ERG Best Practices: The Org Chart

Brian Fishbone [: 00:00:02

Welcome to the Inclusion on Demand podcast. I'm your host, Brian Fishbone. My purpose in life is to help others do, be, and feel better so that they can thrive in life and change the world in their own way. In this podcast, we'll explore the world of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, called DEIB for short, through the lens of best practices I've developed over more than a decade in this field. We'll discuss everything from inclusive leadership and psychological safety to bias mitigation in HR practices and building sustainable, enduring employee resource groups, or ERGs for short. We'll feature interviews with leading inclusion experts and practitioners, and we'll analyze what's hot and what's not in the world of DEIB. In this Inclusion On Demand podcast series called ERG Best Practices, I share tips, tools, and guidelines I've developed over more than a decade for strategically evolving ERGs. I'd love to help you get your groups aligned with HR and business objectives.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:01:13

The best ERGs I've seen support the attraction, development, engagement, and retention of the best, most diverse talent. As well as sustain a culture of inclusion and belonging in which all employees feel that they can bring their full authentic selves to work. This episode, interestingly enough, is the first in a series I'll do about ERG infrastructure, roles, and responsibilities. Let's start today with organizational structure. A quick public service announcement: this episode is good for any ERG maturity level. Whether you're just starting one or more ERGs or wanting to evolve their structure. In fact, clients often bring me in to do the latter, help them more strategically align the organizational structure of ERGs to business objectives and how the business actually runs. Okay, let's dive into the considerations you'll need to look at with respect to ERG organizational structure.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:02:13

Let me dispel one myth right away. There is no one perfect structure for your ERGs. I can hear some of you breathing a sigh of relief, but I will tell you, even though some of your groups may need minor customization, and that's totally okay, structural consistency is key. It will make program management and collaboration across groups much easier in the long run. And lastly, with respect to reporting structure, While they are ultimately accountable to all members, ERGs report to the executive sponsor and one or more of the diversity and inclusion team members, often an ERG program manager at larger organizations. So clients also have so many other questions for me. What's the ideal structure for ERGs? One co-lead or 2? Regional chapters or centralized governments? How high up in the organization should an executive sponsor be? What level should the chairs be? What are the roles below the chair? It seems like a lot, so many decisions to make. So you know what, let's break them down together.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:03:19

Let's look at them one by one. Let's start with the org chart. Let's use the ERG org chart as our lens for exploring ideal ERG organizational structure. We'll start at the top of the chart with executive sponsors. At the highest level, they provide sponsorship advocacy and strategic consultation to ensure ERG mission, goals, and programs align to business goals and organizational value. I'll have more to say about their role and responsibilities in a future episode. For now, just think of them as strategic gurus and influencers who help ERGs elevate their impact on the organization. The number one question about them that I receive as a consultant is, How far up the org chart should they be? Having worked with countless organizations of all sizes and across multiple industries, I advise clients that executive sponsors should be no more than 1 to 2 levels below the CEO or president of the organization.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:04:29

That's important, so I'm going to repeat it. I advise clients that executive sponsors should be no more than 1 to 2 levels below the CEO or president of the organization. Now, some of you may be thinking, we don't have enough people at that level and/or they won't have the time to support an ERG. So what's my response to that? Well, if you go more than 2 levels down, the person won't have the level of influence that an ERG needs to have compelling business impact that gets them regularly supported and funded. And the way to an executive's heart is often through showing them what's in it for them and the business if they step up. This is an amazing opportunity for them to get connected with diverse talent within the organization and show their commitment to the organization beyond their day job. Another consideration my clients often deliberate is if the executive needs to be part of the target demographic. or an ally? You know, I could make an argument for both.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:05:30

Let's start with in-demographic. This person would have lived experience, be passionate about supporting those in their underrepresented group, and may be trusted more easily by leaders and members than an ally. However, I don't wanna discount the ally here. An ally could be even more effective. They can get a deeper understanding of what underrepresented groups face and communicate that to other executives and the CEO. It can also be a strong symbol to leaders and members that someone from a dominant majority, or maybe just another underrepresented group, cares so much about the well-being of the group within the organization. Let me take a moment to tell you a story, because storytelling helps, about a time when an ally executive sponsor in a large multinational financial services company showed up in a way for the group that an in-demographic member would not have been able to. After a racially motivated shooting of a Black man by a white man, logic indicated that the Black executive sponsor of the group— there were 2 at the time, a Black man and a white ally— should write a message to the ERG to check in with them, share his outrage, and make members feel seen and heard.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:06:43

But then the 2 sponsors decided the message would be much more powerful coming from the white sponsor. What followed was a beautiful and humble message of allyship from someone high up in the organization that had never before spoken or written publicly about such shootings and his allyship to the Black community inside and outside of work. He expressed his outrage, addressed what members were thinking and feeling, and answered every comment on the post Personally, I still get chills whenever I tell that story. So what's the takeaway? If possible, have 2 executive sponsors for each ERG, one in the demographic and one ally. If that's not possible, I've shown you the benefits of either an in-demographic or an ally sponsor. At this point, you may be thinking, Brian, what about the people who lead, plan, and execute for the ERG on a daily basis? After a short break, we'll talk about leads, committee chairs, and volunteers. We'll be right back after a short break. I'm Brian Fishbone, and I'm glad to have you with us on the Inclusion On Demand podcast.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:08:05

In each episode of the Inclusion On Demand podcast, We'll explore the world of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, called DEIB for short, through the lens of best practices I've developed over more than a decade in this field and via interviews with leading experts and practitioners. We'll discuss everything from inclusive leadership and psychological safety to bias mitigation in HR practices and building sustainable sustainable, enduring employee resource groups, or ERGs for short. We'll also analyze what's hot and what's not in the world of DEIB. I currently serve as a principal of my own consultancy called Inclusion on Demand. My specialties include employee resource group strategy and evolution, inclusive leadership, mitigation of bias in HR practices, and development and delivery of inclusion training. You can find out more about my consulting work at www.inclusionondemand.com or find me, Brian Fishbone, on LinkedIn. Welcome back, everyone. Executive sponsors play an important role, but not an everyday one.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:09:26

Now I'd like to talk about the employees that actually lead, plan, and execute programming. Let's move to the next level of the org chart. They may go by different names— leads, leaders, managers, chairs— and the list could go on and on. No matter what you call them, they are central to the success of an ERG. At the highest level, they lead other volunteers, support planning and execution of programs, facilitate annual goal setting and business planning, and prioritize areas of focus. I'll have more to say about their roles and responsibilities in a future episode. For now, let's address the same question we did for the sponsors. What level should the leads be? By the way, I'll refer to them as leads as opposed to chairs going forward.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:10:16

Some argue they should be only 1 to 2 levels below the sponsors, and others see it as a growth opportunity for a high-potential supervisor or individual contributor. Well, this may surprise you, but I actually don't have a strong opinion about lead levels either way. However, I do advise clients that there should be a rigorous and intentional selection process. More on that in a future episode. I really am building your suspense here, aren't I? And they should be, at a minimum, what we in the US refer to as exempt employees, meaning at a basic level that they are salaried employees with discretionary time, as opposed to hourly employees who must be paid anytime they're at work. Now, I do think it's a good idea to pay exempt employees for their services as an ERG lead, but I know that's not a reality for most organizations. Also, whenever possible, give priority to employees who have already been leading and/or volunteering within the ERG in some capacity. Next and final question I'll address for now about leads.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:11:25

Should there be just one? One with a lead in training, maybe 2 co-leads, 3 or more leads? I actually do have a strong opinion on this issue. At this point in my career, I've easily seen hundreds of ERG structures, and I do have a solid favorite: 2 co-leads. Why? I see so many benefits. First, putting the leadership responsibility on one person is simply a lot, and without a co-lead, the person could get burnt out very quickly. 2, a co-lead also offers the benefit of continuity. You can stagger it so that each of the 2 roll off at different times so that there is always solid succession planning. and leadership continuity. Beyond number 2, you may have analysis paralysis or stalemate in decision-making, or conversely, no one wants to have the final D or decision-making authority.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:12:27

However, if you think the work required will be greater than 2 can manage, you could consider a project manager or chief of staff role to manage the liaising between the 2 leads. and the executive sponsor and the diversity and inclusion team. And one other benefit of 2 co-leads, you can have one lead in the demographic and one ally, just as I discussed with you about executive sponsors. Okay, let's keep going on the chart. Next, we have sub-team or committee leads, whatever you want to call them. Now, depending on the size of your organization and the size of the ERG, There may be one or more additional levels on the org chart for additional volunteers. Sometimes you'll hear them referred to as sub-teams, committees, or assistant leads. They should be aligned with ERG and company values and goals, and it's best to have a lead for each committee.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:13:22

Sometimes it's just the lead, and other times they have additional volunteers to help them. The role of a sub-team lead is to plan, execute, and evaluate ERG programming and report to the group's Leads. I've seen sub-teams categorized strategically and/or functionally. For example, if the key purpose of the ERG is to support the attraction, development, engagement, and inclusion of diverse talent, I've seen a sub-team dedicated to each of those areas. From a functional perspective, sub-teams might include one for each function of an ERG, like communications, programming, and awareness and outreach. And sometimes I see a hybrid of strategic and functional alignment. It depends on the organization. Let's now move on to other volunteers who give their time to support ERG programs and initiatives.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:14:18

They could serve as a member of one or more subteams, and I've also seen ERGs develop what I think is really interesting and what I'll refer to as a volunteer support network. It's ideal for employees who want to support the ERG when they can, but don't want to have a full-time role on the org chart. The leadership team can simply compile a list of interested volunteers who opt in and reach out to them on an as-needed basis. Okay, the last topic in this episode that I want to address are chapters and regions. Beyond a central or corporate headquarters organizational structure, some ERGs have more autonomous chapters segmented by division. Maybe an example could be Women in Information Technology, or by region, like LGBTQ+ Pride in Europe. I'll have more to say about these in future episodes. I know, there I go again with coming soon previews.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:15:22

But for now, I'll tell you, I do not believe in autonomous chapters. I'll say it again. I do not believe in autonomous chapters. I think it makes much more sense to have regional contacts who are aligned with the ERG leadership team and/or serve in an additional role, such as one of the ERG leads or a sub-team lead. When you have multiple chapters, In multiple divisions and regions without a solid connection to the central ERG, you risk the groups going off track with non-strategic activities and programs they don't inform the central group about. And those are my best practices for ERG organizational structure. Let's make a plan to talk about roles and responsibilities within the organizational structure next time. So more detailed job descriptions of each role.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:16:18

How about I meet you back here in a few weeks? Okay. This episode is part of the Inclusion On Demand series called ERG Best Practices, in which I share tips, tools, and guidelines I've developed over more than a decade for strategically evolving ERGs. I'd love to help your groups get aligned with HR and business objectives. The best ERGs I've seen support the attraction, development, engagement, and retention of the best, most diverse talent, as well as sustain a culture of inclusion and belonging in which all employees feel that they can bring their full selves to work. I have a few offerings that could help you transform your ERGs, including the Inclusion On-Demand ERG Playbook, which is designed to provide ERGs with guidelines, processes, and procedures regarding ERGs within the organization. For your convenience, each set of guidelines, processes, or procedures in the playbook is approximately 1 to 2 pages in length, not too long for busy people who are leading your ERGs. I also offer a training program based on that playbook, which is called ERG Academy. and has various versions, one for executive sponsors, one for ERG leaders, and one for ERG volunteers.

Brian Fishbone [: 00:17:45

For more information, please visit www.inclusionondemand.com or find me, Brian Fishbone, on LinkedIn. Looking for more support with your diversity, inclusion, and belonging programs? Inclusion On Demand is a consultancy focused on helping clients implement a comprehensive, systemic approach to advancing diversity, inclusion, and belonging in their organizations. Specialties include employee resource group strategy and design, interim inclusion staffing, training, and speaking engagements. For more information, please visit www.inclusionondemand.com. fusionondemand.com, or find me, Brian Fishbone, on LinkedIn, or check out the show notes. I look forward to connecting with you in our next episode.