PREPARING ORGANIZATIONS TO ENGAGE IN EQUITY |
CHALLENGES TO CEOs WORKING TOWARD TRANSFORMATION

As a CEO, it is a demanding and intimidating challenge to outline and manage a process that seeks to undergo a wholesale institutional transformation that includes a concentrated effort to promote racial and social equity both inside and outside the organization. The process is demanding and intimidating, and its one that many prefer not to instigate because of the risks and complexities of the task. But the process is necessary and beneficial to any organization—especially for those that work to promote the betterment of the human condition and of society.

Every organization and its leadership is unique and must ultimately define and locate their own comfort and commitment levels on the social justice gauge. The following challenges were among those noted by George Penick in his essay "Navigating Transformation: Uncertainty and Fear of the Unknown" that describes his experiences as the CEO of the Foundation for the Mid South during part of its organizational transformation.

• A primary barrier to an organization, despite its intentions and progressiveness, is never putting racism on the table neither at an internal organizational nor at an external level.
• A CEO should be sensitive and aware of the fact that some primary obstacles that need to be overcome may be more personal than institutional.
• Foundation leadership may think that they are being bold with their money when applying it toward issues affecting those outside of their walls, but they usually do not understand how those same issues manifest themselves within their own foundation.
• The journey to find common ground and forming recommendations and solutions to problems can only be successful when a group or organization finds its own way and the process is not controlled or manipulated by a CEO or other leadership. Developing trust and faith in others will help to overcome disagreements on difficult and divisive issues.

Blindspots that can hold back the progress of foundations:

1. If the board and CEO are well-meaning people and have only the best of intentions, their actions will be seen as fair and unbiased.
   
   In situations where the leadership of an organization is dominated by the majority race, it is only natural for those in the minority to see the actions and decisions of the organization as not being evenly determined.
   
   
2. Because a board is made up of people who believe in a racially just and socially equitable society, there is no reason to discuss the feelings that they have about race.
   
   When one is among people of high status, strong reputations, and great respect—all of whom have agreed to serve on a board of an organization committed to tackling disparities—the path of least resistance is to assume that they are all in agreement on issues of race and class. The problem is, how is that known if the issues are never discussed?
   
   
3. While it is the CEO's job to promote among the staff the values of nondiscrimination, cross-racial communication, and full acceptance of different kinds of racial and ethnic backgrounds, it is not her job to push these issues with the board because that is the board's work.
   
   Whether one does not see it or chooses the easier path to not acknowledge it, it should be the CEO's responsibility to see that these issues are placed before the institution as a needed topic of discussion.
   
   
4. When one assembles a racially mixed group of people of goodwill who do not know each other, one assumes that everyone will trust each other and see the issues to be addressed with a similar understanding.
   
   Both black and white culture and historical realities have shown so many examples of unfair practices, abuses of power, social separation, and experiences of discrimination that it is rare—if not impossible—for blacks and whites to immediately trust each other without the luxury of time and of common experience to develop trusting relationships.
   
   
5. Dealing with issues of race in an organization is something that is needed to add to the work, rather than something that can change the work.
   
   Simply adding new organizational policies or providing a workshop to address racial issues is not enough. It is important that an organization is sincere about fundamental change—in its conceptual underpinnings and not just in its functional fairness.
   
   
6. Similar to other issues of institutional improvement (e.g. new fiscal systems, staff reorganization, or moving to better physical space) dealing with issues of race in an organization is the kind of issue that one dealt with and then "checked off."
   
   One can no more "check off" dealing with issues of race and class from an organization's agenda than one can fail to change the oil in a car. With both cases, the immediate neglect may not be evident, but over time the deterioration of the internal soul of the entity will result in a premature and unpleasant demise.

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Details and further insight into the challenges facing CEOs as they negotiate the transformation process is available in More Than Words: Part 2 / "Navigating Transformation: Uncertainty and Fear of the Unknown" by George Penick.