Embracing Diversity: My Crucible Moment with Carrie Harper

March 26th, 2024

Watch the video recording above, or find the audio-only version through your preferred podcast platform using the links below.

Diverse workplaces hold a unique advantage. In fact, McKinsey & Co. finds that the most diverse companies profit more than their less diverse competitors. But true diversity and inclusion is a journey. It takes commitment, intention, and self-reflection to understand its power and to mature its role in an organization.

In this Leaders in the Arena episode, we’re exploring how Carrie Harper, Shaw Industries' Sustainable Sourcing and Supplier Diversity Manager, experiences the power of diversity in her life and work.

In her role, Carrie helps Shaw Industries maintain alignment with compliance and legal, drives sustainability, and implements diversity and inclusion strategies and initiatives. But outside of those efforts, she’s also a major contributor to the Women's Innovation Network and to FABRIC in support of the API community. Carrie is passionate about the role of diversity and inclusion at Shaw, remaining instrumental in maturing its presence at the company.

The following is a condensed summary of the conversation between Jenny Whitener & Carrie Harper:

Waking Up to the Power of D&I

Jenny Whitener: Carrie, thank you so much for sharing your story today. I'd like to start by illuminating your perspective on diversity and inclusion and that crucible moment. Can you share with us an experience that was the catalyst for your personal awakening to the power of D&I?

Carrie Harper: Absolutely, I can look back on several moments that have been foundational in my D&I journey. However, it was an experience I had in 2014 with Leadership Calhoun-Gordon County that I consider the seed that started my diversity and inclusion journey. Specifically, we completed a Simo exercise, short for simulated society.

Simo had four classes or groups: the Green Room, where the perceived wealth was plentiful; the Red Room, which included those in poverty; and two classes in between that represented the middle class.

All of my life, I've been firmly entrenched in the middle. I never thought about where I would sleep or where my next meal would come from. However, because my parents were extremely frugal, I didn’t know the extras that many children from middle-class homes today know. I naïvely thought I had it very rough. But I don't believe it was an accident that I was placed in the Green Room. It challenged the way that I viewed life and how I looked at the world around me.

I began to see that it went beyond just giving to the community; the true question was what the community's needs were. If we didn’t have the right resources, utilize them wisely, and listen to individuals who were passionate about seeing the community succeed, we wouldn’t be able to truly make an impact. That exercise truly was the catalyst for my D&I journey.

Learning from Personal and Professional Diversity

Jenny Whitener: We’re all human, so we have both a personal and a professional perspective. Share a little about how diversity and inclusion have shaped you in those two dimensions.

Carrie Harper: First, with the professional aspect — the power of D&I has broadened my thoughts and allowed me to meet individuals I wouldn't have met during my day job. These individuals challenge me to step out of my comfort zone, champion my ideas regarding D&I, and advocate for me across and outside the organization.

Personally, I hope that my daughters see what it looks like to be a strong and respected female in the workforce. I hope they see me advocating for myself and others and have a strong sense of self to do the same.

Jenny Whitener: That’s amazing. My heart goes out to you as a mom and as a professional as you navigate that. Can you briefly discuss Shaw's commitment to Supplier Diversity and your role there?

Carrie Harper: Absolutely. At Shaw, we strive for diversity and inclusion among our associates and our supplier base. We define Supplier Diversity as proactively providing equal access to Shaw's purchasing opportunities to all qualified suppliers. We want to promote supplier participation that's reflective of Shaw's diverse customers and the local communities in which we live and work. We believe having a strong Supplier Diversity strategy is strategic for bringing more innovation to our business and opening up new markets for growth.

Jenny Whitener: What kind of impact are you seeing with Shaw's Supplier Diversity? How is it making a difference?

Carrie Harper: We have spending goals related to supplier diversity, and in the past two years, we've seen those numbers increase significantly. But the more exciting part is the positive impact that our associates have had, their passion for D&I, and what they're doing to bring diverse small suppliers into our supply chain.

If we begin to look at these partnerships beyond a single supplier and the volume of spending of a company enterprise like Shaw Industries, we can positively impact the communities we work in by bringing jobs, income, and tax revenue to those areas. So it's so much more than just the right thing to do. There's an economic benefit for both the communities and Shaw.

How to Mature a D&I Strategy

Jenny Whitener: That's fantastic. What suggestions do you have for others who are looking to launch or mature a multifaceted diversity and inclusion strategy?

Carrie Harper: I would look at it from a few different standpoints.

From an enterprise standpoint, leadership support is foundational. When I look at Shaw and the executive leadership, engagement, and involvement in our strategies and initiatives, demonstrating inclusive leadership is more than important.

From a specific program or initiative standpoint, it’s important to encourage benchmarking, peer, and leadership conversations to bring awareness and diversity of ideas and needs.

You want to build excitement around and raise awareness about these activities. So, ask the questions of "How might we," "Could we," or "Did you know?" to all of these business counterparts who may be able to influence the supply chain by bringing in small, diverse businesses.

Finally, from a personal perspective, I wouldn't be as involved today if I hadn't sought an area of D&I that I was passionate about. Those are the areas where I will bring the most fulfillment and add the most value to the organization.

Jenny Whitener: Beautiful. Carrie, it's been great to have you with us today as a guest to share your story and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Thank you so much.

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