Mission Forward with Carrie Fox TruStory FM

This week, Carrie Fox sits down with Jim Link, Chief Human Resources Officer for SHRM, to discuss the growing issue of workplace incivility and how to foster a culture of respect and inclusion.
Link shares startling statistics from SHRM's research, revealing that two-thirds of employees have witnessed acts of incivility in the workplace within the last six months, with 50% experiencing it in the last week alone. He emphasizes the importance of creating a balanced "four-legged stool" of workplace cultures: collaboration, learning, innovation, and inclusion.
To combat the rise of incivility, SHRM has launched the "1 Million Civil Conversations" initiative, aimed at encouraging respectful dialogue and interactions among colleagues. Link discusses the overwhelmingly positive response to the campaign and the creative ways organizations are implementing the "Cards Against Incivility" toolkit to promote civility.
Tune in to learn more about how you can contribute to a more civil and inclusive workplace, one conversation at a time. SHRM's resources and toolkits are available for download at SHRM.org. Join the movement by using the hashtag #CivilityAtWork.
This episode is sponsored by SHRM.org.

(00:00) - Sponsor: SHRM.org
(00:47) - Welcome to Mission Forward
(02:18) - Introducing Jim Link
(06:03) - DEI
(18:41) - Trust
(30:07) - Extreme Listening
(34:57) - Sponsor: SHRM — Civility is a Cornerstone of Workplace Culture

After Super Tuesday polls closed as expected for a U.S. presidential election cycle dominated by a set of expected frontrunners. However, it's not particularly what's in the headlines this morning, as what is absent from them: the increasingly sharp polarization among U.S residents and the effect it is beginning to have in our workplaces.
This week’s episode comes from the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights directly to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.
Links & Notes
Science is revealing why American politics are so intensely polarized
This episode is sponsored by AskAChiefofStaff.com. 

(00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
(07:03) - Sponsor: Ask a Chief of Staff

This week, Carrie Fox sits down with Allison Wyatt, co-founder of Edgility Consulting, to discuss the persistent wage gaps that plague our society and the bold steps required to build intentional equity in the workplace.
Wyatt, whose childhood straddling two vastly different economic realities inspired her passion for social justice, shares how her firm disrupts the status quo of compensation practices by engaging entire organizations in the design process, pushing for radical transparency, and looking beyond imperfect market data. Edgility Consulting is helping clients close wage gaps and put upward pressure on salaries for undervalued roles disproportionately held by marginalized groups.
However, as Wyatt notes, achieving pay equity is just one piece of the puzzle in an inherently inequitable society. Biases, stereotypes, and inflexible work cultures continue to impede advancement opportunities, especially for women. Truly sustaining progress, she argues, requires tackling these systemic barriers head-on.
For organizations planning to hire this year, Wyatt offers specific recruiting advice: do your research to ensure fair offers, consider your existing staff to maintain internal equity, and, above all, strive for clarity and consistency in your compensation philosophy.
Our hope, when you’re finished listening this week, is that you’re questioning long-held assumptions about "the way things are done," inspired to reimagine a more equitable future—one organization at a time. Join us for an unflinching look at the challenges we face and the potential for transformative change.
Our great thanks to Allison Wyatt for joining us for this conversation.
This episode is sponsored by Edgility Consulting. Learn more about their incredible work in compensation planning and beyond at EdgilityConsulting.com.
Links & Notes
Learn more about Edgility ConsultingAllison is the Founding Partner and head of Edgility’s compensation practiceSuccession Planning with Edgility Consulting's Christina Greenberg

(00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
(01:07) - Introducing Allison Wyatt
(02:20) - Allison's Story
(07:14) - Closing the Wage Gap
(16:08) - Diversity and Equal Pay
(18:30) - Where do we start?
(21:42) - What does change look like?
(24:39) - What if?
(29:16) - Sponsor: Edgility Consulting • EdgilityConsulting.com

In a nation increasingly riven by polarization and mistrust, the spirit of "civitas"—the collective body coming together for good—can feel like a distant dream. But amidst this bleak landscape, rays of hope shine through in the form of organizations like Welcoming America.
This week, Carrie Fox sits down with Rachel Perić, Executive Director of Welcoming America, to discuss their new report, "The State of Welcoming." Perić shares her powerful personal story and sheds light on how creating a culture of belonging for immigrants and refugees can strengthen the social fabric of entire communities.
From the economic benefits to the democratic necessity, Perić outlines the "five whys" that underscore the vital importance of the welcoming movement. She cites success stories like Dayton, Ohio, a Rust Belt city that reversed a 50-year population decline by becoming a leader in immigrant inclusion.
This work is not without its challenges. Perić candidly discusses the dehumanizing narratives that scapegoat newcomers and the global forces displacing people at an unprecedented scale. Yet through it all, her message is one of determined hope: with intention and infrastructure, we can build welcoming communities equipped to meet the defining challenges of our time.
Anyone yearning to rekindle the spirit of civitas in an age of division, this is your episode. It will leave you inspired by the power of human connection and moved to join the growing chorus of upstanders working to ensure that everyone—no matter their origins—can belong and thrive in the place they call home.
Our great thanks to Rachel Perić for joining us for Mission Forward this week.
Links & Notes
StateOfWelcoming.orgWelcomingAmerica.org

(00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
(03:14) - Introducing Rachel Perić
(04:08) - Rachel's Story
(07:20) - The State of Welcoming in 2024
(09:36) - Do I live in a welcoming community?
(14:05) - Dayton, Ohio, 2011
(16:15) - The Five Whys
(18:52) - What's in the way of welcoming work?
(21:26) - Onramps to Welcoming Work

Taking action seems more complicated than in years past. As we dive into 2024, leaders are facing greater threats and barriers to change, particularly to advancing social change: from policies and lawsuits that threaten DEI practices, technological innovations that threaten workforces, political elections that threaten democracy, and extreme weather that threaten our existence. Where, then, to begin with a reinvention? 
This week’s episode comes from the Finding The Words column, a series published every Wednesday that delivers a dose of communication insights directly to your inbox. If you like what you read, we hope you’ll subscribe to ensure you receive this each week.

(00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
(04:46) - Sponsor: Ask a Chief of Staff

In a world grappling with complex challenges, corporations have the potential to be powerful forces for good. But it takes courageous leadership to set audacious goals and rally entire organizations to drive meaningful change.
On this episode of Mission Forward, Carrie Fox sits down with Lisa Gibby, Deputy Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Nestlé. As the first person to hold this role, Lisa is responsible for building and maintaining trust in Nestlé's global brand across 186 markets - no small task.
Lisa shares her journey from running her own small communications firm to leading anti-poverty efforts at Bono's ONE Campaign to now sitting on Nestlé's executive board and ESG council. Her story is one of pursuing purpose at every scale.
Under Lisa's leadership, Nestlé has made bold moves—like being one of the first companies to publish a roadmap to reach net-zero emissions. Setting such ambitious public goals created some organizational nervousness, but it also rallied and engaged employees in a shared mission.
The conversation touches on navigating complex social issues as a global company, the importance of humility and embracing failure as part of the process, and how a new generation of consumers passionate about sustainability gives hope for the future.
At its core, this is a discussion about the power and responsibility of communications to drive positive impact. It's about having the courage to set big goals, the focus to build alignment and momentum, and the wisdom to know you can't do it alone. Lisa leaves us with an empowering message - that everyone has an opportunity to contribute as a force for good, and even failure is part of the journey forward.
Tune in for an inspiring look at purpose-driven leadership and the role we can all play in building a better world, one bold goal at a time. Our great thanks to Lisa for joining us for this conversation.


(00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
(00:58) - Introducing Lisa Gibby
(08:20) - Changing the Face of Board Leadership
(12:10) - The Fine Line of Communicating Progress
(18:50) - Lessons Learned
(21:06) - The World Around Us, and hope for the future