Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Today in society, it is not enough to sit quietly and hope that the storm passes. This morning our CEO, Andrew Cadwell, sent the below email to the team in solidarity with the current events going on in America. IGNW stands and will do the work necessary to uplift others at this time.
The email:
Team,
At IGNW, our team is diverse in many ways, but our superpower is in how we come together for a common purpose, every day. People of all colors, ages, orientations and backgrounds work shoulder to shoulder on our mission, with the only judgements that matter being our organizational performance regarding our people, our clients, our business results, our ethics and how we treat one another and our communities.
What is happening today and continues to happen in our country is much more sickening than a pandemic. As “one nation” we seem to foster division rather than inclusion and we fight for our own point of view rather than trying to empathize with another’s point of view and it seems to be get no better regardless of what “fix” or “program” we put in place. Empathy for the raw anger and then stamping out racism, hatred and xenophobia is just the beginning. Focusing national energy on long term opportunities that create true equality and freedom for all is necessary.
I think about the equalizers we all enjoy in our line of work- knowledge of coding, engineering, sales and selling, recruiting, business operations, continual training- all things that can be learned and all things that create long term opportunity and financial freedom. But entry points are more challenging for so many and they likely never will get access to our world because they don’t know how. So many have no idea where to “begin to begin” on any path that would create equality because they are paralyzed by preconceptions and prejudices that they are merely born into.
Regardless of where you stand on these issues, understanding and respecting our rights to express ourselves, and our basic human need to help one another, I would like for us to stand together as a team as much as possible during these times. As a group, we have so many points of view and we have never shied away from a hard conversation- and for many of us, the issues of racism, prejudice and privilege are deeply personal. It’s tempting to take action in the heat of the moment, but I would like for us to think carefully about more lasting things we could do as a group to continue to make a positive impact, standing equally and together. I have never pretended to have all the answers, and am often wrong, but I am passionate about these issues and willing to ask difficult questions, understanding that we all have different experiences and points of view. Being allowed to talk openly and respectfully is a good first step.
We will be having meetings in June and September, and tackling this hard topic again as a group seems appropriate. Let’s ask ourselves questions about things we can control: “As a team, what actions should/could we take to create positive impact around these issues, both in response to the challenges today, AND longer term…” and then “How can we assure ourselves that we work in an place that is doing everything it reasonably can to create opportunities for the ENTIRE organization, while “walking the talk” regarding our core principals of diversity”.
In the meantime, if you have ideas you would like to share, please hit me on Slack. And, please join me, no matter your spiritual beliefs, in sending prayers, positive energy/vibes and PEACE to the millions of people and families that are impacted by todays horrible circumstances.