TEAM BUILDING ACROSS DIVERSITY

After finishing her call with the HR business partner, Olivia Miller was left questioning how a
report involving implicit bias could be dismissed as unimportant in 2016. Miller, who served as
the vice president of business development at a large Canadian life and health insurance company,
was caught off guard when her HR colleague downplayed the incident as a minor interpersonal
issue that did not require any action. Having been with the organization for many years, Miller
was well-acquainted with the company’s strong commitment to values like equity, fairness, and
sustainability. She was particularly surprised because the company prided itself on doing the right
thing at all times. When Miller witnessed inappropriate and biased remarks related to sexuality
during a client meeting, she felt a duty to report it. What made the situation even more complex
was that the employee involved was already underperforming and on a performance improvement
plan (PIP). As a leader who valued collaboration and delivering more than just financial outcomes,
Miller found herself reflecting on her conversation with HR and contemplating the best course of
action concerning the employee.

OLIVIA MILLER

Olivia Miller began her professional journey in 1996 as a financial analyst in Kamloops, British
Columbia. Over the years, she progressed through various roles within the company’s personal
and business insurance services, eventually transitioning to the corporate headquarters in Victoria.
Miller attributed her motivation to become a leader to an early mentor who made a lasting
impression on her, serving as a source of inspiration. Known for her dedication and passion as a
leader, Miller earned a reputation for helping others grow and realize their potential. She placed
great importance on employee engagement, believing that a positive employee experience directly
influenced customer satisfaction. Building strong, client-focused teams and acknowledging the
contributions of her staff were central to her leadership philosophy. Miller believed that success
was not an individual achievement but the result of collective effort, and her own leadership
achievements were tied to the performance of her entire team.

In 2012, Miller faced a challenging year in her career. She had decided not to disclose her
colleagues and her team that she was a lesbian, even though she was preparing to marry her
American partner after divorcing her husband. Fearing how others might react, she avoided
company events to minimize any potential negative impact on her professional relationships. This
decision to hide her true self took a toll on Miller, leading to an unanticipated decline in her job
performance, and ultimately, she realized she needed to take action.

Coincidentally, in 2012, the company launched a five-year diversity renewal initiative aimed at
driving change in the organization’s culture, talent pipelines, and leadership ranks through
measurable diversity and inclusion strategies. During this period, Miller decided to come out and
share her sexual orientation, upholding her personal values of honesty, authenticity, and respect.
Despite this courageous decision, she soon encountered frequent microaggressions. At decision-
making meetings, she was often referred to as being "like one of the men," and her colleagues
claimed she could not truly understand the challenges women faced in a male-dominated industry
because she had a wife. It became evident that many of her male peers were uncomfortable with
the issue of sexual orientation, displaying implicit biases in their conversations.

Around the same time, Miller’s manager learned of her efforts to bring her partner to Canada, a
process that was delayed by immigration complications. In early 2017, the company promoted
Miller to a senior leadership role in Windsor, Ontario, to bring her closer to the Canada–US border,
facilitating her connection with her partner. This promotion aligned with the company’s
commitment to diversity, as its business practices were guided by values such as integrity, empathy,
and inclusivity. The company’s code of conduct emphasized a responsibility to act with fairness,
to put others first, and to learn from one another’s differences.

In accordance with the company’s HR processes for leadership development, Miller was paired
with an executive coach to assist in her transition to a larger portfolio. Her leadership style mirrored
the company’s ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for women in business.

In her new role as vice president of business development, Miller was responsible for growing the
company’s insurance services in partnership with existing and potential customers, including those
in predominantly agricultural communities that also included indigenous populations. These
relationships were often built on trust, with clients spanning multiple generations. It was not
unusual for these clients to invite insurance representatives to their homes, conducting business at
their kitchen tables.

NORMALIZING DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

As word of Miller’s sexual orientation spread, some members of her team suggested that it might
be best for her to avoid attending client meetings. Based on their experiences, they believed that
her personal life could negatively affect business relationships, particularly with clients in
traditional agricultural communities. This was an unusual situation for Miller, as she had never
encountered this type of reaction in a professional setting before. Rather than avoiding the issue,
Miller chose to address it head-on. She initiated an open discussion with her team, emphasizing
the organization’s values of inclusion and collaboration. Her aim was to help the team move past
their concerns and continue working effectively. She engaged them in a frank conversation about
the perceived risks, grounded in the company’s inclusive principles. For Miller, team building
meant having honest, sometimes difficult, conversations, which ultimately strengthened the group
and improved their performance.
Miller regularly facilitated discussions within her teams about both successes and challenges,
believing that these conversations enhanced team cohesion and performance. She maintained that
success was a team effort, and as a leader, she was committed to recognizing and rewarding the
contributions and achievements of her staff.
Despite the team’s initial hesitation, Miller remained determined not to deny who she was. She
had a business to run, and part of that included meeting clients to assess their needs. Her executive
coach advised her to avoid being overly self-critical and to stay true to herself. With this in mind,
Miller resolved not to let conservative views about her identity interfere with her performance or
her excellent track record. As such, she decided to accompany her team on visits to key clients.

THE PERFORMANCE INCIDENT

One of the employees on Miller’s team, Carol Smith, was under a performance improvement plan
(PIP) due to ongoing performance issues. Miller, together with HR, had created a detailed plan to
address Smith’s deficiencies, outlining specific skills and competencies that needed improvement,
along with measurable objectives aligned with her role. However, despite these efforts, Smith
showed little dedication to making the necessary changes. Miller had extended the timeline for
Smith’s improvement and even brought in a business coach to work with her one-on-one. Miller,
a firm believer in the power of mentorship and its impact on employee growth, also arranged for
Smith to be connected with mentors to help her with career development.

Miller was known for leading by example and modeling the behavior she expected from her teams.
However, Smith viewed Miller’s openness about her sexual orientation as a potential risk,
particularly in dealing with conservative clients. She even suggested that Miller should avoid
attending certain meetings, especially those with clients from traditional farming communities.
Miller, despite this feedback, chose to accompany Smith to a meeting with a rural physician who
was a new client.
During the meeting, Miller observed behavior from Smith that she felt was completely
unprofessional and out of line with the company’s code of conduct. Smith made inappropriate
jokes about "swingers in small towns," which she thought the client found amusing. However,
Miller noticed that the client appeared uncomfortable. On the drive back to the office, Miller
explained to Smith that the interaction had not been positive and that it had likely made the client
uneasy. Smith, however, defended her actions, arguing that "you have to know your market" and
suggesting that certain clients would not respond well to hiring individuals from certain minority
groups. This lack of awareness and Smith’s continued display of implicit bias concerned Miller
deeply.
Upon returning to her office, Miller immediately contacted her HR business partner to report the
incident and seek advice. She believed that this behavior was not only inappropriate but should be
incorporated into Smith’s existing PIP. However, instead of supporting Miller’s concerns, HR
downplayed the situation, stating that employees were entitled to their opinions, and didn’t agree
that Smith had acted unprofessionally. This response surprised Miller, as it was inconsistent with
her past experiences with HR. As a leader deeply committed to the organization’s values of
diversity and inclusion, Miller felt that the issue needed further action. She began to consider her
next steps carefully, weighing the pros and cons of each possible decision.

DECISION POINT
Olivia Miller found herself at a crossroads, having to decide how to handle both Carol Smith’s
ongoing performance issues and the broader implications of diversity and inclusion within the
organization. Smith’s failure to recognize her own biases, along with HR’s reluctance to take the
incident seriously, left Miller questioning how best to uphold the company's values while
addressing the situation. As a leader deeply aligned with the organization’s commitment to equity,
Miller knew she had to act. However, she also understood the complexities of navigating these
challenges, especially when it involved balancing interpersonal dynamics with performance
management.

Miller needed to carefully assess her options. Should she continue pushing HR to take action, or
was there another way to address the issue while maintaining team harmony and the company’s
inclusive culture? The company prided itself on doing the right thing, and Miller believed it was
her responsibility to ensure that these values were reflected in the team’s behavior and actions. As
she pondered the next steps, she knew that any decision she made would need to balance fairness,
accountability, and the organization’s overarching goal of creating a diverse and inclusive work
environment.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How could Olivia Miller have approached HR differently to get them to recognize the
importance of addressing implicit bias as a serious organizational issue?
2. What are the risks and opportunities involved in Miller’s decision to confront the team’s
biases openly?
3. Given the diversity challenges in Miller’s team, how could she use OD principles to foster
a more inclusive and open team culture?
4. How does the company’s ongoing diversity initiative align with Miller's personal
experiences and leadership?
5. What interventions can Miller introduce to address both performance and diversity issues
on her team?
6. How can team-building exercises be used as an intervention to overcome the biases and
interpersonal conflicts within Miller’s team?
 EXHIBIT 1: PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT PLAN
PROCESS OVERVIEW

Assess Employee Set Goals and Measures

Make a Commitment
Performance of Success

Create an Action Plan Implement Action Plan Evaluate Progress

Recognize Achievements Assess Peformance & Restart Cycle

Underperformance