Douglas McKeown | Woodard & Curran chairman of the board and CEO
When my daughter was a kid, I got her into golf, believing it would provide her opportunities through business connections later in life.
Whether it’s talking Patriots football around the water cooler on Monday morning or getting that invite to play golf with senior leaders because you’re a “ringer,” being included creates opportunity. But as the CEO of a 1,000-person firm with 28 offices from Providence to San Diego, I know that the responsibility falls on the organization and leadership to create an environment that provides equal opportunities for our employees to be included.
A lot of issues in today’s news tie back to diversity and inclusion. Diversity is measurable – it’s recognizing the differences in our people and the value to be gained from those differences. Inclusion is about behavior, creating an environment that offers our employees a seat at the table so that we actually benefit from a diverse workforce.
Whether that inclusion is in a conversation, on a project team, or in the boardroom, a more-inclusive environment allows for broader insights, more creative ideas and stronger employee engagement.
For the past four years I have invited two younger staff members to participate in our board retreats with the intention that they contribute their perspectives. The unique insights and eye-opening perspectives they’ve provided over the years have influenced our decisions around certain organizational approaches. Being committed to a D&I program today is not just the right thing to do, it’s smart for business.
