No matter who you are, what your background is, and what you believe in, you deserve to be heard and included.
April is “Celebrate Diversity Month,” and at SpeedPro, we want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the differences in each of us. We appreciate and value people from all walks of life, whether it be a difference in identity, ethnicity or perspective.
During Celebrate Diversity Month, we’re sharing what our Home Office team members think about the value of this month, as well as our efforts to encourage diversity and inclusion.
Diversity and inclusion, while different, can be beautifully intertwined. While we all bring different backgrounds to the table, accomplishing goals and breaking new boundaries is what we strive to do every day at SpeedPro.
“To me, inclusion is recognizing individuals for who they are and what they can accomplish, independently of demographics,” says Danielle Yuthas, Vice President of Marketing.
Not to mention, inclusion can also be lending a helping hand or just listening to understand where others are coming from.
In September of 2020, the SpeedPro Home Office team met with a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant to redevelop and champion new equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. Our main goal was to develop a new strategy that appreciates and practices inclusion, while also diversifying our messaging and recruiting efforts. We first began to dive into these topics by defining what our scope was and how inclusive leadership can be brought into these efforts.
SpeedPro prides itself on being transparent and conducive to open communication. With 97% of workers believing that communication impacts the workspace every day, our team makes sure that we foster an open, communicative environment for all team members.
“All employees are encouraged to actively participate and communicate their opinions, ideas and feelings,” says Vice President and Controller Lori Morris. “We foster an open-door policy where anyone can communicate with anyone else in the organization, not just their department or supervisor. This promotes a collaborative environment for the entire team.”
After working with our Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, the team brainstormed initiatives on how we can be more inclusive and welcoming of diversity. The development of our mission, vision and values transformed the SpeedPro Home Office thought process when it came to opportunity. With the updated diversity and inclusion strategy, the Home Office actively celebrates and encourages the 120+ franchises to embrace diverse holidays, such as Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month and Autism Awareness Month.
Reflection and celebration are just two aspects of the new SpeedPro Diversity and Inclusion policy. We will continue to listen and share these stories in our various storytelling vehicles like the SpeedPro blog, our social channels and even local & nationwide media outlets.
The team is also placing emphasis on welcoming diverse thoughts, backgrounds and experiences to the SpeedPro family. We are partnering with diverse organizations like the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Pueblo, Mile High Young Professionals and the National Black Chamber of Commerce to increase awareness of SpeedPro and expand opportunities to those interested in minority-owned business. We are also very excited to be a part of the International Sign Association. This will increase opportunities to various talent in the printing industry.
While our organization strives to be inclusive and appreciate diversity during the workday, our team members practice inclusive acts and are a part of different communities outside of the office. Some members attend multicultural festivals, travel & explore different cultures and are active in diverse organizations.
“Last year I completed a 2-year stint on the Board of Directors for a national blindness charity based in Denver called B.I.T., Blind Institute of Technology, where we train and educate the business community on how a diverse workforce, in this case, the blind community, is a huge net positive, and help the visually impaired find employment, largely in the IT space,” said Zack Meade. “I look forward to volunteering my time in various forms again once the pandemic is over.”
After taking time to reflect on our new initiatives at the Home Office, our team offers some advice on acceptance and inclusivity.
“Active listening with an open mind is a great first step to being inclusive,” says Josh Buras, Marketing Manager.
The SpeedPro Home Office values diversity in thought, experiences, talent and backgrounds. We are excited to make more progress on our diversity and inclusion strategy and are looking forward to spreading the celebration of inclusivity and diversity.
We’ve taken the first of many steps to become a more diverse and accepting company. A trend we can only hope will continue to ripple throughout Corporate America until we can all say that everyone is welcome and are valued members of the corporate world.