What can Collingwood teach your business?

You couldn’t ignore the recent media on the Do Better report regarding Collingwood AFL Football Club and racism.

Many think of Collingwood through their one-eyed footy lens but there are really significant lessons to learn for regional businesses from this report.

All businesses, including AFL clubs, must comply with the law by ensuring a safe workplace, avoiding racial discrimination and avoiding direct and indirect discrimination for all employees.

The report detailed that Collingwood failed by allowing "very big gap" between what it stood for and what it actually did. In other words, it was let down by a poor culture of not living its values by talking the talk but not walking the walk. One example of this was that when complaints about racism were made, the club gave more attention to its media reports rather than properly investigating and prosecuting the complaint.

So what should you do to make sure your business doesn’t repeat the mistakes of Collingwood – and that unlike Eddie, you keep your position. I think there are 3 key takeaways for local business.

1. Be aware of the key role you play as an owner and leader of a business. You need to lead by example. A strong focus of the Do Better report was Collingwood’s failure to have the values of the organisation strong in rejecting racism. Businesses should make sure they develop, implement and live clear values for the business.

2. Make sure your business has clear policies and procedures for dealing with racism and discrimination. Staff need to be educated and this culture of anti-discrimination and anti-racism policies normalised and socialised throughout the business. That starts with the leaders of the business.

3. Have a clear complaint process that is transparent, accountable and has consequences. Without these, complaints go nowhere and racism and discrimination are normalised in the workplace. When complaints are raised the "Acknowledging, addressing and learning" approach to racist incidents leads to better outcomes than the "denying and dismissing" approach. Collingwood took the latter, to its detriment.

Peter Drucker’s famous quote “culture eats strategy for breakfast” seems to ring very true in a quote I found very telling for businesses willing to learn from the report:

All of this comes back to the leadership of the Collingwood Football Club — particularly its Board — and the need for them to set the vision and values of the Club and to drive structural change within the organisation. The changes need to be driven from the top if they are to address racism and set the tone for the culture within the club.

Lachlan Edwards is a one-eyed Essendon supporter and OFRM Lawyer. Lachlan can assist you and your business in being best placed to not go the same way as Collingwood by providing general guidance on these issues, assisting you preparing the necessary policies and procedures or in advising you if problems develops. He promises not to talk too much footy in doing so. To get started on making sure you have this sorted give Lachlan a call on 03 5445 1031.