Shannon Deer - Business Doing Good: Engaging Women and Elevating Communities

Shannon Deer, PhD, CPA, is the interim associate dean for undergraduate programs and a clinical assistant professor for Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. She is an award-winning professor who prepares experienced professionals in Texas A&Ms MBA programs for successful careers in business. She also conducts executive development training for leading companies. Deers research, included in this book, has been published in leading, peer-reviewed journals. Her research focuses on womens transitional experience after exiting the sex trade or sex-trafficking situations. She specifically focuses on the impact (positive and negative) businesses have on survivors in their work transition. Deer researched many of the principles in this book. She lives in College Station, Texas, with her husband, dogs, sometimes chickens, and the screened in porch where she writes.

Cheryl Miller owns Quantum Circles Consulting and Training. She provides training on topics that increase opportunities for transformation in three areas: economic development for the marginalized, effective communication focusing on the facilitation of conflict, and restorative justice. Miller has been a volunteer mediator for sixteen years and has more than a thousand hours of experience of mediation with victims of violent crimes and their offenders. She was the executive director of a housing program in Victoria, Texas, for eighteen years. The typical population of the home incudes women with long-term substance abuse, ex-offenders, and women in the sex industry. Miller could relate to some of the womens experience after being a single mom to premature twins and on welfare. She used the principles in this book to create an empowerment support model for women at the home. Cheryl lives in Victoria, Texas, with her husband and chickens, and travels as often as possible to see her grown children and grandchildren.

T he additional documents in this appendix include a readiness assessment that companies and nonprofit organizations can use to determine how prepared they are currently to hire women who are overcoming challenging pasts. The documents that follow are planning documents that companies, nonprofit organization, and women overcoming challenging pasts can use to get more prepared to implement the principles in this book.

Finally, we provide some active listening tools that can be used dur ing difficult dialogues. Specifically, these active-listening tools can make implementing the requirements of restorative justice more effective. Active listening is one of the most important aspects of communication.

The readiness assessment is a diagnostic tool to help you evaluate your organizations current ability to benefit from Cara, Rosalinda, Emmie, Maggie, Diana, and Maria. Multiple people in your organization should complete the assessment and compare results to mitigate any blind spots any employee might have about your organizations readiness.

Assessment Instructions: Assign each numbered statement with a rating from the scale provided. The purpose is to answer how well each statement fits your organization.

3 = Almost always; 2 = Occasionally; 1 = Almost never

1. We consider all individuals impacted by our decisions and actions. ___
2. We have a development program, such as a rotational program or leadership development program, for all employees and not just those in corporate office positions. ___
3. We value talent development enough to invest in raw talent that might require coaching and encouragement to develop. ___
4. Our workplace promotes feedback and suggestions. ___
5. We pay a living wage to all employees, including those in entry-level positions. ___
6. We have positions that provide opportunities for growth for individuals who join the company at all levels. ___
7. Our organization invests in community development projects aligned with our companys strategic mission. ___
8. Personal responsibility is an important value in our company. ___
9. Supervisors are accepting and encouraging of employees who make a mistake or asks questions the first time they are completing a new task. ___
10. Our organization allows employees to work through stretch projects, even when it takes longer, to reap the longer-term benefits from employee development. ___
11. Our organization values and rewards innovative ideas from employees at all levels. ___
12. Our organization uses personality assessments like Clifton-Strengths, Birkman, Myers-Briggs, or others to discover employees talents and strengths that align with the companys strategy. ___
13. Supervisors delegate new tasks to their employees, without micromanaging, even when the supervisor knows it will take them longer to learn by doing. ___
14. Managers in the organization provide rewards and recognition when employees present innovative ideas. ___
15. We have clear advancement pipelines within our organization, so all employees can see future opportunities for promotion. ___
16. We have partnerships with nonprofit organizations in the community that help meet our hiring needs. ___
17. We have partnerships with organizations that can meet our employees needs, such as childcare. ___
18. Our organization is entrepreneurial enough to change policies and practices within our organization to make a difference. ___
19. Employees engagement is high in optional workplace activities (willingness, safe place). ___
20. Our workplace recognizes and embraces different perspectives and values of all employees. ___
21. We allow employees to take the lead on a variety of projects. ___
22. We provide new employees with early opportunities to lead a task or project. ___
23. Supervisors in our company receive formal training on mentoring and coaching employees, especially employees with diverse experiences and perspectives. ___
24. Our company will consider hiring qualified individuals with criminal records. ___
25. Employees have access to resources to learn new tasks independently. ___
26. Supervisors are trained in how to support employees learning through experiences. ___
27. Our organization is always evaluating existing processes, products, and work activities. ___
28. Our organization allows employees time to research competitors and other processes. ___
29. Our companys focus is on long-term community impact and transformation. ___
30. Our company knows the values and expectations of our nonprofit partners. ___

Scoring Instructions: Combine your scores from the previous statements in the categories given in the scoring table.

Grand total: ___

Individual principle score interpretation: