The Reality of Duality

02/25/20 • 29 min

Most of us don’t have just a single face. We have many different faces for different people and different environments.

But when we talk about diversity and inclusion in the corporate space, a common sentiment goes something like this: Bring your authentic self to work.

But really, who does that?

Nobody — at least not in those simplistic terms — argues UPS Executive Communications Manager Janet Stovall, chief speechwriter for CEO David Abney.

Stovall moderated a recent panel discussion at UPS’s headquarters on the topic of authenticity and duality and how the concepts overlap.

She chatted with UPS Chief Human Resources Officer Charlene Thomas, a leading figure in the company’s efforts to build a diverse workforce around the world in which employees reflect the communities they serve.

Stovall also spoke with Valerie Rainford, national diversity expert and author. As former head of JPMorgan Chase’s Advancing Black Leaders strategy, she oversaw a nearly 50-percent increase in black senior executives during her tenure.

In their wide-ranging conversation, the panel explores the nature of authenticity, common misconceptions about it and how the corporate world can incorporate duality to improve not just business but society at large.

Authenticity thrives in organizations truly committed to unlocking the power of diversity — a commitment, the corporate leaders remind us, evidenced by inclusion across every level of the organization.

Ultimately, the panel says, authenticity comes down to how you exhibit and communicate your duality to the world. They each speak to the all-too-common experience of being the only person who looks like them in a meeting, whether with colleagues or C-suite leaders.

But how do you leverage that experience to bring something to the room that nobody else can? How do you tap into your authentic self to create value for your company — and actually recognize and champion what makes you unique?

Most of us don’t have just a single face. We have many different faces for different people and different environments.

But when we talk about diversity and inclusion in the corporate space, a common sentiment goes something like this: Bring your authentic self to work.

But really, who does that?

Nobody — at least not in those simplistic terms — argues UPS Executive Communications Manager Janet Stovall, chief speechwriter for CEO David Abney.

Stovall moderated a recent panel discussion at UPS’s headquarters on the topic of authenticity and duality and how the concepts overlap.

Previous Episode

Back to the Moon — and then to Mars?

UPS knows a thing or two about logistics. We fuel the movement of goods between every corner of the world, as our Smart Logistics Network helps us reimagine the role of the delivery provider in more than 220 countries and territories around the globe every day. But what if you had to send goods — and people — to the Moon? Or even Mars? Our guest on Longitudes Radio today has the answers to those questions, which are moving from the world of science fiction to the real world.

Next Episode

Healthcare logistics in the age of coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic is changing daily life as we know it. Society at large is grappling with how we live and work during a time when the only certainty is more uncertainty.

Behind the scenes, however, transportation and logistics workers move the healthcare supplies and medicines needed to fuel an effective response to a global problem.

Two experts with decades of healthcare logistics experience between them — UPS Healthcare President Wes Wheeler and Rob Feeney, CEO of Medvantx, a home delivery pharmacy — join Longitudes Radio to discuss the supply chain ramifications of coronavirus and other crises.

No longer an academic exercise, logistics leaders are responding in real time to a black swan event. They’re tackling questions of monumental importance: How to ensure medical deliveries for people and hospitals most in need? How to facilitate testing for coronavirus? And what is the role of telemedicine?

Logisticians are tapping into lessons from previous pandemics to get patients what they need, when they need it. They know if there’s any breakdown in the healthcare supply chain, it has a domino effect in communities spanning the globe — they must create a truly frictionless and transparent experience.

There are a number of factors, however, aiding healthcare logistics today, including the direct-to-patient supply chain and enhanced cold chain solutions. Such innovations are effectively moving healthcare from reactive to proactive, utilizing technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence to anticipate needs before they even arise.

With its recent realignment, UPS Healthcare delivers high-quality visibility, tracking and management options for critical healthcare shipments. Wheeler and Feeney look at the “network within a network” for UPS Healthcare products and services, as well as how the company’s Medvantx partnership will drive in-home treatments.

Looking forward, they also explore the development of coronavirus vaccines and how UPS will evolve amid the pandemic. We know this much: Whether coronavirus or any future healthcare challenge, logistics will be at the center of the solution.