Targeting Progress

I recently went one on one with Laysha Ward, Chief External Engagement Officer of Target. With three decades of leadership experience at Target under her belt, Laysha oversees Target’s enterprise-wide approach to engage and deepen relationships with cross-sector stakeholders to drive positive business and community impact. Laysha was appointed to the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the nation’s largest grantmaker for volunteering and service, by President Bush, and served as board chair under President Obama.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. ​How did you get here? ​What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Laysha: I grew up in a town of 700 people in rural Indiana and went to Head Start, an early childhood education program for low-income kids. I was the only Black student in my grade from elementary school all the way through high school graduation. I was also the first in my family to graduate from college and went on to receive a master’s degree in social work, not business or finance, which is a bit unusual for a C-suite executive. While not a conventional academic path, I believe there’s synergy and connective tissue in social work that’s about working toward a more humane and just society, as well as taking a very human-centric approach to solving problems in business and in the community. I started my career at Target nearly 30 years ago working as an hourly employee in a Chicago store, and today I am on the executive leadership team.

Like anyone with a career spanning three decades, I’ve had my share of experiences and obstacles that have been learning moments. As a Black woman, I’ve grown accustomed to being the only one, first or one of a few in many situations, from the classroom to the boardroom. I’ve learned and been lifted up by those who came before me…mentors, sponsors, trailblazers, glass ceiling breakers. It’s my privilege and obligation to pay it forward by helping to create more opportunities for women, people of color and other underrepresented populations, including the Black community I proudly represent.

Adam: What does a Chief External Engagement Officer do? What are your core responsibilities? 

Laysha: As Target’s Chief External Engagement Officer, I’m responsible for developing and nurturing trusted strategic relationships that advance business objectives, enhance reputation and mitigate risks. In other words, I spend my time listening, learning and co-creating solutions with cross-sector stakeholders.

Adam: What role have you played in shaping Target’s messaging in response to the civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death and what did you communicate? What advice do you have for other business and community leaders on how we should respond? 

Laysha: George Floyd’s murder was devastating for Black people – and many others – here in Minneapolis and around the world. The civil uprising and growing support for the importance of Black lives in our city and across the nation and world is reason to hope. But as we all know, hope is not a strategy – we have real work to do to dismantle the systemic racism and racist structures that have been in place for centuries. And Target is committed to doing that work.

And while messaging is important, it’s not just words that matter. It’s the actions we take and impact we make that will be our true measure of success in dismantling systemic racism and building a more just and equitable society. Whether it’s through our company or individual platforms – like social media or your personal network – we all have a voice and an important role to play in creating racial equity. 

At Target, for example. We’ve been on a 15-year journey to build and refine our diversity and inclusion strategy. These ambitious goals have helped us recruit and retain more diverse talent, offer more products and services from diverse suppliers, direct our philanthropic and other community investments to communities of color.

But despite these goals, our investment (or our efforts haven’t) hasn’t resulted in equitable outcomes for our Black team members, guests and communities.  Because of that gap and the clear call for change in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, we created a Racial Equity Action and Change Committee, which we call REACH, that will build on our company-wide D&I strategy and commitments.  I serve on that Committee.

REACH intentionally focuses on how we can help address systemic racism and drive lasting impact specific to Black people, with an emphasis on our team members and guests.

Whatever you’re doing, make sure you’re looking inward and getting your own house in order with an emphasis on your team and things within your scope of control, as well as external opportunities in the community and organizational policy.

I would encourage all leaders to have those uncomfortable conversations about race that we’ve too long shied away from. I would also say, if you’re going to make a public commitment in the area of racial equity and social justice, be ready to stand behind that commitment. It can’t be just words. This work isn’t easy. It’s unsettling, complicated and no one has all the answers. But you have to be in it for the long haul, because racist systems and structures built over centuries won’t be dismantled overnight.

Adam: You also developed a list of 8 Anti-Racist Strategy Pillars for Creating Racial Equity. What are those pillars and what should leaders understand about them? 

Laysha: Through my work, I spend a lot of time engaging with really smart people and organizations, here in the Twin Cities and around the world. In creating the 8 pillars, I curated some of the best insights from a variety of sources – including my own lived experiences and those of other Black people –  to provide a one-page framework for companies who really want to do the work of creating racial equity. This framework is intended to be a starting place to help companies determine their own strategy, wherever they are in their journey. 

The 8 pillars are both basic and complex, starting with Purpose - What problem is your organization trying to solve? What is your ambition in this space? 

Perspectives, the second pillar, is about listening, learning and co-creating solutions based on insights from Black employees and other Black community and thought leaders. 

People practices are a major way we in corporate America can advance racial equity…making sure our own house is in order is a critical step in driving real and lasting change. We need more Black CEOs and members of C-suites and, more broadly, a commitment to advancing Black leaders. And there is much more work for us to do to ensure that our workforce and workplaces are truly inclusive and anti-racist.

We know that our Purchasing power, the fourth pillar, is an important part of how we address equity and issues around wealth creation and jobs. This is about our direct and indirect spend on both products and services, as well as our support of Black-founded and Black-owned businesses. 

The Philanthropy pillar is about identifying and leveraging the strategic assets all across our businesses to address racial equity – including financial resources, employee volunteerism, pro-bono work, and board service.

The Policy pillar acknowledges the work we have to do to create equitable systems, both inside and outside our organizations. First, we have to hold up the mirror. Are our internal policies supporting an anti-racist agenda? And externally, we need to research and advocate for anti-racist legislation at the local and federal levels in a way that makes sense for our organizations. 

Place-Based is about focusing investments and efforts in the communities most heavily impacted by racial inequity. The goal of place-based is to create sustained, positive cycles of economic development and regeneration, including investments in Black-led organizations and issues that impact the systems that have fostered inequities and disparities – like jobs, housing, healthcare, education...and perhaps the most talked-about right now, policing and criminal justice reform. 

And last but not least, we want this moment to be a sustained and successful movement, so we have to focus on Performance, the final “P.” We need to measure results, accelerate what works, and hold ourselves accountable for outcomes. 

Adam: You developed a Personal Recovery Plan Workbook for Target to help individuals navigate complex emotions, unanswered questions and realigned goals during these uncertain times. What are the key takeaways from your Personal Recovery Plan?

Laysha: Through my work at Target, I’ve had the privilege to serve on and gather insights from cross-sector COVID recovery committees throughout the country. And as I dug into these reopening and recovery plans, I kept thinking to myself: Why don’t we, as individuals, create our own recovery plans? That was the spark that led me to develop a plan to help you move with intention on your path to a new normal, whatever that may be.

The plan is simple – just three steps: reflect, reimagine and reset. From the pandemic to ongoing racial unrest, these are challenging times for everyone. This recovery plan is designed to meet us where we are…whenever we’re ready. It’s not static or linear, but a living framework that will allow us to adapt and evolve over time. It’s about progress, not perfection, to help us be the person we want to be and live the life we want to lead.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Laysha: I think it’s important for leaders to be grounded in their personal purpose and how that aligns with the purpose of the organization they’re affiliated with. Your purpose is your “why.” It connects you to something bigger than yourself and becomes a North Star that guides you and helps you make decisions throughout your life. I also believe good leaders should hire, develop, promote and surround themselves with people who don’t look, sound, think or act like them. You can’t truly innovate or reflect the needs of diverse audiences if your workforce isn’t diverse, inclusive and equitable, as well.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Laysha: The single best piece of advice is connected to the worst piece of advice I’ve ever received. Early in my career I had someone tell me that if I wanted to advance, I should just act like one of the guys. The best piece of the advice was actually the opposite: that I should be myself and that the world didn’t need another version of someone else. They needed an authentic version of me. Remember, who you are is non-negotiable. Be true to your purpose and your values, and be open to the experiences and perspectives of others. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Laysha: As we continue to grapple with the pandemic and ongoing racial discrimination and unrest, we need to realize that we’re all in the same storm, but not in the same boat. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s not all resting on your shoulders. Identify trusted partners you can lean on, whether it’s a family member, colleague, friend or professional. You don’t have to fly solo through the pandemic, through your career, through life. Because ultimately, I believe that we’ll all get better together.