The Infancy stage begins not with your first ERG event, but with the very thought: “Should we start an ERG program?” For many companies today, it sounds more like: “We need to do our ERG program right this time.” Whether you’re starting from scratch or course-correcting a program that’s already in motion, this is the true beginning of the ERG program’s lifecycle—and it’s the most critical phase.

Infancy is led by a single person, even if unofficially: the person responsible for setting up the ERG program. Regardless of their title—ERG Program Manager, DEI Lead, HR Business Partner, or Diversity Program Manager—we’ll refer to them as the ERG Program Manager throughout this model.

Their job in this phase is not just to launch ERGs. It’s to build the framework that will allow ERGs to thrive long-term. Unfortunately, most companies skip this phase entirely, jumping straight into launch without doing the foundational work. That’s why so many programs today are facing low engagement, inconsistent operations, and overwhelmed volunteer leaders. To course-correct, most organizations must return to this phase—even if they’ve technically already launched.

The work of Infancy centers on the 3Ps of ERG Programs—Purpose, Processes, and Programming. Together, these serve as the strategic framework that defines what a launch-ready ERG program actually looks like. Each “P” represents a critical area of focus that must be addressed before moving forward.

Purpose: Clarify the Vision and Create the Strategy

Establishing Purpose starts with mindset. Before you build your ERG program, you need clarity on who it’s meant to serve and what it’s designed to achieve. And here’s the foundational perspective: your customer audience is your employees. Your stakeholders are your executive team.

This distinction is non-negotiable. The job of an ERG program is to deliver value to employees in a way that aligns with what matters to the business—meaning, what matters to your stakeholders. That’s the frame that drives your program vision.

Your vision should articulate two core ideas: what the executive team sees as success for the ERG program, and what impact you, as the Program Manager, believe the program should drive for employees. At the intersection of these two is your North Star metric—a guiding measure of success that keeps both priorities aligned. Whether it’s tied to retention, engagement, sense of belonging, or internal brand affinity, that metric gives your program direction.

This vision isn’t just aspirational—it must also be operational. Every Program Manager wants their ERG program to run with a level of autonomy that requires minimal day-to-day lift. That kind of operational excellence only happens when clarity is embedded into the foundation, and that includes being explicit about what’s in scope and out of scope for your ERG program.

Defining scope isn’t just a courtesy to your ERG leaders. It’s a protective measure. When expectations are unclear, leaders may take on work that falls far outside the intended purpose—sometimes even crossing into areas with legal risk. For example, in union-sensitive environments, ERG activity that drifts into labor-related territory can become a serious liability. Clear scope boundaries don’t just support efficiency—they prevent accidental overreach that can put your program, or your company, in difficult positions.

Once your vision and scope are locked in, the next step is outlining how you’re going to bring that vision to life over time. That’s your strategy. And it’s important to be clear here: pillars are not a strategy. Pillars simply categorize the types of programming an ERG might deliver—like themes on education, professional development, or community impact. They can help organize your offerings, but they don’t explain how your program will grow, scale, or improve.

Strategy, on the other hand, defines how your program will mature year-over-year. It’s your execution plan. And that’s where The ERG Movement Model comes in. This model is a business development framework reimagined for ERG programs. It allows you to assess where you are now, understand what success looks like at each phase, and plan the right steps to get there. When used correctly, it becomes the engine behind your strategy—translating your vision into sustainable growth.

Processes: Build the Structure to Deliver Consistent, High-Quality Value

If Purpose gives your program direction, Processes are what make it possible to deliver on that direction again and again—with clarity, quality, and consistency.

At its core, the Process work in the Infancy stage is about removing friction and making it easy for ERG leaders to operate. That means implementing a comprehensive ERG handbook and building out data systems that allow for clear accountability and minimal ambiguity.

A strong process allows you to deliver value to your customer—your members—reliably and at a high level. Not once. Not occasionally. Every time.

When done right, Processes eliminate the need for constant decision-making and back-and-forth. ERG leaders can look at the structure and know exactly what’s expected of them, how to execute, and when to act. Your goal should be to make it so clear that participation as an ERG leader could take as little as three hours a month—or even one, once they get the hang of it.

Governance = Outcome-Driven Role Design

Governance is not about titles—it’s about outcomes. Your structure should be designed to help the program achieve its goals, not to mirror what others are doing.

Instead of assigning “leads” and “co-leads,” design task-based roles aligned to what you want the program to achieve. If engagement is a key goal, then roles should be built to drive engagement. If visibility is the focus, create a role tied to communications or content creation. You’re not filling seats—you’re distributing ownership.

Each role should come with clearly defined metrics:

• Input metrics (also called activity metrics): these outline the actions expected from each role. For example: “host two events per quarter” or “send monthly update emails.”
• Output metrics (also called results metrics): these measure the intended impact of those actions. For example: increased event attendance, survey scores, or participation rates.

These aren’t about micromanaging—they’re about creating clarity, accountability, and motivation. When ERG leaders know what success looks like, they’re more confident in delivering it.

Your Handbook = Your Leadership Enablement Tool

The ERG handbook isn’t just a reference doc—it’s the central tool for onboarding, decision-making, and execution. It should go beyond text to include interactive elements like workflows, visual examples, timelines, and how-to guides.

This is your chance to remove confusion and empower leaders from Day 1—even those brand new to ERG work. A well-structured handbook sets expectations, standardizes what needs to be consistent, and clearly outlines where ERG leaders can adapt based on their community.

If built well, your handbook becomes your greatest retention tool. People will want to become ERG leaders because it’s clear, organized, and set up to support—not overwhelm—them.

Process Will Evolve. But It Has to Start Strong.

Your first pass at processes won’t be perfect—and it doesn’t have to be. Later phases of the ERG Movement Model will focus on improving and refining what you’ve built. But Infancy is about making sure something solid exists to start with.

You can’t scale chaos. But you can scale clarity. And that starts with Process.

Programming: Equip ERG Leaders to Facilitate Community

Once your program’s Purpose is clear and the Processes are in place, it’s time to focus on the final element of Infancy: Programming. This isn’t about delivering events—yet. That comes in the next stage. Programming in Infancy is about something deeper: teaching your ERG leaders how to facilitate community.

There’s a common misconception that people who identify with a community automatically know how to build and lead one. But identity doesn’t equal facilitation skill. Most ERG leaders are not trained community facilitators—and without guidance, even the most passionate leaders can struggle to translate ideas into meaningful experiences.

That’s why the Programming element of Infancy is focused on community-building principles and customization within a framework.

This is where ERG leaders begin to define:

• What topics or themes matter most to the community they represent
• What types of programming they’d like to deliver within the structure already defined
• How to shape their ERG’s unique voice and approach—while still operating within the program’s larger strategy and scope

For programs that are launching ERGs for the first time, this phase also includes developing the plan for your ERG program launch—including the rollout strategy, launch event, and internal comms that will introduce the program to employees and execs alike.

When done well, Programming is what helps ERG leaders personalize the program within the structure that’s already been built. It ensures that each ERG is thoughtfully designed around the community it exists to support—before the first event ever happens. This phase gives leaders the space to shape how their ERG shows up, while staying fully aligned with the program’s purpose, processes, and expectations. It’s what transforms a shared framework into something that feels authentic, intentional, and community-ready.

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