Deciding Whether to Maintain DEI Programs

I’ve stayed quiet on an issue that’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Today, another colleague reached out after their DEI role was eliminated, seeking guidance on what to do next. Historically, DEI roles have not served as a direct resource or business driver for East Coast Executives. Our primary focus has always been on diversity recruitment and career strategies. However, many who have commanded these positions are more than just peers—they’ve become trusted friends and valued colleagues over the years. It’s disheartening to see these efforts reduced, but now is the moment for corporate leaders to rethink how to continue pushing the diversity mission forward, even without dedicated DEI roles. Here are three strategies to consider: 1. Embed DEI into Core Business Strategies: DEI should not be a standalone initiative—it must be woven into your company’s business goals. Make diversity, equity, and inclusion integral to decision-making processes, from hiring to product development to leadership appointments. When it’s core to your strategy, it becomes everyone’s responsibility. 2. Empower Leadership Accountability: Without DEI departments, the responsibility to drive diversity efforts needs to sit squarely on the shoulders of your leadership teams. Hold them accountable for creating inclusive environments where diverse talent can thrive. Setting measurable goals and tracking progress can help ensure that DEI remains a priority. 3. Leverage External Expertise: If you no longer have in-house DEI experts, partner with organizations like East Coast Executives to support your recruitment and talent acquisition strategy. We’ve been helping companies create inclusive hiring practices and fostering environments where diverse talent can succeed. You don’t have to do this alone—there are resources available to help you stay on course. To the corporate leaders reading this: Now is the time to act. Don’t let the elimination of roles lead to the elimination of your equity commitment. And to those DEI professionals impacted by these cuts: Know that you are not alone. East Coast Executives is here as a resource to help guide your next steps. Let’s continue this important work, together. #Diversity #Equity #Inclusion #Leadership #EastCoastExecutives

When corporations like Target Walmart Amazon and Meta decide to roll back their #DEI initiatives, it sends shockwaves—not just through their organizations but through every professional space where equity has been hard-fought. For DEI practitioners, and anyone championing change, this isn’t just a business decision—it’s a call to action. Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw’s work on #intersectionality has taught us how systems of power intersect to marginalize certain groups. These rollbacks are a stark reminder of how fragile progress can be when profit and politics collide. But here’s the truth: even when systems shift, we hold the power to influence from within. This is where the role of the in-house influencer becomes critical. What Is an In-House Influencer? An in-house influencer is more than just an employee—they’re a changemaker. It’s the person who raises the tough questions, advocates for systemic equity, and pushes for accountability, even when the organization tries to retreat from its commitments. If you’re leading DEI efforts—or simply care about fostering inclusion—you are an in-house influencer. Here’s How to Show Up as an In-House Influencer: 1️⃣ Advocate for Intersectionality DEI isn’t just about diversity statistics—it’s about addressing the overlapping systems of inequality that impact marginalized groups. Use your voice to remind your organization that equity isn’t just for some of us—it’s for all of us. 👉 Action: When faced with rollbacks, ask: “How will this decision impact employees from intersecting marginalized identities?” Document the gaps and amplify the need for solutions. 2️⃣ Lead with the Question Trap Navigating a company pulling back from DEI? Use intentional questions to spotlight priorities and identify allies. For example: • “What is our strategy to ensure equity and belonging in the absence of formal DEI programs?” • “How are we addressing the morale of employees who feel left behind by these changes?” 3️⃣ Position Yourself as the Trusted Voice When companies shift, employees often feel disillusioned or directionless. This is where your influence matters most. Be the person who says, “We may not have the same resources, but here’s how we can keep making progress.” 👉 Action: Create informal networks, mentoring programs, or resource-sharing spaces to keep the momentum alive—even if the official structures are gone. 4️⃣ Consider Your Own Path When companies signal that equity isn’t a priority, it’s also an opportunity to evaluate your alignment with their values. As Kimberlé Crenshaw reminds us, we must constantly navigate systems to reclaim power. Sometimes, that power comes from knowing when to stay and fight—and when to build something new. 👉 Action: “Am I working in a space that aligns with my values?” If the answer is no, begin preparing for a pivot. Here’s the reality: the rollback of DEI programs doesn’t erase the need for equity. It simply shifts the responsibility. #alignment #careernomad #rna

DEI Rollbacks: A Step Backward—But We Can Keep Moving Forward Toni Morrison once said, “The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining over and over and over again, your reason for being.” That is exactly what is happening with the current administration’s attacks on DEI programs. They’ve co-opted the language of equity to claim “reverse racism,” falsely asserting that they are “ending illegal discrimination” and “restoring merit-based opportunity.” But the underlying message is clear: a manufactured narrative that suggests DEI programs take opportunities away from deserving individuals, implying that those who don’t fit the dominant identity are somehow unqualified. Let’s be clear—DEI is not about excluding talent. It is about expanding access. These programs create pathways for historically excluded communities—including women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities—who possess the skills, qualifications, and, in many cases, are overqualified but would have otherwise been overlooked due to systemic barriers. As a Non Profit Executive, I’ve led  successful strategies that fostered equitable pathways and true inclusion. And if organizations want to thrive, we don’t need less of these strategies—we need more. The facts don’t lie: Studies consistently show that diverse teams drive more innovation, make better decisions, and yield higher profits. Yet, despite this evidence, we are witnessing a rollback of DEI efforts across industries. So what can we do? Even in the face of these rollbacks, organizations can continue advancing equity in meaningful ways: ✅ Embed DEI into core business strategy. Move beyond performative gestures—ensure inclusion is a fundamental part of how decisions are made and who gets a seat at the table. ✅ Reframe DEI as a driver of innovation. Position diversity, equity, and inclusion as competitive advantages, emphasizing their proven impact on creativity, problem-solving, and business success. ✅ Prioritize inclusive hiring practices. Implement skills-based hiring, equitable advancement opportunities, and mentorship programs to cultivate diverse leadership pipelines. ✅ Leverage Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Support and fund ERGs to empower employees, foster belonging, and create spaces for underrepresented voices. ✅ Hold leadership accountable. Ensure executives and decision-makers are actively championing equity efforts, not just delegating them. DEI is not about checking boxes—it’s about unlocking potential. Despite the distractions and political rhetoric, we must remain committed to building workplaces where talent thrives, opportunity expands, and inclusion fuels innovation. How is your organization maintaining its commitment to DEI in these times? Let’s keep this conversation going. 👇🏾 #DEI #Equity #Leadership #Inclusion #Innovation

I'm troubled by a trend. Well... I'm troubled by many things these days but I'll focus on one. We're witnessing DEI ending or significantly scaled back across many organizations, including Target, JP Morgan Chase, Disney, Deloitte, PBS, Amazon, Accenture, and more. I'm not troubled because I would advocate for blindly preserving DEI as is. Many programs have fallen short—some performative, others ineffective. Research shows that anti-bias training often fails to create lasting change (scholar.harvard.edu) due to our brain's instinct to reinforce existing beliefs. However, abandoning these efforts ignores the very real issues DEI was intended to address. Consider the data on women in the workforce: 🔹 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗽: In 2023, women earned only 83.6% of what men earned. (bls.gov) 🔹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Women hold 28% of executive positions, despite making up 47% of the workforce. (corpgov.law.harvard.edu) 🔹 𝗖-𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆: Women held just 11.8% of C-suite roles in 2023, a decline from the previous year. (S&P Global Market Intelligence) 🔹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: For every 100 men promoted to manager, 89 White women were promoted in 2024. The data is even lower for women of color. (McKinsey, Women in the Workplace, 2024) Yet, organizations with at least 30% women in leadership are 12 times more likely to outperform financially. (forbes.com) Merit-based systems may seem fair, but history shows that bias—whether conscious or unconscious—often skews decisions, favoring those already in power. DEI programs have aimed to counteract these biases, ensuring that talent, not background, determines opportunity. Yet, as these initiatives are dismantled, the disparities persist. I recognize that politically and legally, this perspective is not in favor right now. But just because something is unpopular doesn’t mean it isn’t true. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 Eliminating DEI shouldn’t mean abandoning equity. Political trends shift, but meaningful, results-driven initiatives must continue. These efforts should work towards all groups, including white men, feeling included. Shifting imbalance from one group to another isn't progress—it’s a different kind of inequity. Equity and inclusion are vital to strong, innovative, and fair workplaces. Let’s commit to environments where diversity is valued as the asset that it is. What's your perspective? What trends are you seeing? How can we preserve the intention behind DEI as the landscape shifts? #leadership #equity #inclusion #diversity #januscoaching USC Bovard College Chief ➡️ First image texted by a friend. Apologies for not knowing the original source. The second image is from the McKinsey, Women in the Workplace 2024 Report.

In recent months and years, extraordinary attention has been paid to the risks of diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as lawsuits by anti-DEI activist groups, executive orders, and social media campaigns. But what about the risks on the other side? Earlier this year, in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump's anti-DEI executive orders, the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law and Catalyst Inc. fielded a survey of 2,500 U.S. employees and leaders (c-suite and legal) in medium and large organizations with active DEI programs. We wanted to get behind the headlines and understand how people on the ground were actually navigating the current legal and political environment. When we reviewed the data, one big theme immediately emerged: the risks of *retreat*. Whether you look at it from a talent perspective, a financial perspective, a legal perspective, or a reputational perspective, we found ample data to suggest that retreating from initiatives that promote fairness and equal opportunity in the workplace creates its own significant risks. These risks need to be factored into an organization's DEI strategy. Take these examples: ⏺️ 68% of c-suite leaders and 65% of legal leaders said moving away from DEI would create more legal risk for their organization. ⏺️ 64% of the c-suite and 62% of legal leaders said there was greater risk of litigation alleging discrimination from traditional plaintiffs (e.g., people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people) than non-traditional plaintiffs (i.e., members of dominant or majority groups). This new report, which I coauthored with Alix Pollack, Tara Van Bommel, PhD., Christina Joseph, and Kenji Yoshino, helps leaders benchmark their DEI strategy against that of organizational peers, and serves as a playbook to help them navigate this tricky terrain. Please read it at the link below and let me know what you think! https://lnkd.in/gefJahjN

"I hope people running these companies have courage in their convictions.” Jim Fielding, former CEO of Claire's and Disney Stores President, talking about Robby Starbucks' bullying companies to ditch their #DEI efforts. Tractor Supply Company, John Deere and Harley-Davidson Motor Company all capitulated pretty quickly, even if the changes were modest, to social media pressure from a vocal minority. Is Robby Starbuck really just pushing companies to be apoliticl as he proclaims? As Beth Kowitt put it in Bloomberg: “In reality, there is no true neutral ground here. Operating a company in a way that results in a less diverse workplace or more carbon emissions can also be viewed as advancing a political agenda.” Capitulation doesn't settle the issue. 1️⃣ #Diversity, #equity and #inclusion programs are seen as a positive among a growing majority of employees, across gender, race, age and political affiliation. Americans increasingly agree that the goal of DEI programs is to improve business outcomes. That belief is up from 4 percentage points from last year, and up 9 percentage points to include a majority of Republicans. Retreating can impact employee retention and engagement; 65% of workers 18-34 say "an inclusive work culture with a well-supported diversity program is critical" to attracting and retaining them. That's true of a majority of #GenX and Boomers as well: 56% of those over 55 (like me) agree -- up from 41% last year. 2️⃣ Retreating creates its own backlash, and encourages the behavior. Tractor Supply Company, who went furthest in capitulation, faces a backlash from its own customer base, many of whom are both rural and diverse, including the National Black Farmers Association. Capitulation just adds fuel to behaviors that increase the odds that issues like prejudice (“she’s an affirmative action hire”) will become more prevalent. Princeton Prof Betsy Levy Paluck recently described to Adam Grant how prejudice grows through shifting norms of what is acceptable behavior, and that leaders have a role in pushing back on what’s unacceptable. 76% of employees want companies to recommit, not retreat. They want companies to address the criticism when DEI initiatives are attacked internally or externally, correcting misinformation and inviting open conversation. Back to Jim Fielding's quote at the top: one of the ways to stem this is for leaders to speak up, dispel misinformation and voice their support. "Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." 🔗 Links to Beth Kowitt's work, Edelman's research and Chip Cutter's coverage in comments.

Join me in resetting the DEI narrative, like Costco just did. Let me explain... While there have been reports of some companies pruning some DEI initiatives in response to investor activism, Costco has decidedly bucked the trend. When the Costco board received a shareholder proposal to evaluate and publish business risks associated with maintaining its current DEI roles, policies, and goals, they pushed back. Instead of accepting the argument that DEI increases risk for shareholders, the board disagreed, explaining that diversity is foundational and key to their business success, ultimately rewarding shareholders. They also went a step further, saying that the investors who requested they end DEI are not doing so in the interest of Costco, but as part of a larger political agenda. (Source: HR Dive: https://lnkd.in/gUzcBbcm) As better allies, we can also aim to reset the DEI narrative or preempt any pushback within our spheres of influence. For example: - Connect Employee Resource Group (ERG) goals to business objectives. - Align DEI initiatives with corporate values. - Identify the return on investment (ROI) for any DEI-related budget request. (A straightforward approach I’ve used successfully is to point out that if a woman’s leadership program helps retain just one person, the company will save the cost of replacing an employee, which experts estimate to be between 50%-200% of their yearly salary.) — This is an excerpt from my upcoming “5 Ally Actions” newsletter. Subscribe and read the full edition at https://lnkd.in/gQiRseCb #BetterAllies #Allyship #InclusionMatters #Inclusion #Belonging #Allies 🙏

DEI leaders are facing more resistance than ever. As we all grapple with the growing uncertainty in our industry, I've spent countless hours researching the right language, fine-tuning Perfeqta’s strategies, and pivoting to help my consultant network stay ahead of the recent rollbacks. I've been in constant conversations with other professionals, putting our heads together to navigate this and continue to support our clients and organizations. I know it’s overwhelming. I’ve felt it too. Here’s where I’ve landed so far: 1. Don’t wait too long to adjust to a changing environment. Evolving is crucial, and the longer you stick to what’s comfortable, the harder it becomes to navigate shifts. 2. Stay informed on legal compliance. Keep your initiatives aligned with evolving policies. Work with legal counsel to assess any necessary adjustments while protecting your core DEI efforts. 3. It’s also Black History Month. I’m reminded that leadership has always required resilience in the face of adversity, but growth doesn’t happen when you’re running on empty. To lead others, you have to first lead yourself. 4. Get crystal clear with executive leadership Ensure that business leaders understand the long-term value of DEI. It's not just about compliance, but about performance, innovation, and engagement. 5. Adapt the language if necessary If “DEI” is facing pushback in your organization, consider reframing the language without diluting the intent. Ensure that the work continues, no matter the term used. 6. Prioritize your well-being. Leading in a polarized environment is exhausting. Set boundaries, build a support network, and take care of your mental and emotional health. This work requires us to sustain ourselves so we can continue leading with impact. Leadership today is about striking the balance between observation and action. The future of DEI may look uncertain, but the need for inclusive, equitable workplaces has not changed.