Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Fun Stuff and More

Welcome to this week's Retail Resources, which features a curated list of the best content and resources I've found over the past week. This week, I offer information and resources about leadership, diversity and inclusion, and some fun stuff, too. As always, if there's anything you would like me to share in a future post, let me know by dropping me a line at mcampanelli@napco.com.

Diversity and  Inclusion

• Consulting firm Korn Ferry has consistently been providing excellent content around top-of-mind issues right now, including leadership in the time of COVID as well as diversity and inclusion best practices. This report is no exception. It walks the reader though five classic (and often overlooked) diversity and inclusion mistakes that companies make, and how to fix them.
• Check out this Harvard Business Review article by Adia Harvey Wingfield, a professor of sociology and associate dean for faculty development at Washington University in St. Louis. Wingfield outlines how her team “built a diverse academic department in five years.” What's great about the article is that it features three specific steps Wingfield and her team followed to pull it off. They include: establish support from multiple stakeholders; take intentional action and deploy resources; and create a culture that welcomes and values all voices. While Wingfield is from the world of academia, retailers can learn a lot here. It starts with the most important lesson: that what her department achieved “wasn’t an accident.”

Leadership

• Check out this article from Rachel Williamson, a retail consultant who focuses on helping companies deliver compelling customer experiences through their store talent and by running operationally excellent stores. Williamson stresses that during challenging times, choosing a success mind-set — also known as a growth mind-set — is key to charting your course to achieving your dreams. I agree with her.
• Thought I would mention this again (because it's so good!): Check out the June installment of our Women in Retail and Total Retail Virtual Exchange. You'll be inspired, entertained and a bit smarter after listening to discussions with the following expert speakers and retail leaders: Kara Goldin, founder and CEO, Hint; Leslie Blodgett, former CEO and creator, bareMinerals; Bahja Johnson, director, Banana Republic global merchandising, Gap Inc.; Roz Johnson, senior managing director, operations, Build-A-Bear Workshop; Chuck Surack, founder and CEO, Sweetwater; and Aliza Licht, founder and president, LEAVE YOUR MARK LLC. Click here to register for the replay.  

Fun Stuff

• From the sounds like fun department: Walmart has announced two new experiences to bring families together for traditional summer fun in nontraditional ways. The first, Camp by Walmart, is a free, star-studded virtual camp that brings summer activities directly to customers’ own backyards. The second, in partnership with Tribeca Enterprises, is a touring drive-in movie theater that will transform Walmart parking lots into outdoor cinemas. Summer is finally starting to feel like summer!
• No, you're not imagining it, bikes are everywhere! As the coronavirus pandemic shrinks life in major American cities — limiting pastimes and discouraging use of buses and subways — hundreds of thousands of Americans are flocking to one of the most basic forms of mobility: the bicycle. If you're thinking of getting back in the saddle — er, on the bike seat — check out this comprehensive New York Times article. It covers everything from how to buy a bike, to where to ride, and even how to fix one. Enjoy!