5 Things / Getting It Right

I’m part of a Facebook group where there was a hot debate this week after a particular speaker was announced for an upcoming event. With fears of cancel culture, cries for freedom of speech, and heartfelt descriptions of personal trauma, I was reminded of just how polarized we are. And how it sure is easy to hide behind a Facebook post.

But I was impressed by how the host organization responded. They said, in part: “[we‘re] grateful for this conversation. With more diverse perspectives in these conversations, we can listen, learn, and respond accordingly. Our program planning, marketing, and communication will be better because of this.”

We’re all going to make mistakes because the work to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion is complex and messy, with a lot of competing priorities and feelings. No one is going to get it right the first time, and that’s OK. And that’s business, and that’s life. What matters is what happens next – and it goes both ways. Will you check out? Stall out? Or will you commit to listening, learning, and responding accordingly? To keep showing up and making it a bit better next time. I’ll be here cheering you on.

Here are the good vibes I found this week:

10 Years of Box Office Results Prove Movies With Authentic Representation Perform Better

A new study by UCLA found a correlation between authentic representation of diversity in film with higher box office returns and better reviews. It makes sense that films that showcase diversity authentically would naturally draw a larger audience, but this study, which looked at 1,000 films over the past 10 years, provides conclusive evidence. This matters because it provides data that can be used to expand access to underrepresented folks to the film industry, greenlight certain films, and overall better represent diversity.

Inside San Francisco’s $1 Million Bet on Female Construction Workers

The construction industry is only 10% women, but a new program led by the San Francisco Giants is changing that. The team put $1 million to launch a program that provides women training in the building trades (while receiving a stipend and access to sponsored childcare). The inaugural program had 16 graduates, many of whom are from historically marginalized groups, and all of whom are now employed in the trades. It’s a great story with ideas that can be adapted beyond this industry. This matters because it shows how barriers to accessing great talent can be systematically removed.

Allyson Felix and Her Saysh Brand Introduce an ‘Intentionally Sexist Returns Policy’ Only for Women

Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. woman in U.S. track and field history, is showing (yet again) how to be a leader and use her power to create greater equity. After she started her own sneaker company Saysh, she instituted a new policy that allows pregnant wearers of these sneakers to return them for a new pair if their foot size changes during pregnancy. I didn’t know this was a thing but it matters to people for whom the cost of an extra pair of sneakers is prohibitive. It’s amazing how many ways there are to be inclusive.

Mastercard to Tie All Employee Bonuses to Meeting ESG Goals

Mastercard is one of my favorite brands to follow, and their newest announcement is a great one. All employee bonuses will now be tied to the company’s progress on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals (which includes DEI). This goes beyond the initial commitment that executive bonuses be tied to ESG. This matters because it gives employees some incentive to hopefully bring more individual commitment to and engagement with DEI initiatives. No progress is made without accountability.

Mother’s Day Declared a Corporate Holiday by Kendra Scott—but Is It Just ‘a Great Marketing Ploy’?

The jewelry brand, Kendra Scott, is making Mother’s Day a corporate holiday. The brand’s staff are almost exclusively women. Retail employees who work that day will receive time and a half, and the Monday after will be observed as a paid corporate holiday. This matters because it shows appreciation for the company’s employees especially given the extra caregiving burdens placed on mothers, in particular, during the pandemic.

Beyond the Rainbow

My colleague Jenn T. Grace recently released her fourth LGBTQ book and we love it. Beyond the Rainbow shares sage insights to bring businesses up to speed with LGBTQ culture and inclusion.

Beyond the Rainbow is incredibly practical, a fast and easy read, and full of stories that illustrate her points in a way that just make sense. One of the things I liked about the book were the stories that Jenn shared from her own experience working in corporate America, and some of the challenges she faced being out in the workplace. LGBTQ employees still struggle with this and the more employers can do to be supportive of their LGBTQ employees, the likelier they are to win the war for talent.

Although authenticity is a buzzword, there is no secret sauce to become authentic. Companies who are authentic about choosing to have an inclusive workforce and choosing to serve the LGBTQ community will be more successful. It's simple, but it's not easy. Beyond the Rainbow provides logical strategies for authenticity, such as how a company responds and supports its LGBTQ employees and customers after an event like the Pulse massacre.

The LGBTQ market is a 900+ billion dollar market annually in the U.S. alone. Companies can't afford to make mistakes, either with their internal policies or in their customer service efforts. Beyond the Rainbow is practical primer for increasing LGBTQ inclusion that every HR manager, Marketing director, and even small business owner should read.