Christian Watson: 'Woke' posturing hurts employees, shareholders, customers

kAmr@CA@C2E:@?D 2C6 AFEE:?8 E96:C A@=:E:42= 286?52D 367@C6 E96:C 4FDE@>6CD[ 6>A=@J66D 2?5 D92C69@=56CD] !@=:E:42= 4@?D:56C2E:@?D 2:>65 2E A=62D:?8 E96 >JE9:42= “DE2<69@=56C” 5C:G6 D@>6 @7 E96 >@DE D:8?:7:42?E 564:D:@?D 4@>A2?:6D >2<6]k^Am

kAm%96 r=2C6>@?E x?DE:EFE6 F?4@G6C65 2? 68C68:@FD 23FD6 @7 D92C69@=56C 2?5 6>A=@J66 ECFDE 2E E96 3696DE @7 E96 “DE2<69@=56C]” r@CA@C2E:@?D DF49 2D p%U2>Aj%[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3FD:?6DD:?D:56C]4@>^2EE\=2J@77D\E9@FD2?5D\;@3D\4FE\4@G:5\`h\;F?6\a_a_\eQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm=2:5 @77 b[c__ 6>A=@J66Dk^2m 2E E96 96:89E @7 E96 r~'xs A2?56>:4 H9:=6 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^23@FE]2EE]4@>^?6HDC@@>^a_a`^3=24<0@H?6503FD:?6DD6D04@>>:E>6?E]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm5F>A:?8 Sb]` 3:==:@?k^2m :?E@ q=24<\@H?65 DFAA=:6CD E@ AC@>@E6 C24:2= ;FDE:46] q@6:?8 =2:5 @77 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4?34]4@>^a_aa^`_^ad^?2E:@?D\`a\=2C86DE\6>A=@J6CD\=2:5\@77\E9@FD2?5D\5FC:?8\E96\A2?56>:4]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmae[___ 6>A=@J66Dk^2m 2?5 DFDA6?565 5:G:56?5D H9:=6 8:G:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^D2G@J?6EH@C<]4@>^3@6:?8\2446=6C2E6D\6BF:EJ\5:G6CD:EJ\2?5\:?4=FD:@?\677@CED`^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmS`d >:==:@?k^2m E@ C24:2= ;FDE:46 AC@8C2>D] v6?6C2= |@E@CD DFDA6?565 :ED 5:G:56?5 2?5 D92C6 3FJ324< AC@8C2>D H9:=6 5@?2E:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]8>]4@>^?6HDC@@>]56E2:=]9E>=^!286D^?6HD^FD^6?^a_a_^;F?^_e_d\DFAA@CE]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmS`_ >:==:@?k^2m E@ C24:2= ;FDE:46 42FD6D] &36C =2:5 @77 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>65:F>]4@>^DH=9^F36C\92D\=2:5\@77\e\f__\6>A=@J66D\H92E\23@FE\E96\@E96C\DE2CEFAD\f5hc7c64d6cfRiOiE6IElw@H6G6CTarTa_:ETa_:DTa_:?E6C6DE:?8Ta_E@[TarTa_2?5Ta_q:C5Ta_Wc_eX]Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qme[f__ 6>A=@J66Dk^2m H9:=6 A=658:?8 E6?D @7 >:==:@? E@ C24:2= 6BF:EJ ?@?AC@7:ED]k^Am

kAm$@>6 @7 E96D6 QH@<6Q A@=:4:6D 92G6 366? :?DE:82E65 3J 4@>A2?J 6>A=@J66D[ DF49 2D s:D?6J’D AF3=:4 @AA@D:E:@? E@ u=@C:52’D “5@?’E D2J 82J” 3:==] qFE x 5@F3E E9@D6 6>A=@J66D H@F=5 36 H:==:?8 E@ D24C:7:46 E96:C ;@3D E@ 6?DFC6 =:36C2= 8C@FAD 86E 4@CA@C2E6 5@?2E:@?D 7C@> E96:C 7@C>6C 6>A=@J6CD] q65 q2E9 2?5 q6J@?5[ H9:49 ;FDE 2??@F?465 32?<CFAE4J[ DFDA6?565 :ED DE@4< 3FJ324< AC@8C2> H9:=6 A=658:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^365\32E9\\36J@?5\:?4\2??@F?46D\`\>:==:@?\AC@5F4E\5@?2E:@?\E@\?224A\6>A@H6C>6?E\AC@8C2>D\b_`_fcgfb]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmS` >:==:@?k^2m E@ E96 }ppr!]k^Am

kAm%96 =:DE @7 4@>A2?:6D E92E 7:?2?46 A@=:E:42= 286?52D :D 6IE6?D:G6] %96D6 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 56>@?DEC2E6 9@H DE2<69@=56C 42A:E2=:D> 92D 364@>6 E96 42FD6 46=63C6 @7 >2?J 4@CA@C2E:@?D] r@CA@C2E:@?D E92E >256 H@<6 5@?2E:@?D H9:=6 =2J:?8 @77 6>A=@J66D 4@?7:C> E92E E96J G2=F6 QG:CEF6 D:8?2=:?8Q 23@G6 E96:C 6>A=@J66D]k^Am

kAm{:EE=6 6G:56?46 DF886DED E96D6 4@?EC:3FE:@?D 36?67:E 4@?DF>6CD @C D92C69@=56CD] tG6? 4@>65:2? r9C:D #@4< >@4<65 9@H 4@CA@C2E:@?D D:8?2= E96:C G:CEF6 2E E96:C 4FDE@>6CD’ 6IA6?D6] %96 4@>65:2? ;@<65 23@FE 2 42C 4@>A2?J 5@?2E:?8 Sad_ 7@C 6G6CJ 42C 3@F89E] #@4<’D 4@>65:4 C6DA@?D6 42? 36 A2C2A9C2D65 2D[ “(9J ?@E ;FDE 492C86 >6 Sad_ =6DDn”k^Am

kAmr@?DF>6CD 92G6 C:D6? :? 2?86C 282:?DE H@<6 4@CA@C2E6 A@=:4:6D] }:<6’D D92C6D 5C@AA65 DE2C<=J 27E6C :ED 25 762EFC:?8 E96 4@?EC@G6CD:2= }u{ BF2CE6C324< r@=:? z26A6C?:4<[ H9@ 72>@FD=J <?66=65 5FC:?8 E96 ?2E:@?2= 2?E96>] |@C6 C646?E=J[ p?96FD6C\qFD49’D DE@4< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]52:=J>2:=]4@]F<^?6HD^2CE:4=6\``hefbbd^qF5\{:89ED\A2C6?E\4@>A2?J\p?96FD6C\qFD49\x?q6G\=@DE\e\qx{{x~}\>2C<6E\42A]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm5C@AA65 3J Se 3:==:@?k^2m 27E6C :E 564:565 E@ >2<6 EC2?D86?56C 25G@42E6 sJ=2? |F=G2?6J 2 DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C :ED 3=F6\4@==2C qF5 {:89E 3C2?5] %96 >@?:<6C “8@ H@<6[ 8@ 3C@<6” >2J D66> D@A9@>@C:4[ 3FE :E C67=64ED 2 C62= D6?E:>6?E E92E 4@?DF>6CD 92G6 2 5:DE2DE6 7@C H@<6 A@DEFC:?8]k^Am

kAmxE :D ?@E ;FDE @FC A@=:E:42= D6?D:3:=:E:6D E92E 2C6 @776?565] r@CA@C2E6 H@<6 A@=:4:6D 92C> E6?D @7 >:==:@?D H9@ 56A6?5 @? DE@4< G2=F2E:@?D] !6?D:@?D >2<6 FA c_T @7 E96 DE@4< >2C<6E] x?5:G:5F2= C6E:C6>6?E 244@F?ED >2<6 FA 2? 255:E:@?2= cfT] tG6CJ E:>6 2 DE@4< 5C@AD @C 2 3@J4@EE E2<6D 9@=5[ p>6C:42?D @7 2== H2=<D @7 =:76 =@D6 6BF:EJ] %96 AC:?4:A=6 @7 7:5F4:2CJ C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ :D ?@E 2 ?:46 A=2E:EF56 5C2H? FA :? 4@CA@C2E6 3@2C5C@@>D] xE 27764ED E96 BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 7@C C6E:C66D 2?5 E9@D6 A=2??:?8 C6E:C6>6?E]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\=:?<Qmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]=66]?6E^E?4>D^2DD6E^65:E@C:2=^adgb5fdc\672e\``65\h56_\bb3ceg2c76`2Qms62? q2<6Ci %2C86E:?8 s:D?6J :D 3:8\8@G6C?>6?E 23FD6k^2mk^Am

kAmr@CA@C2E:@?D ;FDE:7J E96:C H@<6 5@?2E:@?D 3J 4=2:>:?8 E96J 96=A “F?56CD6CG65 >:?@C:E:6D]” *6E 4@CA@C2E:@?D E6?5 E@ 8:G6 E@ @?=J E96 >@DE AC6DE:8:@FD 492C:E:6D] %92E :D H9J :? a_a_[ q=24< {:G6D |2EE6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4??]4@>^a_a`^_a^ad^FD^3=24<\=:G6D\>2EE6C\a_a_\5@?2E:@?\C6A@CE\EC?5^:?56I]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmC646:G65 Sh_ >:==:@?k^2m] qFE H96? 4@>A2?:6D =@D6 D:89E @7 H9J E96J 2C6 :? 3FD:?6DD[ E96J :8?@C6 E9@D6 H9@ 5:C64E=J 56A6?5 @? E96 4@>A2?J 2D 2? 6>A=@J66[ 4@?DF>6C @C D92C69@=56C]k^Am

kAmq@EE@> =:?6i !@FC:?8 >@?6J :?E@ D@4:2= ;FDE:46 AC@8C2>D H9:=6 7:C:?8 E9@FD2?5D @7 6>A=@J66D :D E96 @AA@D:E6 @7 “;FDE:46]” %96 7:CDE E9:?8 4@CA@C2E:@?D D9@F=5 4@?D:56C H96? >2<:?8 7:?2?4:2= 564:D:@?D :D 9@H :E H:== 27764E E96:C 6>A=@J66D[ 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 D92C69@=56CD] r@CA@C2E:@?D 42? :?5665 >2?286 E@ 249:6G6 `d >:?FE6D @7 “8@@5 !#” H9:=6 ?@E AFEE:?8 E96:C 6>A=@J66D 2?5 D92C69@=56CD @? E96 49@AA:?8 3=@4<]k^Am