Why diversity—why now?   By Reggie Butler, Monica Oldham, and
John Verderese  In the midst of the current recession, many
businesses are focusing on what they see as the basics, and
diversity simply is not on—or is falling off—their radar
screens. But the reality is that diversity and inclusion matter
more than ever to future success. Companies are discovering that
to best position themselves for the next business cycle, they
need to harness the collective power of their people across the
broadest spectrum.  Right now, we’re struggling through a severe
economic crisis that has toppled prominent financial
institutions, caused extreme volatility on Wall Street, and
driven scores of companies into bankruptcy. In times like these,
when organizations are looking for ways to maximize efficiencies
by doing more with less, the tendency is to place diversity-
related spending on the back burner.  Forward-thinking leaders,
however, recognize the need to invest in diversity and inclusion
as part of their overall talent m