The Metro Atlanta Chamber’s senior leadership team wanted to drive an inclusive workplace for MAC employees.

In spring 2020, the Metro Atlanta Chamber took an intentional approach to creating a more inclusive workplace at MAC by launching our internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) working group. Comprised of 13 employees from across each team at MAC, the group is charged with planning and implementing activities designed to educate employees on topics related to DEI and driving an organizational culture that cultivates and embraces diversity, inclusion and belonging.

The group introduced the first ever “Courageous Conversations @ MAC” series, which provides an informal setting for staff to discuss current events and headlines around race, gender, equity and other DEI topics and how they impact us at work. Also, the Courageous Media Club was launched soon after to provide another forum to encourage dialogue about timely topics around DEI by reviewing movies, books, podcasts and other media. The group also strives to recognize affinity groups and heritage months through a focused internal communications strategy.

These activities are supplemental to regularly scheduled training sessions coordinated throughout the year by the DEI Working Group working in tandem with MAC’s human resources department. In 2020, these mandatory sessions covered topics including unconscious bias, microaggressions and stereotypes, and allyship.

Additionally, the senior leadership team decided in 2021 to add DEI-specific performance goals as a part of the performance review process for every employee. Goals include participation in internal and external training opportunities and support of MAC’s ATL Action for Racial Equity initiative.

The DEI Working Group has planned and implemented four Courageous Conversations, four Courageous Media Club virtual meetups and three mandatory training sessions. (Note: Roughly 70% of the staff regularly participate in the optional conversations and virtual meetups.) The DEI Working Group has also created an extensive resource list of books, podcasts, films, articles and more that is updated regularly and shared across the organization via Microsoft Teams.