Neiman Marcus Group’s Post

Not Sorry 🍋 As an HR leader, I've had the privilege of witnessing the incredible talent and strength of many women in the workplace. However, one common theme that often emerges in our conversations is the tendency to apologize excessively. This behavior is not only unnecessary but can also undermine our confidence and impact. A personal story comes to mind from my time at adidas pre-pandemic. A group of amazing women from my HR team, recognizing our shared habit of saying "sorry" too much, decided to take action. We created what we called the "Sorry Jar." Every time one of us uttered an unnecessary apology, we had to contribute a dollar to the jar. We anticipated that it would take quite a while to fill up the jar for a celebratory happy hour. However, much to our surprise, we were ready for that happy hour just a week later! This playful yet impactful initiative not only raised awareness of our reflexive apologies but also provided a fun way to curb the habit. So, let's reflect together: What do you find yourself apologizing for as a reflex? Is it for speaking up in meetings? Taking up space in conversations? Asking for what you deserve? We all have unique triggers, but it's time to challenge ourselves to replace those unnecessary apologies with expressions of gratitude, confidence, and assertion. Let's empower each other to speak with conviction, to own our space, and to unapologetically pursue our goals. Together, we can create a workplace culture where apologies are reserved for genuine moments of regret, not reflexive responses. Join me in saying sorry less and shining more brightly in our careers! 💪✨ #Empowerment #Confidence #WomenInLeadership #StopApologizing #HRLeadership (Note: The "Sorry Jar" was one fun solution for our team, but the important part is recognizing our habits and making conscious efforts to change them. What creative solutions have you implemented in your workplace to address similar challenges?)

Gillian Williams, Monday's Co-Founder and President, recently spoke with Essence about the common challenge many companies face in sustaining diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. She shared her perspective that meaningful culture change should be the priority for companies. Without establishing an inclusive environment internally, organizations struggle to retain diverse talent. Employees who do not feel welcomed, heard and valued are unlikely to stay at a company long term, even one that proactively recruits for diversity. Companies should focus first on organizational change - building a culture that allows diverse teams to fully participate and thrive. Read the full story below and let us know your thoughts in the comments! https://lnkd.in/gjZSjDGX

This bigoted perspective contradicts the principles of inclusivity and diversity. Such instances reveal companies' challenges when their founder or leaders demonstrate explicit bias, which can significantly impact the brand's reputation and employee morale. Leadership has tried to distance themselves from the founder for a few years. However, I'd like to know if they reviewed and revised Lululemon's corporate values, especially when a founder with a biased perspective may have shaped them. This type of scrutiny and reevaluation is vital for companies aiming to foster a workplace culture that genuinely reflects and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. #BodyInclusivity #EndWeightDiscrimination #CorporateValues

“We are not everything to everybody. You got to be clear that we do not want certain customers coming in.” Those are the exact words of Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson in response to concerted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts taken recently by the company. Interesting point is that Chip stepped down about a decade ago and has no actual say in the way management and leadership decisions are made and run. My first thoughts on reading this were that I am not wholly surprised that he has been vocally critical on Lululemon’s DEI efforts. Truth is a number of organisations in fashion and retail have always been somewhat exclusionary and adopted DEI measures more as a way to look good on their image. While I don’t agree with Chip’s comments, in reality either myself or those that I know of have experienced the following walking into a store at some point in our lives: 🌟 Sales staff choosing to attend to those they feel fit in with the store’s overall image. This could be based on language group, ethnicity, skin colour, accent, body size etc. No matter how polite and pleasant a customer is; if they don’t check against those invisible parameters; they don’t get attended to or given scant attention from staff. 🌟 Sometimes as a customer you just don’t feel welcome or safe or included in certain retail spaces. 🌟 The representation in fashion and retail can be overwhelmingly single dimensional and it further adds to the above points on why experiences can be so negative for a lot of customers with brands like Lululemon for example. DEI measures and initiatives often fail because leaders at the top don’t check in to their own biases and many a time it is not seen as an actual priority. I am glad that Lululemon has been having a strong stance towards their DEI policies but it also remains to be seen how successful these will be in time to come. https://lnkd.in/eNDsyQaG #lbfalumni #skyhightower #diversityequityinclusion

Core values are your values. The wheels always come off the bus when you choose #marketing #corevalues that aren't in alignment with the leader of the company or the company actions. When a client tells me that marketing created their core values for them, my first thought is always "are they REALLY *your* core values if someone tells you what they are?" Last week we talked about Kyte Baby and how their website-only values of "family" were outed as window dressing. The CEO fired an employee who requested to work remotely from the NICU when her child was born 21 weeks premature. This week, we're going back in time to talk about the lululemon "we believe in empowering women so long as they are under a size 12" scandal. It's a long blog post, but an important one that touches on the following thoughts: You can choose "fake" core values and ensure you reserve marketing dollars for reputation management when they're outed as fake - and they always are. You can try to change your corporate culture to match up with the values that marketing has handed you - but culture runs top-down. You're not going to turn the CEO into a diversity champion from a body-shaming elitist. You can choose values that the company CAN support, from the top down. Lululemon had a lot going for them. They didn't need to focus on inclusivity as a value - especially knowing that the leader of the business built the business with a TCP that was decidedly NOT inclusive (rich and thin). It's okay to be the brand you want to be - authentic elitist is better than fake diversity champion. https://lnkd.in/gAaS7rdV

To support their DEI journey during a period of rapid growth, On, a Swiss performance sportswear brand, partnered with Culture Amp. In this case study, discover how Sahra Kaboli-Nejad, PhD, On's Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Impact, is using people science to build an equitable space for employees. On's commitment has yielded impressive results, with significant improvements in employee confidence and benchmarks surpassing industry standards. Read the full case study here. https://bit.ly/3xicFrV

"This industry is cutthroat; it's not made for everyone." While this mindset may have fueled past successes, it’s now holding fashion back. Other industries are thriving by embracing a ‘culture is key’ approach. It's time to evolve and make culture the cornerstone of true success. and It makes me wonder, why is fashion so afraid of change? Fashion has always been about breaking boundaries and setting trends, yet when it comes to workplace culture, the industry often clings to outdated practices. The fear of disrupting the status quo of moving away from the “cutthroat” mentality, may be holding back the innovation and creativity that fashion is known for. Meanwhile, other industries are embracing a "culture is key" approach and thriving. They’re fostering environments that prioritize inclusivity, collaboration, and well-being, and in turn, they’re seeing higher levels of engagement, creativity, and sustainable growth. Culture creates success—not fear. A progressive, inclusive culture doesn’t just attract top talent; it fosters an environment where that talent can thrive. By embracing the values that Gen Z champions, the fashion industry can become a place where creativity and collaboration flourish. As the next generation steps into leadership roles, it’s clear that the future of fashion—and all industries—lies in creating workspaces that are not just competitive, but also compassionate and inclusive. Let’s move beyond the outdated idea that only the toughest can survive, and instead, build an industry where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. The most successful brands will be those that understand this and make culture their cornerstone.🤘 #cultureiskey #fashionindustry #genzworkplace

Women’s clothing brand J. Jill is relying on its women leadership ERG as an incubator for a slate of new employee initiatives rolling out to the wider company, including a mentorship program, a fireside chat series, and a project that pairs workers together to promote cross-team camaraderie. After a near-bankruptcy in 2020 prompted the retailer to appoint a new CEO and revamp its business strategy, the company also went about changing its work environment, and its employee affinity groups were part of that shift. The fashion retailer’s “Women Leaders” ERG was its first group, launched in March 2022, and currently has 75 members. It meets once a month for an hour, typically in a “lunch and learn” format, and hosts other activities. “We’re changing how we operate from a product and marketing perspective, but we also have to change how we think about talent [and] future development,” Shelley Liebsch, J. Jill’s chief merchandising officer and executive sponsor of the Women Leaders group, tells Fortune. “We all started shifting differently, and I think [ERGs] played into that.” Read more:

“What does balance look like? It doesn't mean 50/50 all the time or 100% and zero. Balance is something that happens over time, it's a flow. It's not just an everyday balance - it's more like an ongoing balance.” - Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson Mary Carmen (MC) Gasco-Buisson ne is Pandora 💍 Jewelery’s CMO & SVP of Global Business Units and a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team. Mary Carmen’s 25+ years of experience across multiple industries and cultures have given her a unique perspective on navigating the elusive-for-many idea of “work /life balance” ⚖️ and creating structures that enable longer-term flow. She has more than 20 years of experience building and expanding consumer brands in fragrances, beauty, personal care, and women’s health categories 💁♀️. Mary Carmen previously served as Unilever’s Global Vice President working on men’s personal care brands like Axe & Lynx. She spent 22+ years at P&G, getting her start as a product development engineer, and rising through roles in brand and general management - from Haircare 💇♀️, Cosmetics 💄, Skincare, Prestige Fragrances, Consumer Health, and P&G Ventures. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on the importance of advocacy in one’s career, clarity on priorities 🎯, and the development of frameworks to create the life you want ✨. LISTEN NOW AT 👉https://bit.ly/4dFO1Rr 👈 #LearningsFromLeaders #Podcast #CareerDevelopment #WorkLifeBalance Ida 💫 Abdalkhani

It's time for lululemon to do more than just distance themselves from their founders comments, it's time for them to double down on DE&I through real action. When the truth is exposed, too often we see brands go into crisis management mode, make too many well comprised political statements, but you often see very little action to systemically correct the internal culture. Let's make sure that the brand knows we are not just listening to what they say, but watching what they do! #supplierdiversity #culture #diversity #advertising