Kodak has a very active employee resource group in support of many different diversity segments. As a leader of Lambda, the ERG for LGBT employees, Amy Friend and other ERG members coordinated a community presence by Kodak with several national and regional organizations. Together they would give presentations, coordinate event photography, and manage photo booths with the demonstration of products. This extra effort was one way that an ERG could directly align with the mission of it's sponsoring company. Amy Friend was president of Lambda, the ERG for LGBT employees. She established the first marketing committee that collaborated with marketing and PR professionals. During this time, Lambda helped Kodak to connect with over 1 million LGBT consumers.

1. Business Connections:
Taking Your ERG Into The Community
Presented by
Amy Friend
Emily Jones
Nancy Laurie
Patti McGory

2. Objectives
 By the end of this session you should….
– Believe in the importance of partnering with
your community
– Have a list of opportunities for your ERG
– Pick something about which you are
passionate and identify the first two steps
you would take to make it happen.

3. Agenda
 Why is this important?
 Example scenario
 Breakout session 4 Scenarios—20
minutes
 10 minutes each to share back
 Personal commitments
 Q&A

4. Why bother?
 Working as a community is far more
powerful than alone
 Many organizations don’t have critical
mass nor the resources to create the
change in the time frame that is
necessary
 Creates brand awareness for your
company as a leader in this segment of
diversity

5. So what do we mean?
Take this scenario for example

6.  Part of Eastman Kodak company was
recently sold to a ITT, a government
contractor. The GLBT employees who
have benefited from protection at Kodak
have lost their protection under ITT’s
EEO policy. The former Kodak
employees want to educate their new
employer as to why they should be
protected under the EEO policy etc.
What should they do?

7. What we did.
 First Assess ITT
– 34% of revenue from defense contracts
– Multiple site in US – different aspects of the
company (segmented)
– No ERGs
– Minimal inclusive language in EEO policy
– No DP benefits
– About 10 years behind Kodak in terms of
diversity and inclusion

8. How to close the gap?
 Use HR at Kodak to talk to HR at ITT
and identify the gap.
 Negotiate DP benefits for those
employees who are currently receiving
them at Kodak
– Excludes all GLBT employees who may
need them in the future
 ITT recognizes that they should revisit
their EEO policy in the future
– No firm time commitment was made

9. Current path forward
 Former Kodak Network leaders stepped
up to form a joint ERG
 Sent out a survey to ITT Rochester to
find out what issues they should tackle
– Responders 75% male, 90% white
– Issues identified: career development and
workload balancing
– Considering a faith based network

10. Opportunities for the Future
 Addressing more basic needs such as
feeling safe at work
 Working with the LNAK to put on
educational workshops to bring those
needs to the forefront
 Forming networks with specific missions
 Foster key partnerships/allies

11. Let’s get to work!
 Breakout into 4 groups
 Read your scenario
 Pick a person to scribe
 You have 20 minutes to brainstorm
how you would solve the problem.
 Present your ideas to the group (10
minutes).

12. How Out Does Your Company Want to Be?
Out In Mainstream Public
Not Out All the
Way Out
Lambda Corporate Coming Out Continuum
Out In GLBT Community
Event sponsorship local
Event sponsorship national
Event sponsorship worldwide
Neutral content ads in
event programs
Gay-vague ads in
gay publications
Gay Ads in gay publications
GLBT web-site by invite only
Member of GLBT
organizations
Gay-vague ads in
public press
Gay ads in public press
Testify for GLBT laws
GLBT web-site all access
Recruit GLBT
On “Tops” lists & awards
In company
GLBT issues in
diversity training
GLBT employee
network
Domestic Partner
Benefits
Non-discrimination
policy
--Risk/Exposure++
Where are you?
Where are your competition?

13. Scenario 1 – Gender Identity
 Many companies in the HRC index
do not have gender identity in their
EEO policy. You work for a
company that has a strong ERG
and has gender identity in their
EEO policy. How would you reach
out to these other companies in
need?

14. Scenario 2 – GLBT Youth
The GLBT youth have very
limited access to social
functions in your community.
What can you do to create
both social and educational
events in your community?

15. Scenario 3 – Defense of Marriage
 The defense of marriage amendment is
proposed to be on the fall ballot. You
have talked to your company leadership
who has taken a strong stance for
ENDA in the past but refuses to take a
public stand on the defense of marriage
amendment. What can your ERG do
with other ERGs to help your company
understand that the DofMA is bad for
business and get them to take a stand
against it?

16. Scenario 4 – GLBT Marketing
 You work for a company that has done good
things to create a safe, inclusive workplace
for GLBT employees. At Out & Equal, you
have learned that the GLBT consumer is
brand loyal and tends to have more
discretionary income. You see an opportunity
for your company to step “out” and go after
this lucrative market. How might your ERG
help introduce your company’s products or
services to GLBT consumers/business
owners?

17. Personal Goal
 Think about the ideas that have been
presented.
 Pick something about which you are
passionate and identify the first two
steps you would take to make it happen.
 Write them down and make a personal
commitment to act

18. Questions / Comments

19. Appendix

20. Coming Out for A GLBT Individual
Not Out/In the Closet
Only self and partner
know
No visible signs to
outside world
Pronoun filtering
Home hides identity
Appear to be single
May surf GLBT sites
but only at home
Not in ERG
Not read ERG
communications at
work
Not attend ERG
functions at work
Out to friends
Bring partner
out with friends
Invite friends
home without
hiding GLBT
identity
Out to family
Bring partner
to family
functions
Talk about partner
and gay social
events to family
Write about events
in social life in
letters, holiday
photo cards, etc.
Out in public / work
Hold hands in public
Wear gay content
Talk about partner
Go to Parade
True self at work
Pictures at work
May challenge on
inappropriate jokes
Sign up/use DP
benefits at work
Visible member of
Employee Resource
Group (eg Lambda)
Bring partner to work
functions/parties
Open in interviews
Way out
March in Gay parade
Organize events
Testify for bills
Teach others
Write articles in gay
newspaper
Sponsor
organizations
Volunteer
Challenge others
on inappropriate
jokes

21. Contact Us
 Lambda Network At Kodak
Lambda@kodak.com
585-234-4388
 Amy Friend
 Emily Jones
 Patti McGory
 Nancy Laurie