6 minute read
BWW System Has Opportunity to Move Minority Causes Forward
The summer of 2020 became a season of reckoning on race in the United States when video of the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, while in the custody of four Minneapolis, Minnesota, police officers covered social media and news programs across the country.
Floyd’s death, combined with other incidents earlier in the year, touched off protests focused on systemic racism in social and civic institutions. More broadly, however, the incident also led many organizations across the spectrums of business, education and philanthropy to assess their own policies and positions on diversity and inclusion.
At franchisee organizations like World Wide Wings LLC, which has 67 Buffalo Wild Wings® sports bars in seven states, leaders work very hard to ensure that within the company’s culture and structure, everyone is treated equally and opportunities for advancement are based on merit and work ethic, not skin color or gender or sexual orientation. “We foster a culture where every voice is heard, welcomed and respected,” said Wray Hutchinson, president of the company.
Since its founding, World Wide Wings has operated using Equal Employment Opportunity Commission practices, and it closely monitors EEO-1 compliance survey results, pay scales and differentials, and strategic succession planning to ensure diversity is maintained throughout the organization. “Currently, World Wide Wings LLC is working to engage all leaders within the company in a diversity and inclusion training course to ensure we are continuing to uphold our cultural expectations,” Hutchinson added. “In addition to this training, we have enrolled all team members in an online course discussing diversity and inclusion in the workforce.”
As protests grew out of the incidents from the spring and summer, the company reinforced its commitment to diversity. “Our CEO has reached out electronically to every member of our organization to ensure our teams understand what we stand for and how important it is to embrace diversity within our company,” Hutchinson said. “In addition, I send out biweekly video messages that are communicated to all team members regarding not only business updates, but societal changes going on in the world, which has created an atmosphere that encourages open communication amongst our team members.”
Many companies share this commitment to equal opportunity in their organizations, but there is more work to be done.
At Franchise Business Services (FBS), where Hutchinson is chairman, he and franchisee Karim Webb of PCF Restaurant Management co-hosted a webinar attended by dozens of franchise and brand leaders on June 26 to discuss race and inequity in society. The discussion they and others shared was enlightening and challenged leaders to have conversations with people on their teams who are different from them to learn more about their lives and the disadvantages people of color often face.
As an extension of that conversation, Webb wrote this piece to explain why leaders must continue to broaden their horizons and reach out to their employees to better help them overcome the challenges they face. S
How You Can Make an Impact
As has been the case for the last 18 years, in September, we reflect on the most devastating attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor – Sept. 11, 2001. That day Americans of all races, religions and cultures died. Numerous others died abroad in the wars that followed, and to this day, first responders continue to perish from toxic exposure at ground zero.
Instantly the magnitude of 9-11 cut through our differences and created a cohesive resolve unique to current-day Americans. And for myself and many others, it made evident that we could unite for a shared purpose. Together.
This year, a global pandemic made the pervasive inequities endured by people of color visible to everyday Americans. Then, the brutal killing of George Floyd and the ensuing civil unrest further illuminated our significant differences of experience and beliefs. Seemingly, the feeling we had after 9-11 has dissipated. “Togetherness” doesn’t seem to live here anymore.
In his posthumous letter to America, the great John Lewis spoke of the first time he heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio, “He said it is not enough to say it will get better by and by. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out. When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. [E]ach generation must do its part to help build what we called the beloved community, a nation and world society at peace with itself.”
We all deserve to exist equitably in America. But equity will not happen unless we, as leaders, demonstrate foresight and actively create the outcomes we seek with a commitment to the greater good, above all else.
We are all fortunate to be Buffalo Wild Wings® franchisees. Discipline, hard work and good fortune have unlocked our blessing. As leaders, let’s demonstrate a new way that prioritizes those left behind who, through no fault of their own, face life circumstances that have created barriers too burdensome to overcome. Barriers too high for hard work and discipline alone to rise above.
We know it works.
Racial disparities and income inequality run deep in America. Over the last 50 years, we’ve seen the bottom 10th percentile’s wealth go from an average of $0 to being in debt $1,000. During that same time, we’ve seen the top 99th percentile’s wealth jump sevenfold. (And that does not include the wealth increase of half a trillion dollars billionaires have received thus far during COVID-19.)
As of 2016, the typical white family has a net worth of $171,000, nearly 10 times that of a Black family’s $17,150 net worth. This lack of wealth means Black and Hispanic families live generational poverty, inheriting debt instead of assets. And as the studies have shown, this severely impacts health outcomes amongst these groups. The Journal of the American Medical Association recently found that the life expectancy gap between the top 1% and the lowest 1% is 14-plus years for men and roughly 10 years for women. That is incredible. But it is not happenstance; it is deliberate and reflects a society that does not afford equality to all its citizens.
I know these obstacles can be overcome with the assistance of people like you and me. On average, ownership doubles household wealth, and the impact of this wealth creation for people of color is pronounced. However, of the nearly 30 million businesses in the United States, only 8 million are minorityowned. We should be deliberate in our commitment to improving outcomes for people of color because it’s in our collective interest to do so. A healthier, more prosperous America cannot exist without improving outcomes for African Americans and other minorities. We know it works. We’ve experienced the difference ownership has made in our own lives.
I’m hoping you will consider helping someone own a business who otherwise would not. Your experience and acumen are gifts that can be shared and leveraged to change lives. People admire you for what you’ve accomplished. The chance to learn what you know is a carrot that will incentivize people to behave in winning ways. That positive behavior shows up in interactions with their families and communities, not just in business. The soul of America is calling for its leaders to lead with love. What better way than to teach someone how to fish? S
