Persistent evidence shows that African Americans, women, and other people of color are consistently overlooked in promotions, growth assignments, and other significant opportunities to scale the corporate ladder. Further, organizations tend to fault these diverse employees for their slower progress in achieving aspirational goals and ignore addressing the insufficiency of existing organizational systems and processes as the primary barrier to furthering inclusivity—especially in senior leadership roles. Using the metaphor of “the seed and the soil,” which was first articulated by David Thomas, PhD, the article examines corporate America through the lens of the “seed”; the employees of difference who most often must navigate corporate cultures without significant support; and the “soil,” the organizational leadership, mindset, and infrastructure that continue to overlook people of difference while suggesting the organization is working on their behalf. The article links national unrest to the mindset and actions that dismiss notions of societal justice. Further, the article clarifies the connection and support of the corporate–social perspective that helps to maintain the status quo. The article concludes by clarifying the steps required to create an inclusive ecosystem in which the soil is effectively cultivated so that all seeds have the potential to thrive as organizations prepare for a more diverse, inclusive, and profitable future.

持久的证据表明，在晋升，增长任务和其他扩大公司规模的重要机会中，非洲裔美国人，妇女和其他有色人种一直被忽视。此外，组织倾向于指责这些多样化的员工，因为他们在实现理想目标方面的进展较慢，而忽略了解决现有组织系统和流程不足的问题，这是进一步提高包容性的主要障碍，尤其是在高级领导职位中。本文使用大卫·托马斯（David Thomas）博士首先提出的“种子与土壤”的比喻，通过“种子”的视角考察了美国公司。具有差异性的员工最经常必须在没有重要支持的情况下浏览企业文化；以及“土壤”，组织领导，思维方式，和基础架构继续忽略有差异的人，同时建议组织代表他们工作。这篇文章将民族动荡与忽视社会正义观念的思想观念和行动联系起来。此外，本文阐明了有助于维持现状的企业社会视角的联系和支持。文章最后通过阐明建立包容性生态系统所需的步骤，在其中有效地种植了土壤，以便随着组织为更多样化，包容性和盈利性未来做准备，所有种子都有发展的潜力。本文阐明了有助于维持现状的企业社会视角的联系和支持。文章最后通过阐明建立包容性生态系统所需的步骤，在其中有效地种植了土壤，以便随着组织为更多样化，包容性和盈利性未来做准备，所有种子都有发展的潜力。本文阐明了有助于维持现状的企业社会视角的联系和支持。文章最后通过阐明建立包容性生态系统所需的步骤，在其中有效地种植了土壤，以便随着组织为更多样化，包容性和盈利性未来做准备，所有种子都有发展的潜力。