There is a lot I don’t know. In this particular segment of that vast category, what I don’t know enough about is diversity, equity, and inclusion. While I certainly know what the terms mean from a definition standpoint, I recognize my shortcomings in fully comprehending what they mean to others.

I was able to further explore my lack of understanding through a recent opportunity I was given by Holmes Murphy to be a part of our Steering Committee for the initiative.

Pause, let me back up a stitch and add some context.

While fitting in the current social, political, and cultural environment in which we currently find ourselves, this initiative at Holmes Murphy is not just a tagline. Holmes Murphy is a purpose-driven organization, and this initiative is no different.

Our executive leadership has been purposeful to listen, learn, and educate themselves on what others are doing with a key focus on integrating diversity and inclusion into the four experience pillars of our strategic plan. These experience pillars are:

• Employee
• Customer
• Shareholder
• Community

Having grown to over 1,000 employees, we will incorporate a broad range of different thoughts, life experiences, needs, and passions into the discussion and will move forward with a model that includes executive leadership engagement as well as employee-led groups — all focused on purposeful intention. A snippet from the purpose statement created by our executive team captures this perfectly by saying:

“We focus on embracing differences with intentionality and with a goal to make a difference not only at Holmes Murphy but also with customers, partners, and in the communities we operate. We want our efforts to be employee-led and designed with authenticity as it will take all of us to create and sustain a culture where we’re all supported to reach our fullest potential.”

As a member of this committee and through listening and learning from others, I’m grateful for the progress and the openness of so many to explore these important subjects. I look forward to listening and learning what’s important to my fellow colleagues, the customers we serve, and the communities in which we live as we activate strategies in 2021 and beyond. It’s a great step ahead, and as our viewpoints expand, so, too, does our purpose.