Part 3 of 3: From good intentions to exceptional impact

Here's what I want every leader reading this to know: Your ERG members are incredibly dedicated people who want to contribute to meaningful change.

They're passionate about creating inclusive environments where everyone can thrive. They want their time and energy to translate into real impact—both for their communities and for the business. They're looking for ways to contribute that enhance their careers while advancing organizational goals.

When ERG members feel their contributions create visible change and career growth, amazing things happen. They become more engaged, not less. They bring innovative solutions to business challenges. They help identify and develop the next generation of leaders.

Measuring What Matters

What if instead of asking "How many people joined our ERGs?" we asked "How can we make ERG leadership rewarding and impactful?"

What if we measured ERG success by:

• How well we support leaders and create sustainable succession planning
• Whether people are excited to volunteer for leadership roles because they see the value
• The quality of experiences and their connection to business outcomes
• How ERG participation accelerates rather than competes with career growth
• Whether our approach creates momentum and energy that builds over time

Treat ERG growth as an opportunity to build systems that develop leaders, drive business results, and deliver meaningful impact.

The Opportunity Ahead

The automotive industry is experiencing tremendous change, and that creates opportunities for organizations ready to evolve their approach to ERGs. While some companies are reconsidering their investments, others are discovering how to make their ERGs more strategic, sustainable, and successful.

Your employees are ready to contribute at the next level. The question is: How can we build systems that amplify their impact?

The current environment makes it more important than ever to demonstrate that ERGs deliver value—career growth, retention improvements, innovation through diverse perspectives, and operational efficiencies that strengthen competitive position.

The Choice to Evolve

Your ERG members have insights that can transform workplace culture, solve operational challenges, and strengthen competitive position. They're ready to contribute to both inclusion goals and business success in even more meaningful ways.

The encouraging truth is that organizations across our industry are discovering how to unlock the full potential of their ERGs. The proven frameworks and best practices exist.

We can build better. We are building better. And we're doing it together.

The question isn't whether your people are ready for greater impact—they are. The question is how quickly we can evolve our systems to support their potential and create the workplace transformation our industry needs.

Because at the end of the day, that's what real inclusion looks like: creating sustainable systems that advance careers, improve workplaces, and drive business success while energizing rather than exhausting the people who make it all happen.

Time to embrace the evolution. Time to build on what's working. Time to achieve the results our people and our industry deserve.

Ready to transform your ERG from good intentions to game-changing impact? Start with our July Learning Labs—July 15th (AI for ERGs) and July 22nd (Self-Care as Leadership Strategy). These sessions prepare you for our comprehensive 10-week ERG Academy launching September 2025.

Article exclusively written for cadia.org
Authored by Cheryl Thompson with AI assist