These are the people who are making supplier diversity programs work

I am an advocate for the majority corporations and public entities that make small business inclusion a success through their programs and partnerships. To them, I salute, tip my hat, shout from the mountain top, genuflect and give my warmest and deepest respectful appreciation. They are the life-line and the advocates for empowering small business growth. They know who they are and I want YOU to know who they are.

They are dedicated leaders in private & public sector agencies – who have ongoing supplier diversity inclusion initiatives designed to help increase the number of socially and/or economically disadvantaged businesses who work to provide products and services to their organization. I cannot say enough good things about their initiatives, their strength in the face of adversity and their tenacity to do the right thing – not because they have to, but because they know that without these programs there is an economic imbalance that tips off the charts against small business success. They are bound and determined to make a difference.

 

They are out-of-the-box thinkers, shakers and movers. They are visionaries who make it a priority to ensure that their overall spend reflects diversity of business partners. They are unamused by the bottom line impacting trends on Wall Street. They say what they mean and mean what they say. They develop and enforce ordinances and policies with teeth in them. They are deep thinkers, analytical geniuses, forthright executives who know that good things don’t just happen – people make good things happen, and they make it a priority to lead the way.

 

Who are they helping? Ultimately – the most successful corporations are supporting diversity from the top down. They are drinking the kool-aid. They put significant time and resources into ensuring the success of inclusion. They are assisting small, certified, qualified business who are: MBE/WOSB/HUBZone/SDVOSB/DBE/LGBT qualified small businesses.

 

These major corporations set goals and benchmarks for participation of dollars spent within proprietary budgets and across various product commodities. They are identifying, encouraging, assisting, mentoring, networking, procuring, and monitoring the truth of the program, the benefits to all parties concerned and they are protecting the program and it’s worth. They have distinct expectations, parameters, relationships, and partners that they invite and encourage to participate and grow in partnership with them. They are the shepherds and we are the flock. These are empowered professionals targeted to produce successful programs. And they are not winning popularity contests, they often encounter resistance, negative reactions and peer rejection – but they carry on their exhaustive efforts to produce comprehensive results.

 

The people who make it happen are reformers who have a profound moral compass that guides them through thoughtful and deliberate business planning, extreme goal-setting and emphatic cultural implementation. They have a fully engaged management team ensuring best business practices within who are touting the need for interactive day to day best business inclusion practices…… throughout their organization. The effects of this success are far reaching. Within their organization, people see what they are accomplishing and they want to join in and spread the success. Everyone participates as it lifts up internal teams, partnerships in the community and ultimately it impacts our Nation in a positive way.

 

These organizations are our most important asset and I give them the praise they deserve, the respect from the depths of my soul – they are feeding families and changing lives every day.

 

Category: Editorials