At this point, I'm inclined to say that any report from this company needs to be taken with a grain of salt. How can you teach culture change to a client when your own culture is declared toxic?

 

If you need to inflate the reviews on Glassdoor, what else are you capable of doing? Maybe toning down the criticism to make the USTA look much better than they really are? It's possible. Maybe similar to those inflated TIA participation reports that are contracted each year?

 

I wonder how much the USTA paid for it...

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Even if we consider that this report may not be kosher when it comes to the overall findings in regard to DE&I, I was amazed to see some verbiage in there that made me think this is a scathing report.

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NLI was tasked with assessing the systems and practices that influence:
1. USTA Diverse Talent Management: The recruitment, development and retention of a
diverse workforce (including staff and volunteers at National and Section levels)
2. USTA Diverse Tennis Ecosystem: The recruitment, engagement and retention of diverse
tennis participants (including players, coaches, officials, and other stakeholders).

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Between June and December of 2021 they conducted

• Organizational Climate Survey of National and Section Staff (431 respondents)

• 60 Executive interviews

• Conducted 19 Focus Groups with 91 Participants

• Analyzed and mapped internal and external dimensions of USTA operations using PHS Model

• Reached out to two external organizations to benchmark against their DEI practices

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The NLI assessments were guided by the following definitions:

• Diversity is having a seat at the table

• Equity is being treated fairly at the table

• Inclusion is having a voice at the table

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Findings (excerpts and my analyses)

NLI’s assessment found that while the Priorities of DEI are in place at the USTA, the organization’s Habits and Systems are not fully aligned in support of those priorities. (In other words: lots of hot air and empty words.)

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​There is still a great deal of skepticism that the USTA will take the necessary steps to address the issues that exist internally within the organization. (The staff knows when there's a lot of hot air blown up their behinds.)

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USTA staff and volunteers often display a fixed mindset and anchoring bias. For example, there is a tendency to default to “we've always done things this way.” (It's my way or the highway)

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Some noted there is resistance to change and leadership being open to new ideas. (Just ask Mike Dowse, haha.)

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The lowest-rated item on NLI’s DEI Climate Survey was career development, promotions, and “talent decisions are fair and equitable at USTA." Many staff reported that they felt decisions about development, promotions and compensation
were biased and based on relationships and subjective criteria. (Could it be they are talking about cronyism?)

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Sections in particular reported feeling isolated and operating separate from National and each other. Both National and Sections said departments tend to operate in silos. (That's something the entire industry seems to be suffering from.)

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Participant quote: “It’s too hard, you know–you’ve got a board and staff at District level, and you’ve got a board and staff at the Section level, and then above that a National Board and staff, and they are all connected by dotted lines, because we're all individual corporations.” (And too many of those board members are lawyers who don't even play tennis!)

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The selection of board and committee positions is perceived to be unclear and based on politics and tenure rather than USTA’s strategic needs. (Yep. Just ask Javioer Palenque!)

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Both National and Section staff felt appraisals were often subjective and biased from managers who knew less about  what the employee accomplished than co-workers or partners not consulted. (The low quality of section executives that are out there "looting their section" is well known thanks to our reporting.)

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The employee experience varies at USTA, with most expressing love for the mission, and many feeling like it’s a siloed, good ol’ boys club steeped in tradition and where many non-White employees do not feel comfortable being their authentic selves. (How many times have we written about that good ol' boys club?)

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Although USTA has a number of channels for employees to report issues anonymously, including the Whistleblower Hotline, the D&I department has had some staff report fears of speaking out and retaliation based on their experiences of reporting or calling out issues, or seeing how colleagues’ issues were handled. Many don’t feel comfortable asking seemingly innocuous questions (e.g., clarifying return to office policies) for fear of being labeled a “trouble-maker” or not a team-player. Some staff shared that even when they have reported issues with managers or peers, there was no action taken against the offender or the response was unsatisfactory, which discouraged them from speaking up in the future. (And I always thought it was only some of our advertisers that were threatened by USTA staff)

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There is a perception among some staff that bonuses and salary increases are based on relationships, not merit. Some staff pointed out that “spot bonuses” are provided secretively and there’s no clear criteria for how they are determined. (Is that how Lew Sherr got a $230,000 pay increase during Covid, Mr. McNulty?)

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Areas that are holding back diverse participation:
● Much of the sections’ diversity efforts seem to be largely focused on engaging NJTLs, but the scale is relatively small. A more intentional focus to reach a wider range of diverse groups and establish other outreach programs is needed to establish more successful pathways to further engagement. (Yep!)
● DEI programs often lack scale and sustainability. Even successful initiatives are often one-off events that don’t allow for retention of participants. A few Sections have developed larger, sustained programs that engage players and then connect them to additional participation opportunities. (Yep!)
● Junior tournament tennis is expensive; new rules for some tournaments benefit wealthier players who can travel to earn points.  (What else is new?)
● Some report that tournament play is hostile, and cheating is common. Highly competitive parents often make it hard for kids to have fun.  (What else is new?)

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Tennis still struggles against the legacy of being known as a “white, elitist” sport, and the biggest barrier to that beginning to change is the lack of diverse representation within the USTA itself, particularly among senior roles. (Older white men run tennis in the world. The good ol' boys network is alive and well.)

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And last but not least, how's this for an amazing statement from a section employee:

“One of my coworkers recently resigned because they felt alienated because of their political beliefs. In our office, an assumption is made that all staff members fall to the far left on the political spectrum. I feel that political beliefs are private and should not be a topic of discussion at staff meetings; especially when leadership makes the disparaging comments. Shaming a person, much less a coworker, for their political identification is intolerable and only proves to alienate the individual and ensure they will become closed off and uncommunicative. I think if USTA can remove politics from their culture and consequently eliminate defensiveness, it would bring more value to DEI's mission.”

(Sounds like what's going on at our schools and colleges for decades already. No real surprise here. Holier than Thou is apparently the way of life at some of the USTA offices.)

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Your honor, I rest my case.