We developed three user guides to help Progressive people better understand the fundamentals and nuances of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and cultivate a thoughtful and respectful way of working together. These user guides provide useful information, messaging, and language/design guidelines to help HR professionals, business-area communicators and training teams, ERGs and DEI Councils, and content producers communicate in an inclusive way. They also help to tell our DEI story internally in a way that has not been done before—from our founding as an organization to why DEI is essential to our culture and business—and they highlight the various programs and tools that Progressive has developed to support or DEI efforts.

Our DEI user guides were created by Progressive after 15 years of investment in developing tools, resources, and communications to support managers and others in understanding and engaging with our DEI efforts thus far. Following George Floyd's murder, like at many organizations, we saw an uptick in people reaching out within the organization for DEI-related tools, resources, and messaging. People were trying to find the right words for the right moments to discuss what Progressive was doing in the area of DEI and why it is so important to us and to our culture. While we had a DEI intranet site that included an abundance of learning and development tools and resources, we recognized from these requests that we didn't have a one-stop resource for people who wanted to talk with their team about DEI, to write a communication with a DEI focus, or simply to find the right way to convey our DEI philosophy as an organization. That’s how our three DEI user guides were born.

Three User Guides:

True to Our Name. True to You – Your Guide to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is a hands-on guide to DEI that answers important questions, shows intent and direction, and makes clear that Progressive is a company that puts our people and customers first. It provides updated business approaches, key definitions, and approved messaging that explain our approach and can be applied to new DEI projects and communications. Important information in this guide includes:

• The case for DEI 
• Purpose model for DEI
• Definition for equity
• Inclusive behaviors
• Inclusive leadership in action
• Career opportunity and equity

True Words: Inclusive Communications User Guide centers around our one of our Core Values, the Golden Rule, which is to value and respect differences, act with kindness and caring, and treat others as they want to be treated. A meaningful way to achieve this is by using appropriate language, inclusive design, and carefully curated imagery when communicating with our customers, agents, the community, and each other. This guide presents valuable guidelines for crafting messages that avoid stereotypes, promote togetherness, and respect people for who they are. This guide also includes language recommendations, usage examples, and accessibility references for inclusive content creation.

Our DEI Brand Identity User Guide provides information to help ensure that all DEI content can be consistent, compelling, and easily recognizable. Our DEI brand identity comes from Progressive’s consumer brand and includes specific art direction for using color, photography, and other imagery.

The development of the three user guides on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) by Progressive has equipped HR professionals, communicators, training teams, ERGs, DEI Councils, and content producers with comprehensive resources and guidelines to effectively communicate and promote inclusivity. These user guides have enabled Progressive to internally share their DEI story, emphasizing the importance of DEI throughout the organization, showcasing their programs and tools, and ensuring consistent and impactful brand identity.