It’s COVID *and* diversity, not either or.
Before we get to the money: stay home, stay safe, and best wishes.
I’ve written about the temptation to assume the corporate focus on climate is cancelled because of COVID-19 here.
It may be equally tempting to assume the same about other ESG topics, like Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). COVID-19 brings out the best in us, as we have seen document from balconies and hospitals, but it is also bringing out the bigotry in our systems. This imbalance is all too familiar to the marginalized and their allies. Now, far from pushing D&I to the background, COVID-19 is bringing it to the corporate world’s front door.
Right now, ESG professionals can reiterate the constant relevance of D&I to preoccupied executives the COVID-19 lens. This includes:
- bias against those who present as Asian*;
- privilege disparity between employees;
- privilege disparity between customers.
How an ESG leader responds to each of these is dependent on the company culture and services. There are consistencies for all companies, however.
Keep it focused on the business.
Obviously discrimination is reprehensible, disgusting, and wrong, wrong, wrong. Since those facts alone do not keep people from doing it, or businesses from inadvertently allowing it, speak about D&I and COVID-19 through dollars. (Feel free to remind people not to be jerks, too. But you may get farther with the dollars.) There are 18+M Asian Americans who are your customers and target audiences. Isolating them is not good for business.
If you work in the travel and tourism space like me, your raison d’etre is to connect people. And, for example, there is always the massive amount of tourism dollars that Chinese tourist alone bring into the US.
Research your customer base and industry. You will find the dollar contribution of Asian-presenting business partners and customers for your industry and product.
Know the war terminology is real.
Corporate slang so frequently uses war terminology (‘let’s attack this’) that when we are at war with a virus, ‘front line’ doesn’t convey urgency. ESG ‘knows’ now is a time to associate that danger and emotion with the workforce who cannot stay home. It is obvious through a ESG lens, but many delivery services are struggling with it.
After health, most of the world is anxious to overwrought about personal financial security. Learn from other brands’ mistakes and wins. Look at how your product or service could give people money back, like JetBlue waiving fees and cutting executive compensation.
A) Save wartime and security terminology for customers and work forces who can’t stay home. B) Talk about the long-term but only if also speaks to the real risk too many face to keep a business going.
Stay safe, stay home, and check out more for COVID-19 & ESG here and here.
*even as the President pulls back from creating the association.
