.png){kind=small}
Project Management in ERGs
Join Michelle Liang, Senior Program Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Uber Technologies Inc., and moderator Taylor Haner, Customer Success Product Trainer at Teleskope, as they explore how project management principles can help ERGs thrive.
Topics and Speakers
This webinar covers:
​
-
Applying the Iron Triangle of Project Management in ERG initiatives
-
Benchmarks and metrics to measure ERG success
-
Common challenges in ERG management and practical solutions
-
Leveraging technology solutions to streamline ERG operations
-
Actionable key takeaways for DEI managers and ERG program leaders
Speakers:
​
-
Taylor Haner, Customer Success Product Trainer, Teleskope (moderator)
-
Michelle Liang, Senior Program Manager, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Uber Technologies Inc.
Synopsis
Employee Resource Groups are usually run by passionate volunteers, but rarely with the structure of a formal project. In this conversation, Michelle Liang, Senior Program Manager for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Uber, walks through what changes when ERG leaders start treating their programs like projects, not just passion initiatives.
​
Liang describes Uber's 12-ERG structure, built around four founding pillars: Careers, Commerce, Community and Culture, each led by a tier of Global, Regional, and Chapter chairs. From there, she maps ERG work onto the classic project management "Iron Triangle" of Time, Resources and Scope: leadership terms that function like project timelines, budgets that come through D&I or an executive sponsor, and initiatives that need a defined scope before they become part of an ERG's ongoing operations.
​
The conversation spends real time on measurement, covering both the quantitative side (recurring engagement surveys) and the qualitative side (retrospectives that track what worked, what didn't, and why), and on what Liang calls the single biggest challenge and opportunity in ERG work: communication. She argues communication deserves its own workstream and committee, not an afterthought, since it's what turns ERG membership into a genuine seat at the table with business leadership.
​
Liang also speaks directly to the role of purpose-built technology in replacing spreadsheet-based tracking with centralized membership data and executive-ready reporting, drawing on her own experience as a Teleskope user. She closes with three practical principles for any DEI or ERG program manager starting this work: build real relationships with members before assigning them tasks, understand what people want out of their involvement, and deliberately align ERG goals with the priorities of an executive sponsor.
Throughout, the through-line is that ERGs succeed less on enthusiasm alone and more on the same disciplines that make any project succeed: clear scope, real metrics, deliberate communication, and sponsor alignment.
Key Takeaways
-
Apply the Iron Triangle (Time, Resources, Scope) to ERG initiatives the same way you would any formal project, rather than treating them as informal volunteer efforts.
-
Measure ERG success with both quantitative data (recurring engagement surveys) and qualitative input (structured retrospectives), documented both before and after each initiative.
-
Treat communication as its own dedicated workstream or committee within the ERG, not a byproduct of other work; it's the biggest lever for turning membership into real influence.
-
Centralize ERG data and reporting in purpose-built technology rather than spreadsheets, especially for the dashboards executive sponsors expect to see.
-
Build individual relationships with members first, understanding their interests and goals, before assigning them to projects or committees.
-
Deliberately align ERG objectives with your executive sponsor's priorities to turn sponsorship into an active, ongoing partnership rather than a nominal title.
Chapters
-
What is Uber's Employee Resource Group program like?
-
What are some benchmarks in ERG management?
-
What are the different aspects of project management in ERG management?
-
What are some key ERG metrics that measure ERG success?
-
What are the biggest challenges in ERG management?
-
How can technology solutions like ERG software help in ERG project management?
-
What are the key takeaways for DEI Managers or ERG Program Managers?
Chapter 1: Introduction
Taylor Haner (Teleskope): All right, welcome everyone! I'm thrilled to be here for today's webinar diving into the world of project management and Employee Resource Groups. Before we jump in, I'll briefly introduce myself. My name is Taylor Haner, and I'm part of the Customer Success team at Teleskope. We empower organizations to build thriving and impactful ERGs, and I have the privilege of seeing that firsthand. So I'm excited to guide our discussion today and welcome our panelist, Michelle Liang, Senior Program Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Uber Technologies. Michelle, thanks for joining me today. Can you please share a bit about yourself and your experience with project management in ERGs?
​
Michelle Liang (Uber): Yes, well, thank you so much, Taylor and the Teleskope team, for welcoming me to your webinar. I'm Michelle Liang. I'm based in New York City and a Senior Program
Chapter 2: Get to know Michelle Liang from Uber
Michelle Liang (Uber): Manager at Uber within the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team. I've been at Uber for five years now, and prior to that I spent about 10 years total in the D&I space, primarily as a program manager, having previously led and co-founded an Asian Employee Resource Group at Marsh & McLennan Companies. And I've worked in project management for almost 20-plus years now, primarily and initially within risk management insurance companies as well as ed-tech, and it's been a great pleasure to be in end-to-end project management and strategic planning across various lines of business and companies.
​
Taylor Haner (Teleskope): Amazing. Let's discuss your background: I see it says "Build with Heart" on your virtual background, so I wondered if you could tell me more about that.
​
Michelle Liang (Uber): Sure. This is an illustration of one of the many Uber cultural values we have, and "Build with Heart" is something that's very close to my own values. I think it's important not just to lead with your gut and your mind, but also with your heart, because at the end of the day we're working with people, which is essentially what helps create good, in order to continue to do well. Part of that is really building with heart, where you're led by your passion to come up with and deliver great, desired outcomes that are sustainable and scalable.
Taylor Haner (Teleskope): Awesome, I love that. So I'm going to start off with some questions. The first one: can you share a brief overview of ERGs at Uber so the audience can visualize the ERG program?