A Time for Shift

The death of George Floyd has once again brought to light the topic of race, power, and bias in a nation whose strength has been built on peoples of difference. Although focus and protests are mostly around the institution of law enforcement, conversations for many have moved onto the general topic of inequity that continues to permeate all aspects of our society – families, neighborhoods, educational institutions, and business.

The greatest danger we have is that we fall back into what I call the “outrage-to-indifference” cycle that we have gotten to know all too well. When the protests subside, broken retail stores restock and reopen, social media profile pictures that were briefly turned to black return to selfies, and hashtags disappear, we once again slide into the status quo of our familiar lives and conversations. Those in power remain in power, and those who struggle find that nothing has changed.

That is the cycle that must be altered.

I have spent the past three weeks listening to individuals across my network – current and former colleagues, dear friends, and leaders in the business community representing the public, private, and not-for-profit sector, to inform my perspective on the topic of racism that continues to impact our society. I have been tremendously heartened to hear every leader speak of how things must change, and that they need to be part of that change.

In addition to the community, educational, governmental, and justice system institutions that need honest examination, business leaders have clearly stated they want to examine how it feels to work in their organization. Many are asking “What should I do?”, and genuinely want to shift the trajectory of an all too ossified curve that continues to favor one group over all others. Many are reflecting on what has been done in the past to engrain unconscious bias into systemic divides. Many are examining their own behaviors.

From these conversations I’ve gleaned some insights into what business leaders can do:

Communicate. Your employees are listening and hearing your words. They are also hearing your silence. In an environment of unrest and uncertainty, it is essential for leadership to double down on values and commitment to an equitable workforce culture. Many organizations have stated values that they espouse, but words are often hollow and not genuine. Messages need to represent authenticity and be founded in a commitment to grow and learn. The future must represent inclusion, not just diversity.

Provide a platform for dialogue. Create space for people to talk, and more importantly, to listen. Black employees need to speak and to be heard. They need to share how they are feeling, what they have experienced, and why they feel the way they do. This is vital to grow understanding and empathy. Listen to stories of injustice, prejudice, and what they have experienced. This is vital to defining a way forward. Most importantly, hear how it feels for them to work in your organization. Hear of the impact of having significantly more challenges and lack of mentors and role models. Hear whether they believe there is true opportunity for advancement and whether they feel support to learn and grow. Ask for stories. They tell the most.

Don’t broaden the topic. Don’t turn this dialogue into a conversation around inclusion of all groups. Just for now. Nothing is more irritating to an individual who needs to talk about one problem than to have it diluted by becoming part of a larger one. Focus on the topic of black America. Focus on what is distinctively different about what it feels to be black in your company. There is a difference. Of course it's a broader topic, and inclusion must include people of all demographics. But by broadening the topic, we make the conversation more comfortable, and we need to stay in discomfort in order for change to occur. By broadening the topic, we also become distracted by the bigger problem, and we miss out on addressing the things that are needed to change.

Examine internal processes and systems. In order to understand how bias plays into decisions of advancing or providing opportunities, leaders must investigate how these factors contribute to the lack of/stunted advancement of black employees in their organizations. In most companies, there is adequate representation at entry level positions, yet as we look at higher level jobs, representation diminishes tremendously. Selection processes designed for equity are most likely impacted by unconscious bias of selection committees.

Over the past 17 years, I’ve served as an independent director for 9 public companies. Across these boards, I’ve served with only one black director. This is tremendously unacceptable. In recent years, there has been an increase in women in boardrooms, but I’m not naive enough to think that would have happened as quickly without public attention, legislated requirements, and ultimately, investor pressure. The challenge of breaking the status quo is undoubtedly helped with policy reform. However, to achieve sustainable change, it is imperative that people in power understand the value of inclusion and involvement that originates from all sectors of our society.

We have a choice. We can choose to let this conversation wither over time, or we can choose to own part of the problem and make a difference in our own organizations. Waiting for society to fix all of the underlying problems in order for the solution to magically occur is an excuse to ignore. Business leaders are solely responsible for how it feels to work in your organization.

Business provides hope and opportunity to change lives for people in our communities. We are responsible for making sure that hope and opportunity exist for all.