The Lens

focusing on workforce and economic development issues

AVOIDING ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

The educational trajectory of every worker on every level should never level out

OUT OF MANY, ONE

The three pillars of diversity, equity and inclusion must be taught to ensure workplace harmony

SMART MONEY

Investing in your employees will help your business pay dividends

1 | TARRANT COUNTY COLLEGE

Technology has changed the game.

Your business is always evolving. As it does, TCC can work with you on everything from advanced manufacturing and process improvement to organizational effectiveness. Contact us today to learn more.

corporate.tccd.edu

The Key to Meeting Job Demand?

Collaboration A Message From the Chancellor

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hen I joined Tarrant County College in 2016, I was drawn both to the growth that is happening in North Texas, as well as community support coming in the way of funding and governance. An alive and expanding region, North Texas is prime for employers, site selectors and economic developers to put down roots and grow. With TCC ranked as one of the 20 largest higher-education institutions in the nation, the prospect for industry collaboration is enormous.

Community colleges are a great match to fill resource gaps, given that six-to-seven million jobs in America go unfilled, primarily due to an unskilled workforce, and 44 of the top 50 highest-demand jobs in the country require something more than a high school diploma but less than a baccalaureate. This is our sweet spot. We’re here to provide a degree program or training to gain a certificate, as well as ongoing learning and development opportunities for incumbent workers.

Today, TCC is engaged and involved with local businesses, from the largest employers all the way down to one- and two-person shops and entrepreneurs. Looking through the lens of workforce and economic development, we continue to invest and build our capabilities and resources to respond to a full range of industry learning and development needs, including an increasing demand for upskilling of a shorter nature.

As you read through this first edition of The Lens, which focuses on some of today’s biggest workforce development issues, my hope is that you’ll come away feeling as inspired and energized about the future as I do.

While change is never easy, the answers to today’s workforce issues can be solved together, ultimately resulting in a stronger community for us all.

Regards,

Eugene Giovannini, EdD chancellor, tarrant county college district

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Why You Need to Invest in Your Employees Studies point to the incredible value of investing time and money in your team by tyler hicks

The Great Corporate Melting Pot Diversity, equity and inclusion are pillars of a successful workforce, but too many employers realize this when it’s too late to win hearts and minds by karen robinson-jacobs

People: The #1 Asset of Any Organization Understanding the real ROI of employee development helps companies have happier employees by jennifer blalock, edd

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Focusing In On Workforce & Economic Development A Message From the Editor

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elcome to the inaugural edition of The Lens magazine. In this publication, we are laser-focused on workforce and economic development issues, featuring value-based articles that empower and inspire employers, site selectors and economic developers to think differently.

Through this lens, workforce development is all about creating a talented and skilled workforce, leading to gainful employment.

Economic development goes further, encompassing all aspects of workforce development to nurture communities for prosperity, well-being and long-term, sustainable growth. Of course, economic development can never be dependent on one person, entity, challenge or issue. Rather, it is a compilation of us all.

In this spirit, we believe the workforce and economic development lens needs to focus on people as the number-one asset for any business, with diversity, equity and inclusion of vital importance as it relates to talent growth and retention. Recognizing how training is different from learning and development, as well as the importance of both hard and soft skills, is of essential importance to economic advancement. Together, we rise!

Our goal for The Lens is to add value to you, your business and our community. Your feedback is important to us, and we hope to hear from you at corporate.solutions@tccd.edu. If you are an employer or in the workforce or economic development space, please share your insights, thoughts and suggestions for compelling topics you would like us to cover in future issues.

My Best, photo by david halloran

Shannon E. Bryan t, MEd, CWDP, LSSGB executive vice president for corporate solutions & economic development, tarrant county college district host, the workforce lens podcast editor-in-chief, the lens magazine publication

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From Tarrant County and Beyond

Driving in the Corporate Solutions Fast Lane

by the numbers

by jennifer blalock, edd

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CONTRIBUTORS

Lines of Communication

Working Through the Unknown

by wendy weinhold, phd

by bruce tomaso

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16

Sound of Body and Mind

The Marriage of Training With Learning & Development

by wendy weinhold, phd

by karen robinson-jacobs

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20

What Does Advanced Manufacturing Have to do With Football?

A Seat at the Table

by liz willding robbins

by adam pitluk, phd

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Intrinsic Worth

Behavior Drives Culture

by tyler hicks

by bruce tomaso

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Shannon Bryant, MEd, CWDP, LSSGB Executive Vice President for Corporate Solutions & Economic Development, Tarrant County College District Host, The Workforce Lens Podcast Jennifer Blalock, EdD, Dwan Bryant, PhD, Rick Gosselin, Tyler Hicks, Karen Robinson-Jacobs, Liz Willding Robbins, Bruce Tomaso, Trokon Tompo, Wendy Weinhold, PhD

CHANCELLOR

Eugene Giovannini, EdD BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Conrad Heede, President Teresa Ayala, Vice President Diane Patrick, PhD, Secretary Bill Greenhill, District 4 Leonard Hornsby, District 5 Gwendolyn Morrison, District 6 Kenneth Barr, District 7 EDITORIAL ADVISORS

Reginald Gates Kristen Bennett

PRESIDENT/CEO

Kimberly Ferrante GROUP PUBLISHER

Adam Pitluk, PhD CREATIVE DIRECTOR

David Halloran COPY EDITOR

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Human Capital Trends For the Future

Meet Dr. Kristen Bennett

by jennifer blalock, edd

by tyler hicks

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Find Your Strategic Clarity

Football’s First Hail Mary Pass

take the quiz

by rick gosselin

Becky Williams ABOUT MIDWEST LUXURY PUBLISHING Midwest Luxury Publishing is a full-service communications outfit made up of experienced industry experts. We are your turnkey provider for all your communications and publishing needs.

CONTACT THE PUBLISHER

info@midwestluxurypublishing.com midwestluxurypublishing.com 917.447.7731

The Lens, published by Midwest Luxury Publishing, LLC, for TCC’s Department of Corporate Solutions & Economic Development, celebrates local corporations, workforce, residents and guests from around the world, giving TCC one of the most diverse portfolios in higher education.

All material is strictly copyright protected and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the copyright holder. All information and data are correct at the time of publication. Opinions expressed in The Lens are not necessarily those of Midwest Luxury Publishing, and Midwest Luxury Publishing does not accept responsibility for advertising content. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk and are the property of the owner.

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BY THE NUMBERS

From Tarrant County and Beyond The stats behind one of the fastest-growing markets in the country

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Driving in the Corporate Solutions Fast Lane The role of many community colleges has expanded to include being an economic spark plug by jennifer blalock, edd

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cross the board, the community college is increasingly recognized as the pivotal intersection between education and economic development. Its ability to quickly anticipate, adapt and respond to workforce shifts, demands and trends positions it at the center of a community’s strategic economic planning. This symbiotic connection with labor needs and economic forecasting creates a critical call to action for community college leadership to prioritize its noncredit and professional development programming.

Dr. Brent Stubbs, vice president for economic development at Savannah Technical College, appreciates the significance of the public community and technical college as a catalyst for community economic growth and recovery. From stackable credentials to apprenticeships, he acknowledges community colleges will lead the way.

“We have to be dialed in to the current and future needs of employers,” he says. “We have to ensure our curriculum and equipment meets industry standards.”

Stubbs recommends aligning programs of study with labor projections: He encourages focusing on the development of business partnerships with living wage employers; and he champions accelerated credentialing to address real-time workforce shortages.

Shannon Bryant, executive vice president of Tarrant County College District’s Corporate Solutions & Economic Development, was tapped

by Chancellor Eugene Giovannini to build a dynamic workforce team of subject matter experts and industry leaders who can serve the emerging training and immediate call for upskilling of incumbent and onboarding talent. Giovannini himself is no stranger to the field, having previously served as the founding president of 8 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

Maricopa Corporate College in Arizona, an institution recognized for setting the standard of corporate training and positioning the community college as the bridge between business and education.

Likewise, Bryant’s career path has also been dedicated to the field, and she emphasizes the importance of sharing the responsibility of supporting economic growth in the institution’s surrounding community.

“It’s our priority to be ready to meet these demands in real time, working at the pace of business,” Bryant says. “That may be somewhat of a shift for other community colleges, but for Tarrant County College, we embrace the opportunity to be recognized by our local government leaders, elected officials and workforce stakeholders as trusted economic drivers.”

Public/private partnerships provide a clear pathway for acceleration.

Dr. Derrick Manns, a veteran community college administrator and former vice president of partnerships at one of the largest community college systems in Texas, affirms how instrumental these collaborations between community colleges and businesses can be.

Ray Dunlap, a veteran economic development leader in Terrell, Texas, recently partnered with his area community college, investing in a new health science center and the Career and Technical Education programs. “We recognized the jobs of the future are going to rely heavily on community college, specifically their CTE programs and on-demand, real-time training that anticipates industry growth and innovation.”

“These partnerships are critical for the potential employment of our students and for the current and anticipated hiring needs of the companies,” Manns says, citing a previous partnership with a major logistics and shipping powerhouse. “We partnered with them to provide on-site recruitment and education about the career pathways available in their company.” This also resulted in development of scholarships for students who elected to pursue credit and non-credit programs aligned with the company’s vacancies.

“It was truly a win-win for the company, the college, and most importantly, the students.”

The most compelling evidence to support the importance of the community college in building the talent pipeline of the future and thrusting a community’s economic development forward is in the student employment data and stories.

In February 2021, the Department of Labor released its most recent findings concerning post-graduation employment of community college students. Employment for those with at least a community college degree or some college was up considerably. David Deming, a professor and director of the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, makes the case that the affordability and reputation of the community college solidifies its central role in economic development. “Community colleges need to be at the center of talent development for millions of American workers.”

Maylee DeJesus has earned both degrees and credentials from her community college in South Florida. Currently, DeJesus is a deputy

city clerk, a role she’s earned through a combination of experience and completion of both credit and non-credit programming.

“Attending community college helped me demonstrate to my employer I was serious about being successful within the organization and validated my interest in growing with them,” she says. In order to achieve her promotions, DeJesus continued to enroll in courses while working and sought out industry-recognized certifications, earning an Associate’s, a Bachelor’s, and both the Certified Municipal Clerk designation (CMC) and the Master Municipal Clerk designation (MMC). DeJesus was able to juggle working full time, completing courses and raising two daughters alone, thanks to the flexibility of the coursework and her relentless desire to achieve her goals.

She’s even recently launched her own travel company, leveraging her high drive for success, time management and business acumen.

The opportunity is both clear and compelling: Community colleges are best positioned to provide the highest return on learning and development of current and incumbent talent. From upskilling to reskilling to customized corporate training, community colleges like Tarrant County College truly are the engines that will provide the biggest impact on economic development and post-COVID recovery.

Jennifer Blalock, EdD, has spent over two decades leading teams in post-secondary education and municipal government. Currently the chief energy officer of InJenuity Solutions, Blalock develops, facilitates and evaluates workforce, economic and organizational development programs to maximize effectiveness and performance through coaching, experiential learning and training.

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Lines of Communication Having a handle on soft skills will determine your company’s reputation by wendy weinhold, phd

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he secret to prosperity in the workplace may start with a good product, but workers’ adaptability, empathy and collaborative spirit are often more important for cementing the long-term success of a business.

Often known as “soft skills,” some of the most prized professional abilities are also the most elusive. These skills include verbal and nonverbal communication, teamwork and resilience. Some of these essential skills for success in today’s workplace have often been the most overlooked—until the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to work from home and in the digital realm.

The move to digital work environments highlighted the value of professionals who possess a high acumen for empathetic and effective communication skills. Since the pandemic, a flurry of requests for professional development training focused on improving workplace communication has kept Dallas-based leadership expert David Cohen very busy.

“I think businesses are realizing you can’t say, ‘I’m not empathetic, I’m not an outgoing person.’ There’s no excuse for that now,” says Cohen. “When people quit, they’re not quitting their job, they’re quitting their boss.”

In other words, workplaces need to move beyond technical, product-oriented knowledge. Today’s most effective professional 10 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

environments should focus on encouraging employees to engage one another and innovate.

Most workplaces are full of talkers, but Cohen says what most workplaces really need is people who will stop and listen. Skilled leaders let the people around them know their opinions and ideas are heard and valued. Employees appreciate opportunities for discussion and feedback, and leaders should focus on conflict resolution in order to build the kind of trust that is needed for a well-functioning workplace.

“When people quit, they’re not quitting their job, they’re quitting their boss.”

It is important to create a workplace culture that makes employees feel welcome to help with problem-solving, according to Southlakebased technology and leadership consultant Jim Steinmark. He says

David Cohen’s Essential Soft Skills for Personal and Professional Growth 1. COMMUNICATION Verbal, nonverbal, listening and interpersonal skills

5. CREATIVITY Think outside the box, encourage curiosity, ask questions and try new things

2. TEAMWORK Built on trust, this is a rare and special trait

6. SELF-DISCIPLINE Value time management and pay attention to detail

3. ADAPTABILITY Leading people through change is a hot topic in the pandemic world

7. LEADERSHIP Motivate people and unlock everyone’s potential

4. PROBLEM-SOLVING Navigating conflict in a healthy way improves workplaces

8. LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT Doing your best work when you feel engaged, empowered and motivated

a skilled supervisor invites employees to engage in conversations that foster a culture where everyone owns “a part of the solution.”

He says soft skills are essential for everyone in an organization.

communication skills once they are on the job. Similar classes are offered for professional development, and the lessons learned are part of a team-building series.

“Soft skills are not a matter of, ‘Oh I’m sorry, did I hurt your feelings?’

Soft skills are about knowing how to relate,” Steinmark says.

Ultimately, these skills are essential throughout a professional career, from entry level to executive. There is nothing weak or fluffy about soft skills in the workplace. Cohen says they are the basic skills needed to treat people with dignity and respect.

Experts like Cohen and Steinmark say they’ve seen an increase in demand for professional development focused on improving workplace engagement and communication skills. This follows a trend nationwide to incorporate communication-focused training into the professional repertoire.

For example, students majoring in accounting at the University of Nebraska can take an improv class that counts toward their accounting degree. The interdisciplinary course trains students to use theater techniques, including improvisation, to improve their

“I don’t know who even named them soft skills, but that term does a disservice to some of the most powerful, fundamental skills people have,” he says.

Wendy Weinhold, PhD, is an associate professor of journalism and a faculty fellow at the Center for Inclusive Excellence at Coastal Carolina University. Her research focuses on the intersection of journalism, gender and democracy.

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Working Through the Unknown Change is always difficult for an organization, but managing employees and preparing them for the unexpected softens even the hardest blow by bruce tomaso

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hange is inevitable in any business organization, large or small, particularly in times of profound upheaval like that wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, properly managed, change can not only get businesses through tough times; it can help them emerge from those difficult days stronger and better equipped to move forward successfully.

Whatever the new normal will look like once we emerge from the coronavirus crisis, experts say, one thing is certain: It won’t look exactly like the old normal.

And that can be a good thing.

Take, for example, the practice of medicine and law.

“The COVID-19 crisis has painfully highlighted the shortcomings of an almost absolute reliance on face-to-face medicine,” Vishal Ahuja, an assistant professor of operations management at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, wrote in the Austin American-Statesman.

While the pandemic exposed deficiencies in our reliance on in-person doctor visits, Ahuja wrote, “it also has accelerated the development and adoption of a promising solution: telemedicine—a convenient substitute for many traditional visits.

Telemedicine is cheaper: It costs an average of $38 versus $114 for an office visit; it diverts the patient’s use of more expensive settings 12 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

such as emergency care, generating long-term savings between $19 to $121 per visit. And it reduces no-shows.”

In courts across America, the pandemic has led presiding judges to postpone whatever cases, civil or criminal, could be postponed, and, in the meantime, to conduct as many proceedings as possible via videoconference.

Experienced litigators say the use of Zoom-like technologies to conduct virtual hearings is an imperfect substitute for inperson courtroom proceedings, but one that nonetheless will have a lasting impact on how law is practiced in the future.

“Trials are a highly specialized form of human interaction,” Paul R. Genender, a Dallas partner in the complex litigation group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, told The Texas Lawbook.

“Trials were meant to take place in person, with all participants face to face. That’s what our courts were designed for. That’s what we always contemplated.”

But to his surprise, he said, virtual trials, while less than ideal, have proved workable.

“I’d always rather be in the courtroom, of course. Any trial lawyer would say that,” Genender says. “But we really have been able to manage through Covid.

This [trial by videoconference] has been a much better facsimile than I would have thought if you’d asked me a year ago.”

Five Tips eric morgan, a longtime software and technology investor and advisor, offers these five tips, originally published on inc.com, for effectively managing change:

1. Set the expectation that change is inevitable.

“If employees hear this message when they're first hired, and you reinforce the thought frequently in staff meetings, your mission and vision statements, and other company messaging, you can prevent many of your team members from settling into complacency or assuming they work for a static organization. When a major shift happens, they're more likely to accept it as a matter of course.”

2. Understand the “How will it affect me?” principle.

“Look at the change through the eyes of each department or person, and give them all time to work through their own individual reactions. Try, ‘Here's what's happening, and we know you're going to have questions. Let's talk about them.’ ” 3. Don’t portray a negative change as a positive one.

In the future, he predicted, the use of virtual technology will become permanent for some aspects of courtroom law.

“Status conferences, certainly, can be done virtually,” he says. “Flying halfway across the country for a 20-minute status hearing may be a thing of the past. Routine motions can be heard virtually.

A lot of client meetings can take place virtually. The same with witness prep.”

The technology was there before, Genender noted. “It’s not like Zoom was created last March. We just never used it, because we weren’t forced to.”

Still, as with any business, change is an interruption and a disruption.

It’s hard on people and teams accustomed to doing things a certain way. That is why the implementation of a change management curriculum, or a one-day seminar for employees that helps them ease into a transition, is beneficial and necessary. If bellwether professions like medicine and law can fundamentally change on a dime out of necessity, consider what a heads-up play would look like for other institutions.

“If you're making an announcement, and you know your employees will view it negatively, the worst thing you can do is try to convince them that it's actually a great thing for them. They will be able to see right through it, and they will view you as insincere and condescending.”

4. Embrace the Change Cycle “When it comes to change management, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and there’s no predictable timeline for when everyone will be enthusiastically on board. Each person will proceed at his or her own pace through the change cycle, which starts with feelings of loss, then doubt, then discomfort, followed by discovery, understanding, and finally integration.”

5. Watch Out for the Underminers “Your chances of getting 100 percent of your employees completely on board with big changes can be slim. Once you’ve made the announcement, give people ample time to work through their reactions, and offer personal assistance to the stragglers. If you're still noticing hotbeds of resistance or negativity, then it's time for a different

Bruce Tomaso is a Dallas-based freelance writer and editor and an adjunct

kind of conversation. If you allow destructive attitudes

faculty member in the Journalism Department at SMU. He worked for more

to take root and flourish, you may end up with a small

than 30 years in a variety of reporting and editing positions at The Dallas

contingent of employees who are determined to make the

Morning News. His writings have been published in, among other news outlets, The Boston Globe, Newsday, Newsweek, The Texas Lawbook, Religion News Service, Reuters, The Catalyst, a periodical of the George W. Bush Institute, and

transition fail in order to show upper management who was right all along.”

Dallas Business Journal.

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Sound of Mind and Body Promoting mindfulness in the workplace doesn’t mean you have to grow your hair and join a drum circle by wendy weinhold, phd

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oogle “mindfulness,” and you might get the wrong idea.

You don’t need to bring a yoga mat to work or move the office to the beach to be in the moment.

Put simply, mindfulness means awareness of what is happening around you. Experts say there are many benefits to professionals who are in touch with the here and now. After all, we all breathe, says wellness expert Dr. Dena Samuels. She describes mindfulness as a “noticing practice” that can be done anywhere, anytime.

For example, she encourages employees to take a couple of 10-second “vacations” throughout the day. To take a vacation means breathing in for four seconds and out for six, placing emphasis on exhaling.

She says research has shown this simple strategy activates the 14 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

parasympathetic system, opens new neural pathways and makes a huge difference in a person’s health and well-being.

“If you’re an employer, you have the opportunity to bring mindfulness into your workplace and create better employees, healthier employees and happier employees,” Samuels says.

Samuels has led mindfulness sessions for employers ranging from Facebook to LinkedIn to NASA. While she confirms that mindfulness training has gained hipster popularity in many workplaces, she stresses that it is important to recognize the ancient practices and people who created mindfulness techniques. She encourages people to resist cultural appropriation and to instead work toward cultural appreciation.

photo by ernest sota

Ben Sota (left) performs in Costa Rica in August 2018 on a Compassionate Care Through Clowning trip with Patch Adams.

It can take a lot of work to be fully present, and it is not about instant gratification, according to wellness expert Ben Sota. Sota wears many hats, including a clown hat. He is an associate professor at Coastal Carolina University, a yoga instructor and a professional clown who was mentored by Patch Adams to bring smiles into health care settings. Most recently, Sota has volunteered weekly at a COVID-19 pediatric intensive care unit, bringing laughs to people in a setting where smiles are scarce.

Strategies for mindfulness at work include keeping your feet on the floor and breathing deeply. Samuels suggests that most people do not realize they are clenching their stomach, so setting an hourly timer to help keep tabs on what is happening with your stomach is an intelligent move. These “gut breaks” can help reduce stress and improve health, efficiency and effectiveness.

“When I think about what needs to happen in the workplace, it is empathy and compassion.”

When it comes to mindfulness, Sota says a little bit of work up front goes a long way to making a workplace the kind of environment where employees can thrive. The important thing to remember is that everyone is human, and this means creating a workplace where people enjoy working. He suggests that little things, like an office plant, a comfortable desk chair, and an open ear can be helpful. In other words, being mindful does not mean being walked over. It means being contemplative, having conversations with co-workers and pausing for a moment to think before speaking in a meeting.

“It’s not always going to work: Sometimes you’re going to accidentally kill the plant, and that’s all right,” Sota says. “But that’s going to help you be a better human.”

Studies show mindfulness can lower bias and create better, more inclusive workplaces.

Samuels says both employers and employees benefit from the innovation and attention that mindfulness invites. She says the challenge for professionals is remembering mindfulness is a tool they have at their disposal.

“When I think about what needs to happen in the workplace, it is empathy and compassion,” Samuels says. “I think that’s what we’ve been missing in the workplace. It’s coming from a heartcentered place.”

Wendy Weinhold, PhD, is an associate professor of journalism and a faculty fellow at the Center for Inclusive Excellence at Coastal Carolina University. Her research focuses on the intersection of journalism, gender and democracy.

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The Marriage of Training With Learning & Development When times get tough, smart companies recognize the perfect opportunity to invest in their employees by karen robinson-jacobs

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purred by both the sea change events of 2020 and the growing importance of knowledge in the knowledge-based economy, companies are spending more on all facets of talent development, including training, learning and development, experts in the field say.

The uptick goes beyond hurry-up outlays spent on virtual training necessitated by the global COVID-19 pandemic and gives professionals in the field more confidence that the recent gains won’t just be washed aside when the next economic downturn forces firms to cut costs.

“Just as so many things changed in 2020, the role that learning and development can play in helping organizations respond to those changes really came to the forefront,” says Eliza Blanchard, content manager for learning and development with the Association for Talent Development, a leading association of workplace learning and performance professionals.

“Generally, we have seen in the past that with economic downturns, L&D gets budget cuts, staff reductions. That happened in the 2007-2009 recession. That did not happen this time. There really was such a different understanding of the importance of L&D. I think that’s a really big change.”

Blanchard and other professionals in the workforce development space described training, learning and development as sometimes overlapping components in the broader field of talent development, a holistic approach that can include everything from a supervisor’s performance evaluation to tuition 16 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

reimbursement. The association describes talent development as anything that improves individual or organizational performance, including coaching. Learning and development is a subset of talent development that focuses specifically on improving performance by helping people acquire new knowledge and skills, often through initiatives such as training.

Steve Kozlowski, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida, sees training—among the most common forms of employee development—as “very specific ... a planned effort to induce learning with certain objectives as the outcome,” based on the company’s assessment of needs. Ideally,

it’s systematic, not varying from employee to employee, and it “solves a particular organizational problem,” like the need for workers to properly and efficiently use new machinery or software.

Training generally lasts for a set amount of time, and a company’s cash outlay for training is measurable.

Learning, on the other hand, can involve anything from a formal college course, with or without tuition reimbursement, to informal sharing of tips among co-workers on how to improve on a certain procedure.

“Development: Just think of it as more of an umbrella term so that all the different kinds of learnings that you might acquire both on a job and off the job in your life course goes into development,” says Kozlowski, co-editor of the 2010 book Learning, Training, and Development in Organizations.

Even before world events sent companies scrambling in 2020, spending on training and development was on the rise. In 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, the average organization surveyed for the talent development association’s annual look at the industry had a “direct learning expenditure” of $1,308 per employee.

That’s on par with the $1,299 figure from 2018 but is up about 5 percent compared with 2015’s $1,251 spending level. The figure includes the cost of training done by internal team members, by outside sources and tuition reimbursement.

Figures for 2020—when companies were dealing with the tandem challenges of remote work due to COVID-19 and employee anxiety in the wake of the #metoo and Black Lives Matter movements— were not immediately available. But Blanchard says learning and development professionals reported a big jump last year in stature for a department once seen as expendable.

At least 63 percent of learning and development professionals surveyed for LinkedIn Learning’s Workplace Learning Report said in March they still had a seat “at the C-suite table” and that that seat was secure, which was “a big lift from” the 39 percent who felt they had a seat at the table in early 2020.

And that increased interest in training, learning and overall development likely has a lot to do with productivity and profits, as well as the winning of employee hearts and minds.

In a report from the Association for Talent Development and the Institute for Corporate Productivity, Inc., called Building a Culture of Learning: The Foundation of a Successful Organization, researchers in 2015 found several benefits to encouraging lifelong learning, which can influence the bottom line. Two-thirds of the respondents reported improved employee engagement levels, and 56 percent said the focus on learning improved their ability to retain talent.

“Some of the most innovative and successful companies, particularly if you think about the tech world, get there by creating new and innovative products,” Kozlowski says. “Well, innovation is invention.

Management doesn’t dictate innovation. Management creates conditions, whereby smart people can come up with new ideas that can be turned into products and monetized.”

So you have to have faith in learning and development. If you’re going to be in the business of creating new and different, there’s just no other way to do it.

“I will tell you,” Kozlowski added, “if you’re in a competitive industry and things are changing and you’re not investing in training and learning and development, then you will go out of business.”

Karen Robinson-Jacobs is a multimedia journalist based in North Texas. She worked as an editor and reporter for the Milwaukee Journal and a business news reporter for The Dallas Morning News. She also helped launch the new media department of the Los Angeles Times, where she worked for 15 years.

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What Does Advanced Manufacturing Have to do With Football?

Both are contact sports by liz willding robbins | portrait by david halloran

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rokon Tompo is a subject matter expert in process improvement and manufacturing excellence at Tarrant County College. In this Q&A with The Lens, Tompo calls continuous improvement a high-risk, high-reward people game and teaches employers how to play.

what is your background and role in the tcc corporate solutions & economic development organization?

I went to Western Illinois University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, followed by a master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering Systems. My graduate internship was for a corporate continuous improvement group in Plano, and I was fortunate to work under three Master Black Belts. The job there was to expand our corporate continuous improvement initiative in three factories, located in the U.S. and abroad.

On a personal note, I am also from Texas and I went to school at Euless Trinity, which is located in Tarrant County. I was part of a seven-year run when Euless Trinity dominated state football and I was fortunate to receive a full-ride football scholarship to pay for my undergraduate education.

At TCC, I’m bringing what I’ve learned on and off the field to area manufacturers, helping to build lasting relationships between them and the college. What I want employers to know is that TCC isn’t going anywhere, and we are committed to their success when we walk through the door.

as an athlete, what cultivated your interest in engineering?

I knew at an early age that I wanted to be an engineer, taking Advanced Placement classes from the eighth grade on. I’ve always said I’m an ‘atypical engineer’ because I didn’t fit the mold of a kid you’d expect to see become an engineer. Most of my friends were in band and were both musically and mathematically inclined.

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I was playing sports and still taking the hard classes. There was nobody else like me. I was the jock in the room.

That said, my sports experience has really helped me in my career because it forced me into the spotlight and put me into a lot of stressful situations. To me, being on a factory floor is the closest thing to simulating being on the field. It’s a block-and-tackle, high-risk, high-reward contact sport. When a machine is down and the company is losing thousands of dollars a minute, you have to step up and make a play.

For me, the demands of advanced manufacturing are exciting and provide the same adrenalin rush as a competitive football game.

how do you approach challenges in advanced manufacturing?

With any process improvement initiative, there are many problems you can have. It is really all about assessing priorities and deciding what to go after first. You have to ask yourself if it is a people, process or technology problem. What is the diagnosis? What is it going to take for us to actually solve it? Depending on the size and scale of the problem, it may just be a training issue, other times it may be an adjustment on a machine, or it might take a small pilot program to justify a bigger CapEx project in a year or two.

A lot of people look at process improvement and efficiency from a dollars and cents standpoint. However, in my experience, you have to be a people person because people run the machines and there are a lot of variables associated with multiple voices.

When I look at any process, I consider the workings of the whole team. I want to know who is working the line, who’s managing it, who’s maintaining the equipment, who is the champion or the business owner. I take all of these variables in before I diagnose the problem and propose a solution.

what are the big problems facing advanced manufacturing today?

In the manufacturing world, we are forced to integrate technology.

I can go into manufacturing plants that are big moneymakers, but they are still running a machine from 1952. They know it is old and there is better equipment out there, but they tell me: “It is still working and there is no need to change.” Well, there is a need to change. Industry has to optimize and make a shift, not just because of the pandemic, but related to consumer buying patterns. People want what they want now. There are so many different choices, manufacturers have to be more modular in their approach.

“For me, the demands of advanced manufacturing are exciting and provide the same adrenalin rush as a competitive football game.”

We also have a large baby boomer generation that is on the cusp of retiring, and workforce roles are going to have to be filled.

For example, consider “Jim,” who has been operating a piece of equipment or a line for 30 years. When Jim retires, what if he didn’t write down how to fix the machinery? This creates inefficiencies, both from a process and an equipment standpoint.

Also, when new talent comes in, in many cases they haven’t been trained on the older technology, which results in a skills gap. A lot of machines still in use are prehistoric, and companies must bring in new machines to compensate for change. When incorporating new technology, soft skills may also be required to get everyone on board and committed to a new way of doing things. Involving workers in changes can help to create buy-in.

considering that people are any company’s greatest asset, how should companies invest in workforce development, especially in a time of change?

One dilemma any manufacturer faces when deciding to invest in employees is that they may leave once they gain a higher skill set.

However, what happens if you don’t invest? Worst case scenario, the line may dry up because there’s nobody to take care of it.

Right now, especially in Tarrant County, people capital is one of the most valuable things you can have because it is a worker’s market. There are plenty of opportunities for people coming in, but how are you going to keep them? Manufacturers have to ask, ‘Who is this new workforce and how can I keep them?’

Continuous learning and development in hard and soft skills is one way to retain talent, but employers also have to create an environment where employees feel comfortable and valued. In today’s marketplace, you have to have an environment that makes people want to stay.

Liz Willding Robbins is a Tarrant County-based marketing and communications professional who was editor of Pulse magazine, produced by The Dallas Morning News, and has written for numerous business publications, including Insigniam Quarterly.

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A Seat at the Table Dr. Dwan Bryant brings her expertise at bridging gaps between corporate America and higher education to TCC’s Corporate Solutions & Economic Development department by adam pitluk, phd | portrait by david halloran

P

eople who have spent time in corporate America are familiar with this scenario: You have a workforce that’s somewhat disgruntled or disenfranchised—either by world events or because of their manager—yet are too afraid to voice their frustration. How do they alert their leaders about issues within the ranks? Dr. Dwan Bryant specializes in that very scenario, and in so doing, helps CEOs find their voice and learn internal communication skills. She sat down with The Lens to explain the methods behind industrial and organizational psychology.

tell me a little bit about yourself, your background, and how it ties in to this innovative new role at tarrant county college’s corporate solutions & economic development department?

Along my educational journey, I obtained a bachelor’s and master’s in communication, which I was able to use. As I started training and coaching, I felt like I needed something else going for me to provide a calling card or ticket into corporate America or higher education. I was looking for a pathway to marry communications and corporate America with higher ed, so I pursued a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology. I figured that would make me more credible, because you know everything these days is evidence-based: Business leaders want to know that you know.

what specifically do they want to know?

Where did you get that information from and how can you prove that information? How will it help my company? How will it benefit my team? And so I figured if I marry communication and industrial organizational psychology together, then I could create something very robust and something innovative.

By degree and through experience, I have the opportunity to really study the behaviors of people in the workplace. A lot of people have life experiences that come with them into the workplace, and they can’t turn their feelings off when they come through the 20 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

door. That’s why companies have a person like me to come along and explain to leaders what those pain points are.

in your role in tcc’s corporate solutions & economic development department, you are a subject matter expert (sme) in industrial organizational psychology. how would you describe industrial organizational psychology to the layperson?

Industrial organizational psychology is basically understanding the behaviors of employees and what makes them tick. What are their triggers? What compels their creativity? What helps them to be motivated? To be agile? How do we empower them to be the best in their roles? And so I sit with the CEOs and directors and help them dig out a solution. I help them become—I’m going to make up a word here—solutionaries. When a person like myself comes to your company, I help you to reactivate the solution that was already in you, but there were uncertainties at play. We learn to manage those uncertainties.

I help empower you as you empower your team, your staff. Normally, if you have a solution but you don’t have purpose or if it’s not powered by direction, then the solution fails. So I’m the person that comes in and I help empower the CEO to help empower the team, because it’s the team who drives the solution. In my role as a subject matter expert, those are just some of the transferable, experiential skill sets that I can bring to this role in [the department of] Corporate Solutions.

is it difficult to empower leaders who might think they need no additional help? in other words, how do you approach a leader who thinks he or she is making all the right moves and doesn’t have anything else to learn?

It can be tough, but a good leader recognizes that there are always issues in an organization. I help them get to the root of that issue. You

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“The communication—and the conversation—can’t be one-size-fitsall because everyone sees it through a different lens and perspective.”

could almost call me a cleanup person: I go in and I find out what’s going on, so I’m the one that’s having crucial conversations with the leaders because the other employees might be too intimidated or fearful to do so. In fact, if that sort of culture of intimidation exists, there’s a cultural issue right there.

that’s an interesting point. i’ve heard of situations where employees are afraid of management so they endure unnecessary hardship as the path of least resistance. is it tough having to let leaders know that they’ve fostered an unhealthy culture?

It is, but employees are very grateful that someone has that conversation, and that someone has their back. I’m the one that’s probing and asking the questions that no one else wants to ask.

I’m the one that addresses the elephant in the room. Then I say, ‘Okay, where are the pain points?’ When we identify them and the leaders are now aware, we can have a real serious conversation, so we can now create a real solution.

is your approach, when you’re having tough conversations with leaders, an approach that is one-size-fits-all? do you speak to, say, the director of a company’s call center the same way you’d speak to the cfo?

at this particular moment and place in time, what are the most pressing issues that you see facing the workforce?

There are actually two that for me are at the top. The first one is mental health. The second one is diversity. I think those two are critical in this hour, in these unprecedented times.

Studies show that talent is retained when CEOs or when directors address what’s happening outside the window. So when I look outside, if I’m concerned, are you concerned that I’m concerned?

Are you concerned about what’s happening with women? Are you concerned about what’s happening with mothers? Are you concerned about what’s happening with black people? Are you concerned about what’s happening with Asians? Are you genuinely concerned that your talent might be concerned?

what happens when you look out the window and there are different sides that might be at odds with each other over what they see? how do you maneuver that minefield when your own team or your own company is divided?

Well, this is where I would come in to feel out and fill those gaps.

The situation is there’s tension, but we still have to keep the people engaged and motivated. How do we do that?

No, it is not one-size-fits-all. It’s most certainly case-by-case.

how does that work then? or how would you speak differently to different people about the same management issues?

If I could just lean in on that point: In this modern-day workforce, it’s the way of the hierarchy, right? And so you cannot have a onesize-fits-all because you have your frontline managers, you have your CEOs; you have your mid-management level and you have your subordinates. It’s all about learning the language, because this is where and how the communication breaks down. Each level speaks a different language so to speak, and so you have to make sure there is some commonality in language among the speakers.

That is critical in these situations.

The communication—and the conversation—can’t be one-size-fits-all because everyone sees it through a different lens and perspective.

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First we address the mental health issue, because it really comes down to mental health and psychological safety. Can I trust you as a leader? And so I think trust has to be established so that I can be transparent and I can be reliable. That means that you as a leader are going to have to get involved in my outside experiences that I deal with because those experiences follow me into the workplace.

You can have a seat at the table, but it’s more important for CEOs and directors to let their employees have a voice at the table.

Adam Pitluk, PhD, was a reporter for Time and People magazines as well as the Contributor’s Network editor at The Dallas Morning News. He is the author of Standing Eight and Damned to Eternity.

Since our first campus opened in 1967, TCC has conferred more than 130,000 degrees and certificates upon people who, mostly, have established themselves in this same region.

Creating everyday heroes who enhance our community…that’s what we do.

- 5 transferable associate degrees - 68 Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees - 132 Certificates of Completion - 18 Occupational Skills Awards - Community Education & Engagement (CEE) programs at more than 10 locations in Tarrant County - College for Kids - Early College High Schools - Senior Education - Adult Basic Education - Developmental Education - Corporate Workforce Training

- County resident tuition: $64 /credit hour = $960 for a 15-hour semester

www.tccd.edu

- Serving nearly 100,000 students annually - Ranked the top online college in Texas - 348 instructors with doctoral degrees - Average pass rate of 90 percent for our 29 state licensure programs

- Six campuses - 350 courses offered online through TCC Connect - Weekend College - Eight-Week Courses - Monthly Starts - Maymester and Wintermester - Free public transportation

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Why You Need to Invest in Your Employees (Even When You’re Already Successful) Studies point to the incredible value of investing time and money in your team by tyler hicks

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THE RED ZONE

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After more than two decades of business leadership and consulting experience, he has used them all. But there is one analogy that is slightly more ominous than the others, and it’s the one this perpetually upbeat speaker, consultant and executive coach deploys on a sunny day in North Texas.

“When you’re winning,” he says, “there are no problems in the locker room. A lot of business leaders have that same mentality.

‘If revenue is high, everyone is happy.’ ” Then, Tarnow issues a blistering warning.

“When things start slowing down—or breaking down entirely— that’s when people will admit they have problems.”

Unfortunately, many businesses have suffered greatly over the last year and a half. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused rampant layoffs and dramatically impacted nearly every industry’s bottom line. Worse yet, some studies predict 42 percent of the jobs lost during the pandemic may never return. In an attempt to weather the still-raging storm, some companies have turned to a strategy popular during the 2008-2009 financial crisis: ceasing company matches to their employees’ 401(k) programs. Other corporations have turned to another popular area for cuts: professional development.

According to a study by Pepperdine University, companies facing financial losses are most likely to either slash their advertising budget or cut their professional development programs. Many cut both.

“While I understand the desire to trim spending during tough times, it has never made sense to me that you would cut something that is intended to make your employees more productive,” says Dr. Mark Allen, a lecturer at Pepperdine’s business school. “It seems to me you would want to invest more in those items during difficult times.”

While experts like Tarnow and Allen advise against such cuts in hard times, they are also fierce advocates for investing in the workforce when everything seems to be going right. Numerous research studies and multiple experts interviewed by The Lens unanimously agree on one thing: If you want your company to be successful in the modern world, always look for more ways to invest money and time in your team.

That way, they say, you can possibly avoid the tough times altogether.

Adam Tarnow

“People Need to Be Seen” Patrick Lencioni may be best known for his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, a bestselling business book that has helped countless colleagues across the country achieve stronger results together.

But that’s just one of the author and revered business expert’s many literary deep dives into companies, their cultures and the way employees collaborate. Tarnow frequently cites Lencioni’s research when coaching executives on how to better engage their employees.

“Lencioni says, ‘Being smart is no longer a competitive advantage,’ and I believe he’s 100 percent right,” Tarnow says. “We all have the same tools, whether it’s tech or the internet. What separates you and your company is health.”

Tarnow has seen plenty of leaders who neglect the well-being of their employees by working them long hours with little to no reward for their extra trouble. Ultimately, he says, that approach will catch up to any company—whether they see it harming them or not.

“The leaders that I see getting ahead are the ones who acknowledge that they need to be treating their employees well and investing in their team’s health,” Tarnow says. “They’re investing in training and the shared experience of learning together.”

Tarnow cites two executives who he says are doing that well: C. Malcolm Holland, president of Dallas’ Veritex Bank, and David Morrison, vice president of operations and former director of people development for Tacala, the country’s largest franchisee of Taco Bell restaurants.

“Those two guys take care of their teams in good times and bad,” Tarnow says. “As I always point out, if you’re waiting for a crisis to start taking care of your employees, you’re already too late.”

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According to a study by Pepperdine University, companies facing financial losses are most likely to either slash their advertising budget or cut their professional development programs. Many cut both.

Tarnow is quick to point out that setting aside a budget for conference travel or corporate courses is a great way to show your employees how valued they are. Of course, those methods also improve your company by improving your people. On that point, the data certainly backs him up.

In LinkedIn’s 2019 Workforce Learning Report, 94 percent of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it simply invested in helping them learn. But there’s another, far easier way to show your team members just how much you care: Give them some face time.

“People want attention from their boss,” Tarnow says. “The amount of time you look people in the face, spend time with them oneon-one, and get to know more about your employees’ lives: It all matters.”

Structured personal meetings are great, Tarnow adds, but don’t shy away from spontaneous informal conversations. Mark Bloom, president of the residential real estate company NetWorth Realty, believes in getting personal with his employees.

“When your team is happy, energetic and excited, they’re better equipped to deal with paying customers, and their positive energy is infectious,” he recently told CNBC. “I create this by investing money, but most importantly, my personal time. I get to know my 28 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

employees by asking meaningful questions. A true leader is in the trenches with their team, fighting for the same goals together. That’s how you build relationships. Keep the best talent by keeping them happy. After all, people are more important than the dollars they generate.”

Tarnow agrees. In his many conversations with executives throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond, the seasoned executive coach often refers back to the simple idea of “being known.”

“I point them to Lencioni’s research on motivating factors,” he says, “and I always show them how a key motivator is being known by your boss. That can so easily get lost in all of these discussions about investing in your team, when really one of the easiest investments to make right away is your own time. People need to be seen.”

When they are seen as more than just cogs in the machine, people are less likely to leave. And when they are less likely to leave, you have one of the key ingredients for what experts call a “learning organization.”

“Learning organizations,” says consultant Jeff Strese, “are the most successful organizations out there.”

ABL: Always Be Learning Strese is a veteran human resources officer with over 25 years of business experience. In mid-2020, he finally made the leap he had spent years contemplating and launched his own consulting company. Despite starting a new venture in the midst of a global pandemic, Strese has found plenty of companies to work with.

“I’m really encouraged by the fact that there are so many companies committed to growing their culture in the middle of a crisis like this,” he says. “But many of the companies I’ve partnered with were already doing a lot for their team. Now, they just want to do more.”

emphasize the skills that will be even more crucial in tomorrow’s workplace. Those skills include relationship-building, change leadership, powerful communication skills and a strong sense of accountability. By focusing on these evergreen skills, companies can equip themselves for continued success in uncertain climates.

Jeff Strese

Part of what Strese does is demystify the seemingly complex world of professional development. There are plenty of ideas and methodologies out there, he notes, but one-off programs are never the best solution.

“Some people think human capital strategy is hard, but no, it’s very simple,” he says. “ ‘Is there a budget line item that is going to help you keep your talent and grow your talent?’ That’s what I ask everyone I work with.”

In other words, it’s crucial for successful companies to keep investing in their people if they hope to retain their success. Offering ongoing support and coaching is one way to do that. A recent Gallup poll revealed that only 26 percent of employees strongly agree that the feedback they receive helps them do better work. It’s critical to engage your company’s supervisors, managers and executive leadership and ensure the feedback, info, data and intelligence they share is helping their teams in every way possible. Other research studies show that when a company is performing well, employees want to know that they have a place in their team’s growth. More frequent check-ins and coaching conversations can help assure your employees that they will share in their team’s successes, thereby encouraging them to stay and create that success with you.

It’s equally important for your company to invest in the skills of tomorrow. Since some studies say a vast majority of the jobs of 2030 don’t even exist yet, your team’s professional development must

Furthermore, studies show that successful companies offer their employees the chance to accumulate knowledge and skills outside the confines of their current position. IT personnel are free to learn more about marketing and communications, while engineering personnel can pick up management and human resources skills.

These learning opportunities often come in the form of self-directed courses, giving employees the freedom to pick up skills at a pressurefree pace. Perhaps most importantly, these opportunities affirm employees’ ambitions, goals and willingness to learn, all of which create a culture where learning is paramount.

“A true learning culture goes beyond programs, courses or practices,” notes the Gallup report. “It requires leaders and managers to actively support ongoing learning. In this culture, learning cannot be differentiated from behaving.”

And when learning cannot be differentiated from behaving, you and your team members will never settle for the success you’re currently enjoying. Your team will reject complacency, keep learning and keep thriving.

To borrow from Tarnow’s analogy, you’ll never worry about your players arguing in the locker room: They’ll be too busy having fun as they win on the field.

Tyler Hicks is a writer from Dallas, Texas. His work has appeared in Texas Monthly, The Texas Observer, The Dallas Morning News and several other regional and national publications.

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Diversity, equity and inclusion are pillars of a successful workforce, but too many employers realize this when it’s too late to win hearts and minds by karen robinson-jacobs

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ompanies that give short shrift to diversity, equity and inclusion are leaving money on the table, human resources experts say, by not fully accessing the creative talent that can help them connect with an increasingly diverse customer base and offer innovative ideas.

As consumers and company stakeholders become more activist in the wake of nationwide protests over systemic racism, it might be negligent C-suite execs who lose out. A growing number of corporate boards are tying executive compensation to hitting DE&I benchmarks.

“A lot more folks in the corporate world recognize that diversity is something that can't be ignored anymore,” says Dr. Leeno Karumanchery of MESH Diversity, a Canadian-based firm that uses scientific measures to help companies meet diversity and inclusion goals. “If you look at, say, gender in your executive ranks in an organization, and you only have 15 percent female, either you believe that women just aren't as good as men in leadership roles or you recognize there's a problem. And if you recognize there's a problem, you also have to question how much talent is lost. How much quality leadership have you never accessed in your organization? Once you wrap your head around that, the ROI becomes very clear.”

Corporate concern about diversity has long since evolved from strictly a numbers game—hiring a few people of color and women for mostly entry-level jobs—to a broader understanding that diversity, equity and inclusion impact everything from revenue to turnover costs.

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“The diversity of the population in this country, including customers and consumers, is increasing,” says Christine Andrukonis, founder and senior partner at New York-based Notion Consulting, who has studied diversity, equity and inclusion for more than 20 years.

“And that means that any company that wants to be sustainable is going to have to be able to really sell to a variety of different people. And in order to be able to do that and do that well, you need inside your organization that diversity. And so it's going to be crucial to be able to do that in order to deliver to what customers and consumers need over the long term.”

Once you get the talent in the door, a focus on inclusion speaks to “how do you engage, retain, create a culture so that they feel

a sense of belonging, acceptance,” says Hattie Hill, president and CEO of Dallas-based Hattie Hill Enterprises, a 30-year-old diversity, equity and inclusion consulting firm.

everything from formal programs, including who is selected for mentorships or sponsorships, to informal activities, including who gets to hang out with the CEO on the golf course.

“Diversity, that’s the people, the numbers. Inclusion, it's helping those numbers feel engaged, productive, innovative. You know, all of that happens when you feel a part of the culture.”

That element, experts say, has been one of the hardest nuts to crack.

A greater sense of inclusion leads to higher levels of engagement and retention, which cuts turnover costs, experts say.

“Performance will be higher, growth throughout the organization will be higher, trust and commitment to the company and its customers will be higher,” Andrukonis says. “With all of those things, the company will be performing better and delivering more of what they need to deliver to their customers and consumers. And therefore the business will be generating the revenue that they need.”

In the summer of 2020, as marchers took to the streets following protests after police actions in several cities, corporate America put overdue emphasis on a third component of a balanced work environment—equity.

Equity in the workplace goes beyond the pay scale and influences

“If you really want to drive an inclusive environment, you have to consider equity,” says Karumanchery, the author of three books on diversity including Playing the Race Card: Exposing White Power and Privilege. “The pieces that we're talking about really are about racism and sexism and heterosexism, enableism and how these things flow into organizational life. Until very, very recently corporate approaches to this particular challenge have been exceedingly surface level. You know, ‘Let's hire our way out.’

What we've learned over 30 years of affirmative action, 30 years of failed approaches, is that you can't do this work at a surface level because it's not just a people problem. It's not a matter of training your people around this. It's not a matter of hiring more bodies. It's a system problem. And for organizations that continue doing this at a people level, you won't see much of a shift.”

After the events of 2020 that shined a spotlight onto issues of race in America, Karumanchery says executives were forced to confront unequal systems within their own organizations.

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“So now, when leaders who genuinely want to be inclusive, leaders who genuinely want to have organizational cultures that are healthy and that thrive for everybody, when those leaders now look at their organizations and see a dearth of female leadership, a dearth of women of color in leadership or Latino, their first inclination isn't to play it off,” Karumanchery says. “Their first inclination isn’t to say, ‘Well it’s the pipeline.’ Those leaders are now going ‘Okay, we've got an issue here. How do we fix it?’ And we've seen that very, very clearly.”

Increasingly, corporate leaders are putting their own paydays on the line in the quest to improve diversity, equity and inclusion. In March 2021, athletic gear giant Nike announced a set of diversity and inclusion goals and said that, for the first time, executive compensation would be tied to hitting those marks.

Women represent 49.5 percent of the company’s global workforce, while racial and ethnic minorities make up 29 percent of Nike’s vice presidential leadership team in the U.S. By 2025, the company

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looks to have 45 percent representation of women globally at the vice president level and above; 50 percent representation of women in the global corporate workforce, which includes all global full-time employees who do not work in Nike retail stores, distribution centers or Nike Air manufacturing innovation; 30 percent representation of racial and ethnic minorities at the director level and above in the U.S.; and 35 percent representation of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. corporate workforce.

“Our Purpose 2025 targets are not just aspirations,” John Donahoe, Nike president and chief executive, said in a statement. “They are a call to action—with clear goals, strategies and accountabilities.

We are also redefining what responsible leadership looks like. For the first time, we will tie executive compensation to Nike’s progress in deepening diversity and inclusion, protecting the planet, and advancing ethical manufacturing.”

Nike is not alone in prompting corporate execs to put more skin in the game.

“A lot more folks in the corporate world recognize that diversity is something that can’t be ignored anymore.”

Mercer, one of the world’s largest human resources consulting firms, estimates that 15 to 20 percent of S&P 500 companies include diversity, equity and inclusion metrics in their executive incentive plans. Of those companies, 5-to-10 percent have an objective, quantitative DEI metric.

“Right now, there is a huge push from the employees [and] the community that the CEOs must step up and have some accountability,” says Hill, who is also president and chief executive of the TD Jakes Foundation, launched by the noted Dallas-based pastor. “People have gotten really alive around these issues and they are going to hold the CEOs accountable.”

Andrukonis of Notion Consulting credits activism via social media in part for prodding more companies to act.

“This is not quite as much the case in small and midsize companies yet,” she says. “But for publicly traded large organizations it is increasingly prevalent to see board members starting to create requirements around diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s starting to happen more. Right now, I’ve seen the anecdotal situation. I’d love to see it become a little more widespread.”

Collectively, more than 1,700 CEOs, including heads of some of the nation’s largest companies such as AT&T, Walmart and streaming service Netflix, have banded together through the group CEO Action to “work collaboratively to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and in turn, improve corporate performance, drive growth, and enhance employee engagement,” according to a spokesperson.

Even with the current push, corporate America has a ways to go on the path to equality, which is why diversity, equity and inclusion training is more important than ever.

The 2020 Fortune 500, which tracks the nation's largest companies, lists only four current African American CEOs. But the magazine noted that on the 2020 list, the number of women running America's largest corporations hit a new high: 37.

A May 2020 McKinsey report titled “Diversity Wins—How Inclusion Matters,” shows that among more than 1,000 large companies studied in 15 countries, those with the highest levels of gender diversity among executives were 25 percent more likely to post higher-than-industry-median profits, up from 15 percent the last time the survey was taken in 2014. In the United States and the United Kingdom, overall ethnic-minority representation in executive teams nearly doubled, from 7 percent in 2014 to 13 percent. So the trend is in the right direction.

Hill and other diversity experts acknowledge that there have been bursts of energy on the topic of inclusion and equity before, and they cautioned that continued pressure on corporations will be needed to make this more movement than moment. She says she doesn't think younger consumers "who are the leaders of this movement," will back down.

"They will get onto social media and they will boycott your product,” she cautions. “When you're looking for talent, they will not come to your company because they don't want to be associated with a company that they do not feel understands diversity, equity and inclusion. So that's what's going to make it different now.

We all have to be accountable from whatever platform we have.

We have to use that platform to create conversations and actions that will lead us to equity."

Karen Robinson-Jacobs is a multimedia journalist based in North Texas. She worked as an editor and reporter for the Milwaukee Journal and a business news reporter for The Dallas Morning News. She also helped launch the new media department of the Los Angeles Times, where she worked for 15 years.

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The 1 Asset of Any Organization #

Understanding the real ROI of employee development helps companies have happier employees by jennifer blalock, edd

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The Case For Employee Development: A Multi-Generational Perspective These days, the workplace boasts more generations at work together than ever before. This diversity creates an even more compelling case for leveraging an organization’s key assets: Its people.

Take, for instance, the case of Roxi Fam, a recent college graduate and new professional. Fam has a degree in Communications and Leadership studies from a renowned R1 university and just over five years in the workforce. But she was unsatisfied with her most recent job and resigned in order to find something that was a better fit.

Some of the most successful case studies and best practices point to one defining element that separates ordinary businesses from extraordinary brands—their people.

Famed management consultant and educator Peter Drucker wrote, “The key to greatness is to look for people’s potential and spend time developing it.” How, then, can businesses leverage this essential asset and fully realize the potential of their teams? What’s more, do these same opportunities exist for those companies that don’t have the luxury of abundant capital, ideal staffing and highly developed talent as they strive to achieve this coveted level of organizational excellence?

These real-time challenges are grappled with regularly by managers and executives of companies of all sizes and scopes. In spite of dynamic, volatile organizational budgets, good leaders seek to carve out funding for training and development. And they are likely called upon by company stakeholders to rationalize allocation of precious company dollars on often-overlooked corporate training.

More often than not, they’re reminded of increasing overhead costs for items deemed mission critical and asked to hold off on training employees as a result. During bleak or uncertain economic times, it can be easy for executives to regard employee development as an intangible organizational priority that pales in comparison to tried and true investments like salaries, benefits, insurance and advertising.

But good leaders play long ball: Good leaders value the importance of employee excellence and are prepared to provide evidence-based justifications that clearly demonstrate the return on investment for training their team. Prioritizing the professional development of current employees through corporate training is perhaps the singular most high-impact opportunity to cultivate a foundation of employee retention and engagement. This investment provides one of the highest returns, empowering both the employee and the company with short-term and long-term benefits.

Immersed in the fast-paced, highly competitive local business community, career options are plentiful, affording Fam the ability to be selective.

“As a young professional, I’m attracted to companies where employees are valued,” she says. “Some of the biggest incentives a company can offer me are the opportunities to receive coaching, participate in training, pursue additional degrees and credentials, attend conferences and grow in the company. I don’t want to be a number. I want my leadership to know and invest in me.”

Brittany Rawl, a mid-level learning and development practitioner, agrees. She has dedicated her career to organizational development and training because of an early employer who impressed upon her the benefits of continuous professional training and education.

“I still remember my first professional supervisor challenging me and my colleagues to grow and expand our expertise,” Rawl says.

“She introduced me to the concept of an individual development plan, inspired my passion for growth and cemented her support for me through that engagement, encouragement and expectation to keep learning. I’m truly grateful for her coaching.” That sentiment would ultimately inspire Rawl’s own career path as a professional trainer and facilitator, working with companies and organizations to develop internal talent.

James Burda, a seasoned sales executive who has led multi-milliondollar sales teams for decades, further endorses the importance of prioritizing training. He consistently earmarks significant funds in his annual budget to train his sales teams, focusing on the latest advances in digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and even the basics of business development.

“The sales workplace is so dynamic that my team is often multigenerational,” Burda says. “It is composed of people who see the business of sales from different lenses. Training helps us find common ground, identify our competitive advantage, and master the most current sales tactics. It’s truly worth every dollar spent.”

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to develop a timely, targeted leadership training was one of the best budget decisions we made last year,” explains Aaron Bellamy, supervisor of a youth program. “For a few hours over a period of several weeks, we all came together, virtually and face-to-face, to focus on developing leadership skills that reflect our organization’s values. We didn’t realize how much we really needed that time, training and review until we all came together.”

Identifying the Real ROI in Investing in Your Number One Asset So, what exactly is the real return on investment of employee development through professional training and learning experiences?

Here are the Top 5 outcomes: BUILDING TRUST: Employees who are encouraged and supported to participate in corporate-sponsored training feel their company believes in them, which not only improves behavior and attitude in the short term but helps promote long-term affinity for the employer. “I felt like my supervisor believed in me when he approved my request to participate in an online training course at a local community college,” explains Jasmine Brinson, an online learning facilitator and trainer. “It’s refreshing to be trusted by my employer to identify where I need to grow and given the space to start working toward that skill-building through relevant training and development.”

RETAINING TALENT: While the common narrative tends to support the notion that employees leave because of compensation, plenty of data seems to suggest otherwise. A 2018 Gallup survey showed significant growth in employee engagement globally, but dually cautioned that disengaged employees who don’t feel challenged, supported or invested in leave. With the growing flexibility of work-from-home opportunities, employees who were once limited by geography now have even more options to get hired by an organization where learning and development is of the highest concern. Translation: If you don’t invest in your employees, someone else will.

EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP: Partnering with a local post-secondary institution to provide a leadership academy for key organizational staff proved to be a wise investment for a growing company with leaders coming to the table with varying levels of leadership. “Yes, it was a tough budget year, but ultimately, working with a trainer 40 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

ESTABLISHING A POSITIVE TEAM CLIMATE: According to a February 2021 McKinsey survey, “Positive team climate is the most important driver of psychological safety and most likely to occur when leaders demonstrate supportive, consultative behaviors, then begin to challenge their teams.” By dedicating dollars, time and resources to team members, good leaders are challenging them to grow, expand and develop. Collectively, a group of individuals who are confident and clear on their roles, thanks to the benefits of corporatesponsored training and education, contribute immeasurably to the overall organizational climate and cultivate a positivity that inherently promotes productivity.

SAVING RESOURCES AND MONEY: Yes, you read that right. By spending money on learning and development, companies are actually saving resources and money. How? Educated and welltrained employees operate at a higher rate of effectiveness and efficiency. With the proper direction, guidance and coaching, they are able to make the right choice, perform in the best way and, ultimately, save the company money. Michael Leboeuf, author of The Greatest Management Principle in the World, wrote: “If you believe that training is expensive, it is because you do not know what ignorance costs. Companies that have the loyalty of their employees invest heavily in permanent training programs and promotion systems.”

Good leaders value the importance of employee excellence and are prepared to provide evidence-based justifications that clearly demonstrate the return on investment for training their team.

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The Gift That Keeps on Giving Investing in the continuous training and development of employees, the number one asset of any organization, is vital to sustaining a highperforming organization. Hear why Germaine Brown, a veteran tech supervisor, invests in his team: “The highly demanding and continuously changing world of technology demands I not only encourage but also facilitate opportunities for additional education and training for my team. We can’t support our larger organization without being on top of the latest trends and innovations in the field of technology if we haven’t taken the time to learn, explore and experiment with the technology ourselves.” Brown, who supervises a large team of help desk technicians, on-site lab support and technology managers, has implemented training Tuesdays, allowing staff members to select topics of interest to them, complete training, pursue industryrecognized certifications and even “play games” if that will help them better relate to their customers. “There’s literally something new to learn and master in our field by the minute. We owe it to ourselves and our clients to provide them with the most up-to-date support possible.

Continuous education positions us to satisfy those expectations.”

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The Call to Action: Committing to Employee Excellence If people are truly recognized as the number one asset of an organization, the urgent call to action for any leader charged with positioning the company for success must be focused on developing that asset in an intentional, strategic way. Such an investment requires the leadership to gain a deep understanding of the potential of its team, both individually and collectively.

Individual development plans, as well as an integrated departmental training program, offer significant opportunity for companies to leverage this secret weapon in a noisy marketplace where the competition is constantly disrupting and innovating.

Industry powerhouses like Amazon are setting a very high standard for corporate training. They dedicated $700 million to skills training for their employees, with a focus on high-demand, high-wage roles.

Employees are not limited to pursuing training opportunities specific to their current roles, providing team members the freedom to balance their current work with continuous learning. While some may see the flexible program as a risky investment that could ultimately result in the employee leaving after completing their training or degree, the idea is that the overall investment in a healthy, vibrant talent pipeline benefits the entire business ecosystem.

From on-the-job training to tuition reimbursement, providing accessible pathways to employee-initiated growth and development is proving to be a game changer in the talent war. Options exist for just about any budget. Business book clubs, lunch and learns and online webinars offer creative, even no-cost, programming to support these initiatives.

Shannon Bryant, executive vice president of Corporate Solutions and Economic Development at one of the largest community college systems in Texas, Tarrant County College, recommends partnering with TCC as another sustainable mechanism for supporting a culture of learning, development and training.

“We’re positioned to create customized training programs that can meet any budget, delivery method and even shift schedule, with some of the most influential subject matter experts, representing every major and emerging industry, facilitating the programs,” Bryant says.

Armed with this information and so many affordable educational options for building your incumbent and future talent, the call to action is clear: Prioritizing an organization’s people as the number one asset demands a corporate commitment to lifelong learning. In return, the employee will repay the investment with higher performance, satisfaction and longevity. Aligning the company’s financial investments accordingly will result in maximum organizational performance and ultimately generate the revenue to not only justify, but fully substantiate the ROI, of corporate training.

And that is how good leaders become great.

Jennifer Blalock, EdD, has spent over two decades leading teams in post-secondary education and municipal government. Currently the chief energy officer of InJenuity Solutions, Blalock develops, facilitates and evaluates workforce, economic and organizational development programs to maximize effectiveness and performance through coaching, experiential learning and training.

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Intrinsic Worth

top images: Jeff Smith gathers with recent participants in his EXCEL PLD™ leadership development workshop at the USAG Grafenwoehr Army Base in Grafenwoehr, Germany, where he worked with over 120 soldiers in five days. bottom right: Smith and Dana Dimel—former offensive coordinator for the Kansas State Wildcats—at the 2017 Cactus Bowl in Phoenix.

How values-based leadership helps companies soar … or flounder by tyler hicks

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lvis Presley once said, “Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.” The same can be said for companies. Your values may vary based on your industry, but just like most people, your company lives by a certain set of values—whether you’ve defined them or not.

As defined by author Richard Barrett, another leadership expert, this approach to leadership is “a way of making authentic decisions that builds the trust and commitment of employees and customers.”

Companies that practice valuesbased leadership believe that people motivate themselves through the integration of their personal values in their daily lives.

“People and relationships matter, and we all have to coalesce around a certain value system.”

“Values are always present,” says leadership expert Jeff Smith, who has built a career helping companies and their executives enhance the way they lead. “There have to be some basic values for businesses to work, and as we see time and time again, the most successful businesses are the ones who lead based on clearly defined values that everyone buys into. That’s the essence of values-based leadership.”

Values-based leadership is the idea that leaders should draw on their own values and their followers’ values for direction and motivation.

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For instance, if a company values honesty, transparency and kindness, it will attract employees who value those same things. Furthermore, those employees will be motivated to perform at a high level while at work because they are committed to the company’s values.

When done right, values-based leadership can also enhance your brand and the awareness thereof. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines has become synonymous with its values: namely, its belief in treating employees and travelers with compassion and humility.

Leadership Tips from Expert Jeff Smith, Founder of FiveSeven Solutions For over two decades, Jeff Smith worked alongside one of the most revered leaders in football history: Kansas State University football coach Bill Snyder. Known for his compassionate, service-minded approach to leadership, Snyder turned a hopeless football program into a respectable squad that remained nationally In his years of consulting experience, Smith, founder of FiveSeven Solutions, has seen values-based leadership pay dividends for companies big and small. He has also seen how leadership and values have both become more pivotal in the workplace.

competitive for years. As the team’s chaplain, Smith had a front-row seat to Snyder’s leadership and the profound impact it had on his players. Now he uses those skills to help companies boost their morale, sales and performance.

“In the ’80s, the leadership stemmed from one person,” Smith says. “The values were very different from what they are today, but they were still values. That said, companies then didn’t talk about leadership or values as much as they do now. Now, you’re seeing companies actually invest in developing leaders, and of course, everyone is going to have their own approach.”

Smith insists that there is not a one-size-fits-all leadership style to which all companies must prescribe. However, the business veteran is a big fan of values-based leadership, particularly because it gets right to the heart of what all leadership is about: human beings.

“People and relationships matter, and we all have to coalesce around a certain value system,” he says. “If we’re going to be successful, I personally believe we have to value people and relationships.

The highest performing organizations recognize that, and they improve people’s lives.”

Like any leadership style, it’s important to note the possible pitfalls of values-based leadership. According to Smith, one of those pitfalls occurs when employees and leaders do not share the same values.

If an employee values teamwork and their workplace doesn’t, it’s unlikely that the employee will be motivated to perform for that company. Likewise, anytime a company values results over people, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to enjoy long-term success.

Which brings us back to Smith’s main point: Like any effective leadership style, values-based leadership recognizes the importance of people and relationships.

When asked if there is any circumstance in which this approach will not work, Smith knows the answer right away: “Well,” he says, “it won’t work for organizations that don’t care about people.”

Smith shares a few key tips for executives adopting a values-based leadership approach: • Examine your values (because everyone has them).

• Ask yourself and your team members what your guiding values are, and make sure everyone is guided by those same principles.

• Are they values that fuel people and relationships?

• If your values are only serving your bottom line, it may be time to adjust them—yes, even if your company is successful. Long-term success is nearly impossible without happy, driven and satisfied team members who buy into you and your company’s values.

• Move those values forward in your leadership actions.

• It’s always important to connect your goals to your values, but it’s equally essential to seek out the right employees. Sure, certain prospective team members may have the requisite education and years of experience, but do they believe in your company’s values? Positioning your guiding principles at the front of your recruiting, hiring and retention practices will contribute

Tyler Hicks is a writer from Dallas, Texas. His work has appeared in Texas Monthly, The Texas Observer, The Dallas Morning News and several other regional and

to long-term success.

national publications.

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Behavior Drives Culture Building an effective organization starts at the top by bruce tomaso

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wise friend once observed that nearly all of us believe we’re good drivers—excellent drivers. And yet, as anyone who’s spent 15 minutes behind the wheel in North Texas knows, the highways are filled with lousy drivers.

Similarly, most CEOs will tell you they run effective organizations.

(Don’t believe me? Just ask them.) Still, says Dr. Dwan Bryant, Tarrant County College’s subject matter expert for organizational effectiveness and leadership, there are plenty of companies that are sputtering, spinning their wheels or sinking. (Don’t believe me? Just ask the bankruptcy courts.)

In coaching executives or consulting in boardrooms, Bryant says, there usually comes a time for what she calls the “crucial conversation,” a direct, honest, private talk with the person or persons in charge.

“I know what you’re saying about your company,” she’ll tell them, “but can you show me? That’s where the rubber hits the road. Can you show me that your goals are being met? Can you show me through productivity, performance, low turnover, high morale?

What types of metrics are you using to measure results? Are they the right metrics? How do you know that?

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“Where are the weaknesses in your organization? Why do things break down at those weak spots? How effective is your internal communication? We make assumptions about what we think employees know about the company’s objectives and strategies, but do they? Do you, the CEO, teach those things? Do you demonstrate them? Do you illustrate them? Do you live them?

“You say you hear your employees. OK, but do you listen?

“When you talk about diversity, are you bringing in people with different backgrounds and experiences and actually giving them a voice? Or just a seat at the table, so you can check a box?”

No organization, Bryant says, can operate effectively without a healthy culture. That has to start at the executive level because behavior—especially the behavior of leaders—drives culture.

In the simplest sense, “organizational effectiveness” is a measure of how well an organization achieves the outcomes it intends to produce. It requires frequent, frank examination of performance in an array of areas, from recruiting and managing talent to leadership development. From adopting best practices to investing prudently

in technology. From navigating often-disruptive changes (like, say, a pandemic) to clearly articulating goals and measuring progress toward them—by individuals, teams, top management and the organization as a whole.

A smoothly functioning organization, Bryant says, results when “a healthy workplace is the foundation that everything else is built on. Effective leaders make people their priority. They empower them to do their best. They don’t see them as numbers or time cards or as a financial cost.”

Take, for example, customer service, something every CEO exhorts his or her employees to embrace. It begins within, she says: “You encourage and empower workers to care about customers by making those workers feel valued themselves. If they experience respect and empathy in the workplace, that will carry through to their dealings with customers.”

Six Steps of Effectiveness leadership circle, a worldwide business consultancy, identifies six “systems,” or practices, in place at many healthy, successful organizations.

1. Leadership. Leaders translate an organization’s vision and values into strategies and accomplishments. Doing so requires a consistent focus, or “daily discipline.”

2. Communication. Think of every conversation as a

On the other hand, Bryant says that if a CEO or a director perpetuates workplace incivility and a toxic atmosphere, if they berate and belittle the people around them, that behavior will be mimicked by others in the company. They may be good workers in some cases, but they’re not behaving like good people. They may produce results, but at what cost?

Eventually, morale will suffer. Turnover will rise. The people who add real value, real human capital, will leave. But before they do, their performance will suffer. They’ll lose confidence. They’ll stop sharing their ideas. They’ll stop caring.

“The toxic ones will stay,” Bryant says, “and that’s who you’re left with.”

It’s sad, she adds, when the leaders of an organization don’t see this happening. “They’ll blame the manager who’s nasty to everyone, or the package handler who’s late every day, or the worker on the front line who has a funky attitude. They’ll blame everyone but themselves. They don’t see the elephant in the room. They’re the elephant.”

potential moment of truth—a chance to reinforce the organization’s top goals and help co-workers attain them. An executive’s words are a potent shaper of workplace culture, for better or worse.

3. Accountability. Make sure people throughout the organization are clear about what’s expected of them.

Then tie rewards, or consequences, to performance.

4. Delivery. “The best organizations develop simple processes that are internally efficient, locally responsive, and globally adaptable.” Never lose sight of the big priorities. That’s where energy and resources should be focused.

5. Performance. Hire the best and the brightest, then hang on to them. Encourage them. Show them there’s a path to grow within the organization. Reward top performers—and not just with money, but also with opportunities like education. When they feel good about their work, the organization benefits, management benefits, customers benefit.

Bruce Tomaso is a Dallas-based freelance writer and editor and an adjunct faculty member in the Journalism Department at SMU. He worked for more than 30 years in a variety of reporting and editing positions at The Dallas Morning News. His writings have been published in, among other news outlets, The Boston Globe, Newsday, Newsweek, The Texas Lawbook, Religion News

6. Measurement. Sensible metrics and thoughtful performance reviews keep everyone on track. Concrete, quantifiable goals ensure quality control, consistent behavior, and predictable results.

Service, Reuters, The Catalyst, a periodical of the George W. Bush Institute, and the Dallas Business Journal.

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Human Capital Trends for the Future Having a productive workforce starts with having educated workers who can spot trends before they’re mainstays by jennifer blalock, edd

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s the search for top-flight talent continues to intensify, organizations need to position themselves for the evolving world of human capital. Leaders need to be sharp and hyper-aware: The response time to anticipate expected trends is decreasing while the rate of innovation integration increases.

That is why investing in human capital and being aware of human capital trends are important twin skills.

Human capital consists of the skills and experiences an individual possesses, which in turn brings value to an organization.

“I have never seen a period of such dramatic, significant change demanding almost immediate workplace application,” says Dwight Brisbane, CEO of a business development company in Jacksonville, Florida. Jacksonville, like Fort Worth, was recently recognized

by LinkedIn as one of the fastest-growing relocation cities for

talent seeking new opportunities, as well as a desired location for young professionals. “We, locally, as well as nationally, need to be prepared in new ways that expedite the time to launch programs and policies to support the attraction of the talent necessary for business optimization.”

Several significant trends are emerging in the space of human capital for which executives, HR professionals and business leaders must future-proof their companies. Here are a few to keep an eye on, as well as some proactive strategies to employ:

Redefining Diversity & Inclusion Companies have been talking the talk for decades, often identifying key executive positions to take on the extensive role of establishing a culture of inclusivity and promoting diversity across the company.

Going forward, human capital will demand that organizations have translated the diversity statements hanging on the walls in the hallways into daily practice in every office, not just Human Resources or the Diversity & Inclusion administrator’s desk. Employees will be looking for evidence of best practices in policies, procedures and daily operations. This ranges from scouring and updating the employee handbooks to reflect gender, sexual orientation, racial, religious and physical ability inclusivity to changing signage, expanding employee engagement and benefits, and more.

Phil Claybrooke, a nationally recognized Diversity & Inclusion trainer, explains: “There will be a stronger focus on being more inclusive by improving individual and organizational cultures (behaviors) and organizational environments (policies and practices). We are already seeing an increased emphasis on identifying and addressing the root causes of unfavorable biases and systemic racism in the workplace.”

Claybrooke and other Diversity & Inclusion professionals across the country continue to see an increase in requests for training, consulting, and programming related to Diversity & Inclusion organizational planning and implementation. “Companies have to be committed to this work for the long haul, infusing the spirit of diversity and inclusion in their corporate values.”

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Companies must support the “whole employee,” including the development of the personal and the professional.

Working Without Walls The debate over the efficacy of remote work is no longer a new topic, but the dialogue must take a new direction. Employers must now consider the refinement of the virtual work environment. “As an administrator, I now have to provide for and consider the needs of employees and students working and learning in a variety of work environments,” says Dr. Cynthia Smith, an educational business owner with multiple locations and remote staff and students who successfully launched a new location during a pandemic. “This means being more aware of the complexity and cost of scheduling meetings, office and furniture supply requests, and technology enhancements.”

Kristi Washington, a residential service coordinator for a lowincome housing agency, saw the benefits of working without walls firsthand, trading in her 45-minute daily commute for two extra hours of project development. “Sure, I missed the interaction of working with my colleagues and engaging with our clients in person,” she says, “but the trade-off was with the extra, focused time, I was able to advance several key projects and initiatives for our organization by working remotely.” Washington’s supervisor agreed, adjusting her schedule permanently to allow for an alternating in office, work from home format to allow for project management.

Employee Well-being With a cross-industry transition to hybrid work schedules, the traditional understanding of work/life balance has been disrupted.

Instead, companies must support the “whole employee,” including the development of the personal and the professional. Eric Mann, president and CEO of the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast, advises companies to integrate innovation when restructuring their employee wellness programs.

“Companies that embrace and merge the dual realities of work, both virtual and face-to-face, need to develop a suite of virtual health and wellness offerings,” Mann says. “It’s both cost-effective and scalable across the entire workforce, including their families.”

Like Mann, Michael Stahl and Ryan Gallik, co-Founders of the Mental Hygiene Project, an organizational consulting company with a mental wellness focus, emphasize that employee well-being is about more than just the employees’ fitness and nutrition.

Gallik and Stahl provide on-site training, virtual workshops, video coaching and more to help work teams adapt to the continuously evolving complexities of work. Gallik recommends a “resilience renovation” and assists companies in developing “organizational systems for resilience.” Stahl goes further to challenge corporate leadership to shift their perspective.

“Going forward, creating ideas for building wellness adaptability will be at the forefront of initiatives for future-minded organizations focused on maximizing the performance of their talent,” Stahl says.

Organizational Preparedness Organizational preparedness is the ability to bring human strengths, including decision-making and adaptability, to bear both during a crisis as well as in day-to-day operations. Crisis management must expand to integrate the principles of “change leadership” throughout the organization’s entire infrastructure. Once more, the idea of a singular leader or department to change management, risk and preparation for an unexpected shift in the industry has been dismantled. Instead, it must be replaced by a company-wide sense of shared responsibility in adaptability, versatility and flexibility.

This requires that companies infuse this commitment in recruiting and training new and incumbent team members.

Developing a change leadership framework, propelled by a comprehensive communications strategy, and introducing it into the organization’s operations will result in a shared sense of responsibility. Creating opportunities that promote innovation will become an expected norm within the organization at every level. Organizational preparedness may likely be the key trend that business leaders must expect. “In order to thrive in this market,” observes Smith, “I had to evolve and align with the rate of change, and my company had to be ready to move and implement change fast.”

Jennifer Blalock, EdD, has spent over two decades leading teams in post-secondary education and municipal government. Currently the Chief Energy Officer of InJenuity Solutions, Blalock develops, facilitates and evaluates workforce, economic and organizational development programs to maximize effectiveness and performance through coaching, experiential learning and training.

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SERVICES Access to Capital Accounting & Bookkeeping

About Tarrant SBDC Tarrant Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides management and technical assistance to local small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs throughout Tarrant County. The consulting services provided are at no cost and training services are at a nominal fee.

Business consulting services are customized, one on one face-to-face or virtual at no cost. Consulting services provided are business plan development, capital acquisition, marketing, regulatory compliance and more. The Tarrant SBDC provides services to a diverse population, including special emphasis groups; women, minorities and veterans who are seeking to start or grow their business.

Business Planning Cash Flow Models COVID-19 Support Disaster Services Financial Planning Government Contracting Legal Structures Licensing & Permits Market Research Startup Cost Target Marketing

Special arrangements for the disabled will be made when requested in advance. Advising services are offered by the Tarrant Small Business Development center without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex or disability. Special provisions will be made for limited-English speaking individuals.

The Tarrant SBDC is hosted by Tarrant County College and is one of twelve field centers of the North Texas SBDC Network. Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

SBA’s funding is not an endorsement of any products, opinions or services.

For accommodations, please contact the Tarrant SBDC at 817-515-2600. www.tarrantsbdc.org

Creating a Better Tomorrow Through Partnership

We have many ways to partner with your organization: Volunteer Engagement Employee Giving Matching Gifts Naming Opportunities Sponsorships and so much more…

To learn more, visit our website at: www.foundation.tccd.edu/give TCC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | 51

Meet Dr. Kristen Bennett The EVP of Advancement partners with Corporate Solutions to contribute to the community by tyler hicks

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r. Kristen Bennett loves people. If you ever talk to her about her job, the college or Ohio (“I’m not a native Texan, but I got here as fast as I could!” she says), you’ll see firsthand how, for her, every meeting, email or conversation is an opportunity to connect.

“I believe in making relationships as organic as possible,” says Bennett, Tarrant County College’s executive vice president of Advancement.

“My leadership philosophy is: You focus on the relationships first, and the needs will be met quantitatively. If you always focus on transformational and not transactional relationships, the resources will come to help our students.”

That’s the philosophy that has guided Bennett through her first year as an EVP at her latest institution. She comes to the college with 15 years of successful fundraising experience at nonprofits and universities. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy, and teaches organizational leadership courses at the university level, which has only affirmed her love of higher education.

“At the end of the day, what we do in fundraising is about the students,” she says. “It’s about changing their lives.”

To that end, Bennett has already partnered with the Corporate Solutions & Economic Development team at Tarrant County College, the dedicated office focused on building the county’s future 52 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

workforce. Through customized training, a small business development center and the Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund, the Corporate Solutions team is quite literally doing what Bennett herself always sets out to do: make dreams come true.

Wo r k i n g i n t a n de m w i t h Shannon Bryant, the EVP of Corporate Solutions & Economic Development, Bennett plans to build the kinds of relationships that yield vast opportunities for students throughout the county.

“Our relationship is critical to the ‘community’ aspect of being a community college,” Bennett says. “We are open access. Part of the philanthropic piece of that is providing that connection to the social good and social responsibility for the corporations.”

That dual approach checks multiple boxes for the college’s prospective partners, enhancing their philanthropic efforts while providing them with employees who are trained, competent and ready. Of course, those relationships take time to build. That’s where Bennett

“My leadership philosophy is: You focus on the relationships first, and the needs will be met quantitatively.”

thrives, and that is where her organic, time-tested approach will prove to be a boon for the college, its students and its partners.

“You should always let the conversation flow,” she says, “so I never put a time frame on meetings, and I always focus on, ‘How can I help you?’ I have seen that for over a decade now, whenever I focus on the relationships and not the dollars, the relationship far exceeds your expectations.”

That approach has already led to several new partnerships for Tarrant County College, and it helped earn Bennett a coveted educational fundraising award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

“I believe my secret sauce is that I really, truly care about the people I serve, whether it’s the students or community,” she says. “I really, truly care about their transformation because I, too, was a firstgeneration student. I, too, grew up in foster care. Through no fault of my own, I didn’t have the opportunities other students have.”

Empowering the Workforce of the Future how corporate solutions is shaping tarrant county

Shannon Bryant and her team are hard at work leading a series of unique initiatives for Tarrant County College’s Corporate Solutions & Economic Development department.

Here’s a snapshot of just some of those programs:

To create the opportunities she never had, Bennett commits to organic relationships with every donor she meets. She calls them all, with no donation too small to merit attention. That’s how, at her previous institution, she formed a connection with a longtime donor who would occasionally give $100.

Major Partners

“She told me, ‘No one ever called me back,’ ” until Bennett arrived.

The experienced fundraiser struck up a relationship with the donor, who, Bennett says, eventually decided to leave her entire $5 million estate to the college.

CSED and partners get access to a top-tier training facility

“No one had ever recognized her contributions,” Bennett says.

The Corporate Solutions team has fostered tightknit relationships with companies like General Motors, FedEx and Comanche Peak Power Plant.

Corporate Learning & Development Center in the Alliance Corridor of Fort Worth. This space includes plenty of conference rooms equipped with presentation equipment for seamless training, coaching and consulting sessions.

Everyday Entrepreneur Venture Fund (EEVF)

For corporations, giving ties back to the bottom line. “Donating to create a future, quality workforce is a great return on investment,” Bennett explained. “It also supports corporate culture, strengthens brand identity and fosters employee engagement, a win-win for all.”

Tarrant County College is a proud recipient of this nationwide program powering entrepreneurs. In fact, TCC is the only community college in Texas to be named a Phase Two recipient of the EEVF. Beneficiaries of this fund receive seed funding, 12 months of customized training and mentorship from a seasoned entrepreneur. Currently, TCC is funding nine

Tyler Hicks is a writer from Dallas, Texas. His work has appeared in Texas Monthly, The Texas Observer, The Dallas Morning News and several other regional and

participants, eight of whom are people of color and seven of whom are women.

national publications.

TCC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | 53

How confident are you about your organization’s clarity? If in doubt, take the “Strategic Clarity Quiz.” If you agree with more than two of these statements (or score higher than 40), your first leadership task should probably be to spend some serious time clarifying your organizational strategy.

Chances are your score on the Strategic Clarity Quiz was fairly high—higher than you’d like. Accomplishing strategic clarity and securing desired results requires clear-cut answers to two fundamental questions: • What is your business about? The answer to this question provides business focus.

• Why do your customers buy from you versus your competition? Your answer is your value proposition.

In their 1999 book, Results Based Leadership, authors Ulrich, Zenger and Smallwood note that answers to these questions help leaders “move toward strategic clarity, which in turn leads to an improved definition of the organization’s desired results.”

Strategic Clarity Quiz 1 = SELDOM 5 = SOMETIMES 10 = OFTEN 1. There are multiple, competing visions for where my organization is headed.

2. At strategy meetings, I hear a lot of motherhood statements about "being the best" or "having the lowest costs and highest levels of service and quality."

3. The organization leaders talk about having multiple "world-class" functions, reasoning that, if we are the best at everything, we will have the best overall company (also known as the "Let’s be super!" strategy).

4. Our organization practices "budgetary socialism," investing time, money and other resources equally across projects, divisions, departments and so on.

5. Our strategy statements are expressed primarily in financial terms: net earnings, return on investment (ROI), stock price and so on.

6. When asked, “What does this organization need to do really well over the next five years?” most employees respond, "I don’t know,” or the answer varies from group to group.

7. Our strategy is recorded in a thick binder somewhere.

8. Mangement readily changes its guiding principles. We have already done Business Process Re-engineering, Total Quality Management, Principle-Centered Leadership, and High-Performing Teams. This year we are doing Strategy.

9. After the senior management team devises a new strategy, it is reified, copied onto fancy paper, matted, framed, and hung on every conference room wall, but otherwise largely ignored.

10. We tend to follow the strategies set by the industry leader.

TOTAL:

10 - 39 HIGH- PERFORMING ORGANIZATION

40 - 79 SPEND TIME CLARIFYING ORGANIZATION STRATEGY

80+ ORGANIZATION IS IN A STATE OF CHAOS

TCC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | 55

Football’s First Hail Mary Pass Former Dallas Cowboy Drew Pearson’s immaculate reception should be a teachable moment in the boardroom by rick gosselin | illustration by bill butcher

T

he Hail Mary pass became an iconic play in National Football League lore. Decades later, it became a teaching moment for corporate America.

Hall of Famer Drew Pearson caught that pass in a 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. The Dallas Cowboys were on the road, trailing the Vikings 14-10, with the ball at the 50 yard line and 32 seconds remaining in the game. Quarterback Roger Staubach “closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary” as he heaved the ball downfield at Pearson, who caught the underthrown pass at the 5 and walked into the end zone for the game-winning score.

Pearson hasn’t played a football game since 1983 but has been in demand for the last several decades as a public speaker to corporations, businesses and charities.

“I use the Hail Mary a lot because it pertains to so many different situations—whether it’s in sports, business, personal life, charitable life,” Pearson says. “Like that Minnesota game, it’s overcoming the odds. It’s a situation where you’re working on a deal and it looks like it’s not going to happen. You run into a lot of problems along the way. You’re about to give up on it. But somehow you come up with a creative way to make it happen. You’ve caught a Hail Mary in that situation. You found a way to overcome a negative situation.”

Pearson caught his own share of Hail Marys in the business world.

He started a headwear company in his life after football, but, in that world, too often the game ended without ever moving the ball off the 50.

“Those negative situations happen more in business than in sports, trust me,” Pearson says. “I’ve never been told ‘no’ as many times as I 56 | CORPORATE.TCCD.EDU

have been in business. I went to the NFL four times and was turned down three times flat. You don’t get your results immediately like you do in football. It might take you three years to close a deal in the business world. In the sports world, you know your results in three hours. So you have to be patient to let the opportunity grow.”

Patience paid off for Pearson. He persisted and eventually landed licensing deals with, among others, the NFL, MLB, NBA, Walmart, Disney and Warner Bros. Pearson has made considerably more money selling hats than he earned catching passes for the Cowboys.

“One of the biggest awards we got from the NFL was for reaching the $1 million level for royalty revenue,” Pearson says. “They gave you a nice trophy. You’re on stage at the NFL Properties awards banquet and you’re on stage as a former NFL player. No other NFL player had ever done that.”

Drew Pearson Companies was named by the SMU Forum as one of the fastest-growing business in the Metroplex in the 1980s and the “Black-owned Company of the Year” in 1994 by Black Enterprise magazine. It all translates into a powerful message of success—on and off the field.

“I try to tell the story of what it took for me to overcome and persevere, using challenges and adversity as steppingstones to other opportunities,” Pearson says. “We paid our dues.”

Rick Gosselin has covered the NFL for 49 years in Dallas, New York, Kansas City and Detroit. He was enshrined in the writers’ wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Workforce Lens Podcast Monthly conversations with DFW business leaders.

In “The Workforce Lens” podcast, moderated by TCC Executive Vice President for Corporate Solutions & Economic Development Shannon Bryant, MEd, CWDP, LSSGB, we connect with business leaders in Tarrant County and North Texas on the evolution of their workforce needs, focusing on how they will continue to grow and thrive today and beyond. Listen to the podcast at corporate.tccd.edu and check back regularly for new episodes.

North Texas has a new home for customized workforce solutions.

The workforce of tomorrow will look different from today – are you ready? We can help, creating customized learning and development solutions to help you grow and thrive. Let us host your team at our new Corporate Center for Learning and Development, located in Alliance.

We’re here to meet your business needs – today and tomorrow.

corporate.tccd.edu