to the company’s well-
being.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“Probably our biggest challenge over the years has been to remain consistently focused on this issue. We need to establish actionable
and repeatable/routine processes that support inclusion and
diversity.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“Continue to carry the torch for a diverse workforce.
This leadership group has a unique opportunity in front of them – to mold the face of NGD in a very positive
way.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“Although we are lacking in this throughout our leadership, my fear is
that individuals may some day be looked at for promotion for things other than those that are common between
all people, such as performance, communication skills, etc. I would personally leave the company if I
witnessed this.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D “Breaking down stereotypes
is a long process, and it appears NiSource is taking the
right steps.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“As we attempt to hire and promote to build NiSource, we need to have avenues to find the right skills and ability for
the positions that we are filling that will allow us to continue to build on our strengths without
compromise.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D “Concern – This may lead to
the excluding of members of non-preferred
groups.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“How will NGD define diversity? Is it limited to racial diversity or is gender included? If race is the driver for how
NGD defines diversity, then its imperative that upper management reflects its goals rather than simply
talking about it.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D “I believe this is a good first step in
the right direction to include all levels of management to provide
feedback to see where we are currently and determine where we
need to move forward.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D “I think just making the effort
and creating awareness will go a long way.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“I would ask people that come from a diverse
background what we can do to be more proactive in
promoting diversity.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“Provide opportunities for inclusion but do not sacrifice the quality of the person for
the sake of inclusion or diversity.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“The Company must treat every opportunity
to fill available positions as a critical even in
its pursuit of diversity and inclusion. Much more effort must be given to seeking candidates for available positions and
selling the company to the appropriate candidates.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“I truly support a diverse workforce, but I think in some areas we may have
gone to extremes. An example would be not filling an open position and reposting until a minority applies for the position,
although you may have qualified candidates who have applied.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“NGD is much more political than it needs to be. Employees
are recognized for the political ties and not for the talents they bring
to the organization.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D “This is a great opportunity for
NiSource to take a step forward with employee
relations.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“NGD has been an inclusive organization and we need to keep it that way. Inclusion does not mean disadvantaging one social or
racial group over another to get numbers, this breeds animosity. The focus should be on
developing talented people of diverse backgrounds to ready
them for opportunities.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“My concern is that as long as a leader can deliver short
term results they will be given a pass on the
diversity issues.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“It is a wonderful thing to have a team in place to help further us as
individuals first, and a company second. I hope we truly have all walks of life on the Team, this will send a strong message to any doubters in our workforce that we do
practice inclusion and value diversity.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“This will be a collaborative effort with Human Resources to hire,
develop and retain a diverse and inclusive work force, however the
long term benefits of such an effort will be immeasurable.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D “We just need to be cognizant
of how important each is and our decisions are better when
we recognize both.”
Oth
er c
omm
ents
, ide
as, t
houg
hts,
and
co
ncer
ns re
late
d to
I&D
“Will this council actually create or produce something or will this just be a symbolic
initiative?”