Spirit of Purpose · LGBTQ Colleagues In Your Workplace Recently, Carl Nassib, Raiders’ defensive lineman, the first active NFL player to announce he’s gay, said, “Sadly, I have agonized over this moment for the last fifteen years.”  He went on to thank his coach and colleagues saying, “I would not be able to do this without […]

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Spirit of Purpose · How to Create Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Workplaces You may remember the call and response of last summer concerning creating more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and communities.  Many organizations, perhaps yours, asserted commitment to the cause.  Some made meaningful progress.  Others, not so much.  The Gallup organization says to create and sustain progress […]

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Spirit of Purpose · The Long & Challenging Road to Real DEI Change If your organization is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, you can be certain getting to success will be a long and challenging journey.  To make meaningful progress, change must occur at two levels – the individual and […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Corporate America After George Floyd Brand new research released by Seramount, provides a perspective on what corporate American has done to address racism, since the murder of George Floyd.   Here are some of the interesting takeaways from the findings: 83% of corporate employees, and 95% of those in leadership, say they’re […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Want to Drive DEI Change? Start A Group Without guilt, shame, pride, or resentment, David acknowledged his privilege.  He said, “Being  white, male, straight and fully abled, is like I have the winning lottery ticket.  No matter what I do, I get receive unearned benefits from those parts of my identity.  What do I do […]

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Spirit of Purpose · DEI Requires Commitment from Top Leadership Diversity, equity and inclusion is not about “check the box” activities or talk of quotas.  It is also not the work of HR.  Top leadership’s visible engagement and firm commitment is required for the challenging journey involved in creating a workplace wherein diversity, equity and inclusion are […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Make Sure Privilege Is Part of Your DEI Discussion? Privilege is special advantage or benefit enjoyed by an individual or a group, that is not available to others.  Privilege is about access to power, opportunities, resources, and favorable treatment.  The concept of privilege is one many react to with intense emotion, ranging from […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Are Your Company’s Efforts Advancing Racial Equity? McKinsey reports between May 25th and the end of October, 32% of Fortune 1000 companies made public statements supporting racial justice.  22% made commitments to promote racial equity through changes in products, services, and strategic investments.  18% launched initiatives to advance internal diversity and inclusion […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Where Is Your Company On Its Diversity Journey? Companies that are diverse and inclusive at all levels of the hierarchy have been found to be more innovative, agile, and resilient.  Recent McKinsey findings confirm that, when it comes to profitability, diverse leadership teams outperform their less diverse peers.   In addition to the […]

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Spirit of Purpose · What Everyday Body Language Reveals About DEI When it comes to use of physical space, what dynamics do you see between cultural groups, inclusive of race, social class, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation, gender, and even other aspects of diversity?  How do those who are members of culturally dominant groups, and those […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Does Your Company Look Like Your Customer Base? Do the demographics of your company reflect those of your customer base?   If your company is like most, the answer is no.  In most cases, internal demographics, particularly across hierarchical levels and functional groups, do not reflect the diverse mix of a […]

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Spirit of Purpose · The Case For Diversity Is Stronger Than Ever Recent McKinsey research suggests the business case for diversity is stronger than ever.  And, if bottom-line impact is your primary metric, data from 1000 large companies, in 15 countries, say the link between diversity on executive teams and financial outperformance is indisputably evident. […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Challenge Your Biased Assumptions A few days ago, I went to the hardware store in search of four M4X16 screws.  While I needed expert assistance, none was available.  Another shopper – a white man – was searching through a neighboring rack of fasteners.  His sleeveless shirt and shorts revealed heavily tattooed arms, shoulders, neck […]

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Spirit of Purpose · Unintended Impact of Bias & Prejudice In any context in which we find ourselves, bias and prejudice are harmful.  A sponsor of indifference, exclusion, unfair treatment, hardened divisions, even violence, bias and prejudice hinder teamwork, diminish workplace productivity, detract from customer satisfaction, and devalues those who are the subjects of such injustice.  […]

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To take a few new steps on your journey to inclusion, journal your responses to the following three questions.  As you write, consider how your behavior might show up in the experience of others who are culturally different from you along any number of dimensions of cultural diversity: When it comes to inclusion, my habit or […]

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Many people in our country have been hurt and are hurting for way, way too long.  Yes, wounds are inflicted as people engage in the broader society.  And we have to be honest and say, they’re also inflicted in the workplace…in your workplace.  You, especially if you’re a leader, have the power to make significant, […]

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The benefits of diversity in the workplace have long been studied and found to make excellent business sense. But often we leave the execution and follow through of our company’s diversity efforts to others.  Sometimes, competing priorities means that your company may not be as fully engaged as is required to actually reap the benefits. No matter what […]

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When crises like the Coronavirus impact the business world, it’s important to have a good structure for decision-making.  McKinsey & Company offers 6 tips to ensure your decision-making remains solid when battling the unprecedented and unbelievable.  First, take a breath.  Step back, take stock and prioritize.  Consider the long-term implications – look beyond what’s happening right now.  This alleviates […]

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We often focus exclusively on education and what we must learn to propel ourselves forward. Continual learning is critical for anyone who values keeping pace with the expectations of today’s business environment. But, just as there is much to learn, there are also many things we must unlearn to make room for real growth and […]

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According to Merriam Webster, microaggression is defined as “a comment or action that subtly and, often unconsciously or unintentionally, expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group.” Often, the action is so subtle and habituated that the perpetrator does it without even realizing it. Microaggressions land hard on the people they’re being […]

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