Treating employees well is a key virtue, say representatives with MRU, RGO and Boyden

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Mount Royal University is constantly building on inclusion initiatives

Sometimes efforts promoting greater equity, diversity and inclusion can be seen as a ‘to-do list’ for organizations, outlining their shortcomings, where change may be viewed with skepticism and even considered burdensome.

But that’s not how Dr. Moussa Magassa, Mount Royal University’s new associate vice-president of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) sees it.

“Equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives are not something we do only for the benefit of others,” he says. “It is really a gift of humanity that we give to each other.”

Magassa took on the role of helping develop the Calgary post-secondary institution’s evolving EDI framework and policies in May 2022 after working in a similar role at the University of Victoria for many years.

Among the successes at the Vancouver Island university he was part of were Five Days of Action that helped foster programs to address discrimination, sexualized violence and harassment on campus and in the community.

Now, Magassa aims to help bring similar EDI best-practices to Mount Royal University (MRU) to engage students, faculty, administration and the city itself to create a fairer, more diverse and inclusive learning environment and place to live — for everyone.

“Dr. Magassa is someone who believes in creating an action-oriented strategy that aligns with clear goals as a way to strengthen our institution,” says Dr. Tim Rahilly, MRU president and vice-chancellor. “I believe this will serve as the perfect complement to EDI work already underway across this university.”

Indeed, MRU already has a strong reputation on this front, recently recognized by Forbes as one Canada’s Best Employers For Diversity in 2022. Yet building a post-secondary institution that reflects the larger, ever-changing community is always a work in progress, Magassa notes.

“When you think about it, change is the only thing that is permanent,” he says. “Every institution needs to change, not because we’re doing something badly, but because we want to build on our successes to move forward.”

Undoubtedly, he adds, equity, diversity and inclusion are important to the future success of the university, Calgary and the nation.

“Equity, diversity and inclusion are important because equity is not only about fairness; it’s a principle, condition and an outcome rooted in human rights,” Magassa explains. “Then diversity is the recognition that we’re all different, and these differences are strengths, not weaknesses.”

Yet inclusion is truly the goal, he says.

“After all, everyone wants to feel included, sharing in access to resources like education, to succeed in life.”

RGO provides high-tech, energy-efficient blinds

Your grandparents’ drapes, they’re not.

Neither are today’s window coverings for commercial buildings the typical blinds that you must adjust manually to cut out the sun’s glare. Rather, the most advanced window coverings are increasingly a key component of the most energy-efficient commercial buildings.

“Designs for buildings are more sophisticated, diverse and non-traditional while seeking to meet new energy-efficiency goals like net zero,” says Jamie Ferguson, vice-president of window coverings division at RGO. “With that comes a set of different requirements for window coverings.”

RGO is a trusted leader in Alberta for providing solutions for commercial buildings from furniture to flooring options and, of course, window coverings.

Increasingly, it works with architects, engineers and others involved in large-scale developments from the get-go to provide window covering solutions central to their design, especially from an energy-efficiency perspective.

“More and more of these professionals understand that window coverings are not just an esthetic consideration,” Ferguson adds. “They’re actually a technical part of the overall building and have an impact on its function.

“The shades are often driven by a motor often connected to a controller tracking the sun’s movement with exterior sensors that then adjust the shades to an optimum position for natural light while also reducing glare and solar heat gain.”

Ferguson adds RGO has been a key partner on many local projects in the city, including the redevelopment of the McKimmie Complex at the University of Calgary — one of the most energy-efficient buildings on Canadian campuses. Yet technology and energy efficiency aside, occupants’ comfort is central to RGO’s window covering enterprise.

“Obviously, if you have blazing sun right in your face, that’s not good,” he says.

However, the negative effects are often more subtle, yet equally impactful.

“Having to adjust your eyes constantly to different light levels leaves you more fatigued,” Ferguson adds.

In turn, the best window coverings adjust automatically so employees’ eyes do not become strained, helping them be at their best.

“Companies’ biggest expense is their people so you need them feeling their best,” he says. “So ensuring the workplace environment is comfortable is very important, and window coverings are a key piece of that.”

Boyden finding talent for an evolving oil industry

Calgary’s energy industry is renowned for its boom-and-bust cycles. Yet after emerging from a multi-year slump, this most recent boom is different — especially from a management perspective.

“There is a cultural shift going on across the industry, particularly for oil and gas services,” says Robert Travis, managing partner at Boyden.

“Management needs to be conscientious of creating a workplace culture that attracts and retains talent in an industry where skilled workers are in short supply.”

As a top executive search firm in the energy industry, Boyden has in-depth knowledge of the skill sets now required to attract, lead and retain both veteran workers and the next generation of innovators in oil and gas.

One challenge is the industry lost many good workers during the downturn of the 2010s when many industry observers believed US$100 barrels of oil were a thing of the past.

In turn, a lot of highly skilled individuals found work in other industries and are not returning even as opportunities abound in the newly revived industry.

Yet, it was not just low oil prices that have had a deep impact on the industry. COVID-19 also prompted many workers to rethink their career paths. As such, talent is in demand as the industry charts a different, more cautious path amid considerations such as climate change. Workers are different, too, recognizing they have more leverage.

“Corporations used to say things like ‘You’re lucky to have a job,’ and now the script is flipped, where they are saying, ‘We’re lucky to have you,’ ” Travis says. “If an employee is not treated well, that person can find another job opportunity very quickly.”

Simply put, the old ways of management no longer suffice.

Today’s executives not only require expertise in the industry; they need a solid understanding of how to motivate their teams to be at their best without making them feel their worst.

“That old, pound-the-fist-on-the-desk, managing-by-intimidation does not work anymore,” Travis says.

As a result, executive searches have changed, with Boyden now focusing on references from not just candidates’ superiors, but their peers and individuals who worked under them.

“That is a very different read that helps mitigate risk for this new world of work where management is as much about retention as it is about getting the job done,” Travis says.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.