5 Things / Lessons From The Puppy
This week, my partner and I became puppy parents. We’ve never had a dog together before, so it’s been a fun experiment establishing trust and expectations with Roy Kent while negotiating with each other. Turns out there are a few inclusive leadership truisms that apply to puppy parenting, too:
Consistency builds trust. We’re very intentional about crate training so he knows what to expect when. It’s working. Last night there was no whimpering at bedtime, and he only needed to go out once.
Understand and accept the other’s communication style. After some accidents, I’ve been paying better attention, and now I'm gradually learning how Roy tells us he needs to go outside.
Take responsibility for mistakes. I can’t be too frustrated at Roy for chewing on my slipper when I didn’t set him up for success by giving him other distractions or managing him better.
Follow the Platinum Rule. Treat them the way they want to be treated (not the way you want to be treated). This should be self-explanatory – I don’t (usually) need my belly rubbed.
Positive reinforcement for the win. Providing treats and saying “Good boy, Roy!” simply works to reinforce behavior.
Obviously, this isn’t rocket science, and it applies in so many different contexts: with our children, with our partners, with our team. I know I like it when others relate to me in these ways. But like with so many other things, leading like this can be easier said than done.
Here are some good vibes I found this week:
Target continues to model equitable initiatives during Black History Month, that continue year-round. Target shows how to authentically amplify Black voices with this year’s theme, “Creating Our Own Future”. The company intentionally reached out to and partnered with Black creators and businesses to authentically showcase Black culture and joy. This matters because Target’s approach is so holistic: involving employee resource groups, providing professional development support for Black founders, and providing access to shelf space and marketing resources to these businesses. It doesn’t get more equitable than that.
Employees in Belgium won the right to complete their full work in four days, rather than five, without loss of salary. This is interesting in that it’s the first time I’ve seen this as a law, which seems a bit extreme, but apparently, the Belgium labor market is notoriously rigid. Of course, employers can say no to an employee’s request (in writing).
Similarly, the small fast-casual food restaurant chain, Dig, is offering this option to hourly kitchen staff, the first time I’ve seen this offered to non-managerial, food industry employees.
4-day workweeks matter because of the flexibility and freedom they can bring employees.
TD Bank enhanced its employees benefits to now cover child daycare, elder care, surrogacy, donor, and adoption costs, and more. They’re also including pregnancy loss in bereavement leave. These benefits are all best-in-class, yet still relatively rare, and they matter because employees have diverse needs, and diverse family types, and these benefits are inclusive of that.
Salesforce is the latest company to tie executive compensation to ESG and DEI goals. Specifically, leaders will be measured on “a focus on increasing representation of Black, Latinx, Indigenous and multiracial employees in the United States and of women employees globally.” Simply put, they’re held accountable for how well they increase diversity. That’s critically important and that accountability is a best practice, but the real question for me is: how inclusive is the work environment? That’s what really matters.