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 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 […]
As I think about Black History Month 2022, I am reminded of my September 2020 newsletter. In that piece written just four months after the start of the George Floyd protests, I asked the question “Is the Window Closing on DEI Interest?” 17 months after that newsletter was published, I can clearly identify ways in […]
I was excited to continue my conversation with Drew McLellan of the Agency Management Institute about DEI in the public relations industry. If you missed the first interview on the ROI of DEI, you can catch it here. In this podcast episode, Drew and I have a frank and informative conversation about creating a DEI […]
Disposing of your trash in Boulder, CO is a multi-step process. In most public areas there is a receptacle for recyclables, compostables, and landfill trash. It normally takes me about 45 seconds to survey my refuse and make sure I am choosing the correct receptacle. It’s not an inconvenience and I’ve become more adept at […]
Agency Management Institute (AMI) is the organization for marketing and public relations agency owners. Through their network of agency owners, they “provide a safe, confidential and supportive environment in which to learn, explore and successfully master business best practices so they can build profitable, sustainable and widely respected agencies.” I was introduced to AMI founder, […]
I recently spoke to New Hope Network about ways to support supply chain diversity in the natural products industry. I’ll draw your attention to how the article ended: Prepare to make mistakes When trying to be more diverse and inclusive, be prepared to make mistakes. “It’s important to understand you will mess up,” McCord says. […]
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 […]
As a Solutions Partner for the J.E.D.I Collaborative, I am excited to be a speaker for their session – A Community Approach to JEDI. I have previously spoken before the natural products industry about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at ExpoWest and BevNet. My session will give natural products professionals two tools in which to […]
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 […]
I am excited to work with the Boulder Public Library to facilitate a discussion about Ijeoma Oluo’s book, So You Want to Talk About Race. Ms. Oluo will be providing an author talk in November. My session, A Deeper Dive into Examining Questions from “So You Want to Talk About Race” will examine questions […]
I’ve been consulting with businesses for nearly a decade on the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. But, the topic has become wildly popular to a larger number of individuals in the past three months. Practitioners in this space know that the window of interest for this topic will only be open for so long […]
The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days. Black people of Montgomery, Alabama boycotted the public bus system’s segregated seating system, forcing Black people to ride at the back of the bus. For 381 days, Black people, who constituted 75% of Montgomery’s bus ridership, walked and instituted ride-share techniques (Uber’s concept isn’t anything new to Black […]
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 […]
As the country opens up after being on lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many people and businesses that are ready to get ‘back to normal’. As you take steps to reopen your organization, I challenge you to abandon the term ‘normal’ and look to ways in which you and your business will operate […]
I was struck by two Facebook posts in January and February. One, celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, featured an event amplifying the voices of undocumented individuals. It was difficult to make the connection between the civil rights of African-Americans, who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered fighting for, and the civil rights […]
Recently, I was in a room where attendees were asked, generally, topics about which they cared. As we went around the room, decision maker after decision maker stated they cared about diversity and inclusion. If we were playing a drinking game, I would not have been able to safely drive myself home if I […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
As of this writing, the federal government has reopened until February 15, 2019. 800,000 federal employees were not paid for over a month during our nation’s longest federal government shutdown. I feel deep sorrow for the employees and contractors who were affected by the shutdown. I hope they all receive their back pay and an […]
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! […]
‘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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Join us for a discussion about the value of diversity, how a diverse board can actually increase your bottom line, and easy ways to incorporate diversity on your tech board. This session is useful for: ★ Current board directors who want to diversify their board ★ Those who want to learn more about serving on […]