2010 Sustainability Report - Cummins.com

Taking diversity to the next level
The Global Diversity Department launched the
Affirmative Development Project in 2009 to help
Affinity Group members and their managers align
with Cummins new Business Case for Diversity.
The project was successfully launched in southern
Indiana with the African & African American Affinity Group
and Grupo Organizado de Affinidad de Latino (GOAL) –
the Latino Affinity Group of Southern Indiana. The Global
Diversity staff is taking the project to India and China in
2010 to work with employees and managers there.
Affinity Groups at Cummins are typically organized
around a specific demographic such as African and
African-American employees, Latino employees, or
women. These groups are open to any employee
whether they share the group’s demographic trait or not.
In the past, the groups focused on educating the
rest of the Company on their particular organizing
trait, and enhancing cultural understanding. The
Global Diversity Department in recent years has
been encouraging these groups to evolve, focusing
increasingly on bottom-line issues like recruiting,
retention and career development and business
Members of GOAL – the Latino Affinity Group of Southern Indiana,
participate in an Affirmative Development Project workshop.
enhancement and the connection between these
areas and manufacturing.
By working with nationally known diversity
consultant Roland West, the first two groups looked at
their mission and vision and how they could best serve
their members and the Company. They have designed
their annual workplans with that focus in mind.
Both Chairman and CEO Tim Solso and President
and COO Tom Linebarger participated in West’s
workshops with the Affinity Groups, along with other
senior leaders at Cummins.
President and COO Tom Linebarger participates in the project
workshop with the African & African American Affinity Group.
The project also worked with the managers of
Affinity Group members. West led workshops
designed to give them tools to manage people
different from themselves. The response from
participating managers was overwhelming. One
described it as the best training he had attended
on the topic in more than 15 years with Cummins.
“I’m convinced being a great leader in the more
complex future, will mean being great at managing
people different from ourselves,” said Lisa Gutierrez,
Cummins Executive Director of Global Diversity.
“Whether that involves race, gender, and ethnicity,
or age, special needs, or education and technical
expertise, managers have to provide employees
with the coaching they need to succeed.”
Employee Relations
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