Employee resource groups (ERGs) are essential to the Dallas Mavericks organization because they give employees a voice and a chance to connect with colleagues from similar backgrounds or interests. The goal is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace, uniting employees with a common purpose while giving them a sense of belonging to a group outside the traditional workspace.
The Mavs have six employee resource groups for women, Black employees, parents, employees under the age of 30 and less than five years of employment, Latinos and Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The franchise also has the Men of the Mavs networking group.
In March, the Mavs hosted the second annual Mavs Women’s Symposium in honor of Women’s History Month and to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions in the modern day and throughout history.
The event brought together both men and women to discuss the importance of self-care, raising future leaders, finding your purpose, discovering your passion and leading with values.
The organization hosted the inaugural Dallas Mavs ERG Symposium on April 5, 2023, before a game at the American Airlines Center.
The event featured various community leaders from all across North Texas who are committed to diversity, inclusion, and community engagement.
Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins was among those who spoke.
“This work is very important,” Judge Jenkins told the audience. “If the last three years have taught us anything, it’s that we are stronger together. There’s more that unites us than divides us, and North Texas can do anything when we work together. It also shows HR professionals and DEI officers some [things] to consider. People questioned the last few years and asked, ‘Do I feel a purpose at work? Do I even want to go back to work?’ We had somewhat of a great resignation, but people are returning from that…We spend a lot of hours at work. So our employees need to feel a sense of purpose.”
Dallas Mavs CEO Cynt Marshall also joined other community leaders on stage and passionately shared how she keeps employees engaged. Marshall is the only Black female CEO in the history of the NBA and she is one of the most influential business leaders in the world.
“You are some of the most important people to an organization,” Marshall told the attendees.
She said the Mavs are committed to pouring into each employee and the greater community as a whole. Marshall shared how ERGs should focus on four main categories: engage culture, enhance/enrich careers, enlighten customers and enable communities.
“ERGs provide individuals the opportunity to achieve a sense of belonging through communities of inclusion,” said Marshall, a 2023 NAACP Image Awards finalist. “It allows employees to live with values and to bring their authentic selves to work. I like to say #DoYou. Bring your authentic self to work.”
Before the inaugural Dallas Mavs ERG Symposium, the Mavs welcomed 75 volunteers for a community service project with the Dallas Public Library to pack 10,000 Texas wildflower seed packs for the community.
The theme ‘Sowing Seeds in Our Community’ emphasized the importance of supporting one another through service in the community.
Dallas Mavs leaders have several more ERG events planned for this month.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and the Mavs will have a lunch and learn at franchise headquarters on May 2 with AAPI leaders in the community. According to national statistics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are among the fastest-growing racial groups in the United States, representing over 23 million people. The Mavs have several employees across many departments representing the AAPI community in an ERG group called LOTUS.
The organization’s Parents@Work ERG will host a ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’ later this month to teach youngsters what their parents do for a living.
Dallas Mavs ERGs are a safe space designed to discuss experiences and encourage colleagues from underserved or sometimes overlooked backgrounds. According to the Mavs, over 70% of employees belong to one of the groups.
Mavs.com visited with Gail O’Bannon, Dallas Mavs Chief DEI Officer, to learn more about the franchise’s DEI culture.
The Mavericks held an inaugural ERG Symposium event this year. For fans that don’t come from a corporate world and might not know what that even means, can you explain what ERGs are – and why they are important for organizations like the Mavs?
O’BANNON: Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are employee-led groups based on shared characteristics or experiences. ERGs are important to the Dallas Mavericks because they help to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, leading to engaging culture, enriching careers, and enabling customers and communities. ERGs foster a sense of belonging and community, improve retention and employee satisfaction, and provide unique insights that inform policies and practices. ERGs can also serve as a bridge between the organization and the communities it serves, which promotes the organization’s values and mission. Overall, ERGs create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture that positively impacts employee well-being, job satisfaction, productivity, and external relationships.
Why was it important to host an ERG Symposium this year and what was the main purpose of the event?
O’BANNON: Hosting our inaugural ERG Symposium this year was an important opportunity for the Mavericks ERGs and Men of the Mavs to bring together employee resource groups (ERGs) from around North Texas and beyond. The Symposium was designed to provide a platform for ERG members, allies, advocates, and executive sponsors to share and discuss the value proposition for employee resource groups (ERGs), best practices, connect with one another, and recognize the power of collaboration.
Our theme “Sowing Seeds in Our Community” emphasized the importance of supporting one another and strengthening our collective impact through service to our community. By engaging with external stakeholders and promoting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion, ERGs can help to create positive change and support the broader community.
The Saturday prior to our inaugural ERG Symposium to kick off National Volunteer Month, our six ERGs and MOTM hosted a community service project where 15 ERGs/Affinity Groups representing 20 different companies across North Texas together filled 10,000 seed envelopes with Texas Wildflowers to be donated to the Dallas Seed Library, located at the Dallas Public Library.
What were some personal highlights for you?
O’BANNON: A highlight for me was using our platform to bring together a diverse group of people who share a common interest. For this to be our inaugural ERG Symposium it was a highly successful event that brought together over 60 companies from around North Texas and Oklahoma and featured 17 different ERGs/Affinity Groups. It was valuable to hear from community leaders, such as Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Dallas Regional Chamber President and CEO Dale Pertroskey and SVP Inclusion and Community Engagement, Latosha Herron-Bruff, Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, our Keynote Mohmmed Farshori, Director, Global Community and Environmental Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility (AT&T) and all of the panelist to share their stories, was truly amazing!
If there’s someone reading this story and they wanted to start an ERG program at their company, what would be your advice on how to make it happen?
O’BANNON: To start an ERG program at a company, individuals should identify a need, build support from key stakeholders, establish clear goals and objectives, provide resources and support, and continuously evaluate effectiveness. By taking these steps, individuals can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations and positively impact their colleagues and communities. One more thing, they need a budget!
Finally, you’ve been a part of the Mavs organization for two decades. How have you seen the DEI strategy evolve and what are your goals for the future?
O’BANNON: First let me pause and give both our CEO Cynt Marshall and CPO Tarsha LaCour their flowers. They are both phenomenal women, value-based leaders and DEI is part of their DNA! They always have their DEIB [Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging] lenses on, always!
Our ELT [executive leadership team] and staff are ‘All-In’ and committed to our DEI Strategy.
The Mavericks’ focus on DEI has evolved significantly since Cynt Marshall became CEO. We have a DEI strategy with clear goals, objectives, and action items w/ KPIs [key performance indicators] that focuses on Customers, Reputation, Agenda for Women, Family, Talent and Suppliers & Sponsors.
DEI is woven into the fabric of our mission, vision and six strategic areas of focus.
Looking to the future, my goal is simple … continue to set the global standard for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
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