From The Harvard Business Review, August, 2016, “Why Diversity Programs Fail”

“In analyzing three decades’ worth of data from more than 800 U.S. firms and interviewing hundreds of line managers and executives at length, we’ve seen that companies get better results when they ease up on the control tactics. It’s more effective to engage managers in solving the problem, increase their on-the-job contact with female and minority workers, and promote social accountability—the desire to look fair-minded. That’s why interventions such as targeted college recruitment, mentoring programs, self-managed teams, and task forces have boosted diversity in businesses. Some of the most effective solutions aren’t even designed with diversity in mind.”

Teds Community is a model that is sustainable whereas many of the diversity attempts today are at best, well-intentioned, at the worst, counterproductive in major ways. Teds Community has as its goal to transform inner cities into profitable self-sustaining entities by introducing "natural diversity" into their communities. Teds Community is a pathway for diverse groups to join together for a common cause, that of creating a better community. That Community includes all, not just one ethnic or racial group, it includes everyone.  

On this issue, if our Government had to exist on creativity, it would have to move to an orphan planet. Creativity is not their strength. They do their best in operational roles and they help us all every day. But positive methods, not dictatorial edicts will get us together. We believe the private sector must take the lead, and that’s what Teds Community has done. The more we create “natural diversity” by the programs and interactions we undertake to make our community better, the quicker we will get to self-sustaining inner cities. We want them to thrive and grow, vs. being Government dependent for the next 100 years.

Claude Smith, Teds Community