Q&A with Chuck Wallington, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Cone Health
1) Thank you for your engagement with the Diversity Action Alliance. Could you let our readers know what about our commitment resonated the most with you and inspired your engagement?
For the first time in the history of our profession that I am aware of, leaders are publicly acknowledging that there is a lack of representation among professionals of color at all levels of our profession. Equally as important, leaders are committing to being a part of the solution by actively recruiting and retaining professionals of color at all levels. I am inspired by these actions and by this bold commitment.
2) What top three pieces of advice would you like to share with the communications industry around embracing and activating better DE&I initiatives?
The world that we once lived in has changed. The two pandemics – COVID-19 and racial unrest in the United States – have pointed out that we have to work together to achieve common goals. So, my top three pieces of advice, based on this context, are:
Be o.k. being uncomfortable. DE&I work is hard. It requires tough conversations. It requires a commitment. Be comfortable operating in this space as you are establishing your DE&I strategy.
Provide adequate resources to support the development and implementation of meaningful DE&I strategies; and
Lead by example. It’s one thing to have a DE&I strategy. It’s another thing to bring your DE&I strategy to life every day with clear and measurable business goals and metrics that are tracked along with your other business goals.
3) Out of recruitment, retention and representation, where do we lack the most as an industry and how can we correct that?
Each of these is related. In order to have strong representation of professionals of all colors, it starts with intentionally recruiting diverse top talent. Then, once the diverse top talent has been recruited, the next major step is ensuring that they are retained. This includes providing coaches, mentors, sponsors and allies who are committed to the success of these professionals.
4) Have you/ someone you know made any conscious attempts to inspire change around DE&I among your circle or colleagues? Alternatively, are there any notable recent attempts made by an organization around DE&I that has inspired you? Please provide an example.
My lived experiences inspire me each day to be a part of the solution. I am an African-American male who has been in our profession for more than 30 years. I’ve often wondered where are my colleagues who look like me? My own research has informed the answer to this question. There are a number of barriers that African-Americans in general, and in particular African-American males, face that keep us from progressing in the field. As a senior leader who is able to hire members of his team, I always ensure that we start with a diverse slate of candidates. Without a diverse slate of candidates, we will never increase the number of underrepresented professionals.
I also try to coach, mentor and sponsor anyone who asks, regardless of his or her ethnicity. And, I’m particularly excited to talk to underrepresented members of our profession.
5) What is the one actionable message that you want to leave your readers with today?
I often share with my colleagues and friends that true change occurs one meaningful conversation at a time. This belief is very true in the DE&I world. I firmly believe that change will occur in our profession if we’re willing to take the time and engage in many meaningful conversations – all with an eye towards making our profession more representative at all levels of the communities that we serve. These are conversations that all of us can engage in, regardless of our positions or our levels in the profession.