'The Village': 7 Lessons from 3 Conversations on Aligning Culture and Diversity with Career Aspirations

There's a famous saying that reads "it takes a village". Originally these words uttered by Nancy Reagan, and then used by Hilary Clinton as a title to her book on how to help others. This message has always represented a rallying call to action for a group to come together and achieve– but more importantly to support one another. 

I recently stumbled across a village. A village filled with bright, accomplished, and savvy retired  baby boomers comprised of  African American men and women  who referred to themselves as "The village".  They were all people leaders in the CPG industry and  they formed alliances and networks committed to keep each other informed and encouraged in their individual paths to success. They were a group of dynamic individuals climbing the corporate ladder in their respective business segments, and they were supporting one another under the principle of– 'it takes a village'. 

I was priviliged to get the opportunity to speak to 4 members of this dubbed "unofficial" group in an effort to build an understanding around diversity and what it means to an organization and those within it. Three of the members retired in executive roles and one currently facilates corporate team building in the post retirement portion of his career.

Here are  7 things that I learned from the time I spent with "The Village":

Cross functional work assignments and positions shape diversity of thought in individuals and leaders. Seek it out. 

Diversity= different, but it starts with the inclusion of all– and leads to a culture that appreciates "different"—however you arrive on what "different" is. 

Deliver and Add Value

Regardless of your background, segment or intention, delivering results is #1 and everyone on the team should have the conviction to deliver

Know What YOU Want 

Understand that if your values do not match a company's culture that it is ok. 

Mentorship 

Mentorship is the most valued, genuine and unmeasured competitive advantage. Find it and pay it forward. 

Learn to Trust

Trust is key. A diverse organization lends the opportunity to stumble across similar individuals which can breed trust and synergy toward including who and what may be different. 

Progress is Made to Measure 

Have a way to measure progress, even for the intangibles. Driving engagement can yield business results if you can show you are the source of the success. 

Tenacity Wins

You will always have to strive to be the best to win, don't settle for relevance. 

These pearls of wisdom are outstanding examples of mentorship and perspective—'The Village' showed me both.

Thank you