Responses to Racial Tensions of 2020
Challenge
We recognized the need to accelerate and increase our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.
Actions
To move with velocity, we committed to the following actions:
- Listening deeply, increasing communication and providing opportunity to reflect, process, and discuss.
- Quarterly DIEB updates for the entire company.
- Reduce bias in our recruiting process, management, and leadership mechanisms, and across our culture.
- Lead by example with clients by presenting diverse candidates to lead their initiatives.
- Develop a program to develop the next generation of leaders for our firm, with a focus on BIPOC team members.
- Develop clear and defined career paths and provide clarity on the emerging leadership roles that we anticipate as we continue to grow.
- Clarify expectations for leadership positions, improve how we develop, coach, and provide feedback to all team members.
- Develop succession plans for our C-Suite leaders and other key roles in the firm.
- Integrate DIEB work into our coaching and consulting practice, build alliances with key partner organizations.
Outcomes
- Increased investment to more than 1% of our projected 2020 revenue.
- Shared employee demographic data with the company; publish and discuss every 6 months.
- Recruited and selected two new board members, both of whom are women of color.
- Added 3 leadership positions to our organization and filled all positions with BIPOC leaders.
- Publicly stated our commitment to continue to develop as an anti-racist organization.
- CEO provided direct mentorship to Black entrepreneurs pro-bono.
- Launched DIEB squads across the organization to forward our commitment under the leadership of our DIEB Committee.
- Ensured all team members are paid for their time in the roles.
- Provided increased paid volunteer hours to employees to work on anti-racism efforts in community.
- Developed 2021 OKRs for all levels of the organization related to our DIEB and anti-racist goals.
- Integrated DIEB coaching into the work we do with our current clients.
Contact
Shannon Adkins
Quote
Business is the most powerful force on the planet, and CEOs have a duty to ensure that we leave our communities, our customers, our employees and our planet better off. A key element is to work with diligent attention and transparency towards a world that works for everyone, that provides equity and opportunity for all, and that ensures that the business models, mindsets and behaviors of our teams, and all of our policies and processes do no harm. For this reason, I am proud to be a part of this pledge, and a leader in building a more inclusive and equitable world.