Change is possible. In fact, that’s the mantra of The Change Agencies, the national network of independent PR firms focused on multicultural and LGBTQ marketing that launched in 2019. Our mission is to help companies and organizations communicate across cultures. In that spirit, we’ve developed and are sharing a starting point for making these decisions we hope communicators and their colleagues will use as part of their toolkit for action: a list of five actions to consider and conduct that we’re calling The Change Agenda.
The agenda includes the following five action steps:
First: check your policies and practices.
What are your employment policies? Are they fair? Equitable? Do people working the same jobs make the same salaries? Are promotions equitable? Where do you recruit? Who do you recruit? What is your workplace like for people of color?
Second: check your speech.
What have you said in the past? What are you saying now (if anything)? Who is speaking for you? Why are you speaking out and when have you done it?
Third: chart your course.
Determine what you will do and how you will hold yourself accountable over time. Will you share your progress? What actions will you take? Sponsorships you will develop? Funding you will provide? Partnerships you will foster?
Fourth: be the change.
Acknowledge your past mistakes and own them. Commit to specific actions that will address them. Act. Hold yourself accountable by reporting on your progress over time.
Fifth: speak out, step out and stand out.
Put your money, your time and your focus where your mouth is and don’t stop.
To learn more about how to use The Change Agenda in your organization, contact The Change Agencies by email or reach out to one of our six founding members: Chino Chapa Consulting, Mahogany Xan Communications, MuchPR, PRecise Communications, RENEWPR, Storieology.