Meet "Helen"
Helen is a middle-aged white woman, overwhelmed by the public DEI commitments companies have made and feels pressured to respond. Helen believes in doing the right thing and has sent out a press release stating the company is taking DEI very seriously. Helen drafts an email to the entire organization announcing their new commitment to DEI. However, with a little pushback from other leaders, she folds and agrees the company has women and minorities so everything is fine.
Meet "Bob"
Bob is a white, male employee or manager that doesn’t support DEI initiatives. Bob feels left out. Bob also thinks that employees of color are getting too much attention or unearned raises and promotions. He doesn’t understand why supplier diversity is important when the vendors he has been using for the past 10 years are “just fine”. Bob is concerned about his position and feels threatened by the new “inclusiveness” of the organization. As a result, Bob challenges everyone, regardless of the validity, and refuses to be a team player.
People Lie, Numbers Don't
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76 percent of companies have no diversity or inclusion goals. (SHRM)
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According to supplier.io’s 2021 State of Supplier Diversity report, 40% of supplier diversity programs are less than three years old.
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By expanding your portfolio of preferred suppliers, you’re ensuring your supplier pipeline is more sustainable and creates a more robust supply chain. (spendmatters.com)
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As we have all seen from the past year: supply chain shortages and manufacturing delays can “send one supplier from your list of top sources to the top of your list of bottlenecks.” (spendmatters.com)
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Organizations implementing supplier diversity programs are more likely to penetrate new markets and gain new customers. (Graziadio Business Review)
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An inclusive procurement strategy widens the pool of potential suppliers and promotes competition in the supply base, which can improve product quality and drive down costs. (Harvard Business Review)
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Diverse companies are 70 percent more likely to capture new markets than organizations that do not actively recruit and support talent from under-represented groups. (Harvard Business Review)
But does Bob know this?
Chances are, he doesn’t. Workers and employers diverge in their perspectives on whether their organizations have established a formal DEI program with clearly defined goals: only 49% workers believe they do, compared to 69% of employers. Additionally, one in four workers say they are “not sure” how much progress the organization has made. The company has done a great job of building their supplier diversity, but they failed to explain the importance to Bob.
That’s why he’s pushing back.
About FIG Strategy & Consulting
FIG Strategy & Consulting is a boutique consulting firm with an emphasis on brand and diversity strategy. We believe the true power lies in the diversity of thought and the leadership behind it! Our approach to DEI uses a six-step process: establish readiness, assess the current state of DEI, design benchmarking, design stakeholder action plan, craft strategic communications, and build internal expertise. By making diversity a part of the brand-DNA, our partners create authentic stories and deliver intentional initiatives that fulfill their DEI promises both internally and externally and see profit gain
How We’re Different
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D&I certified by Cornell University.
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Emphasis on diversity intentional, inclusive and profitable.
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Professional speaker and trainer with over 20 years of business experience.
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Personal, hands-on strategy and management by company leaders.
Our Services
Thought Leadership & Training
The COVID-19 pandemic and demand for equality have changed business forever, and every leader has an opinion on both. From psychological safety to organizational inclusion, leaders have to invest in their DEI knowledge. Thought leadership and training enable the leader to address external motivators and create strong diversity value propositions.
DEI Leadership Coaching
The COVID-19 pandemic and demand for equality have changed business forever, and every leader has an opinion on both. From psychological safety to organizational inclusion, leaders have to invest in their DEI knowledge. Thought leadership and training enable the leader to address external motivators and create strong diversity value propositions.
DEI Advisor
Work with stakeholders to collectively develop short and long-term DEI goals, including metrics, KPI's and timelines. Develop a clear communications plan to establish trust and clarity on the DEI strategy and build camaraderie among stakeholders and the organization as a whole.