CGLCC approached Co.school with a clear ask: “Help our supplier diversity program become more inclusive.” The group already served a large membership base, linked with a growing community of corporate partners. With so many members depending on the program, they wanted to ensure they were upholding a high-standard for their experience, and that it delivered true value.
Co.school was engaged to review the current experience through a human-centered lens, putting people first in the process to understand their stories, and speak back to CGLCC not just service design map, but a highly usable “guide to improving CGLCC's Supplier Diversity program.”
We got to work. Our process, over the course of a focused series of spring sprints, was as follows:
- Discovery and analysis: We reviewed existing correspondence, member feedback, customer service exchanges and partner surveys, to spot patterns and identify repeated trends showing up in the experience.
- Internal interviews: In candid interviews with staff, ranging from leadership team members to account managers and external consultants, we held space to hear from those inside the organization to learn what was working well, and what was not.
- Member interviews: With deep gratitude to the entrepreneurs and business owners who spoke with us, we heard from members themselves through one-on-one conversations. We explored the business realities members face, their reasons for choosing CGLCC, and their experience with both the certification process and resulting programs.
It’s important to note that many community members affiliated with CGLCC have experienced discrimination in the workplace during their lifetimes, where their stories are dismissed, or their own value as people are diminished. It was important that this engagement process was relationally-driven, respecting the privacy and vulnerability of those involved. Notes and insights were anonymized, and the resulting report built from aggregated data, to form a thorough, birds-eye view of the whole process, as experienced by members and staff. The work of human-to-human listening was itself a valuable act, offering humanity in a field that sometimes approaches work clinically.
The work continued:
- Field research and testing: We went through the certification experience as outsiders, moving through the flow of software usage, sign-up and application. We also explored other adjacent certifications and programs, from both Canada and the US, in addition to related application-centered processes (such as B-Corp) to gain an understanding of how other groups are doing similar work.
- Synthesis, story-telling and report writing: We carefully stitched together a narrative-driven, visually-accessible guide to improving their program. With clear diagrams, accessible language, and clear insights, the guide was sharable internally as a way forward to making tangible improvements to the program.
It was then time to look into the corporate side of the value exchange, through a phase 2 process that involved conversation and connection with corporate partners, from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada. We spoke with staff from Air Canada, Canada Post, TELUS, BCLC, and several other flagship Canadian organizations with strong partnership with CGLCC. These interviews provided insight into the corporate realities of supplier diversity initiatives, highlighting trends in sustainable procurement, socially responsible supply chains, and other initiatives often grouped under “social innovation.” We learned more about what priorities drive the corporate buyer, and how CGLCC’s offering can better intersect with life in those companies.
These insights were brought together in a companion report, offering a rare glimpse into the “other side of the relationship” between members and corporate partners, with CGLCC holding a unique role as the convenor.
The result: Our work with this group helped them better understand the experience of their members, end-to-end, on both sides of the member/partner equation. They identified specific areas for improvement across software, process and people, never losing sight of the unique interpersonal needs and stories carried by their members. Since our engagement, CGLCC has been able to launch a complete brand refresh, now officially known as the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce (CQCC). They have stepped further into the work of digital transformation, and continue to help the Canadian economy rise through its support of under-represented entrepreneurs and businesses.
