Last month, I got to meet some of the foreign companies who visited Denver with the Denver Global Landing Pad to learn about ways in which they could expand their businesses to the area. What I heard over and over again was that people in Denver were not only willing to have conversations with these […]
McCord Consulting Group turns 10 years old this month! Thank you for being a former client, thank you for being a future client, and thank you for your support through the years. As McCord Consulting Group expands into Panamá and McCord Speaks continues to grow, I wanted to give you this little video treat to […]
I am excited to introduce you to McCord Speaks, a new offering from McCord Consulting Group. McCord Speaks allows me to talk to audiences and encourage them to break free of the status quo to advance to their next level of development. McCord Speaks launched in September 2022 and the response has been fantastic. Here […]
I am proud to introduce you to the newest branch of McCord Consulting Group. I have opened a branch in Panama and I am excited to tell you more about the business consulting offerings that will be available there. This is a dream several years in the making and I am thrilled to offer the […]
While facilitating a workshop, an attendee asked me what they should do if the CEO’s desire to embrace diversity, equity, and diversity does not match the Board’s willingness to implement DEI policies. It is the responsibility of the Board to set the direction of the organization. Through strategic planning and visioning, the Board defines what […]
Back in August 2019, I encouraged board of directors to have the courage to shake up the status quo and hire an organizational leader who would be a bold, capable – albeit non traditional – choice. I specifically talked about Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who would have been the first woman and non-American head of the World […]
2020 taught us a lot of lessons. But what good is a lesson if you don’t change your behavior? As we look to 2021, let’s take the lessons we have learned and apply them to future successes. Board diversity is more than hollow words During the summer of 2020, the United States had a national […]
The President of the United States contracted COVID-19 last month. After previously calling it a hoax, he now says the virus is real and people should wear masks. He was skeptical about the existence of the virus despite the smartest scientists saying it existed, despite members of Congress contracting the virus, despite millions of Americans […]
After publishing last month’s newsletter, several of you reached out to me personally, asking what you could do to dismantle systemic racism in our country. Here are two actions you can implement today: Take DEI Training Every Year Taking one training on diversity, equity, and inclusion does not make you proficient. Remember how you […]
Many organizations use the month of January to welcome new board directors and look towards the year ahead. In that forward looking, the organization should also start planning for its annual retreat. The annual retreat usually takes place at the beginning of the third quarter and provides the board an opportunity to benchmark the success […]
Many cities are experiencing job growth across the country. While communities grapple with decisions on how to adapt to this growth in jobs and people, nonprofits see this growth as an opportunity to recruit diverse board representation. When people move to a new area with no established roots or networks, they seek a way to […]
Rubber stamping boards are boards that approve whatever is presented with little discussion. A rubber stamping board is a board that is not energized. Because there is a lack of energy, board directors are missing out on their opportunity to support the mission of the organization, share the purpose of the organization, and use the […]
In 2018, the state of California took a bold stance. The state became the first in the nation to pass a law that requires publicly traded companies to include women on their board of directors. This law is a baby step forward in making boards more diverse and equitable. The act requires corporate boards, by […]
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an impressive woman. She is the former Finance Minister of Nigeria and was a World Bank development economist, eventually being promoted to Managing Director – the number two position at the World Bank. Earlier this year, she was considered a front runner to head the World Bank after former President Jim Young […]
In 2014, the #ExeronatedFive (nee: #CentralParkFive) received a multi-million dollar settlement from the State of New York for their wrongful conviction and imprisonment related to the case of the rape and battery of Trisha Meili. Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor in the case, has come under fire in 2019 following the success of Ava DuVernay’s film, […]
How you gonna have a corporate meeting that Beyoncé deems to grace with her presence and not have a single black face in the room?! Reebok learned the hard way that the lack of representation cost them millions of dollars when Beyoncé walked out of the meeting and took her Ivy Park label to Adidas. Reebok denies […]
One of the responsibilities of a board director is to ensure the financial oversight of the organization. While many directors understand their duties as it relates to fundraising, it is important that a board director understands the financial health of the organization as well. This includes understanding the budget for the year, the sources of […]
Now that a new year is upon us, it’s time to think about what your board and organization wants to accomplish in the new year. In thinking about your board goals, at a minimum, your board should go through a Board Governance 101 session. A Board Governance 101 session will acquaint your board and your […]
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Everything! 2018 was an exciting year for McCord Consulting Group and I hope you had a fruitful year as well. Enjoy the holiday season and get ready for more tips, advice, and support for all of your governance, recruitment, and diversity needs from McCord Consulting Group in 2019! […]
Duty of care is one of the fundamental legal responsibilities of a board director. In short, duty of care means that both individual board directors and the board as a whole should pay attention to and care about the organization’s activities and operations. While this seems easy in theory, board directors seem to have a […]
‘Creatives’ is the buzzword that seems to be everywhere in our current lexicon. Creatives describes those who are willing to think outside of the box to make our daily lives more efficient, more effective, and more beautiful. Creatives describe the writers who pen opinion pieces that allow us to understand different perspectives in a language […]
Jack Dorey, Elon Musk, and Papa John are three CEOs who have been in the news lately for going rogue, impacting their companies’ profits and causing headaches for their board of directors. Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter, has been criticized for continuing to give Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist, racist, and Sandy Hook denier, […]
On every board there are one person who seemingly does all the work. They volunteer for every committee, they show up to every event outside board meetings, and are a constant presence at the organization. This person may feel that they alone are pulling all of the weight of the board, while, alternatively, the […]
It’s important for diversity and inclusion to exist in all types of boards – including your community’s Home Owners Association board. I put together a short video for the Colorado Association of Realtors explaining how to diversify your HOA board. Take a look! For more information on board governance and board diversity, follow along on […]
Recruiting new board directors is the path any organization should take to diversify its Board. Many people have asked how a Board is supposed to find diverse candidate to interview and consider for open board positions. I recently saw a great examples of a Call for Directors. By exploring this example, I’ll point out how […]
There’s no better place to create a presentation about diversity in the technology industry than from Redmond, WA, the headquarters of Microsoft. I have been asked by NEON CRM to address board diversity and recruitment as it relates to Silicon Valley. NEON CRM is a unique customer relationship management technology system that specifically helps nonprofits […]
I was honored to be asked to present a webinar for XY Planning Network titled How to Promote Diversity within Your Organization. XY Planning Network is the leading organization of fee-only financial advisors who are dedicated to serving the needs of Generation X and Generation Y clients. At the end of the webinar, I was […]
Happy Black History Month! The month of February is the month we celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to this country. Customarily, the celebrated are usually long dead, their contributions consigned to the history books. This month, I want to highlight a living black history figure and his connection to nonprofit organizations. The Super Bowl was played […]
Happy New Year! The new year is an exciting time for organizations because they can plan for all of their accomplishments for the year to come. In your planning, you should make sure your board directors have a refresher course on their duties and responsibilities as board members. Board Governance 101 is great for returning […]
Your board directors do a lot of the organization and the annual end of the year Holiday party is a great way to say ‘thank you’ for their service. Invite your board to participate in your organization’s end of the year celebration so that board directors can interact with staff in a relaxed and comfortable […]
It’s important to find ways to energize your board of directors. One easy way to energize your board is to lead them on a tour of your organization’s operations and facilities. Oftentimes, directors are only familiar with the Executive Director and the staff who periodically present at board meetings. Initiating a tour of your operations […]
It’s October so it’s on point to talk about tricks and treats. In August, Black Girls CODE was presented with $125,000 from Uber. Uber is currently in turmoil after allegations of institutional workplace sexual harassment, senior executives fleeing the company, and the departure of former CEO Travis Kalanick who is accused of not addressing the […]
I was interviewed last month to discuss board diversity on the KGNU radio show, PoCo in BoCo. People of Color in Boulder County (PoCo in BoCo), hosted by Nikhil Mankekar and Tracey Jones, takes a look at what it means to be a person of color advocating for equity and representation in Boulder County. According […]
It’s easy to preach what you should and should not do to attain effective board governance. But, when I see it in practice, it makes my heart soar! I have worked with the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center (CJDC) in the past. The organization does amazing work, advocating for juvenile offenders in the State of Colorado. […]
I am excited to be sponsored by the University of Colorado Office of Advancement at this year’s Rocky Mountain Philanthropy Institute’s annual conference. Check out the announcement below for more details.
(photo credit) Besides champ (most recently 23 Grand Slam Singles Titles) and record holder (oldest player to win a Grand Slam Singles title ed note. She set that record while pregnant!), Serena Williams can add Board Director to her illustrious resume. Serena Williams recently joined the board of SurveyMonkey. While none of the press releases […]
I can’t believe we’ve made it to the middle of the year! Congratulations! McCord Consulting Group has been busy the first half of the year. Before I take a much needed pause in June, I try to re-evaluate the first six months and make plans for the second half of the year based upon what […]
Advocacy is all the rage right now. Black Lives Matter has been advocating for equal treatment from police since 2013. Women protested across the country for policies that protect the rights of women the day after the inauguration. Even scientists felt the need to make their voices heard at the March for Science held on […]
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was dragged by the media last month when he said, “We have a board member who is an adviser to the Trump administration, Peter Thiel. And I personally believe that if you want to have a company that is committed to diversity, you need to be committed to all kinds of […]
I am excited to present on the Advanced CNP Track for the Alliance Management Institute in January. I will be speaking to the group about the importance of Board diversity and give practical ways to look at diversity and how to achieve it in your Board of Directors. I am excited to be working with […]