“Big
ideas come from forward thinking people who challenge the norm,
think outside the box, and invent the world they see inside rather than
submitting to the limitations of current dilemmas” –T.D. Jakes
“Go
Forward” is how we speak about our diversity efforts here at
Gannett. At Gannett, our success is leveraged when it involves all of us.
Diversity is a part of our company’s fabric (we are continuously trying to
weave a better fabric), and our workplaces thrive on the greater knowledge,
precision and insight drawn from everyone’s backgrounds, experiences, thoughts,
beliefs, skills and abilities. We also respect our similarities and differences
and embrace, through hiring and engagement practices, a culture that seeks
inclusion at all levels of the organization. We want to reflect our
nation’s communities. We want a lens from all views on any given
topic. We want to engage in discussions that drive us forward
– as a country, as a company, as individuals. It is about
connecting.
Why “Go
Forward”? As Sheryl Sanberg says, “Knowing that things could be
worse should not stop us from trying to make them better.” I have never been a big fan at looking
back. Success is made from believing you can make change. Looking
back at failure or looking back at success will only limit you in what you feel
is possible moving forward. We are making Gannett a place
where everyone feels comfortable and everyone feels they can make a
difference. Am I naive to think this exists with every employee in every
location today? Certainly not. Can we continuously work to improve
going forward? Certainly, we can!
I
received feedback from one of my last blogs about some issues with the culture
in one of our locations. Was it good feedback? No. Did it
allow me to see the truth? Yes. Did we take action to make it
better going forward? Certainly, we did. I am one
leader in this organization with a relatively small team, but we all feel like
we can make a difference going forward. The ability to
learn is the most important quality a leader can have.
How can
we better connect people to move forward with greater
understanding? There is not one silver bullet answer, but we are trying
new things here at Gannett – taking on the big and bold.
How are
we connecting? Well… one way is through building awareness around the
importance of difference. I am launching a video series where I have
brief (5 minutes or less) video conversations with employees about their
backgrounds, their life experiences and HOW those life experiences flavor the
way the work on an everyday basis (I am still looking for some ideas on what to
call this video series so please send me your thoughts). I want to focus
on the sum of our different characteristics that shape our identities,
experiences and perspectives … and ultimately reflect how we work.
How do we bring together and bind with our diverse tools and
resources, in a way that is beneficial to all employees? We have many
efforts like this at Gannett which will put diversity into action by creating
an environment of involvement, respect, and connection—where the richness of
ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are connected to create business value.
We also
have launched Employee Resource Groups. I sponsor the LGBTQIA group at
Gannett. Do I know all the answers? No. Do I understand all
the issues? No. Am I supportive and learning something new every
day? Yes. Are we moving forward? Yes. Are some people
not happy with changes we are making going forward?
Yes. If I focused on pleasing everyone, we would not be making enough
progress moving our company culture forward.
Our
commitment, my commitment, is approached with an open mind as we strive for a
richer understanding. An understanding of each other and the distinct
communities and customers we serve through high-quality content, products,
expertise and services. When everyone matters and is
included; we are a smarter, stronger and more successful media network. Together.
We. Win.
Dave Harmon
People Division
“Kindness is Currency”
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr
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