Robert Rodriguez - Employee Resource Group Excellence

— Andrés Tapia, Korn Ferry Global DE&I Strategist and co‐author, “The 5 Disciplines of Inclusive Leadership.”

“Dr. Robert Rodriguez has written a must‐read primer for anyone considering an ERG leadership role. Extraordinary insights and guidance! Read this book – and learn from the best in the business.”

— Mariana Fagnilli, Vice President, Global Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Liberty Mutual Insurance

“You cannot solve what you are not willing to see.”

— Tyronne Stoudemire, Global VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Co‐Chair, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Counsel, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

“Dr. Rodriguez is one of the most established and knowledgeable resources on the strategic imperative of ERGs, quantifying their value and guiding the world's top companies in their journeys towards workplace belonging for all. This book is a must‐have resource!”

— Jennifer Brown, Founder and CEO, Jennifer Brown Consulting; Author, “How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.”

“A crucial guide to having successful and impactful ERGs, while at the same time, creating an inclusive culture. This book provides strategic steps, metrics, and insights to elevating the performance of employee resource groups.”

—Jorge De La Jara, Senior Director, Pro Customer Engagement and Generation T. Lowe's Companies, Inc.

“I have known Robert Rodriguez for close to two decades. In that time I have seen him become the premier expert on how to elevate ERG performance in corporate America.”

—Isaias Zamarripa, Global Diversity and Inclusion, Bristol Myers Squibb

“I have seen the power that ERGs have to meaningfully energize people, strengthen connections, and promote transformation. Dr. Rodriguez knows better than anyone in business how to curate, organize and resource these individual organizational assets. This book is both a must‐have and a gift to anyone trying to achieve ERG excellence.”

—Shannon Trilli Kempner, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion, Catalent Pharma Solutions

“ERGs are one of the first elements of a diversity & inclusion strategy most organizations kick‐off on their journey towards greater equity. Robert's knowledge, research, and actionable recommendations ensures that ERGs are set up for success and benefit both the employees and also the organization. Don't try to launch ERGs without the expertise and guidance provided by Dr. Rodriguez in this book.”

—Bo Young Lee, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Uber Technologies, Inc.

“Dr. Robert Rodriguez has been a trusted advisor, and major asset, to us in the area of ERGs by providing Facebook with critical guidance, strategic insights and creative solutions. His deep expertise and credibility are why he is such a sought‐after diversity leader and influencer.”

—Barbara Furlow‐Smiles, Global Diversity & Inclusion Engagement Leader, Facebook, Inc.

“Robert has been a steadfast advisor to State Street's Employee Networks for many years. We owe a lot of our growth to adopting his 4C approach and strategy. This book is a must‐read for those ERG leaders and diversity practitioners looking to turbocharge their networks.”

—Paul Francisco, Chief Diversity Officer, State Street Corporation

“Dr. Rodriguez's 4C ERG strategic framework is a best‐in‐class model for moving towards ERG excellence. The 4C Model creates employee resource groups that are business‐focused and impactful to business results.”

—Jessica Rice, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Under Armour

ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, PhD

GROW HIGH PERFORMING ERGsTO ENHANCE DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, BELONGING, AND BUSINESS IMPACT

Copyright © 2022 by Robert Rodriguez. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per‐copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750‐8400, fax (978) 646‐8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748‐6011, fax (201) 748‐6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762‐2974, outside the United States at (317) 572‐3993 or fax (317) 572‐4002.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in ebooks or in print‐on‐demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data is Available:

ISBN 9781119813743 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781119813767 (ePDF)

ISBN 9781119813750 (ePub)

Cover design: Wiley

To Mom and Dad: Thanks for all the sacrifices you made to help give me more opportunities and a better life. This book extends your legacy of always giving back to the community. Little did you know that your decision to move our family to Minnesota would lead to the start of my lifelong connection with employee resource groups. All my love.

To Bailey and Benjamin: I can have no greater ambition in life than to be the best father I can be to you both. You are yet too young to have launched your professional careers, but if you should be fortunate enough to work for a company someday that has employee resources groups, I hope that you will join an ERG and that your ERG experience will be as rewarding as mine has been. I love you both.

To Sofia: You'll always be the love of my life. Thanks for your unwavering support, not only during the writing of this book, but in sharing me as my ERG consulting commitments often requires extensive travel away from our home. Who knew that it would be an ERG event that would bring us together? Te Amo.