This week Jeff's guest is Shan Cooper. She is the Founder and CEO of Journey Forward Strategies. Shan’s impressive background includes being the first Black Woman to be VP and General Manager of a division of Lockheed Martin, overseeing 8,000 employees. She also served as the executive director for the Atlanta Committee for Progress, and is the former Chief Transformation Officer at West Rock. Shan and Jeff delve into the nuanced challenges of fostering diversity and inclusion while navigating organizational change. Shan's insights underscore the necessity of understanding long-term business cycles and addressing incidents of discrimination head-on. She shares the sobering experience of grappling with racially motivated violence within the company, highlighting the importance of creating a safe environment for dialogue and swift action against discriminatory behavior.
Shan and Jeff underscore the significance of cultural competency in business interactions, emphasizing the need for leaders to invest in understanding diverse perspectives, and the pivotal role of effective leadership alignment and communication in driving organizational transformation. This insightful conversation advocates for clear communication, robust training, and modeling of desired behaviors to facilitate meaningful change within the workplace, ultimately fostering a culture of inclusion and driving organizational success.