Greetings!
This week, as part of Diversity MBA’s Virtual Diversity Recruitment Bootcamp, I addressed a group of employees from PepsiCo who had some Bold Goals. As recruiters for their company, each one was looking to get a jump on more diverse and inclusive recruiting in the coming year
The first thing I did was ask how many of them ever had formal training on how to make a plan. Out of about 50, a mere two said they had some training. Just two! That meant that when it came to setting goals for their diversity and inclusion recruiting, the vast majority lacked clear training on what it took to create an action plan that would help them accomplish what they wanted to accomplish. So kudos to PepsiCo for having the forethought of engaging Diversity MBA to help prepare their recruiters for diversity and inclusion training, educating them about best practices and kudos to Diversity MBA for recognizing the need for people to have implementation training!
During the session, I utilized a few of the worksheets found in my book, PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success–particularly the Building Block Plan and My Bold Commitment sheet. You remember the Building Block Plan that we discussed last week?
I spent time working to help them appreciate the nature of “Big Picture Steps”, and how the whole process is used to create a viable action plan. I told them that planning was easier than they thought if they could just get the Big Picture Steps and building blocks in place.
For these recruiters, an example of a Bold Goal would be something along the lines of “bringing 25 diverse employees into the company next year”. That would make their Big Picture Steps things like “create a bigger pipeline of candidates”, “reach out to more universities”… essentially, all the moving parts that would go into reaching the goal of cycling more diverse talent into the employment screening process.
The PepsiCo employees found the discussion valuable and extremely enlightening. Why? Because the act of planning is often a mystery to people, and it doesn’t have to be. Plans shouldn’t be something daunting that stops you in your tracks. If you visualize the Big Picture Steps that would leap up to your goal, and then fill out the blocks beneath each step, you are well on your way to having what you need.
By the end of my session of the Bootcamp, I was confident that the Building Block Plan would help them create the action plan needed to accomplish their Bold Goals. They of course would still have to follow it and have plans to handle setbacks. But they are off to a good start!
The struggle for diversity and inclusion has been a challenge that the D&I movement has been taking on for years, so it’s only natural that PROJECT BOLD LIFE and its goal-setting methodology would be a good fit for those looking for insight. I think James E. Taylor, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Management Officer at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, put it nicely when he said:
“Ed’s message of achievable bold goal setting should resonate with every talent-based organization. Anyone interested in advancing within their career, or any company interested in fostering a culture of pipeline development and internal mobility, will find these principles to be vital. Every talent management office should encourage their team to read this book – Project Bold Life inspires enthusiasm and action regardless of where you sit within your company.”
Here’s a question for you: Do you have a Bold Goal, but find yourself struggling to put together an action plan? If so, why do you find it difficult?
Ponder that question. In the meantime, stay Bold, and thank you for all your support!
All the best,
P.S. PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success–which is more than a book, it’s an encompassing system to planning your life to get what you want–continued again as a Top Seller in 3 categories this week, “Motivational Growth & Spirituality”, “Personal Success & Spirituality” and “Management Skills”.
I hope you check it out if you have not purchased a copy. And if you haven’t purchased a copy and want to learn more about it, you can always download the first chapter for free!
P.S.S. If you go to my personal store and use the code “notesfromed” you will get the best discount available on the paperback version of the book. You can even get a limited edition custom signed copy!
