This January, I learned that I鈥檇 soon be getting paid to bike. My employer, the bicycle advocacy organization PeopleForBikes, announced that for every ride I took鈥攁nywhere鈥擨’d receive $4, up to a total of $100 a month.听

For PeopleForBikes, launching the Bike Benefits Program was a no-brainer, a way for us to live our mission statement and get more people on bicycles. It was also a way for us to showcase our new app, Ride Spot Enterprise, which makes it easy for employers to set up bike-based incentive programs. But most importantly, it was a way for us to benefit people and planet by creating happier, healthier employees who are incentivized to do good for the environment. [Editor’s note: OBJ‘s parent company, 国产吃瓜黑料 Inc., runs a similar program, paying employees $2 for every day they commute to work by bike.]

It’s a move other businesses are well positioned to emulate.

Help Getting Started

For most companies interested in this kind of incentive program, the first question will be 鈥淲here do we start?鈥� Good news: there are entire organizations already set up to help you.

Since 2010, the California-based consultancy Bikes Make Life Better has helped some of the biggest brands in the world鈥攊ncluding Apple, Facebook, and Google鈥攕et up cycling programs for their employees, helping with everything from end-of-trip bike facilities (think secure parking and showers) to the creation of bike share systems.

According to the company鈥檚 co-founder, Kurt Wallace, Bikes Make Life Better launched with the goal of capitalizing on a bike boom Wallace saw as imminent. 鈥淸Before us], no one was working with businesses to help them use bikes as part of their daily operations,鈥� said Wallace. 鈥淭here was bike advocacy…but no one was talking specifically to business.鈥�

In the next year, Wallace expects to see a 鈥済reat increase鈥� in companies financially rewarding employees for riding, as well as legislation at the federal level offering tax breaks to support bicycling.听

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 address transportation issues at the corporate level, or climate change issues at the business level, without bikes,鈥� said Wallace. 鈥淔rom a climate or a financial perspective, it just doesn鈥檛 mathematically work without having bikes in your solution.鈥�

Cost Is a Factor, but Employers Can Help

Employers are also uniquely positioned to help their employees afford good commuter bikes鈥攁 barrier to entry for many would-be cyclists.

CycleBack NYC, a program led by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), is spreading that idea by advocating for lease-to-own bike programs among New York employers鈥攁 model popular in certain European countries like Germany, where tax incentives make leasing a bike through your employer up to 40 percent cheaper than purchasing one directly.

鈥淪ubsidizing bikes in most cities is certainly much cheaper than subsidizing parking,鈥� said Seth Ullman, vice president of transportation and sustainability at NYCEDC. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working to facilitate easier, safer, cleaner, and cheaper options for people to get around, and bicycling should be one of those options.鈥�

It鈥檚 already a proven model, ripe for wider adoption in the United States. In Germany alone, more than 1.6 million employees ride company-provided e-bikes, a testament to the market potential for similar programs here.

The Equitable Commute Project, also based in New York City, is pioneering another model. The group is working with Spring Bank to launch a new financing product that would supply people with micro-loans to cover the cost of e-bikes. Employers would serve as guarantors for their employees, who would repay the loans directly out of their paychecks each month.

Employers Are Key

Employers are in a unique position to instigate the culture shift to more cycling. Our workplaces own so many of our waking hours鈥攊ncluding time spent commuting. By taking small steps to accommodate and incentivize bicycling, companies can have a stake in increasing employee wellness, which will only add to their bottom lines.听

To be clear, I’m not talking about simple wellness stipends. Annual dollars given to employees for wellness expenses will largely miss the mark, as those incentives are unlikely to create new cyclists or change people’s commuting habits. What we need are programs that frame cycling-for-perks as a specific employee benefit.

I was always a regular biker, but in the weeks since our benefits program launched, my own bicycling has increased. When I need creamer from the grocery store, forgoing my car in favor of my bike covers the expense. Now, when I bike the five miles to my office, I feel good about my employer for supporting a commute that keeps me active, green, and better connected to the neighborhoods I pass through.

No matter how I feel when I leave my house, I show up at the office happy.

Kiran Herbert is PeopleForBikes鈥� local programs writer and content manager.听

The post Opinion: Companies Should Make It a Priority to Boost Employee Bicycling appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Last September, sitting in a meeting room with my colleagues, a consultant described himself as a 鈥渟lave driver.鈥� A few weeks later, on a Zoom call, I heard a CEO talking about the work a company was doing in 鈥淐olombia, India, and Africa.鈥� The former makes light of the horrific experience of slavery while the latter鈥檚 mention of Africa lumps together an entire continent and all the people on it. No harm was meant in either instance, but that doesn鈥檛 make the language any less damaging.

As a young woman of color, I鈥檓 often asked where my family is from (code for 鈥渨hy are you brown?鈥�) or told how lucky I am not to have to wear sunscreen. Research shows that these types of micro-aggressions add up, taking their toll on the health of minorities by sending the message that they don鈥檛 belong.

Our daily lexicon includes dozens of common words and phrases that draw from a nasty history, perpetuate stereotypes and white supremacy, and demean others. The following list isn鈥檛 exhaustive, but reflects language commonly used in outdoor industry offices, job postings, and trade show aisles. Some might dismiss it as wokeness run amok, but there shouldn鈥檛 be anything political about speaking with respect.

‘Crazy’ or ‘hysterical’

The words here aren’t the issue. It’s how we deploy them in oppressive ways, like when describing women who challenge authority.

‘Handicapped,’ ‘crippled,’ or ‘lame’

These terms perpetuate ableism, the social prejudice that people with disabilities are inferior.

‘Long time, no see’

This phrase originated as a mockery of Native American’s broken English. Similarly, “no can do” mocked Chinese immigrants.

‘Low on the totem pole’

A totem pole is a sacred cultural artifact; this phrase belittles it. Ditto with “spirit animal.”

‘Ninja’

We see this one mostly in job descriptions. Like “guru,” the word is culturally appropriated and it’s gendered as masculine, which can discourage female applicants.

‘A sexy new product’

Let’s keep sex out of the workplace.

‘Peanut gallery’

This term stems from the section in vaudeville-era theaters where Black patrons were forced to sit.

‘Uppity’

This is a racist term, historically used in the South to describe Black people who didn’t know their place.

‘Sold down the river’

Like “slave driver,” this is a reference to the slave trade.

‘Squaw’

Originally translated as “woman” in the Indigenous Algonquian language, today the “S-word” is an ethnic and sexual slur.

‘Tribe’

Often used as a cutesy way to describe like-minded people, “tribe” has colonial origins as a bureaucratic term forced on Native Americans and incorrectly applied to many Africans.

‘You guys’

Positing men as the status quo excludes women and non-binary folks.

‘You look so young’

This micro-aggression glorifies youth and perpetuates ageism.

‘You’re so articulate’

This implies that the speaker is surprised by someone’s ability (often a woman or person of color) to speak well.

The post Offensive Words and Phrases to Eliminate from Your Business Communications appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

From the pages of our latest print magazine, we’re proud to present four advancements that push the outdoor industry forward in positive ways.

New Life for Batteries

Currently, electric bikes鈥攏ot cars鈥攁re the world鈥檚 best-selling electric vehicles. While e-bikes are great for reducing emissions, they aren鈥檛 without their own impact. Like electric cars, they鈥檙e powered by lithium-ion batteries that are environmentally intensive to produce (they last two to five years). Boulder, Colorado-based PeopleForBikes hopes to address sustainability concerns with a first-of-its-kind, industry-wide battery recycling program.

The nonprofit has collaborated with Call2Recycle to ensure end-of-life batteries are safely collected and properly recycled, rather than dumped in landfills. 鈥淥ur goal is to make electric bicycle battery collection and recycling seamless for customers, retailers, and brands,鈥� said Leo Raudys, CEO of Call2Recycle. In November 2021, more than 40 bike suppliers and manufacturers committed to support and fully fund the program; retailers will be able to sign on as collection sites come February, and batteries will start being recycled in summer 2022.

Fly High

Every serious camper knows the frustration of waking up to a saggy, soggy rainfly. Polyurethane-coated nylon, the industry鈥檚 standard material for tent flies, soaks up water, dries slowly, and is often made from virgin materials鈥攂ad for campers and the environment alike. Looking for a solution, the NEMO team dreamt up Osmo, a new fabric built around a 100-percent recycled nylon/polyester weave that repels water better than traditional flies.

Osmo will debut this year in the brand鈥檚 Dagger and Hornet Elite tents, which meet flame-retardant standards without the inclusion of any nasty toxins like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 鈥淏y choosing high-performing recycled yarns and PFAS-free finishes to build Osmo, we鈥檙e continuing our commitment to sustainable design for people and the planet,鈥� said NEMO product development manager Gabi Rosenbrien.

Out of This World

For the first time in 50 years, the U.S. is bound for the moon. Leading the mission is Intuitive Machines, whose Nova-C lander will launch on a SpaceX rocket in early 2022, destined for the lunar south pole. Anticipating the moon鈥檚 extreme temperatures鈥攖hink -250 to 250掳F鈥攔esearchers looked to Columbia Sportswear: the company鈥檚 Omni-Heat Infinity thermal-reflective fabric will wrap exterior panels of the Nova-C.

Itself inspired by NASA tech, the distinctive gold metallic foil launched in fall 2021 and currently insulates Columbia jackets, hats, and boots while still allowing for breathability. According to Joe Boyle, Columbia brand president, 鈥淥ur Omni-Heat Infinity technology has been tested in freezing temperatures on glaciers in Alaska and Chile, but the moon represents an entirely new frontier.鈥�

Show Me the Money

In November 2021, President Biden signed the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. 鈥淭his is the first time a large infrastructure package prioritizes and recognizes the importance of the outdoor economy alongside traditional infrastructure projects,鈥� said Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director at Outdoor Industry Association. 鈥淭he infrastructure bill is a landmark investment that will benefit people, parks, and public lands and waters across the country.鈥�

A few of the budget allocations we can expect: $350 million to construct wildlife-friendly roadway crossings, $250 million to improve access to Forest Service lands, $100 million to improve recreation sites on federal lands, $14.65 billion for estuary restoration and stormwater management projects, and $100 million set aside for natural infrastructure solutions that enhance resilience to drought and wildfires.

The post Latest Industry Wins: Columbia Fabric in Space, a Better Rainfly from Nemo, and More appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Before she joined Peloton, Tonoka Metoyer wasn鈥檛 a biker, although she always wanted to be.

鈥淚’ve always felt like bicycling was cool,鈥� said Metoyer, who spent almost three decades living in South Florida and Atlanta. 鈥淚’ve always had friends that bike, and I saw people that did it. I just never did it.鈥�

Metoyer, who works remotely as a medical sales representative, moved to Montgomery, Alabama, right before the pandemic. The absence of a commute, coupled with the lack of good bicycling infrastructure and a community to ride with, meant Metoyer was unlikely to take up biking on her own. When COVID-19 led to the closure of her CrossFit gym, however, Metoyer needed something to fill the fitness void. Through a friend, she was invited to a private group chat of Black Peloton users鈥擬etoyer ordered a bike, started riding and is now nearly 250 rides of various lengths and intensity into her journey.

Peloton Interactive was founded in January of 2012, the brainchild of a Barnes & Noble executive who saw an opportunity to bring the high-end spin studio experience into people鈥檚 homes. After a听successful Kickstarter campaign and several rounds of raising seed money, a version of the Peloton bike that鈥檚 now ubiquitous鈥攚ith its mounted touchscreen and speakers for streaming classes鈥攚as released in 2014. In 2018, Peloton expanded to the U.K. and Canada and in 2019, the company went public, raising $1.16 billion (Peloton is currently valued at closer to $4 billion).

When the demand for home gyms surged amid pandemic lockdowns, many people turned to Peloton, ordering bikes despite shipping backlogs to join a community of millions. But Peloton鈥檚 success isn鈥檛 solely attributed to convenience or COVID-19. Rather, the company employs a growth strategy that values the patronage of historically marginalized groups, celebrating diversity and allowing both its instructors and community members to show up as their whole selves.

When compared to the traditional bike industry, which has听long been criticized for its diversity problem听and has听made few strides despite public commitments, Peloton鈥檚 user base is much more representative of American demographics. In particular, the growth of Black users, both men and women, on Peloton offers potent lessons for the bike industry as a whole, including those working in city government, transportation, advocacy, health, and the nonprofit sector. The Black Peloton group on Facebook currently has more than 29,000 members from around the globe and many of the company’s most prominent bike instructors, including Alex Toussaint, Ally Love and Tunde Oyeneyin, are Black. Anecdotally, the number of committed Black Peloton riders appears to exceed Black folks passionate about traditional bikes, with a fair amount of overlap between groups.

So, what is Peloton doing right when it comes to Black Americans? For starters, the company understands and values Black culture, a fact most evident through its marketing, programs, and music selection, which center Black lives and experiences. From Peloton鈥檚 ads听to听its website听to its听Instagram, there is an open celebration of diversity, consistently showcasing Black and brown employees and customers. When honoring Black History Month, the company goes beyond rote social media campaigns, instead curating rides set to Black musicians,听releasing an apparel collection in collaboration with Black artists and hosting fireside chats with musicians, actors, and activists. When was the last time the bike industry celebrated Blackness in a similar way? The success of Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor听comes to mind, but his heyday was at the turn of the last century.

Peloton does a great job of bringing in modern Black cultural icons, curating rides with music from Bad Boy Entertainment for example, or developing an eight-week series called the 鈥淵ear of Yes鈥� with television producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes. When Peloton partnered with the queen herself, Beyonce, the company simultaneously gifted two-year digital Peloton memberships to students at ten historically Black colleges and universities. These rides celebrating Black greatness being led by Black instructors showcases yet another aspect of Black leadership and talent, not only as creatives and cultural icons but as teachers and experts as well. What鈥檚 more, many Black celebrities, Beyonce included, are Peloton riders themselves.

鈥淭hey have a brilliant marketing model and are incredibly reactive鈥攁nd in some cases proactive鈥攖o the needs of their customers,鈥� said Maisha Rudison-Bryant, a Black healthcare director based in North Carolina. 鈥淸Peloton] listens and then they change. I think that for any company that is not often an easy thing to do but they seem to do it flawlessly.鈥�

In addition to adding more rides celebrating Blackness, Peloton doesn鈥檛 shy away from confronting current events head-on. After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the resulting protests around the U.S., the company didn鈥檛 hesitate to say, 鈥淏lack Lives Matter,鈥� angering some users who viewed it as a political statement. During a time when all sorts of organizations were stalling on what to say, scrambling to craft DEI mission statements and struggling to acknowledge the Black experience, often for the first time, Peloton led the way for corporations coming out in solidarity.

Many people in the Peloton community remember a class Toussaint taught amid the worst of the social unrest, where he shared from his heart the pain he was undergoing as a Black male in America and urged his followers to take anti-racist action. Similarly, Oyeneyin created a 30-minute class dubbed 鈥淪peak Up,鈥� which was part performance art, part activism and all fitness, imploring riders to 鈥済et comfortable with the uncomfortable鈥� and meet the moment.

鈥淧eloton allowed employees to speak to who they were as people and to use that platform as an outlet for some of the rage that was out there in the Black community,鈥� said Rudison-Bryant. 鈥淭hey don’t seem to separate the fact that we are humans. We have things that we do in our day-to-day lives and our work but those two worlds, they shouldn’t be separate.鈥�

Rather than censor or edit its employees, Peloton celebrates them, encouraging vulnerability and conversation. Jen Cotter, the chief content officer of Peloton,听told听The New York Times听that while instructors are generally expected to avoid political topics, the Black Lives Matter movement wasn鈥檛 political. 鈥淲e see this as a human rights issue,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose are not the same for us, politics and civil rights.鈥�

The direction from Peloton鈥檚 leadership鈥攚ho represent a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities themselves鈥攊s one of the reasons the company has been so successful in reaching a diverse and devoted user base. Although Peloton鈥檚 board of directors and executive leadership, like many organizations, is still overwhelmingly white and male, its chief strategy officer, Dion Camp Sanders, and head of global marketing and communications, Dara Treseder, are Black. For her part, Treseder prioritized a marketing strategy that emphasizes diversity and promotes community over products.

鈥淐onnection to culture for us is something we do intentionally and authentically,鈥澨齌reseder told听AdWeek earlier this year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not enough to just talk about diversity. It鈥檚 a commitment to anti-racism: What are the things we鈥檙e going to do to be truly anti-racist? Cultural marketing is not something that sits in a silo over here鈥攊t鈥檚 something that鈥檚 infused into all we do.鈥�

The difference is obvious to users, who take note of everything from the camaraderie and authenticity of Peloton鈥檚 instructors to the friendships and affinity groups that form outside of virtual rides.

鈥淸Peloton] brought in some of the most well-regarded people of color into marketing positions and into roles that directly affect the customer base, and I think that鈥檚 the primary reason they鈥檝e been so successful, no question,鈥� said Rudison-Bryant. 鈥淎t every level of the company, you see a reflection of yourself and I think that that’s important.鈥�

That sort of modeling goes a long way toward making people feel comfortable trying something new. In fact, comfort is another reason Peloton is so successful: not only does it promote an inclusive atmosphere, but by nature of being an indoor, stationary bike company, it offers riders a way to participate in the sport without leaving their home. Peloton riders don鈥檛 have to worry about having the right gear, being discriminated against by law enforcement or neighbors, showing up to work sweaty and being judged by colleagues, messing up their hair in public, catcalling from passersby or inadequate bicycling infrastructure鈥攎any things we know affect women, and in particular minority women, more than others.

There鈥檚 also an element of safety that partially explains why Black riders might be drawn to Peloton over biking on the road. It鈥檚 a fact that traffic enforcement disproportionately affects BIPOC riders, resulting in over-policing and leading to 鈥淎rrested Mobility鈥� with a slew of adverse social, political, economic, and health outcomes. In America, Black people must face the ever-present threat of discrimination, intimidation, and physical harm whenever they step outside, whether it be while driving, walking, running or bicycling. In the world of Peloton, that danger doesn鈥檛 exist. There, a Black man can virtually high-five a stranger without the possibility of it being taken the wrong way or putting his life and livelihood at increased risk.

While there are limitations to using Peloton for persons with disabilities, in general, it鈥檚 also a more accessible product than many similar-quality road or gravel bikes. While the original Peloton bike starts at $1,895 (plus $39/month for the required all-access membership), the company offers 36-month financing at 0 percent APR. While still expensive, the bikes are easy to navigate and cost less than many premium road bikes, gym memberships or dealing with societal unease.

鈥淯nderrepresented minorities spend trillions of dollars on stuff and a lot of companies are missing the ball by not marketing to us,鈥� said Bianca Blades, a Black Peloton user who works as an HR consultant and diversity strategist. 鈥淲e have the money and we鈥檙e going to spend it. But some people still don’t want a certain demographic representing their product due to history, which is sad.鈥�

Once Peloton鈥檚 marketing efforts do the job of getting people in the door, the company鈥檚 dual emphasis on fitness and community is what gets them to stick around. Peloton riders are constantly being encouraged to connect with other users, via the aforementioned high-fives, various groups, and teams or hashtags. For Black riders, hashtags range the gamut from #BPR to the Black Peloton Riders Community to #BlackGirlMagic, for Black women, to a variety that represent the Divine Nine, the umbrella term for historically African American fraternities and sororities. By allowing people to use multiple hashtags, a rider can rep #BPR alongside #PeloBuddhas (the official Buddhist group of Peloton) and #Vets (for veterans). Thus, the company allows for and encourages intersectionality in a way American society typically does not.

Peloton celebrates individuality while promoting the collective, empowering people to feel free to express who they are in the context of a community. Even when riding a Peloton alone in your living room, you never feel alone. Riders can start with a group, take an on-demand class alongside others, and even get a shout-out from the instructor during a live class. As a Black bicyclist outdoors, being alone is more of a default, albeit one that Black riding groups are aiming to combat. For many Black Peloton riders, including all of those interviewed in this article, the camaraderie of Peloton often carries over to real-world interactions, via private groups, meet-ups or in-person rides.

鈥淔or me, [my Peloton community] has been a lifeline,鈥� said Metoyer. 鈥淛ust being able to connect has been very motivational, both on and off the screen.鈥�

If everyone working in the world of bikes were able to cultivate the same level of community and motivation amongst BIPOC riders, the effects would soon multiply鈥攎ore bicyclists on our streets would lead to a safer riding environment for everyone. According to a report from the League of American Bicyclists, Black and brown riders are the fastest-growing segment of the bicycling population, and听PeopleForBikes鈥� research听during the pandemic showed that BIPOC bicyclists represented 44% of new riders, compared to 33% of active riders before COVID-19.

In June of 2020, Peloton CEO and co-founder John Foley issued a public statement outlining the company鈥檚 commitment to anti-racism. In the letter, Foley announced that Peloton would be investing $100 million over the course of four years to 鈥渇ight racial injustice and inequity in our world and to promote health and wellbeing for all.鈥� He went on to note the responsibility of corporations鈥攚ith their large resources, platforms, and influence鈥攊n combating systemic racism, acknowledging that 鈥渢his kind of important work starts from the inside out鈥� at the employee level. The same could be said for many government and nonprofit organizations.

Peloton鈥檚 trademark saying is 鈥淭ogether We Go Far鈥� and the company brought that ethos to its anti-racism work, co-creating with rather than dictating to those who receive funding. Although simply issuing a statement is never enough, articulating a vision and committing a substantial amount of one鈥檚 budget to that vision are necessary first steps. People of color, be they customers or employees, know when an organization鈥檚 platitudes are authentic based on what follows. That, perhaps, is the most important lesson of all: actions speak louder than words.

The post Opinion: What the Growth of the Black Peloton Community Can Teach the Cycling Industry appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In 2018, on a four-day backpacking trip along the Continental Divide, Wyn Wiley put on a pair of black, knee-high boots with six-inch heels he鈥檇 packed on a whim. In the process of kicking up dirt and parading over societal assumptions, his alter ego, Pattie Gonia, was born. Post-trip, Wiley created a new Instagram account and uploaded clips from the trail. In less than a week, @pattiegonia had 12,000 followers. Today, she has more than 340,000.

Pattie鈥檚 fearlessness, love of 鈥淢other Natch,鈥� and unequivocal joy soon attracted outdoor brands, forcing her to grapple with just what type of influencer she wanted to be. What鈥檚 emerged is an advocate with an innate business savvy, a no-bullshit brand of environmentalism, and a deep commitment to elevating marginalized voices in the outdoor space.

Wiley, 28, agreed to answer some of our spicier questions about privilege, cancel culture, and industry accountability. But it was Pattie who showed up on our Zoom call, dressed to the nines. And as you鈥檒l see from the following conversation, Pattie means business.

You鈥檝e shared on Instagram how you didn鈥檛 feel welcome in the climate movement as a gay man. Why not?

Growing up, I experienced the climate movement as an extremely white, cisgendered, and straight space鈥攇ate-kept by one-uppery and perfection. I saw no leaders that were BIPOC or queer that showed me that it was a space that would welcome my efforts. Diversity wasn鈥檛 embraced at all. Nature shows us that diversity is important to any environment, so why isn鈥檛 the environmental movement focused on embracing diversity? Instead, nature has been weaponized against queer people for forever鈥擨 was told that my queerness was unnatural. These spaces are gate-kept to anyone who doesn鈥檛 fit this perfect little mold, and I鈥檓 not perfect. I鈥檓 in progress.

At the end of the day, you鈥檙e still a cisgender white male. How do you reconcile your privilege, platform, and popularity with the industry you want to see?

I started doing Pattie because I needed a form of self-expression that liberated me as a queer person and created queer community for others. I鈥檓 extremely grateful for the following that鈥檚 come of it and it鈥檚 not something I take lightly. My goal is to bust through that door for myself but to also hold it open and create opportunities for other people, including those with less privilege than myself. This often looks like me passing on an opportunity and suggesting someone else for it.

As Wyn, I do hold a lot of privilege. I look like and talk like and feel familiar to people who hold a lot of power in this industry. I want to utilize the familiarity to ally not only the queer community but also other diverse communities in the outdoors. For years before Pattie was born, I did creative direction for brands like Disney and Adidas, which is another form of privilege. Because I understand and can speak marketing language, I鈥檝e been able to make space for other people.

That initially looks like creating diverse relationships built on trust and authenticity. Then, I build on those relationships by using my platform and privilege to amplify, volunteer for, and fundraise for diverse organizations and nonprofits. In fact, that鈥檚 my main priority outside of supporting my immediate team. I know I am a Beyonc茅, but more often than not my role is to be a Kelly, you know?

What would you say is another industry gatekeeper?

This is going to be controversial, but wokeness in many forms鈥攅specially in woke language and woke culture鈥攇ate-keeps people out of movements. If you need to know a hundred little right things to say or wrong things that will get you canceled before you even have a conversation, that鈥檚 not practical. I鈥檓 not saying we should be disrespectful, but I think there鈥檚 a delicate balance. We need to make accommodations for people and we need to always listen to feedback. But I think we also need to not be so worried about saying the right things all the time.

How do you feel about cancel culture?

I feel exhausted when I hear the words 鈥渃ancel culture.鈥� Like any tool, it can be used for good, but it can also be used to cause harm, and I think it鈥檚 causing a lot of harm right now. Cancel culture is a social media guillotine and it doesn鈥檛 allow for actual transformation. In the outdoor space, it鈥檚 often used as a weapon from one marginalized community against another to laterally oppress. It also creates this fear mindset that can keep potential allies and brands from taking their first steps forward. We all need to divest our energy from cancel culture and allow for systems that work on restorative justice.

Social media can feel like an endless series of campaigns or superficial activism. How do you reconcile that with bringing about real change?

We need to demand accountability from brands, but we also need to realize that brands and capitalism aren鈥檛 going to save us. What鈥檚 going to save us is the outdoor community at large. Every single time I have a sponsored content opportunity, I earmark 25 to 100 percent of it for a giveback to a nonprofit. My team keeps track of where everything goes so that we stand by our ethics and so that every sponsored undertaking has a community component to it.

That allows me to support people with no questions asked. To me, brand partnerships are just that, partnerships. It鈥檚 not just a sponsored post, it鈥檚 actual community impact and support. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 excited to lead brands toward because that鈥檚 what actually has return on investment and value.

Why haven鈥檛 you worked with Patagonia yet?

I鈥檝e been approached and I believe in Patagonia鈥檚 potential, but what they have presented is not a partnership that would create impact. When Patagonia is ready to step into a partnership to increase diversity in the outdoors far beyond the queer community, I鈥檓 ready and I鈥檒l do my best to make it happen. But I鈥檓 just not taking the crumbs鈥攁nd I don鈥檛 mean from a dollar standpoint. I鈥檒l be far more interested in working with Patagonia when I see diversity represented at a C-suite level, but they鈥檙e not there yet.

The post Pattie Gonia Discusses Cancel Culture, Privilege, and LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Outdoors appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Chris Morissette always worked from home, but the pandemic still changed things. Without travel and trade shows, Morissette, the principal sales rep at Sespe Group鈥攚hich represents brands like Cotopaxi and Petzl鈥攆ound himself doing virtual showings from his garage in Ojai, California. In search of a viable long-term solution, he rented warehouse space in town and recruited a friend who does display work for Patagonia to retrofit it.

鈥淲e built out this really cool, intimate showroom where I could do digital line showings and represent brands in a productive, professional way,鈥� said Morissette, who has now upgraded to an even larger space. 鈥淚鈥檝e found that brands and dealers both really appreciate the showroom鈥攊t鈥檚 helped out a lot with business.鈥�

For reps like Morissette and Justin Singer of Synergy Reps, who cover California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii, the nuances of their region and variances in timing have made the national trade shows increasingly irrelevant. Singer set up his own Truckee, California, showroom last October, building a one-stop shop for his agency鈥檚 eight brands, including Kuhl and Kari Traa.

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in a store, the buyer鈥檚 distracted, you鈥檙e cramming everything into a small room, customers are coming up and looking through samples鈥攊t鈥檚 not an ideal experience,鈥� Singer said. 鈥淲hat takes two hours in a showroom can turn into eight hours in a store.鈥�

Across the country in Norfolk, Virginia, Brad Decker, president of Decker & Associates, moved into his 800-square-foot showroom as neighboring tenants were moving out. Though he initially intended the space to serve as a 鈥淶oom room,鈥� clients kept asking to visit in person.

鈥淧eople wanted to be able to see and feel the product, things you just can鈥檛 do virtually or through a catalog,鈥� said Decker. 鈥淪ome people would drive three hours to see us and we鈥檇 tag-team a day of showings with other reps in the area.鈥�

The Denver Merchandise Mart, opened in 1965, once offered similar appeal for buyers. Strictly B2B, the Denver Mart was a collection of disparate showrooms鈥攎any focused on the outdoor industry鈥攍ocated in an unattractive building off I-25. Most of the Denver Mart鈥檚 revenue came from hosting weekly trade shows, and in February of this year it shuttered for good. With its closing, Axel Geittmann, owner of SuperFluent Sales and Marketing, saw an opportunity.

Geittmann, intent on launching a super-showroom, formed a steering committee with seven other local reps and reached out to developer Ken Gart, who had a vacant property in Lakewood, Colorado, a 15-minute drive from Denver. Within two months, the paperwork had been signed.

鈥淭he Denver Mart served as a proof of concept for what we鈥檙e doing now,鈥� said Geittmann, adding that national trade shows are increasingly about networking more than about doing business. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing like it out there and we鈥檙e excited to create this permanent solution.鈥�

Known as the Outdoor Market Alliance, the 30,000-square-foot space will open in October 2021 with room to significantly expand, a likely scenario considering the buzz it鈥檚 already generating. Coworking company Thrive Workplace signed the showroom鈥檚 ten-year master lease, and everyone else鈥攔ight now more than 25 outdoor sales agencies representing more than 175 brands鈥攑lan to sublease. There鈥檚 even talk of renting space in monthly increments, a more appealing option for smaller reps or those living farther afield.

For Sanitas Sales Group鈥檚 Keith Reis, a member of the steering committee, being able to display a robust line in good light makes a big difference. 鈥淕ood reps can make do in any environment and have for decades,鈥� Reis said. 鈥淪howrooms simply elevate the experience and make for a more positive, distraction-free line review.鈥�

Reis acknowledges that for reps who are already hitting their goals, the showroom concept might hold less charm. And when it comes to educating and training retail staff, in-store visits will always be necessary. But like virtual initiatives, such as robust online customer portals or video check-ins, showrooms are a pandemic upshot that鈥檚 here to stay.

As travel opens up, Morissette hopes to fly key dealers into Ojai for a more experiential buying experience, complete with a stay at the funky Airstream hotel down the street and climbing in nearby Wheeler Gorge. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my long-term plan with the showroom,鈥� said Morissette. 鈥淒o line showings, have people actually use the gear, and build relationships.鈥�

The post How Outdoor Sales Reps Are Reinventing Their Businesses appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Would you share your salary publicly? The idea makes most of us squirm鈥攂ut what if that’s exactly what we need to end unjust pay gaps?

This year has brought no shortage of equity commitments from the outdoor industry, yet pay transparency鈥攖he practice of making employee compensation figures visible, either internally or externally鈥攊s essentially nonexistent. A growing body of research suggests that the disconnect is a missed opportunity: Pay transparency is one of the most effective (and easiest) things a business can do to alleviate racial and gender pay discrepancies.

Across industries, white women typically make 81 cents for every dollar earned by white men, and the gap widens for women of color. And women, like black candidates, are viewed as less likable when they do negotiate. Salary secrecy also keeps entry-level positions fixed at lower rates, exacerbating the wealth gap (and encouraging folks to jump companies when they want a significant raise). When incomes are fixed and public, it’s much harder to maintain an overinflated pay gap.

Still, keeping mum about salaries is standard practice, allowing companies to maintain the upper hand while negotiating. If a talented staffer can be hired at an unfairly low rate, most businesses consider that a win. Salary secrecy also keeps with a culture that values individualism, and sees the sharing of personal finances as taboo. But secrecy can backfire.

“If people feel that pay is inequitable, bad things happen,” said Todd Zenger, professor of strategy and strategic leadership at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. “They leave organizations, they lobby for changes in pay, and their effort [as employees] declines.”

Nevertheless, companies that employ pay transparency remain outliers. Whole Foods and the software company Buffer are two notable examples of businesses that have adopted the process and are more egalitarian for it. Buffer made the move toward salary transparency in 2013, posting all employee salaries publicly online (including that of CEO Joel Gascoigne: $280,500).

Although transparency has allowed Buffer to eliminate the gender pay gap between people in comparable roles, men on average still make about $14,000 more than women due to overrepresentation in upper-level positions. Salary tracking and accountability, however, ensure the company is constantly improving.

“Basically, we need to hire more women in senior-level roles,” said Jenny Terry, Buffer’s finance and compliance manager. Like recruiting more people of color, it’s a pipeline issue the company is actively working to address.

Perhaps most surprising is the fact that within a month of making salaries public, job applications to Buffer doubled. “Pay transparency has been a huge driver for our inbound recruiting,” said Terry, noting that the practice removes guesswork for the applicant and bias for the hiring manager. “It’s been a really positive thing for company culture.”

A 2013 study out of the University of California, Berkeley, found that employees who knew their colleagues’ salaries put in significantly more effort than those with no knowledge of peer earnings. Terry said, “Salary transparency breeds trust, laying the foundation for teamwork and collaboration.” The flip side: Knowing your coworker makes more money can also breed resentment.

Companies can avoid any sense of bitterness by benchmarking base salaries against a data source and building a formula to account for things like seniority, cost of living, or other qualifications (no negotiating allowed). And remember that including pay philosophy鈥攎aking it clear how salaries are calculated and what career progression looks like鈥攊s crucial, too.

“Unless companies can publicly justify why someone should be paid more, they’re usually better off flattening pay,” said Zenger. Another option is to keep individual salary data private, while still publicizing the salary formula used, ranges of pay, and pertinent stats, such as women’s pay relative to men’s.

“Maintaining a sense of fairness in an organization is absolutely vital, and pay transparency plays into that,” said Zenger. The practice won’t eliminate all inequity in our industry, but it will help close the pay gap鈥攖hat’s a pretty good start.

The post Opinion: Pay Equity Starts with Pay Transparency appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Phil Jackson, the former basketball star, is considered among the best coaches of all time: to this day, he holds the record for the most championship wins in NBA history (11). Over the years, when questioned about his success as a coach, Jackson has often credited Native American culture鈥攁nd specifically his time spent on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota鈥攆or helping shape his leadership style. But what exactly are the leadership qualities he learned from the Lakota? And how might they apply to leaders in the outdoor industry?

To find out, we asked Phillip Scott, who has walked the Native path for more than 40 years and directs Ancestral Voice: Institute for Indigenous Lifeways, in Northern California. Of mixed ancestry, Scott is a veteran Sundancer, a traditional healer, and a ceremonial leader in the Lakota tradition as well as the Native American Church. Scott has been entrusted by elders from several Indigenous traditions to share wisdom and medicine practices with the contemporary world.

Think Circular, Not Top-down

In Indigenous traditions, leadership isn鈥檛 based on a hierarchy but rather a hoop, or a web of relationships that holds everyone and everything, from those working the retail front lines to the factory lines overseas.

鈥淚n a hoop, we’re all equally distant from the center, so there’s no one at the top who is barking commands or orders,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淚ndigenous governance is not based upon democracy, it’s based upon consensus.鈥� He added that since many Indigenous cultures are matrilineal and honor and respect the feminine, it鈥檚 especially important for women to be involved in all decision-making processes.

Scott acknowledges that a big company getting consensus from hundreds of employees isn鈥檛 exactly realistic, let alone conducive to getting things done. Still, the concept of a hoop, he says, can scale. Scott said, 鈥淲hat that means is that the CEO, for example, is going to trust their executives and managers of other departments, who in turn have their fingers on the pulse of the people they are representing.鈥�

Once the CEO listens to and talks to their core team鈥攄eep listening is crucial to good leadership鈥攖hey鈥檙e able to then render a decision that鈥檚 in the greatest good for the largest number of people. Thus, from big marketing campaigns to production overhauls, no decision is siloed and the effect on all individuals is considered.

Transparency Is Key

The circular system of governance, outlined above, doesn鈥檛 work without transparency. 鈥淚n leadership, there needs to be transparency,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淩ather than deceiving the people, a leader should be open, transparent, and accountable.鈥�

That means being explicit about things like company finances, supply chain, hiring practices (including how you determine salaries, raises, and bonuses), DEI and sustainability efforts, and where you鈥檙e banking. Today鈥檚 consumers expect complete transparency from the companies they support and your employees are no different (there鈥檚 also a ton of evidence that transparency will help your bottom line).

Indigenous cultures also believe that all leaders are human and will stumble in the course of their service. So to remain accessible and transparent, a good leader must also be humble. 鈥淭hey should constantly be tracking themselves, including their blunders, and acknowledging them,鈥� said Scott.

Scott also emphasizes that Indigenous leaders are highly visible and personable鈥攏ever giving the impression of inhabiting an ivory tower. In that vein, if you never share personal anecdotes when speaking, if you don鈥檛 join in on Slack conversations regularly, or rarely attend company socials, then you鈥檙e falling short as a leader.

鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 just be about stocks and money,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淚t should be about humanity and the love of the people that you’re serving.鈥�

We Are All Related

鈥淚f we look at Indigenous origin stories, people on this planet were the last beings created, not the first,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淭herefore, Indigenous cultures look to their elders for wisdom, guidance, and how we might walk in balance.鈥�

Our elders include the spirits, the elements, viruses and bacteria, the plant kingdom, and the animal kingdom. It goes back to thinking circularly: 鈥淭he Indigenous way of life is based on the Sacred Hoop of Life,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淚t’s a circle and everything is connected.鈥� This way of life is represented in the Lakota saying Mit谩kuye Oy谩s鈥檌艐, which means 鈥榓ll my relations鈥� and 鈥榳e are all related.鈥�

How does this perspective apply to the corporate structure? 鈥淚f we understand that we are all related鈥攁ccepting the fundamental interconnectivity of all of creation鈥攖hen our actions will reflect our desire to protect all life and all beings on earth,鈥� said Scott.

Take the example of packaging: 鈥淎 lot of the merchandise in the outdoor industry bothers me,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淓verything is wrapped in plastic and our oceans are choking in it. If the industry is to truly walk the talk of environmental awareness, it must harness human ingenuity and creativity to create packaging that is biodegradable or earth-friendly, versus perpetuating the problem of pollution.鈥�

We鈥檙e an industry that plays a lot of lip service to greening our supply chains and cutting down on waste, but all that talk means nothing if we don鈥檛 align our actions with our words. Good leaders, above all, are always true to their word. They also always consider future generations: 鈥淐orporations tend to think in terms of decades rather than centuries, but Indigenous people, we鈥檙e thinking in terms of seven generations,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淪o we need a 700-year plan.鈥�

Leading with Heart

鈥淎 leader needs to respond from a place of centeredness and sobriety,鈥� said Scott. 鈥淭hat means not getting intoxicated by the drama of a certain situation or the potential internal trauma that it might trigger.鈥�

When someone says something inappropriate to you, or an employee drops the ball on a big project, Scott says take a deep breath before you respond. Assess the situation, download all the information available to you, and then act from your heart to remedy the situation. A good leader understands that there鈥檚 something to be learned from all situations, favorable and unfavorable alike.

In the Western world, we tend to emphasize the mind, meaning that when we make decisions, we use it to guide our actions. That doesn鈥檛 jive with Indigenous wisdom though. 鈥淚ndigenous peoples understand that in addition to mind, we are composed of body, heart, and spirit, 鈥� said Scott. 鈥淎nd if we don’t cultivate these other three aspects then they’re going to atrophy.鈥�

A good leader should thus maintain a spiritual practice to stay connected to their internal compass, the heart (Phil Jackson, in addition to Native American spiritual beliefs, practiced elements of Zen Buddhism). Taking time to connect to nature should go hand in hand with things like meditation, ritual, and even prayer. Not only can a spiritual practice help shrink the ego, but it allows one to cultivate a relationship and seek guidance from the unseen forces that underlie everything.

The post Indigenous Leadership Lessons for the Outdoor Industry appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The holiday shopping season is well underway and despite a national spike in coronavirus cases, shoppers are still heading out to buy gifts in person.

What鈥檚 worked in the past for your store might not be the best strategy during a pandemic, so we asked two merchandising experts and a shop owner for tips on boosting last-minute holiday sales this year. They laid out ten tips to make sure you close out Q4 with a healthy balance sheet鈥攁nd build loyalty among your customers going into 2021.

Tell Sales Staff to Prioritize Efficiency

Despite the fact people are still shopping in person, it doesn鈥檛 mean they want to spend a lot of time in your store.

鈥淧eople shopping in-store want to be as efficient as possible,鈥� said Carrie Watson, retail coach at 国产吃瓜黑料 Looks. 鈥淭hey’re already braving the pandemic when they’re showing up at your location, so help them by treating their shopping list as a to-do list.鈥�

This will require a quick talk with your floor staff. Encourage them to work as efficiently as possible with shoppers. This isn鈥檛 the year for leisure shopping鈥攑eople want to get in, get what they need, and get out.

That means sales associates need to ask questions like, 鈥淲ho do you have left on your list?鈥� and 鈥淲hat gifts are you still missing?鈥� This will help them guide customers to the right products as quickly as possible.

Curate Ideas for Your Customers

鈥淪torytelling with your merchandising is huge,鈥� said Jordan Martindell, an outdoor industry professional who spent years merchandising for the holiday season at Anthropologie. 鈥淚f you have a top-selling sweater that you have folded on a table, put a backpack or a fanny pack there, as well as a water bottle and a book about hiking. You’re basically telling the customer all of these items work together as a cohesive gift.鈥�

They may not buy all four items, but they might buy two of them.

Christine Iksic, co-owner of the Pittsburgh-based gear shop 3 Rivers Outdoor Co., has a similar strategy: She curates gift baskets for her followers.

鈥淚 send out an email blast with a gift guide that鈥檚 basically three or four items we put together for 鈥榗offee lovers鈥� or 鈥楶ennsylvania hikers,鈥� or whomever,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you buy all four items, you get 10 percent off.鈥� Iksic鈥檚 in-store tables also highlight these groupings鈥攁 way of doubling down on the strategy.

Watson, who has more than a decade of outdoor industry experience, also recommends the tactic. With any curated gift idea, she says, it鈥檚 important to clearly define the ideal recipient. That way, the customer鈥檚 mind more easily lands on something like, 鈥淭hat reminds me of my sister or my husband, who I still need to get a gift for.鈥�

Increase the Amount of Product on the Floor

Martindell learned from her years at Anthropologie that it鈥檚 important to increase the amount of product on the floor during the holiday season.

鈥淲hat we typically had on the floor increased pretty dramatically during the holidays,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f we typically had six water bottles on a table, we鈥檇 increase it to 10. You want to make sure you have everything you need out on the floor to accommodate the traffic that’s coming in and out of your store.鈥�

Group Items by Category, Not by Brand

鈥淎 lot of places will merchandise their stores based on brand, with Patagonia over here and Columbia over there,鈥� said Martindell. 鈥淏ut during the holidays, it’s good to pull together certain categories, like your top five best-selling jackets.鈥�

In other words, take stock of which items reliably drive your sales and group those together.

鈥淧eople don’t necessarily walk into a store with a specific jacket in mind,鈥� said Martindell. Instead, shoppers arrive knowing they want a jacket of some kind, but usually wait to see their options before making a choice. So make it easy on them: 鈥淵ou want to give them the ability to see all options at once.鈥�

Pay Close Attention to Your Stock

This may seem obvious, but Martindell says it鈥檚 something stores often overlook.

鈥淎ny piece that鈥檚 displayed in your window or on your mannequins you need to actually have in stock,鈥� said Martindell, noting that those window pieces are often what bring people into a store in the first place. 鈥淚t’s not difficult鈥攊t just means paying attention and looking at your mannequins more frequently.鈥�

Regularly ensuring your displays align with your stock also allows you to avoid last-minute orders. 鈥淲e all know receiving has been crazy this year,鈥� said Watson. 鈥淯sing your current stock means you don’t have to make a promise to a customer that you’ll get something in.鈥�

Get in the Holiday Spirit…

This season, Iksic has regularly updated her store鈥檚 Instagram Stories in order to highlight specific products.

鈥淣ext Monday鈥檚 theme will be last-minute stocking stuffers,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 basically walk through the store and highlight certain items, talking about them, and showing the price.鈥�

The cleverest part of this system: Iksic allows customers to respond directly to the Instagram Stories with order requests鈥攁 small DIY ecommerce hack that can move the needle on sales.

Iksic also bought a handful of miniature Santa鈥檚 elves and hid them around the store this year to drive viral marketing.

鈥淚f customers find them, take a picture, and post it to social, they get 10 percent off when they show it at the counter,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e made it harder [to find the elves] this week and upped the discount to 15 percent.鈥�

…But Don鈥檛 Take It Too Far

鈥淭he 鈥榗olor story鈥� in your displays is always important,鈥� said Martindell, 鈥渂ut you don’t necessarily want to put all the red hats and all the green hats together.鈥�

That, she says, could also peg you as exclusively Christmas-oriented.

鈥淵es, Christmas is probably the driving holiday, but as a brand, you don鈥檛 want that to be all you serve. In the political-social climate that we live in today, getting away from obvious holiday themes is a good idea.鈥�

She recommends sticking a more generic 鈥榳inter鈥� theme, which appeals to everyone.

Develop a Backup Plan

Martindell recommends spending early Friday mornings resetting the store before it opens for the weekend, as well as briefing staff on a backup plan for inventory challenges.

鈥淚f you have a gangbusters Saturday and your floor looks like it’s been completely shopped, your team needs to know how to flip [the store] to have a successful Sunday,鈥� she said.

That means having a backup plan for best-selling items that might go out of stock. If you anticipate a well-performing item going out of stock by Saturday night, you need to know what you鈥檙e going to replace it with for the Sunday rush, Martindell says. You need to develop that plan鈥攁nd, critically, you need to communicate it to your staff.

Don鈥檛 Neglect Your 鈥楪rab and Go鈥� Section

You know how grocery stores always put candy and lip balm near the checkout? You want to make sure you have similar 鈥渃ounter candy鈥� in your space, especially to target folks waiting in line.

鈥淐reate a display [near the register] with a bunch of smaller items, like his and hers stocking stuffers鈥� said Martindell. 鈥淭he easier you make those last-minute purchases, the better.鈥�

Having a section dedicated to accessories is important for the same reason. 鈥淐reate a section in your store devoted to hats, scarfs, mittens, and gloves,” Martindell said.

Use New Year鈥檚 Resolutions as a Sales Tool

Looking beyond the holidays, Watson recommends creating displays that use New Year鈥檚 resolutions as a sales tactic. Customers are already in a shopping mindset for the holidays. Why not encourage them to spend a little on themselves, too?

鈥淢aybe [a customer] got that ultralight tent and now they’re ready for the next thing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about continuing the conversation with customers and guiding them through the process of becoming better. They’re looking to us as retailers and product experts to be able to outfit them so they can realize their goals.鈥�

The post 10 Tips for Boosting Last-Minute Holiday Sales at Your Outdoor Store appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Studies show that cultivating belonging in the workplace is crucial to employee happiness, retention, and overall productivity. In an inclusive work environment, employees feel like they can show up as their true selves鈥攍eading to more honest communication and less staff churn. One of the best ways to build inclusivity in the workplace is through Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs.

What Is an ERG?

At its core, an Employee Resource Group (sometimes called an Affinity Group), is an employee-led club. Although ERGs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion are perhaps the most well known, an ERG can tackle any cause employees feel strongly about. ERGs can also be a way of celebrating a shared identity, or a way to invest in the professional development of historically marginalized or underrepresented groups.

According to Aiko Bethea, equity consultant and founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting, 鈥淓RGs are the glue to the culture of an organization.鈥�

Examples of some hypothetical ERGs:

• Working Parents
• LGBTQ+ Employees
• Latinx Employees
• Mental Health Advocacy Group
• Followers of Islam
• Employees for Fair Pay
• Remote Workers
• Immigrants and Expats
• Sustainability Committee
• Differently Abled Employees
• Young Professionals

If you feel like something is missing in your company culture and your coworkers feel similarly, consider starting an ERG.

Why ERGs Matter

A report from Bentley University found that almost 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have ERGs, and that on average, 8.5 percent of employees at U.S. companies are ERG members. ERGs make employees feel more welcome at work and offer an opportunity to be heard and valued by leadership, building a sense of loyalty and connection.

鈥淓RGs are a great way for C-suite leadership to be mentored by their own employees about topics they may not encounter every day,鈥� said Bethea. 鈥淓RGs can help leaders understand how their own actions may indirectly impact individuals they don’t have proximity to. It can also help them keep their finger on the pulse of the company culture.鈥�

ERGs offer anyone, regardless of job title, the opportunity to build valuable leadership and problem-solving skills. In certain cases, they can even function as focus groups for product testing. At their core, ERGs help build companies that better reflect the demographics of this country; they are, therefore, the perfect tool for guiding business decisions that promote more inclusive products and services.

VF Corporation, the parent company of The North Face and Smartwool, treats ERGs as a way to 鈥渇oster diversity of thought and help transform individual differences into insights and capabilities that fuel growth.鈥�

Since 2017, VF has made a serious effort to promote ERGs within the company. VF leaders have developed toolkits for establishing and maintaining groups, held quarterly ERG steering committee meetings, offered regular communication and learning opportunities related to ERGs, and worked to engage ERG members with VF鈥檚 board of directors.

The company has benefitted greatly from its efforts to promote inclusion and foster the creation of ERGs. Follow the steps below, and you can help your organization reap the same rewards.

Getting Your ERG Started

To start an ERG, you need at least two passionate individuals at your company and a desire to create a better company culture.听Although ERGs often grow over time, bigger isn鈥檛 necessarily better鈥攚hat鈥檚 important is that your ERG fills a need and that participants are actively invested.

Step 1

If there are no (or few) existing ERGs at your organization, make sure you speak with HR and obtain buy-in from leadership before getting started. If possible, try to recruit an executive sponsor鈥攕omeone in a position of leadership with access to the C suite鈥攖o empower your group and give it visibility, without taking away its autonomy. Although not strictly necessary, getting leadership on board can ensure the success of your ERG in the long term.

鈥淟eadership needs to bolster and support ERGs, to be ambassadors for them, as if they were a critical part of their strategic plan,鈥� said Bethea.

If you鈥檝e underscored the value of your ERG to leadership and still have trouble obtaining buy-in, you may need to recruit more people to show that it鈥檚 not a niche request but one with widespread support.

Step 2

Next, assemble your ERG team and establish a communication plan. Workshopping ideas and getting to know each other over lunch is a good option. When recruiting members, identify some people who are willing to take on leadership roles.

Remember: ERGs are not cliques. They need to be accessible to anyone who wishes to join.

鈥淓RGs need to be inclusive,” said Bethea. “If you have a Black ERG, it needs to be open to anyone who鈥檚 Asian, anyone who鈥檚 white. The trick is to make sure your ERG is inclusive enough that learning is happening, so you can really have an impact on the organization.鈥�

Hammer out the logistics, such as when and how often you鈥檒l meet, how you鈥檒l communicate, and what roadblocks you might potentially face. Recruit others by advertising the ERG in your company newsletter, at your next all-hands meeting, or even with posters around your office.

Step 3

Once you鈥檝e recruited your first members and have secured company support, assess your company鈥檚 needs and set goals for your ERG. Are you trying to attract more diverse talent to your company? Is there currently a pay gap? Do you have ideas for making your office and operations greener?

A mental health advocacy ERG, for example, might seek to reduce stigma around mental health through social connection, education, and peer support, leading to a more productive workplace. Although ERGs will foster community, they should never just be about food, fun, and festivities.

鈥淓RGs are about people saying, 鈥榃e鈥檙e here for it鈥欌�攁cknowledging that there鈥檚 a problem and being part of the solution,鈥� said Bethea.

Your ERG should align with your company鈥檚 broader goals. As you craft your mission statement and charter documentation, make sure to include how it would support core company values. By defining your group鈥檚 purpose and scope, you鈥檒l draw in new members, demonstrate its value to the company at large, and maintain a focused agenda.

Step 4

Finally, launch your ERG, identifying long-term goals and definitions of success. Get to work brainstorming possible events for your first year.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

There are several pitfalls that can kill an ERG in its early stages. Here are the issues to avoid.

Lack of Funding

From an operational perspective, it鈥檚 critically important that your company provides financial support to your ERG.

鈥淥rganizations shouldn鈥檛 force ERGs to be happy with crumbs off the table,鈥� said Bethea. 鈥淭hey shouldn鈥檛 feed them a narrative of scarcity but rather one of abundance. They should invest in ERGs willingly.鈥�

Individuals should create budget proposals that outline the potential impact of any funding, Bethea says. It’s also important for those taking on the labor of running ERGs to be compensated for their time: 鈥淓RG leaders are doing critical work for an organization, and often it鈥檚 the people who are the most underrepresented taking on the lion鈥檚 share of the effort. What happens is, you end up getting free labor from people who need the most support.鈥�

Lack of Collaboration

If there are multiple ERGs at your company, it鈥檚 helpful if all groups communicate and coordinate regularly. ERGs should avoid the tendency to isolate themselves from one another.

鈥淐ompanies should require ERGs to share their strategic plans so they can identify opportunities to collaborate and avoid duplicative work,鈥� said Bethea, who suggests that ERGs share budgets and work together on events at least twice a year. 鈥淵ou really want ERGs to function as a collaborative group of culture-keepers.鈥�

ERGs that isolate themselves have a tendency to become territorial, said Bethea: 鈥淵ou can get people feeling like they own a topic.鈥�

To avoid the problem, ERG leaders should make a point of appreciating intersectionality and welcoming a diverse membership. Help encourage diversity by advertising your meetings publicly and holding them at times when working parents can participate.

鈥淭he last thing you want is for your ERG to become an echo chamber,鈥� said Bethea. 鈥淭he way you start your ERG is the way people are going to perceive it down the road.鈥�

That said, ERGs can鈥攁nd should鈥攕imultaneously preserve safe spaces for members to connect exclusively with others who share their experience.

“There’s a big tension with saying ERGs should be for everyone because there’s an assumption this means taking away safe spaces,” Bethea said. “I definitely believe that those safe spaces need to be preserved. You can still have activities that are only for specific groups of employees to support and connect with one another. You can say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e having an event where Black employees can connect and share in a safe environment.鈥� Usually when you say something like that, people honor it.鈥�

Lack of Accessibility

An ERG that doesn’t make it easy for newcomers to get involved is doomed to fail. Participation should be made as easy as possible for ERGs to thrive.

ERG leaders can support strong engagement by convening regularly, publishing agendas, and sending notes to members who aren鈥檛 able to attend meetings. If your company uses Slack, you can create a channel in which members can ask questions, share relevant articles and ideas, and maintain regular communication.

If All Else Fails…

If your ERG hits a roadblock or you鈥檙e in need of advice, consider seeking out an expert consultant like Bethea. Since ERGs are volunteer-led, it鈥檚 important to remember that you might not nail everything immediately. Follow all the steps outlined here, and you鈥檒l be off to a good start.

The post How to Start an Employee Resource Group at Your Company appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.