NIU Alumni | Fields Jackson

菲尔茨·杰克逊，1994年在NIU学习MBA，是《Racing Towards Diversity 》杂志的首席执行官和出版商。他谈论最佳实践，并在 Twitter 上被认为是顶级多元化思想领袖。“我们与世界各地的思想领袖合作，”杰克逊说，“我们是多元化的哈佛商业评论。”

Fields Jackson, M.B.A. '94, is the CEO and publisher for Racing Towards Diversity magazine.He talk about best practices, and they are considered top diversity thought leaders on Twitter."We partner with thought leaders around the world,"Jackson said," I like to say that we are the Harvard Business Review for diversity.”

【开始】

Beginning

1992 年,当菲尔兹杰克逊来到 NIU 时，他已经积累了一份令人印象深刻的简历。然而，这只是他众多令人印象深刻的成功的开始。当他在AMSCO（一家大型外科用品公司）工作时，他认识了该公司的首席执行官David A . Nelson，David A . Nelson于1969年获得NIU学士学位，1972年获得MBA学位，曾获得NIU杰出校友奖。纳尔逊讲述了他在NIU的学习经历，并说服杰克逊参加了NIU的MBA课程。这段学习经历教会了杰克逊如何识别个人的长处，并为了每个人的受益而展示这些长处。

By the time Fields Jackson came to NIU in 1992, he had already stacked up an impressive resume. However, it was just the beginning to his many impressive successes.While he worked at AMSCO—a major surgical supply company, he got to know the company's CEO David A. Nelson, who earned his B.S. in 1969 and M.B.A. in 1972 from NIU and is a past NIU Distinguished Alumni Award winner. Nelson talked up his experience as a Huskie, and persuaded Jackson to enroll in NIU's M.B.A. program. This experience taught Jackson how to identify individuals’ strengths and showcase them for the good of everyone. 

院长把他们分成不同技能和专业的小组——一个制造人员，一个会计，一个销售人员，一个运营人员。杰克逊负责市场营销，他们必须一起完成项目。他很早就发现，当依赖一个人的长处时，小组的表现比其他小组要好。在其他小组中，有时会看到混乱发生，因为他们不相信对方能完成自己的工作。这个项目也帮助杰克逊看到了他与生俱来的发现别人闪光点的天赋。“回想起来，MBA项目向我证明，多元化的团队也可以成为真正强大的团队，”他说。事实上，很多时候，团队成员的多样性越多，团队就越强大。如果你是这个房间里最聪明的人，那就换一个房间。”

The dean put them together in groups with varied skills and specializations—a manufacturing guy, an accountant, a salesperson, an operations person. He was the marketing guy, and they had to navigate projects together. He saw early on that groups did better than others when they relied on a person’s strengths. In other groups, sometimes  would see turmoil going on because they didn’t trust one another to do their parts. The program also helped Jackson to see his inherent talent for identifying the best in others.  “As I look back, the M.B.A. program verified for me that diverse teams can be really strong teams,” he said. “In fact, many times, the more diverse the team members, the stronger the team is. If you’re the smartest guy in the room, find another room.” 

【改变】

Divert

在杰克逊职业生涯的某一时刻，他决定将自己的职业生涯转向，并成立了一家新公司，为阿勒格尼学院(Allegheny College)和俄克拉荷马大学(University of Oklahoma)等大学营销这些著名体育人物的平版和版画。随着时间的推移，蓬勃发展的纳斯卡行业也成为了公司最大的客户之一，他与传奇的纳斯卡艺术家罗恩·克劳福德合作，他也是参与了这些项目的非洲裔美国人。

At some point in Jackson's career, He decided to pivot his career and found a new company, marketing these lithographs and prints of famous sports figures for universities, such as Allegheny College and University of Oklahoma. Over time, the burgeoning NASCAR industry also became one of the company’s biggest clients, and he worked with legendary NASCAR artist Ron Crawford, who is also African American, on these projects. 

他知道 NASCAR 需要多样化。所以，他创办了一个全非裔美国人拥有的 NASCAR 团队。他在学校的一个朋友Robert Marchman是纽约证券交易所(New York Stock Exchange)的高管，也是纽约证券交易所多元化委员会(NYSE Diversity Council)的负责人。他听说过这个 NASCAR 团队，知道 Jackon 从事营销工作，就请他帮忙想出一种特别的方式来体现股票交易所的多样性。杰克逊召集了NASCAR、家得宝、可口可乐和各种顶级赞助商，在股票交易所举办了一场摇铃仪式。这是有史以来最大的收盘钟之一。那时，即使是在纳斯卡，也有商业上的多样性。当我们发挥自己的长处时，我们都会表现得更好。

He knew that NASCAR needed to diversify.So,he start a NASCAR team that was all African-American owned.A friend of him from school, Robert Marchman, was a senior executive at the New York Stock Exchange and also the head of the NYSE Diversity Council. He had heard about this NASCAR team and, knowing Jackon was in marketing, asked to help come up with a special way to honor diversity at the stock exchange. Jackson brought together NASCAR, Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and all kinds of top sponsors to do a bell ringing at the stock exchange.  It was one of the largest closing bells ever. At that time,even at NASCAR, that there is a business case for diversity. We all perform better when we work to our strengths. 

【多样性】

Diversity

作为多元化主题的专家，杰克逊还曾担任芝加哥州立大学的兼职教授，目前在北卡罗来纳州罗利的邵氏大学任教。他最近还担任历史黑人学院和大学 (HBCU) 商学院院长圆桌会议的执行董事，以及全国各地 HBCU 机构的客座讲师，如塔斯基吉大学、白求恩-库克曼大学和邵氏大学。

An expert on the topic of diversity, Jackson also has served as an adjunct professor at Chicago State University and currently teaches at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He also recently served as executive director of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Business Deans Roundtable, as well as a guest lecturer at HBCU institutions across the country, such as Tuskegee, Bethune-Cookman and Shaw Universities.

多年以来，杰克逊为那些难以找到多元化人才的公司提供了很多建议，尤其是在他拥有“世界上最多元化的背景之一”的情况下。他说:“企业需要找出那些不受关注的学校和人员。”“对于那些认真的公司来说，这是令人满意的。我告诉他们让人们走出他们的舒适区与他们交谈。你只需要敲另一扇门。才能是各种形状、大小和颜色的。”

 After all these years, Jackson has a lot of advice for companies who are having a difficult time finding diverse talent, especially since he has ‘one of the most diverse backgrounds on the planet.’ “Companies need to identify schools and people that are off the radar,” he said. “It’s gratifying for those companies that are serious. I tell them to get people outside of their comfort zone to talk to them. You just have to knock on another door. Talent comes in all shapes, sizes, colors.”