Diversity and Inclusion Continued from page 29
death , National Fitness Partners has taken additional steps to fortify its inclusiveness . When a regional leader suggested in June that the company add “ inclusion ” to its core values , all club leaders were asked to provide a definition .
From their input , the company crafted the meaning and added it to its statement of core values : “ Inclusion : Creating a friendly and Judgement Free experience in the communities we serve , where everyone is welcome , respected and appreciated regardless of race , gender , religion or beliefs … You Belong !”
National Fitness Partners is also creating a community outreach council to develop strategies to increase the company ’ s commitment to supporting unity in its communities . The council is made up of team members from front-line staff to executive-level leaders .
These were important steps , but so were the company ’ s other actions in the days after Floyd ’ s death . With protests in Philadelphia leaving two of National Fitness Partners ’ clubs damaged , the company opened its channels of communication with employees . “ One of the first steps we took was to bring together leaders from all 78 clubs on a video call with our president / CEO ,” Sholly said . “ We provided a clear message to confirm our support of social equality , free speech and intolerance for the violence that accompanied some of these events . We provided a written company statement to all employees a few days later to reiterate those same points . We shared the addition of ‘ inclusion ’
to our core values and updated signage , messaging and training content to reflect inclusion and its meaning . Our regional leaders also played a critical role in creating a safe and open environment for discussions to occur within our teams at the club level .”
Likewise , PLNTF Holdings also reached out to employees after Floyd ’ s death . “ We have communicated our backing of the movement to our team members via internal emails , our company newsletter and LinkedIn ,” Nelson said . “ Additionally , we have added an unconscious bias training to our anti-harassment and diversity training and handbook . We understand this is a matter of constantly evolving and learning to improve the way we operate .”
Even as each of these organizations have taken these steps to bolster and reinforce diversity and inclusion , their leaders realize that this is a goal for which there is no finish line . It takes constant striving and attention to ensure that these ideals are fully put into action .
“ As we continue to grow as an organization , we realize the importance of having a diverse , hardworking and energized team that provides our members with a safe , clean workout experience ,” Nelson said . “ Diversity is an area we will continue to seek to improve as we grow as an organization .” G
Sean Ireland is the Elevanta associate director of communications .
Save the sweat for your workout !
2020 Issue 3 | GearedUp
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