Advice

There are two pandemics ravaging our nation, COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic of racism. Both have devastated the lives of people of color and affected local economies.

Companies may see these as treacherous times to conduct employee surveys, with challenges due to COVID-19 precautions, reduced workforce numbers and supply-chain disruptions.

If you stay up to date on business news, you might have heard of a new job in town: the chief growth officer. Companies like Hershey’s and Kellog’s are integrating this role into their corporate teams, and Coca-Cola even replaced its chief marketing officer with a CGO. 

If the existence of systemic racism was not evident to you before 2020, the killing of George Floyd by the police and the staggering disproportionate number of people of color dying from COVID-19 should leave no question. Acknowledge it. 

Growing up, my favorite basketball player was Allen Iverson. He was a rough and tough point guard whose skills and grit I idolized.

Whether concerning COVID-19 changes or reaction to racial issues after the death of George Floyd – a black man killed by a white Minneapolis police officer – company statements have been issued at a furious pace.

It’s a scenario straight out of a movie: An oldest adult child is named the trustee or personal representative of a parent’s trust or will and before you know it, the whole family is fighting over everything from money to property to funeral arrangements. 

Reviewing your clients and contacts helps promote their business and shows them you really care enough to contribute (maybe they’ll do the same for you). 

I’m tired of racism. I’m tired of it on a personal micro level, and I’m seething at the truth of its existence embedded within every macro-structure of our country.

The Paycheck Protection Program was launched by the Small Business Administration on April 3 with much fanfare and many problems.