Driving Business Value through DEI with Frank Clark

 

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan talks to Frank Clark, a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) expert and CEO of Via Group Partners about the importance of having a DEI strategy for your business.

When asked, Frank defined DEI as, “Diversity is diversity of thought. Diversity of experiences. Diversity of, of course, ethnicity. And diversity of professional pedigree. It comes in all shapes and sizes… So, today, it’s very prevalent today because diversity, equity and inclusion drives business value.”

According to Frank, DEI isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business. “It drives business performance. It drives value. It drives innovation. It drives creativity.”

Frank shared a great case study of a company where his team is currently working on a DEI strategy. He noted that most companies see the benefit of DEI when they are compared to similar companies that are focused on DEI. “A homogeneous company underperforms one that is diverse. Always.” Explained Frank.

The company in the case study was doing well, but not exceptionally well. Of the other companies they looked at in their analysis, Frank noted, “9 out of 10 had diverse leadership. And, 9 out of 10 had a diverse board. They had diversity in experiences, diversity in professional pedigree, diversity in ethnicity, diversity in approach and strategic thinking, in philosophy.” And they were all outperforming the company in the case study.

During the interview, Frank shared some tips that can help companies that want to have DEI as part of their business strategy get started. And remember to listen to the end to get Frank’s BIG tip.

Frank’s Giveaway

Frank is offering a 30-minute consultant to Training Unleashed listeners to look at DEI as part of your business strategy. You can connect with Frank through their website at: https://viagrouppartners.com/

About Our Guest

Frank Clark is an experienced business builder and CEO of Via Group Partners. He brings deep expertise in the areas of operational, business development, strategy and M&A leadership. Over his 25-year executive career, Frank has led and mobilized teams in hyper-competitive corporate and entrepreneurial cultures. He has also built businesses organically from zero to $500M per year in large matrixed corporate environments, such as RR Donnelley where he held the position of Business Unit President. Frank previously served as Senior Vice President and Corporate Strategy head for Hoshizaki America. In addition to Via Group Partners, Frank is also the CEO and Managing Partner of CEG, LLC a middle market private equity firm with a focus on business services, manufacturing, technology and industrial services.

Frank serves on numerous for-profit and nonprofit boards including University of Chicago Medicine, American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois, Illinois Institute of Technology, One Hope United, Earthwise Global, Liberty Advisor Group, SG360, and Diversys Software. He has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelors in Economics from Northern Illinois University.

2021-05-13T07:59:15-04:00May 13, 2021|

Fixing Workplace Injustice with Kim Scott and Trier Bryant

 

In this episode of Training Unleashed, Evan is joined by Kim Scott and Trier Bryant, co-founders of Just Work LLC. They have a very interesting discussion about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace and how we can be part of the solution to fix workplace injustice.

Just Work, the company, takes the theory from Kim’s most recent book, Just Work, and puts it to work. According to their research, bias, prejudice and bullying are the root causes of workplace injustice and each cause problems in the workforce, AND there are different ways to respond to each whether it is happening to you or you are an upstander.

Not only do Kim and Trier provide great examples of how to respond to bias, prejudice and bullying, they also give guidance on what leaders need to have in place in the workplace to help guide them, whether that be values, a code of conduct or consequences. But you’ll need to listen to the episode to get all of the great tips and guidance they provide.

And, their tips and guidance aren’t just for the workplace… think about children having to deal with bias, prejudice and bullying. Their advice can be used where ever you encounter injustice.

This is a great interview with Kim and Trier sharing their experiences, and tips to help you create the kind of environment where everyone can do their best work and enjoy working together. Remember to listen to the end to hear their BIG tip and giveaway available on the Just Work website.

Kim and Trier’s Giveaway

Kim and Trier are currently curating personal stories to help bring the Just Work framework to life. They invite Training Unleashed listeners to share your story with them by completing an online form on their website: https://www.justworktogether.com/share-your-story

About Our Guests

Kim Scott is the author of Just Work: Get *t Done Fast and Fair as well as Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. Trier Bryant and Kim co-founded the company Just Work to help organizations and individuals create more equitable workplaces. Jason Rosoff and Kim co-founded the company Radical Candor to help people cultivate caring and candid relationships at work by implementing a feedback-first culture.. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. Earlier in her career Kim managed a pediatric clinic in Kosovo and started a diamond-cutting factory in Moscow. She lives with her family in Silicon Valley.

Trier Bryant is Co-Founder and CEO of Just Work LLC. She is a strategic executive leader with distinctive Tech, Wall Street, and military experience spanning over 15 years. She’s previously held leadership roles at Astra, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, and proudly served as a combat veteran in the United States Air Force as a Captain leading engineering teams while spearheading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the Air Force Academy, Air Force, and DoD. Additionally, Trier advises leading companies like Equinox, Airbnb, SoundCloud, Alto, Rockefeller Foundation, and others on their talent and DEI strategies. Trier has an unwavering commitment to employees within organizations to create a more equitable, inclusive, and thriving workplaces producing prosperous companies. She has been featured as an influential DEI practitioner by several publications and outlets from USA Today to CNN and SXSW. Trier earned a B.S. in Systems Engineering with a minor in Spanish and Leadership from the United States Air Force Academy (Beat Army, Sink Navy) where she played Division I volleyball. Trier enjoys spending time with her close knit family who taught her to live by the family motto “…good enough isn’t.”

2021-04-29T09:16:46-04:00April 27, 2021|
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